18 Valentines No Marketer Should Ever Send Their Audience

With Valentine's Day just a few suns away, love is in the air, people.

In an age of "swipe-left" rejection and "Single's Awareness Day," the sentimental holiday is still big business for marketers in both B2B and B2C businesses.

In fact, in 2016, consumer spending on Valentine’s Day hit an all-time high of $19.7 billion and that’s with only a little more than half of Americans celebrating.

This month is a popular time for special sales, campaigns, and content, but even if it doesn’t seem fit for your strategy and goals, it could be the perfect time to simply show your existing customers and leads a little love.

Delight your customers by sharing a festive graphic on social media or perhaps sending a friendly email that expresses your appreciation.

Whatever you do, make sure that it is on-brand and appropriate for your audience -- and of course, stay far away from the cheesy, over-the-top stock photos that seem to plague the season.

Regardless of your industry or buyer persona, high-quality, original photography and graphics are a must, but if you have to use stock resources (and we all do at some point) remember these tips:

• Look for candids (Photos where people look directly at the camera are unnatural)
• Avoid cliches
• Don’t be afraid to edit (Cropping or adding text or filters can all give your photos a more unique and original look)
• Try unusual sources like Unsplash, Gratisography, or any of the sites here.

With these tips in mind, here are 18 absurd Valentine’s Day stock photos you should never send to your audience.

1.  This girl whose boyfriend didn't get the memo about candy. 

2. This wicked witch who got her heart broken in munchkin land

3. This poor lad who had to pay off cupid. 

4. This chihuahua looking for trouble.

5. This young couple that took the metaphor too literally.

6. These far from pun-derful peanuts.

7. This monkey who just wants to show you how he feels.

8. This over-eager blind date. 

9. This lonesome hand that found love in a hopeless place

10. This self-doubting cupid.  

11. This macho man with a long romantic history

12. This handsome bulldog with an affinity for seductive selfies. 

13. This Beatles-loving hedgehog

 14. This not-so-sneaky valentine 

15. This pair getting a little carried away. 

 16. This edible “love letter”

17. This feathery fella.

18. This unfortunate casanova who’s trying to get a-head in life