2018 VALENTINE’S DAY
SUCCESS GUIDE TREND REPORTS | ASK A FLORIST | TOP 12 BEST SELLERS | MANAGING DELIVERIES
Keith, Wendy and Mary Rockcastle Rockcastle Florist, Rochester & Canandaigua, NY
2018 VALENTINE’S DAY SUCCESS GUIDE
JANUARY MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
FRIDAY 4
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THURSDAY
Display merchandising items from Teleflora’s FSG Update Kit
Set your autobids for Flowerbuyer.com
Flowerbuyer.com Tuesday and Thursday auctions begin
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Send Valentine’s Day Statement Stuffers and other mailers
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It’s the last Tuesday/Thursday Flowerbuyer.com auction!
Finalize your lineup – See Teleflora’s projected Best Sellers on p.7
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
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Valentine’s Day prep – Staff Meeting
FEBRUARY MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
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Upload custom Valentine’s SKUs and update pricing on your eFlorist site
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12 Last day to order your flowers on Flowerbuyer.com using priority overnight
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13 Post, Tweet and blog behind the scenes Valentine’s Day bouquet creations
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Happy 14 Valentine’s Day
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This Valentine's Day, Teleflora continues to encourage consumers to show their love in a big way, by reminding people of the power of a hand-crafted bouquet to wow and impress! See our national marketing campaign coming soon!
2018 VALENTINE’S DAY SUCCESS GUIDE
CONTENTS 4
TREND REPORTS: 2018 Valentine’s Day trends include red lace and metallic glam. Learn how to incorporate these trends into your Valentine’s Day merchandising.
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ASK A FLORIST: Teleflora partner florists describe how they plan purchases for Valentine’s Day, price appropriately to maximize profitability during the holiday and what a Wednesday holiday means for florists.
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TOP 12 BEST SELLERS: Find out which bouquets will be a hit with your customers this season. TIM FARRELL'S VALENTINE'S DAY TIPS: Teleflora Education specialist and owner of Farrell's Florist in Drexel Hill, PA, gives away his secrets for Valentine’s Day success. FACEBOOK CALENDAR: Don’t put off social media this year–make a plan! ADVERTISING: Crystal Vilkaitis of Social Edge explains how to boost local exposure with Facebook ads.
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SEARCH ENGINE MARKETING: If SEM and CPC are foreign marketing terms, our guide is for you!
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MANAGING ORDERS: Tools you can use before and during the holiday rush.
2018 VALENTINE’S DAY SUCCESS GUIDE
TREND REPORT FLAME THE PASSION
MERCHANDISING TIP: Use the 3D bouquet from your FSG Kit to create a romantic tablespace with candles, a red lace tablecloth and red glasses. Teleflora’s Red Haute Bouquet
RED ALERT
MERCHANDISING TIP: Secure unused rose petals in sheer fabric with a red ribbon and sell as an add-on. Teleflora’s Swirling Desire Bouquet
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2018 VALENTINE’S DAY SUCCESS GUIDE
PASSION TWISTS
MERCHANDISING TIP: Break up the traditional Valentine’s Day pink and red color display. Mix in trendy colors like shades of lavender, plum and metallic for a modern display. Teleflora’s Mad Crush Bouquet
GORGEOUS GRADIENTS
MERCHANDISING TIP: Fill this container with cute Valentine’s Day candy hearts, and wrap with colored cellophane to make a great gift or add-on. Teleflora’s Young at Heart Bouquet
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2018 VALENTINE’S DAY SUCCESS GUIDE
ASK A FLORIST How do you decide what products to buy? “I keep records from the previous Valentine’s Day. It tells me a lot! I can look back on how much we purchased in product, what we did not use, and what we could have done differently. I also know how early I had product in the shop, when we started on some arrangements and how many employees we had on various times and days.” BARBARA BILKE, MADELINE’S FLOWERS, EDMOND, OK
How do you price appropriately for maximum profitability for Valentine’s Day?
