Marketing a new website
Discussion
Dear all,
I have just launched a new website (I am not going to mention its URL or describe it as this is not an advert) but now the site has gone live I am absolutely lost as to how to promote it.
I realise the "build it and they will come" attitude partly led to all the .com failures of the 90's.
But what do I do?
I am not talking about SEO, I have done all the free SE registrations possible. I have build 75 outgoing links so far (mostly to sites with a very good ranking on either Google or Yahoo), I have also worked at getting as many good quality links back as I possible thus far.
I have told everyone I know about the site
and sent of a Press Release to about 100 newspapers/magazines/radio stations yesterday (which seems to have been a total flop), but now I have totally run out of ideas (apart from streaking the FA cup final with the URL bodypainted across my chest 
)
Have I missed anything? Any ideas?
Ted? Anyone?
Please keep in mind my marketing budget is £0 and the site does not charge so PPC is out of the question.
Thanks
Sam
I have just launched a new website (I am not going to mention its URL or describe it as this is not an advert) but now the site has gone live I am absolutely lost as to how to promote it.
I realise the "build it and they will come" attitude partly led to all the .com failures of the 90's.
But what do I do?
I am not talking about SEO, I have done all the free SE registrations possible. I have build 75 outgoing links so far (mostly to sites with a very good ranking on either Google or Yahoo), I have also worked at getting as many good quality links back as I possible thus far.
I have told everyone I know about the site
and sent of a Press Release to about 100 newspapers/magazines/radio stations yesterday (which seems to have been a total flop), but now I have totally run out of ideas (apart from streaking the FA cup final with the URL bodypainted across my chest ) Have I missed anything? Any ideas?
Ted? Anyone?
Please keep in mind my marketing budget is £0 and the site does not charge so PPC is out of the question.
Thanks
Sam
Oh....OK then Ted if you insist. (Thanks 
)
www.fromcupid.com
(Description - Reconnecting romantic acquaintances and potential dates who have lost contact)
I would love some marketing advice if anyone has any.
Sam
>> Edited by samn01 on Wednesday 7th April 13:54
) www.fromcupid.com
(Description - Reconnecting romantic acquaintances and potential dates who have lost contact)
I would love some marketing advice if anyone has any.
Sam
>> Edited by samn01 on Wednesday 7th April 13:54
PR doesn't usualy work if you just send out 100 or so and hope. Believe me I know, I've done it!
Come up with a targeted list of publications, get a name of who to speak to, and ring them up, ask them what they would want to know in a press release, how they would like to receive it(some like e-mail, some like fax etc.). Be sure the release includes some comprehensive editor's notes, make sure it is properly spelt(one of the main reasons for press releases being thrown away) and most importantly, make sure it is newsworthy, not just to you, but to someone else. You are allowed to put some kind of spin on it, maybe some kind of link to a celebrity, however tenuous(one company who make gates were able to connect their products to a Stallone movie, the papers had file shots of him and they got loads of local coverage!), just don't go too far! Like a friend of mine who works for a big PR firm said to me: "PR isn't about lying, but it is sometimes about bulls
tting".
Aside from that, you can get a free £50 Google AdWords voucher at the moment from http://services.google.com/marketing/links/uk_startadwords/
It records your IP address, but if you have acess to more than one PC you can... I'll shut up now.
Come up with a targeted list of publications, get a name of who to speak to, and ring them up, ask them what they would want to know in a press release, how they would like to receive it(some like e-mail, some like fax etc.). Be sure the release includes some comprehensive editor's notes, make sure it is properly spelt(one of the main reasons for press releases being thrown away) and most importantly, make sure it is newsworthy, not just to you, but to someone else. You are allowed to put some kind of spin on it, maybe some kind of link to a celebrity, however tenuous(one company who make gates were able to connect their products to a Stallone movie, the papers had file shots of him and they got loads of local coverage!), just don't go too far! Like a friend of mine who works for a big PR firm said to me: "PR isn't about lying, but it is sometimes about bulls
tting". Aside from that, you can get a free £50 Google AdWords voucher at the moment from http://services.google.com/marketing/links/uk_startadwords/
It records your IP address, but if you have acess to more than one PC you can... I'll shut up now.
One suggestion I would make (which is actually no use at all because it's too late) would have been to have tied the launch in with Valetine's day as that would at least have given it a topical angle - something that can make things of more interest to the media.
