Erik Qualman's Blog, page 637

Is Your Website a Bookmark or a Bankroller?

“If you build it, they will come.” Many recall this notable quote from the movie, Field of Dreams. While this worked for Ray Kinsella, it doesn’t quite translate into the real world, or the virtual world for that matter. Unfortunately, many business owners employ this mindset while building or redesigning their websites. We refer to this type of web presence as a bookmark. The only time people visit the website is the initial look, if that, which will inevitably lead to a failure to achieve your goals of profit-laden sales.

So what is needed to turn your website from bookmark to bankroller? There are two things that a business needs to start with in order to turn this around.

First, commission a strong internet marketing agency with a proven track record. This is not to be confused with a company offering solely web design. There are many web design companies that strictly design and build websites – no more, no less. These types of firms are the ones creating the bookmarks, so unless you have the know-how to DIY then you’re back to square one. Imagine how large the world wide web is and liken your site being found to that of finding a needle in not one but millions of haystacks. A strong internet marketing company will recommend a detailed plan to bring your customers to you; this is referred to as inbound marketing which has caused a paradigm shift in how traditional marketers approach, well, everything. Hear out their plan, make sure it aligns with your goals, ask about current clients/success stories, and please don’t forget to ask for references!

The second item is the internet marketing plan. So what does an internet marketing plan entail? Depending on your specific goals, your plan might encompass a combination of the following strategies:

• Organic Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

• Social Media Marketing (Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, YouTube, Google +, etc.)

• Email Newsletters

• Pay-Per-Click Advertising (PPC)

• Affiliate Marketing Programs

• Online Advertising (Banner Ads, Ad Retargeting, Surveys, etc.)

• Blog Posting

• Article Writing

Online marketing agencies will do research on your specific industry, as well as your target market, to determine what combination will produce the best ROI for your business. At a bare minimum, a business should have an organic search engine optimization (SEO) strategy. This is how you get your storefront (i.e. your website) in front of the people who are actively searching for you! If your budget allows for it, SEO combined with pay-per-click (PPC) advertising allows for your site to show up multiple times on the first page, when implemented carefully and strategically.

This is where your ROI comes in.

Now you have a strategy that is capturing prospective customers who are already searching for your product or service. As a result, a majority of your visitors that comes into your website should be a qualified lead for your business. All you need now is to convert that lead into a prospect. How do you do that? That’s where good web design comes in. A well developed website will have specific calls to action that will engage these leads and keep them interested in what you have to offer. This creates a flow that will guide your lead to an online form capturing pertinent contact information, allowing your sales team to follow up with the prospect. Thus completing the cycle, and you can take that check to the bank!

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Photo Credit: 800biz.com

 

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Linkedin Sales Navigator: A Beacon Or A Bust?

As we begin to see more and more social media sites go public, an expectation of revenue growth from investors is implied. Most outlets will use forms of advertising, product pushing, and data farming but LinkedIn has taken another approach. The Sales Navigator product has opened up lines of communication in a social product that has previously limited interaction with uncommon connections. While this limited line of communication has reduced the amount of often annoying and sometimes unwanted salespeople, it has also protected LinkedIn’s premium subscription.

The Sales Navigator product has a few main components that make the monthly subscription very appealing to sales professionals all over the world. These products expand on the ability to connect with decision makers (over 30 million on LinkedIn) while organizing leads. Features of the Sales Navigator subscription include:

InMail: The ability to send private messages to people who are not in your network. This allows users to reach out to those decision makers, introduce themselves, and open the lines of communication.
OpenLink: Let users know you are an open networker, allowing people to contact you without the need for InMail or another user introduction.
Premium Designation: A golden premium badge that lets users know you are a premium member and opens up your profile for all to see. While this calls out that you are using LinkedIn to sell your goods and services, so does your profile. And really, what is wrong with that? People buy and sell every day!
Lead Builder: One of my favorite features! Build a lead list by geography, industry, size of company, function role, or seniority. This is a great tool that gives you the crucial information you need without having to pay for lead lists.
Profile Views: See who was viewed your profile and utilize that information to reach out to potential leads.
Organizer: Essentially a mini CRM that keeps your prospects’ information, history, and notes which makes it so that you don’t ever have to leave LinkedIn during this entire process.