“We take into account the costs involved and ensure an adequate labor fee. During holidays our designers create numerous bouquets of the same design at once, so the labor fee can be a little lower because we are getting more work accomplished in less time. We also take into account the local market, so as not to price ourselves too high or low and provide a fair price for our designs.” BILL MCPHAIL , ALWAYS FLOWERS BY CRENSHAW, FAYETTEVILLE, NC
How will Valentine’s Day be different this year on a Wednesday instead of a Tuesday? “Wednesday is historically a great day for Valentine’s Day for retail florists... and at Farrell’s Florist, we are looking forward to that being a GREAT week! We anticipate not only an increase in orders, but also a higher dollar value for each order. When Valentine’s Day hits further from a weekend, more expensive options like weekends away or day trips may not be doable, leaving more money to be spent on flowers—the real star of the holiday.” TIM FARRELL, AIFD, AAF, PFCI, TELEFLORA EDUCATION SPECIALIST AND OWNER OF FARRELL’S FLORIST, DREXEL HILL, PA (See Tim’s tips for a successful Valentine’s Day on p. 8)
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2018 VALENTINE’S DAY SUCCESS GUIDE
TOP 12 PROJECTED BEST SELLERS
Teleflora’s Red Haute Bouquet T18V100A
Teleflora’s Swirling Desire Bouquet T18V200A
Teleflora’s Mad Crush Bouquet T18V300A
Teleflora’s Young at Heart Bouquet T18V400A
Love’s Passion Bouquet by Teleflora T17V200A
Hugs and Kisses T11Z100A
Full of Love Bouquet TEV24-2
Teleflora’s Hold Me Close Bouquet TEV22-1A
Be My Love T128-2A
Teleflora's Sweet Thoughts Bouquet with Red Roses TEV13-7A
Teleflora's True Romance Bouquet T400-3A
Dance with Me Bouquet with Red Roses TEV12-5A
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2018 VALENTINE’S DAY SUCCESS GUIDE
TIM FARRELL’S VALENTINE’S DAY TIPS 1
What trends are you seeing for 2018 Valentine’s Day floral designs? We are slowly, but steadily, seeing a move from red roses to other colors! Rose varieties with larger heads and saturated color seem to be gaining ground here. We are expecting a continued trend towards lavender and purple hues. But hot pinks (like the variety Pink Floyd) and brilliant oranges (like Orange Crush) are fan favorites as well.
22 Do you have any tips for managing orders during the biggest floral holiday of the year? Always be in control of the sale! Limit options to those bouquets that you have product to fill, and those that produce the best profit margin. Also, hire part-time helpers who can assist with basic design and mass–produced arrangements so that you have not only great product, but competent staff to fill every order.
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Do you have any in-store merchandising tips for the upcoming Valentine’s Day season? Make sure your store has items with price points to fit every budget. Make sure to prominently display several arrangements in your store that are significantly more expensive than your average Valentine’s sale. Psychologically, this will help to drive up your average sale, and customer satisfaction as well. If she liked the $75.00 arrangement he bought her last year, she will LOVE the $150.00 arrangement he buys her this year!
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How do you manage employees differently during the holiday rush? Make sure individual designers can repeat as many steps as possible. One option is to give all of the Teleflora Star orders to one designer to complete for the holiday at hand. Also, a good pep talk at the beginning of the holiday, setting goals and laying out expectations on productivity are always helpful.
Tim Farrell, AIFD, AAF, PFCI
Teleflora Education Specialist and Owner of Farrell’s Florist, Drexel Hill, PA
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2018 VALENTINE’S DAY SUCCESS GUIDE
VALENTINE’S DAY FACEBOOK CALENDAR Don’t leave Facebook posts to the last minute! Stick to this plan for a smart and successful Valentine’s Day Facebook strategy.
JANUARY 3rd - Visit the Valentine’s Day Toolbox at MyTeleflora.com/VDToolbox.aspx to download our Facebook Kit, complete with post images, cover images, and suggested copy – all ready to use. 6th - Check your Facebook business page to make sure your contact information and hours are correct before customers start calling. 10th - Add any Valentine’s Day events to your Facebook page and send out Facebook invites. 15th - Post an image of a unique bouquet you’re going to feature during the holiday. Customers love to see your creative side. 18th - Don’t forget to mix up your pictures and include bouquets with people or in context. 23rd - Show off your Valentine’s Day merchandising displays and invite customers in to see them. 29th - Use Teleflora’s Facebook Kit at MyTeleflora.com/SocialMedia.aspx to schedule posts leading up to Valentine’s Day with links back to your site!
FEBRUARY 1st - Use one of our cover images from the Facebook Kit to refresh your page to a Valentine’s Day theme. 5th - Encourage your customers to place orders early with a special offer. 7th - Create a contest or giveaway to remind your customers that the holiday is coming and to place their orders. 9th - Post “Last day to order your bouquets” to help drive final orders. 13th - Post a behind-the-scenes craziness photo of you and your staff preparing for the holiday. 14th -
Happy Valentine’s Day 9
2018 VALENTINE’S DAY SUCCESS GUIDE
3 “MUSTS” FOR A WINNING FACEBOOK AD By Crystal Vilkaitis, Founder Social Edge, Retail Social Media Expert, and Speaker
3 "MUSTS"
FOR WINNING FACEBOOK ADS By Crystal Vilkaitis, Founder Social Edge, Retail Social Media Expert, and Speaker
Running ads on Facebook is one of the best ways to grow your local exposure and increase store traffic and sales. Here are the three things retailers must do with their Facebook ads.