You might also try Richard and Judy if you haven't already as it sounds like the sort of 'human interest' thing they like to feature.
You might also try Richard and Judy if you haven't already as it sounds like the sort of 'human interest' thing they like to feature.
Viral Marketing?
Make sure every e-mail you send has the website in the signature (like Hotmail, AOL, etc).
Find funny, related stuff to send out (via e-mail) and brand it (if you legally can) with your website URL. Things like jokes, stories, Pics, Mpegs, etc. Send them to 20 people, they each send them to another 20 people and hey-presto, 400 people see your website address and understand what its about. (if those 400 send to 20 people each, you've reached 8,000 people - within 30 minutes!!!
This is perfectly legal, acceptable and successful. Levis, Pepsi, most of the major car co's all use viral marketing to great effect.
Make sure every e-mail you send has the website in the signature (like Hotmail, AOL, etc).
Find funny, related stuff to send out (via e-mail) and brand it (if you legally can) with your website URL. Things like jokes, stories, Pics, Mpegs, etc. Send them to 20 people, they each send them to another 20 people and hey-presto, 400 people see your website address and understand what its about. (if those 400 send to 20 people each, you've reached 8,000 people - within 30 minutes!!!
This is perfectly legal, acceptable and successful. Levis, Pepsi, most of the major car co's all use viral marketing to great effect.
samn01 said:
Dear all,
I have just launched a new website Sam
Hey Sam, sorry but in my mind this fails horrifically because....
Next thing you know we'll all be handing out our 'Friends Reunited Business Cards'
Damn it - at first I thought it was a site where I could hire someone to track down a long lost lover from 1994....
Anyway, good luck with getting your target audience.
best
Ex
SO its like Friendsreunited but for lovers...
shagsreunited.com???
Seriously though, friendsreunited was a success as everyone was talking about it. You need to get it out there so people are talking about it down the pub, on coffee break, on the phone to friends etc.
Try emailing EVERYONE you know and let them know what you're up to, ask them nicely to forward it on. Pistonheads.com has grown from a few mates talking online to 400000unique visitors... its doable and GOOD LUCK!
shagsreunited.com???
Seriously though, friendsreunited was a success as everyone was talking about it. You need to get it out there so people are talking about it down the pub, on coffee break, on the phone to friends etc.
Try emailing EVERYONE you know and let them know what you're up to, ask them nicely to forward it on. Pistonheads.com has grown from a few mates talking online to 400000unique visitors... its doable and GOOD LUCK!
Unfortunately I haven't got many mates...ahhhhhh :-(
Things seem to be picking up already anyway, this has been a very good week for new member registrations
Bloody google adwords, I didn't sort the setting properly and no I have ended up paying them a few quid for the traffic they have sent my way which is what I wanted to avoid.
Oh well...
I will be launching an online dating site in the next two weeks so like it or not I will have to get the hang of this marketing malarkey.
Thanks all
Sam
Things seem to be picking up already anyway, this has been a very good week for new member registrations
Bloody google adwords, I didn't sort the setting properly and no I have ended up paying them a few quid for the traffic they have sent my way
which is what I wanted to avoid. Oh well...
I will be launching an online dating site in the next two weeks so like it or not I will have to get the hang of this marketing malarkey.
Thanks all
Sam
Make sure you are on www.Dmoz.org (open directory project) as a lot of search engines (okay Google) use it for spidering new sites.
My other half (30000+ edits [edited to undate correct edit numbers] sorry 39,881 edits] and counting) says make sure you get it into the correct category and write a proper description (not marketing puff), as it makes approving your site a lot easier and quicker if the reviewer just has to okay it.
I was also subscriber to "AboutSearchEngines" on yahoogroups, but haven't had an email for ages,even so, it might be worth looking up the previous posts for advice.
>> Edited by thepeoplespal on Friday 23 April 18:05
My other half (30000+ edits [edited to undate correct edit numbers] sorry 39,881 edits] and counting) says make sure you get it into the correct category and write a proper description (not marketing puff), as it makes approving your site a lot easier and quicker if the reviewer just has to okay it.
I was also subscriber to "AboutSearchEngines" on yahoogroups, but haven't had an email for ages,even so, it might be worth looking up the previous posts for advice.
>> Edited by thepeoplespal on Friday 23 April 18:05
Gassing Station | Business | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff