Last-minute Valentine's Day Ideas For Online Marketers

If you want to bolster your existing Valentine's Day marketing campaign or you're simply making a late start, here's a few online marketing ideas to bear in mind.

With all the commotion caused by the Christmas and New Year period, most people don't tend to think about Valentine's Day until January at the very earliest. Not so for online marketers and search engine optimisers, who have to start planning their Valentine's Day marketing strategies several months ahead in order to ensure that their clients are highly ranked when couples start thinking about their February 14th purchases.

However, there's still plenty to do as the big day approaches. If you want to bolster your existing Valentine's Day marketing campaign or you're simply making a late start, here's a few things to bear in mind.

Savvy paid search experts will have bid on popular Valentine's Day keywords in advance, before heavy competition drives prices upwards in January and February. If you're not one of these people, you may have to inflate your PPC spend considerably in order to successfully bid on the keywords you want. Alternatively, local variants that are relevant but don't include the phrase "Valentine's Day" - for example, "romantic restaurants in Glasgow" - may cost less. However, even if you have been well prepared, it's worth evaluating relevant keyphrases to check that you're not missing out on new trends. There may be a new gadget or fashion accessory, for instance, that is a highly searched for Valentine's gift for him or her that has only been released in recent weeks.

In addition to tweaking your paid search strategy, an email marketing campaign may also be worth pursuing. Email marketing has generally fallen out of favour with retailers as social media has taken off. However, with an event like Valentine's Day - where a large proportion of presents and cards are bought at the last minute - it can be a persuasive marketing tool. An effective email marketing campaign could highlight special offers, Valentine's competitions, romantic gift ideas and create a sense of urgency by constantly reminding customers about final shipping dates.

Making changes to an online retailer's homepage is another way in which marketers can boost their Valentine's Day business. Many of the promotional messages conveyed in email marketing campaigns can also be displayed here along with other special announcements - for example, if a retailer is offering a special delivery service especially for last minute Valentine's gifts. It's also important to sound authoritative and encourage repeat visits through good content - for instance, by writing a series of blog posts with gift ideas for men and women.

Ultimately, SEO strategies for Valentine's Day are at their best when they are flexible (thereby allowing last-minute alterations) and inclusive of all the different online marketing tools on which retailers can capitalise. It's also important to measure the effectiveness of such a campaign after February 14th, and to apply knowledge gleaned from its successes and failures in future Valentine's Day marketing plans.