1. TARGETING One of the main reasons Facebook ads are so powerful is the ability to target current and new customers. Get familiar with the targeting options available, then strategically plan who should see your ad and what you want them to do. Create an ad that’s relevant to them using an image or video that relates and copy that connects. Target users who: • Are similar to the people who currently like your business page • Purchase luxury items • Purchase flowers • Have engaged with your Facebook page in the past seven days These are only a few examples. There are many more options out there, including the ability to exclude audiences, improving targeting even further.
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2018 VALENTINE’S DAY SUCCESS GUIDE
2. TESTING Within Facebook ads, you can test things like images or videos, copy, audiences, placements and ad types. For example: You’re trying to raise awareness and increase sales for new products so you’re advertising to a targeted group of people who would love the new line (like we discussed earlier), but you’re not sure which image of the product will work best. Therefore, you test three images: a lifestyle shot, a plain product shot and one that you took in store. You keep everything else the same, using the same ad type, placement, audience and copy. Let the ad run for at least 48 hours and check to see which image is getting the most activity, for the lowest cost. You can then pause the other two ads that are not performing as well.
3. DON’T RELY ON BOOSTING If you’re only boosting, you miss out on other opportunities to reach people near your store and build local awareness. Use a well-rounded ad strategy to support specific goals, like building website traffic, getting past customers to like you on Facebook, or increasing attendance at your event. One retailer we work with is seeing an additional six new customers a day in her store since starting Facebook ads for $350/month. Use Teleflora's step-by-step Facebook Ads Guide at MyTeleflora.com/SocialMedia.aspx to learn how to place ads.
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2018 VALENTINE’S DAY SUCCESS GUIDE
YOUR GUIDE TO SEARCH ENGINE MARKETING WHAT IS SEARCH ENGINE MARKETING (SEM)?
SEM means purchasing ads on search engines, like Google, to drive customers to your website.
HOW DOES SEM WORK?
SEM is a bidding system. Choose which keywords you wish to target and set the highest price you are willing to pay for a single click—this is called cost per click (CPC). That bid is compared to other advertisers’ bids on the same keyword. Then, the search engine assesses the relevance of advertisements to each user. As a result, ads match each users' search queries, creating a better experience for the user, and better results for the advertisers. Which advertiser wins? In addition to the bid, Google considers multiple variables, including quality score and ad formats, to determine who wins the bid and appears as a top ad.
SEM TIPS TIP #1: DON’T TRICK YOUR AUDIENCE
• Link the ad to a landing page with relevant material and provide the same price or offer as the advertisement • Include keywords and information to complement your ads
TIP #2: OPTIMIZE YOUR LANDING PAGES
• Show relevant and original content that helps users complete their tasks • Make sure the landing page is easy to navigate
TIP #3: RUN AN ENTICING PROMOTION
• Price promotions persuade new shoppers to click through to your ad instead of a competitor’s ad • Test multiple offers to find out which receives the most clicks and delivers the best profit
Be holiday ready! eFlorist has the best experts
in the field managing SEM Paid Search Advertising for more than 1,400 florists. We delivered 115% more orders through our paid search program in 2016 than the prior year. Call our eFlorist Marketing Experts at 866.983.3932 or email efloristhelp@teleflora.com and get started today!
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2018 VALENTINE’S DAY SUCCESS GUIDE
YOUR VALENTINE'S DAY CHECKLIST WHAT TO ORDER
Smart inventory purchases are key to having a successful Valentine’s Day, and this year you can prepare with all the essential items from Flowerbuyer.com. Florists see an average savings of 30% on high-quality flowers. Stock up on flower varieties from the list below to fill your Teleflora bouquets and ensure that you’re ready for the rush.
