# Valentine's Day social media posts that aren't all pink hearts [Canonical HTML page](https://gradiently.design/guide/valentines-day-posts) Every February the feed fills with the same pink hearts. There are better ways to do Valentine's Day, from oxblood and chocolate palettes to posts for friends and for people who would rather skip it. ## The short version - Valentine's Day social media posts stand out when they swap bubblegum pink and heart clip art for richer palettes such as oxblood, rose and rust, or chocolate and cream. - Posts for Valentine's Day can speak to couples, friends and people who would rather ignore the day, and the last two are often less crowded. - Galentine's Day falls on 13 February and celebrates friendship, which suits group offers, brunches and gifts for friends. - Anti-Valentine's posts work when they are good natured and inclusive rather than bitter. - Valentine's offers do best when posted one to two weeks before 14 February, with a clear last order or booking date. The best **Valentine's Day social media posts** skip the bubblegum pink and the heart clip art. Use a richer palette, such as oxblood, rose and rust or dark chocolate and cream, keep your own type and voice, and think about who you are talking to. Couples are only one audience. Friends celebrating Galentine's Day and people who would rather ignore the whole thing are two more, and their feeds are far less crowded. Plan offers a fortnight ahead, with a clear deadline. ## Valentine's palettes beyond pink hearts Pink and red mean Valentine's Day to everyone, which is why they make every brand look the same in February. Move them somewhere deeper, warmer or more surprising and the day still reads instantly, but the post reads as yours. - Oxblood: `radial-gradient(circle at 70% 25%, #b91c3c 0%, #5c0f22 40%, #1f050c 85%)` - Rose and rust: `radial-gradient(circle at 30% 30%, #f4a3a3 0%, #c2574a 45%, #6b2a1f 90%)` - Chocolate and cream: `radial-gradient(circle at 25% 20%, #fbeee4 0%, #a9705a 45%, #3b2016 90%)` - Lilac dusk: `radial-gradient(circle at 75% 75%, #e9a8c8 0%, #8a5cc4 45%, #241638 90%)` - Blush to coral: `linear-gradient(160deg, #fff5ef 0%, #f9d5cb 55%, #e46b5c 100%)` Five Valentine's grounds. Oxblood and chocolate feel grown up; lilac dusk and blush to coral keep it light without bubblegum. If your brand is pink already, lean into a deeper or warmer shade for the month instead of switching. [Pink gradients](https://gradiently.design/guide/pink-gradient) has more shades that avoid the sugary end, and [red gradients](https://gradiently.design/guide/red-gradient) shows how to keep red rich rather than alarming. ### Avoid - Bubblegum pink and pillar box red together - Heart clip art in every corner - Cupid stock illustrations - Script fonts you never use otherwise ### Try - One deep red or rose on a dark or cream ground - A single heart, or none, used with intent - Your product photographed as the gift - Your usual typefaces, set a little softer ## Valentine's Day promotion ideas Valentine's offers work best when they solve a problem: what to give, where to go, how to make the evening feel special. Pick the one that fits your business and post it early. | Business | Offer idea | Post it | | --- | --- | --- | | Restaurant or café | Set menu for two, bookings open now | Two to three weeks before | | Shop | Gift guide for partners, with a last order date | Ten to fourteen days before | | Florist | Pre-order bouquets, collection or delivery slots | Two weeks before | | Salon or spa | Treatments for two, or a gift card | Two weeks before | | Creator or studio | Couples' or friends' workshop | Three weeks before | Booking businesses need the most notice. Gift cards make a good last minute post on 13 February. A portrait Valentine's Day restaurant post announcing a five course dinner for two on a deep red gradient A restaurant post on an oxblood ground, with the date and the booking prompt. A vertical story giving a last order day for Valentine's delivery with a gift card alternative A last order story for a shop, with a gift card fallback for late shoppers. Whatever the offer, the post needs three things in readable type: what it is, the date, and how to get it. Put the booking link or shop link in your bio and say so in the caption. [Restaurant social media posts](https://gradiently.design/guide/restaurant-social-media-posts) and [florist Instagram ideas](https://gradiently.design/guide/florist-instagram) go deeper for the two businesses that are busiest this week. ## Galentine's Day post ideas Galentine's Day, on 13 February, began as a joke in the television series Parks and Recreation and has become a real occasion for celebrating friends. It suits any business that hosts groups or sells gifts for friends, and it gives you a second, less crowded day to post. - Brunch or bottomless tables for groups of four or more. - A gift guide for best friends, organised by price. - Friends' nights: a workshop, a class or a tasting booked as a group. - A share prompt: "Tag the friend who'd come to this with you" in the caption. - Matching items or bundles meant to be split between friends. A portrait Galentine's Day post inviting friends to a group brunch, in soft lilac colours A Galentine's post in lilac and blush: friendly rather than romantic. ## Anti-Valentine's Day posts Plenty of your followers are single, recently heartbroken, or simply tired of being told to buy roses. Anti-Valentine's posts speak to them, and a good one gets passed around group chats. Keep the tone good natured: the joke is on the day, never on people. - "Treat yourself" offers: a discount for buying a gift for yourself. - A singles' night, quiz or comedy evening on the 14th. - Dark, unromantic palettes: graphite, acid green or deep teal instead of red. - Honest copy: "No roses. No set menu. Just very good pizza." A portrait anti-Valentine's Day post on a dark gradient reading No roses, just very good pizza An anti-Valentine's post on a dark ground with no heart in sight. Dark grounds suit this tone well; [dark colour palettes](https://gradiently.design/guide/dark-color-palettes) has combinations that feel moody rather than gloomy. Run the anti post alongside your romantic one rather than instead of it, so nobody feels left out of your feed. ## Sizes and timing Plan feed posts at 1080×1350 and stories at 1080×1920, and make a Pinterest version of any gift guide at 1000×1500, because many people plan gifts there. Post booking offers three weeks out, gift guides two weeks out, last order reminders in the final week and a warm, offer free post on the day itself. [Social media image sizes](https://gradiently.design/guide/social-media-image-sizes) has every other format. If you want a February look nobody else in your feed has, browse the Gradiently Market. Every Mark is a living background checked against every other, so no two look alike. You can design with any unclaimed Mark for free, and claiming one makes it yours alone: only the owner can export with it. ## FAQ ### What can I post for Valentine's Day as a business? An offer that solves a problem, such as a set menu, a gift guide or a gift card, plus a last order or booking reminder and a warm post on the day. ### What colours can I use for Valentine's Day besides pink? Oxblood, rose and rust, chocolate and cream, or lilac on a dark ground all read as Valentine's while looking more distinctive. ### When is Galentine's Day? 13 February, the day before Valentine's Day. It celebrates friendship and suits group offers and gifts for friends. ### What is an anti-Valentine's Day post? A good natured post for people who are single or not interested in the day, such as a treat yourself offer or a singles' event. ### When should I start posting Valentine's offers? Two to three weeks before 14 February for bookings and about two weeks before for gifts, with reminders in the final week.