All of these items come together creating a navigational beacon for sales professionals using LinkedIn to build their businesses. Of course it’s not without a cost. A monthly Sales Navigator subscription will set you back $75 per month if paid annually or $99 per month if paid on a monthly basis. They do offer some discounted packages if you have a corporation and are looking to buy for multiple sales professionals on your team. Some sales people can look at this as being a little cost prohibitive, but it all depends on what you value a new customer at. Would just one new customer pay for your entire years worth of membership, or maybe two or three? You definitely have to think about return on investment with this product and how you will utilize the tools on a daily basis. This product is not for your run of the mill widget sales person. This tool is meant for the experienced sales professional looking to utilize professional social media to assist in growing their client base.

LinkedIn has spent the last six months really pushing this product to sales professionals while working to perfect it. I think they finally have the product positioned to provide great benefits to users while providing a big source of revenue to investors. The LinkedIn Sales Navigator is not a bust, in my opinion, as it has quickly become my beacon to sales prospecting.

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Article marketing the true competitor for online marketing

If you are looking for marketing your service or product in the online world, the best course of action to pursue in today’s competitive scenario is articles marketing. No doubt, other means of marketing your articles including online marketing too exist and people have been trying various strategies including email marketing, sharing through social media websites and word of mouth to promote their services and products. However, it is a fact that article marketing is the true competitor that has emerged over the block.

The reasons for article marketing being the true competitor to online marketing are unique too. Below are listed some of these reasons that will help you realize as to why article marketing is considered a challenge to online modes of marketing that exist today.

Great combination of Keywords

Article marketing is the viable way of having the right combination of keywords and keyword phrases for promoting your venture. The dominance in SEO world is all about correct portrayal of keywords in the most appropriate places. Have the correct combination of keywords and half of the work will be done.

If you decide to go in for article marketing chances are bright that you will have the desired audience for your articles as the same will get highlighted owing to correct and adequate presence of the keywords. This cannot be said with certainty about other mediums of online marketing as not much emphasis is paid there to adequate and correct use of keywords.

Helps one use Keyword Rich Anchor Text Effectively

If you decide with article marketing, an added advantage comes in the form that it helps one use keyword rich anchor text effectively. This is itself makes your article or content more readable and acceptable. Increased visibility will ensure and your ideas will reach across to more people than you might have thought.

Additionally, you will be able to provide your readers with quality content and help them connect with you in a better an organized manner. This in no way is possible with other means of online marketing as sharing through social media or email marketing. Through these means, you might be able to reach the customers but will never be able to make a mark in their hearts as they will merely know about presence of your business venture. With many others in your niche vying for making a mark with readers, you are not likely to make a mark with the readers. This happens owing to the fact that you would not be using Keyword rich anchor text in any of its form.

Article marketing helps one get over these limitations as your efforts will naturally get focused on creating keyword rich anchor text, helping you maintain a lead over others in the market who would be trying the online marketing mode for making their presence felt among readers.

Focus on Quality Articles

This might not have struck your mind but if you decide to go in for article marketing for promoting your venture, your focus will shift to quality instantly. You will want to make a mark with your readers and this will encourage you to write qualitative content that is well researched.

The readers will appreciate you for your seriousness and earnest efforts that you have put in to make your venture a success. This can never be thought about in other means of online marketing as merely your presence will get reflected in the market and they will never realize the true intent of your ideas. Quality always counts and this holds true in the creative field. Go for article marketing and realize its true benefits.

Better Way of Reaching Quality Conscious People

Article marketing is a better way of reaching quality conscious people. Those who prefer quality tend to do deep rooted research on various concepts they are looking for. Article marketing helps to reach such people effectively. You will be able to increase the reach of your business effectively, as such people rarely care for joining an email list or checking out social media websites for buying a product. This makes article marketing a viable option for business owners who wish to better their prospects in the competitive online world.

Helps develop Personal Bond

Article marketing help one develop personal bonds with potential customers. Serious customers rarely connect through social media, therefore taking the idea of online marketing, a step behind.

Go for article marketing for promotion of your venture and see the difference it makes to your online presence. Your hold in the niche area will not only get strengthened but you will be able to reach much more people that would have been possible with online marketing.

