8 Ideas for Blog Posts or Online Articles on Valentine’s Day

February 14 can be a source of writing inspiration and blog traffic – if you can think of interesting ideas to write about! These tips for blogging on Valentine’s Day will take you a step beyond the same old articles about “romantic gift ideas” or “tips for saying ‘I love you’ on Valentine’s Day” (not that there’s anything wrong with those types of blog posts – I’ve written them myself! They’re just tired, is all).

Before the tips, a quip:

“I don’t wait for moods,” said Pearl S. Buck. “You accomplish nothing if you do that. Your mind must know it has got to get down to work.”

Don’t wait for Cupid to shoot an arrow, whether you’re blogging about Valentine’s Day or writing a book about love in the 21^st century! Don’t wait for the Muse, the right mood, or inspiration to write. Instead, take small, specific steps towards your blogging goals every day. If you need inspiration, read Juicy Pens, Thirsty Paper: Gifting the World with Your Words and Stories, and Creating the Time and Energy to Actually Do It.

And here are a few ideas for online writing on February 14…

8 Ideas for Blog Posts or Online Articles on Valentine’s Day

These tips apply to print magazine articles, too – but you have to pitch query letters at least four months in advance. You could pitch to online e-zines a month or so in advance (but remember: the earlier you pitch, the better!). If you’re writing for Suite101 or a similar online magazine, remember that it often takes months or even years before your articles see serious traffic…so writing for Valentine’s Day this year could mean you’ll see traffic next year.

Anyway, here are a few ideas for blog posts in honor of the “most romantic day of the year”…

1. Best or worst Valentine’s Day experiences. Don’t just write about your past; ask your Twitter or Facebook friends for their best and worst experiences! Rounding up several of the best or worst Valentine’s Days is a fun, easy way to write a blog post…and it’ll strengthen your social media connections and friendships. Plus, your friends may Tweet and link to your post or online article, which can make it more popular.

2. Top 10 Valentine’s Day ideas. Top 10s are tried-and-true ideas for blog posts or magazine articles, for any season or topic. For Valentine’s Day, you could write about the Top 10 Most Romantic Weekend Retreats, the 10 Best Types of Gourmet Chocolate for Women, or the Top 10 Valentine’s Day Stuffies. I’ve found Top 10s to be a great way to increase blog readership.

3. Different ways to survive Valentine’s Day. How can you combine your blogging or general interests with Cupid on February on 14? For instance, I love writing about introverted personality traits, so I wrote Valentine’s Day for Introverts in Love With Extroverts a couple years ago. My newest blog is Quips & Tips for Spiritual Seekers; for that, I recently wrote 6 Spiritual Ways to Celebrate Valentine’s Day. And, before I got married I was single for 35 Valentine’s Days, so I was itching to write Are You Single and Lonely on Valentine’s Day? for Suite101. I haven’t written about losing someone you love right before February 14, but that could be a helpful, popular blog post or online article.

4. Classy, upscale, or celebrity Valentine’s Day parties. This could be a huge source of blog traffic; readers might love to learn how the rich and famous celebrate Valentine’s Day! You could research or fantasize about Brad and Angelina’s romantic shenanigans on February 14, or what Valentine’s Day parties are like at the most wealthy people’s places. Or, you could use your imagination and write something like “The Valentine’s Day Dinner That Cost $55,000” and get crazy with the details!

5. How famous lovers celebrate February 14 – or what famous writers think about Valentine’s Day. What did the famous couple Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning do on February 14 (challenging to figure out!) or in your imagination (fun!)? What about Anne Lamatt or Elizabeth Gilbert – they’re not a couple, but what do they think about February 14? I’d be interested in reading a blog post that explores either of these ideas…and if I’m interested, you can bet other people will be too!

6. Answer questions on relationship, marriage, or singles forums. Reading forums about love or relationships can be a gold mine for ideas to blog about on Valentine’s Day. Look at the questions asked and the conversations the forum posters are having, and then share your opinion on your blog. For instance, if someone who can’t afford to spend a few hundred dollars on a romantic weekend retreat asks for ideas, write something like how to celebrate Valentine’s Day without spending money.

7. Repurpose past blog posts. This is one of the best ways to find article ideas, because you’ve already done some of the legwork! And in many cases you can get more mileage out of the same idea by tweaking it for a different audience or topic. For instance, if you’ve already written an online article about “romantic Christmas gifts for couples”, then tweak it to be “romantic Valentine’s Day gift ideas.”

8. Invite guest bloggers for Valentine’s Day. If you’re plum out of ideas for February 14, you could find some of the most popular Valentine’s Day blogs and invite the blogger to write a guest post for you. This is not only another great way to increase blog traffic, it’s also an effective source of different ideas. Valentine’s Day bloggers have tons of tricks and treats up their sleeves — and most are willing to appear on your blog.

What have I missed? If you have any thoughts or questions on these blogging ideas for Valentine’s Day, please comment below!

Category: Blogs and Websites, Editors, Freelance Writing, Increasing Website Traffic, Inspiration & Creativity, Online or Web Writing, Suite101 Writing Tips, The Writer's Life