VALENTINE’S DAY PRODUCTS
Alstroemeria Pink FB prices as low as $0.53 Save 22%*
Mini Carnation Pink FB prices as low as $0.29 Save 42%*
Rose Pink 50cm FB prices as low as $0.66 Save 56%*
Lily Oriental Pink FB prices as low as $1.50 Save 25%*
Carnation Red FB prices as low as $0.30 Save 60%*
Rose Red 50cm FB prices as low as $0.53 Save 22%*
Flowerbuyer.com Valentine’s Day Auctions are held every Tuesday and Thursday starting December 26th at 2PM (EST) / 11AM (PST). Visit Flowerbuyer.com or call 877.625.3243 and save big on Valentine’s Day flowers. *based on national average prices
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2018 VALENTINE’S DAY SUCCESS GUIDE
GROW YOUR BUSINESS WITH DOVE POS Accessible anytime, anywhere, Dove POS is the floral industry’s most affordable and flexible point-of-sale system. Its powerful features are designed to maximize your shop’s productivity with less effort. Dove POS is simple to use and scalable, so you can easily customize it for your shop’s needs.
EASY ORDER ENTRY: Enter all order information on one screen. Plus, Dove POS saves all customer and
recipient account information automatically.
ONE-CLICK MARKETING: Grow repeat business by marketing to your customers with email and
postcard reminders and holiday offers. Remember to send your Valentine’s Day reminders at least two weeks in advance of the holiday!
DELIVERY MANAGER WITH GOOGLE MAPS: Create streamlined routes for more efficient deliveries that save you time and gas. Complete real-time delivery confirmations directly from your driver’s mobile phone. EVENT MANAGER: Stay organized while impressing your customers with professionally designed and customized proposals. Easily manage multiple venues, points of contact and complex delivery schedules. ACCESSIBLE ON THE WEB: Place and track orders anytime, anywhere with mobile Dove POS. Prepare for a
busy Valentine’s Day by equipping your sales associates with mobile phones or tablets to process walk-in orders more quickly and easily.
FOR MORE, VISIT MYTELEFLORA.COM OR CALL DOVE POS SUPPORT AT 866.444.3683 14
2018 VALENTINE’S DAY SUCCESS GUIDE
TIMELINE FOR MANAGING DELIVERIES DURING VALENTINE’S DAY! Pre-Valentine’s Day Rush: • ADJUST YOUR DELIVERY AREA Use Flexible Codifications to set up a larger delivery area in the days leading up to Valentine’s Day, and then trim it down to just your local city/postal codes when you get busy. Visit MyTeleflora.com/Edit_Flexible_Codifications.aspx
Valentine’s Day Rush: • GOT AN ORDER? RESPOND WITHIN AN HOUR
Unlike other floral service providers, Teleflora doesn’t penalize you for refusing an order, but please reject it within an hour. Not responding to an order results in a “non-delivery” fee.
• DELIVERY CONFIRMATIONS ARE KEY
To help avoid non-delivery complaints, please confirm the delivery AFTER the delivery has been made. This will help reduce confusion for the sender and the recipient. HAVE DOVE POS AND DELIVERY MANAGER? Use eDelivery to save time on confirming orders by confirming them as soon as they are delivered. eDelivery allows delivery drivers to mark orders as delivered, clock in and out, and view order info on the road in real time using a Web-enabled mobile phone or tablet.
SOS Valentine’s Day Rush: • AT CAPACITY? USE DOVE STOPS
When you cannot take another order, use Dove Stop. Visit MyTeleflora.com/Stop_Dove.aspx for details.
• NEED ORDER INFORMATION? SEND TELEFLORA A MESSAGE
Use your Dove or POS System to send us a message. Use the proper message type to ensure that you get the response you need.
FOR MORE, VISIT MYTELEFLORA.COM OR CALL DOVE POS SUPPORT AT 866.444.3683 15
2018 VALENTINE’S DAY SUCCESS GUIDE
TOP TAKEAWAYS ASK A FLORIST
Our Teleflora partner florists divulge how to maximize profits during the holiday. (p. 6)
SCHEDULE YOUR FACEBOOK POSTS
In January, prep your social media for the big day. (p. 9)
NEED LOCAL EXPOSURE?
The founder of Social Edge shows how to use Facebook ads to boost walk-in traffic (p. 10)
SEARCH ENGINE MARKETING FOR BEGINNERS
eFlorist provides a simple tutorial and tips to get started with SEM. (p. 12)
AVOID A VALENTINE'S DAY SOS!
How to use flexible codifications and delivery confirmations to avoid Valentine’s Day panic. (p. 15)
HELPFUL CONTACT NUMBERS
Teleflora's Legendary Love Bouquet
Customer Service: 800.421.2815 U.S. 800.668.5770 Canada Monday – Friday: 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. (CST) Saturday: 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. (CST) eFlorist: 866.983.3932
DovePlus: 800.720.9410
Products: 800.333.0205 Flowerbuyer.com: 877.625.3243
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