About The Author: Kelly is a writer/blogger. She loves writing, travelling and reading books. She contributes to Vahe Hayrapetian

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First Person Receives Google Glass

It’s official, Google Glass is now in the wild. Check out the unboxing of Google Glass from Dan McGlaughlin below. He is one of the few, proud new owners of Google Glass.

Google Glass will now be seen in the wild

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Why? #GodBlessBoston

Why? That word has so many meanings this morning. Why is an innocent 8-year-old boy dead and many others wounded? How many families are wounded? Why did I fly out a day early and am safe in the beautiful city of Berlin, while my heart is in Boston? A day earlier than normal. A day is such a difference, today.

Boston Marathon Bombing

 

These are the thoughts that roil in my head as I watch the rain come down on the night streets outside of my German hotel. As the rain washes along the pavement, I see the blood of the victims run along the streets. Blood from the images; horrific images etched in my brain from last night. Images that hypnotized me, as they did millions of others, until late in the evening. Too late. The blood and the rain run together outside my window and I can’t free it from my mind. What about the minds of those that were there?

Knowing, full well, that the rain will never wash away everything. Among the lives and limbs lost yesterday, was something else lost, the loss of innocence. Had I not flown out a day earlier, what then?

I had stood in that exact same spot a year before, cheering and waving – overcome with emotion, with joy, with pride. My daughter, placed securely on my shoulders, and my second daughter to be born a month later. Together, cheering on the heroes of the day. 40,000 hearts beating as one. Patriots Day. Only now, a year later, how could my emotions be so different? Sad. Angry. Helpless.

Would I have been in that same sunny spot? The perfect vantage point to cheer on our heroes of the day? A short walk from our home. Would my daughter be safe on my

Fallen runners during the Boston Marathon Bombing (souce: John Tlumack Boston Globe)

shoulders or down playing with her little sister? Vulnerable. Would our cheers turn to tears? These are questions that don’t need to be answered. I know the frightening answer. What I don’t know the answer to is Why? Why?

I write today, as I’m an author, and this is my form of therapy. Yet, this piece, I will not read for typos and grammatical errors. The emotion will be too great for me to read again. Emotions. Police sirens scream outside my hotel window, yet they sound different from those back home. How did the sirens sound yesterday? Helpful? Hurtful? Both?

Will I take my daughters down to the race…next year? I don’t know. And that is a tragic answer. Not as tragic as the lives and limbs lost yesterday. And, if I don’t take my daughters next year, did they win? Who are they?

So many questions. Who has the answers? I will take my daughters next year, otherwise the victims will have suffered in vain. I will not let them win. Who is them?

My daughters need to stand up to them, even though one can’t stand. She will stand on day soon. Yet, some runners can’t stand this morning or tomorrow. But, we will all stand, stand together, stand united.

Though it will be painful, as Americans, this is what we do best. In the darkest hour we stand together. Why? Because this is what makes America great.

I should be signing the hundreds of books placed in my room and preparing for my speech tomorrow, but one can’t do that, not when your heart is hundreds of miles away. Not when tears fall onto the pages. I may be in Berlin today, but my heart and tears are in Boston. Tears. Why?

The sun is up outside my window now. Although it will struggle to do so, in a few hours, the sun will rise again in Boston. United.

God Bless Boston, and God Bless America.

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Is Your Social Background Catching Up With You?

Are you trying to get a better job or get into a prestigious college? Could your social media posts be keeping you from that crucial acceptance? Possibly.

There are definite social media mistakes that many people make, especially when they are headed for a life-altering change like a new job or going to school. By keeping your social media profiles under watchful eye, you can avoid some of these mistakes.

The Center of Controversy

Are you frequently supporting controversial items on your Twitter or Facebook account? Do you always have something to say, whether it is gun control, women’s rights, equality, etc.?

While it seems like a common arena for furthering your cause, a constant stream of items that could be deemed controversial may not set well with that admissions director or headhunter. If the job matters that much to you, clean up your social media to be more middle-of-the-road.

You’re a Hothead

Another red flag to many employers is when they look at your social media and see mostly rude comments or you being angry.

If you have a track record of going off on those who comment to your wall-posts, or you frequently curse on your page, it isn’t going to bode well if your social media is looked at by those in HR or admissions.

You Go Against Policy

If you are already employed and aren’t very savvy to what is in that employee handbook, you may want to reread it.

Some companies are putting in clauses that state what is and is not acceptable. These stipulations on social media are a new thing, but your company could be one that has them. Get with your HR department and see where your company stands on social media. It could mean the difference between keeping that job and finding yourself interviewing for a different one.

Ways to Help Your Social Media Standing

If you want to help save the way employers and colleges look at your social media account, here are some tips that can be beneficial:

Keep it locked. Facebook especially can be troublesome with the picture uploads and items shared. Keep your social media on a friends-only, or private, account. You can even make it unsearchable.
Change the picture. Give your Facebook account or any other social media service a clear headshot of you, not the Spring Break photo of you inMexico. These are more professional and are better received when viewed by HR and admissions.
Redo the bio. If you have just a basic bio, consider a full upgrade. Make your bio a mini-resume of your work. This can go a long way into helping the HR department or that college admissions guide ready to give you a try.

Always think before posting, that is the best advice out there. Social media is everywhere and to think that the admissions director at the university isn’t watching or that headhunter isn’t looking you up on Facebook is ludicrous.

There are many ways to fix it and you can learn how to remove information, but not posting it to begin with can be the easiest fix of all.

 Photo credit: poetsandquants.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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What blunder mistakes you shouldn’t do while blogging

If you wish to establish as a niche blogger, having a blog is a great way of making a beginning. Making your blog stand out in the competitive online world is an imperative and should be focus the attention on this aspect.

However, certain mistakes need to be avoided while blogging so as to make it stand out and emerge as a niche blogger.

1.) Too Much Emphasis On Text Volume

This is one imperative that bloggers ignore and lose on readership. People who tend to read online do not want too much text in an article. This implies to blogs too. Most of the readers just prefer to scan through the text. You need not have large blocks of continuous text. If you follow this methodology, you will be loosing on your potential readers and your blog will suffer.

An ideal blog is one that has breaks in its text, lists and pictures. If you are able to format the blog in a soothing manner, breaking off the text into smaller sub heads, readers will be attracted to the blog.

Another mistake that bloggers make is not to highlight the imperative information adequately. Highlight them in bold or italics and see the difference it makes to your online presence.

2.) Inability to Use Existing Information Creatively

If you are not an established blogger in a particular niche and have all the creative information at hand, the need is to use it creatively. More often it is seen that bloggers fail to use their information creatively. One needs to wake up to the reality that information at hand needs to be used in an effective manner, so as to communicate the seriousness of the blogger to the readers. Match your information with facts and you will find a place for yourself in the blogging world.

3.) Not Connecting Effectively

With time by your side, you might be able to establish a niche for yourself and attract the attention of the reader. However, your happiness can be short lived and you might loose on readers, if you are not able to connect with the readers in an effective manner.

You need to offer readers multiple ways in which they can connect with you. It might be possible that some readers would want to connect through email list and others through RSS subscription. The smart move would be to cater to distinct segments and offer the readers, their preferred mode of communication. This will enable your initiatives to be spread on a mass level and increase the reach of your blog. Additionally, you can try communicating with your readers through social media websites too. Not using social media to communicate is a grave blunder in days of social revolution.

4.) Too Much Creativity with Fonts and Backgrounds

Sometimes too much creativity spoils the party. Same happens in blogging and too much creativity can turn the tide against you. Often it is seen that bloggers can not resist the tendency of experimenting with creative fonts and flashy backgrounds. Nothing will pain you more than to see that readers will desist with connecting with you, as they find the backgrounds too flashy.

Keep it simple is the mantra of success in blogging and if you are able to keep the blog as simple as possible, half the battle is won. People will appreciate the quality of your text and the appearance of your blog. Try to maintain an organized look across all the pages of your blog and you will find increased acceptance among the readers.

5.) Ignoring the SEO

In order to get noticed in the competitive online world, most bloggers often forget the imitativeness of SEO. If the blog is to get noticed, it needs to come on the radar of various search engines too. However, to realize this objective sometimes bloggers tend to compromise on quality and use repetitive keywords. Avoid this tendency and you will find that your blog comes in top searches in Google. Follow the basic guidelines of search engine optimization in blogging too and you will be able to come up to the expectations of the readers.

A range of online resources are available and you can check out various tips that can be used to enhance the value of your blog. Follow the SEO principles and you will be able to come up with great content that will suffice for your and the readers creative instinct.

Follow the above listed tips and make your blog stand out among a range of others in your niche area.

About The Author: Kelly is a writer/blogger. She loves writing, travelling and reading books. She contributes to Hydroxycut

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How to use Twitter as an effective customer service platform: a Confused.com case study

Is it possible to deliver great customer service in 140 characters? It has to be, since social media is fast becoming the go-to platform for disgruntled customers to vent their frustrations, so it’s important to know how to use it.

The strongly worded letter of complaint has been the stereotypical cornerstone of British consumer behaviour, with the slightest of grievances being met with swift retribution from the local media and MPs on behalf of the customer. These days, now that everyone’s connected to everyone else through the likes of Facebook and Twitter, it’s much easier for customers to grind their axes publicly. Here’s a look at how Confused.com are doing it right, and how you too can use Twitter to overcome customer grievances.

A speedy reply is key

The main drawback to the instant communication offered by social media is that it has greatly shortened customer’s patience to the point that a 24 hour turnaround for a response just isn’t quick enough.

So what makes a good response time on Twitter? This largely depends on the query (and which department the social team needs to get in touch with) but a response within a few hours is a good starting point. Even if resolving the problem will take hours or even days, that initial contact should be as quick as possible. For example:

@treth1 Hi Michael. Sorry you’re having problems with the site. But we can get to the bottom of this!

— Confused.com (@Confused_com) March 8, 2013

@confused_comThanks will try again in a couple of hours — Michael Trethewey (@treth1) March 8, 2013

The speed of the reply was key to managing this customer’s expectations; if left unanswered, it could have easily escalated into an official complaint. On a platform where every emotion is public, it’s not the kind of publicity you want to attract.

Make it personal

Another benefit of Twitter is the ability to strip away the veneer of the faceless corporation and interact with customers on a personal level. This improves trust in the brand and shows the customer that you’re going beyond the call of duty to solve their problem.

@jules0971 Hi Jules, sorry about that. Can you email communications@confused.com with your details and we’ll get it sorted for you. ^JC

— Confused.com (@Confused_com) September 28, 2012

 

@jules0971 Thanks. Can you follow us so you can DM us your full name? I’ll be able to let them know to expect an email from you ^JC — Confused.com (@Confused_com) September 28, 2012

@jules0971 Great, glad to hear it. I’ll tell him…I mean tell me…tell myself ^JC — Confused.com (@Confused_com) September 28, 2012

The original tweet was sent late in the evening, so the Confused social team replied the next day. What marks this interaction is that, not only did they respond on behalf of Confused, they let the customer know who she was talking to by using the ^JC at the end of each tweet (the Confused.com Twitter profile shows a “who’s who” explaining each acronym).

Not only that, but they also got in touch with the customer via their personal Twitter account in order to make sure that the issue was dealt with quickly. As you can see from the above tweet, the customer was appreciative of the ‘personal touch’. ^JC replied with a light hearted follow up, showing that the blend of professionalism and personality can go a long way in providing effective customer service.

Engagement

Twitter works as a platform for meeting customer expectations and dealing with queries and problems, but what about the rest of your customer base? What Confused.com do best on Twitter is engage with people who might not otherwise have reason to speak to a price comparison brand, and they do so in a way that’s interesting, useful and engaging.

Sharon Flaherty, Head of Content and PR for Confused.com said,

“Twitter is a useful tool for communicating with ‘potential’ customers not just an outlet for customers to get in touch when they may need help getting an insurance quote. This may be a piece of content on the latest trends in car insurance prices to keep our followers up to date or it could be a tool such as our car name generator which allows you to generate a birth certificate for your car.

“We see this as a form of effective customer service delivered through this social platform and one that is growing in demand and popularity as the relationships between brands and customers becomes more conversational.”

@conorweldon You need to check out our quick video guide to making the perfect pancake Conor ow.ly/hDSHd ^JC

— Confused.com (@Confused_com) February 12, 2013

 

@conorweldon No worries Conor ^JC

— Confused.com (@Confused_com) February 12, 2013

Through the use of interesting content, the brand is able to interact with new sectors of its audience, creating new customers through this engagement. From this, the customer knows that the Confused.com Twitter channel is one where discussion and interaction is encouraged, making for a much more enjoyable customer experience.

Jamie Gibbs is the resident social media zombie and gadget nut for car insurance comparison site Confused.com. He’s a self-confessed dual screener; one eye on the TV, the other on his iPad (though not at the same time, that would be weird).

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Social Networking with Your Grandchildren

I’m sure you’ve been hearing about Facebook and Google on the news for ages now. You wonder how your grandchildren can find the time to update these sites every couple of minutes, and yet they don’t call you more than once a month. In the past decade, social networking has caught on as the preferred communication method of the younger generation. It’s up to you to keep up so that you can stay close with your grandchildren–even if it’s only online.

Facebook is the most popular social networking site to date, but there are many others such as Myspace and Google+ on which your grandchildren may be active. Anyone can join who has an email address and Internet access. If that’s you, you can head over to the site and sign up. Simply put in your information, add a recent picture, and you’re set.

You may want to access the privacy settings in the upper right-hand corner. In these, you can set what emails you would like the social networking site to send that notify you of upcoming birthdays, new comments, and more. You can also adjust how visible you are online, that is, if just anyone can find you or if you need to find them.

Now that you’re set up, it’s time to track down your grandchildren. Most young people on Facebook are searchable. Click into the search box and type in a grandchild’s first and last name. Before you even click ‘search,’ possible results will pop up with names, a location, and a picture. If your grandchild has a very common name, you may have to look through a few of them. If you can’t find them at all, you may have to call them and ask them to “friend” you instead. Once you two are “friends” on Facebook, you will be able to see their updates and what they’ve been doing lately.

You won’t be able to see those things, however, until they accept your friend request. If they’re like most teenagers or young adults though, don’t worry–that won’t take long! Most people log into social networking sites at least once per day, and many log in more often than that.

Now that your grandchild has accepted your friend request, you can see all that they have been up to, with the exception of posts or pictures that they have blocked from you. If you suspect your grandchild is blocking pictures of his or her latest party, you may be correct. This is a probable scenario thanks to social network privacy settings.

Most likely, you will be able to see their updates, which could be about anything. It might be a simple quotation that they found applicable to their day, song lyrics, a simple statement of what they’re doing (“Off to the gym for a good workout!”), or a link to a site or news article they found interesting. A name highlighted in blue on their post means that they have “tagged” that person to get his or her attention.

For example, if your grandchild posts, “Had a great with Grandmom Becky Lee today” and “Becky Lee” is in bold, you have been tagged. Now that post will show up on your home page because it involved you, and more specifically, your grandchild bragging about his or her time with you. That’s great news!

Social networking sites become easier the more frequently that you visit and click through them to explore new features. Anything that is too confusing can be explained relatively quickly. Just ask your grandchildren, and enjoy being connected with them once more!

Author Bio:

Monica writes for Assisted Living Today  a leading source of information on a range of topics related to elderly living and retirement care and facilities, including an in-depth guide to finding the best Nashville, TN Assisted Living facilities.

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Creative ways to drive website traffic

The hope of every business is to increase the number of visitors who come to their website. In most cases, the more traffic your business website gets, the more sales, inquiries, money and exposure they get. However, just because someone comes to your website, it doesn’t mean they will buy from you. The best traffic comes from a community, followers, real customers and generally, people who have commercial value to it.

The key to online business success therefore, lies in getting relevant traffic to the website. Here are some creative and effective ways to drive community or relevant traffic to your website.

Guerilla Marketing done offline

If you thought that guerilla marketing tactics like stickers, leaflets, posters, community boards were dead; you had it very wrong then. These tactics still deliver results because people always want to know about nee stuff on the market. To succeed with this, all you have to do is to put some brain behind the wording on them to get desired results. These tactics work more effective like word of mouth and could bring good traction to your website.

Reward the visitors

Every once in a while, you need to reward your visitors because, like everyone else, they want to feel appreciated. A website that has done this well is Plagtracker.com rewards. They have user reward systems for people interested in plagiarism related or paper checking services. New users get free services for referring new visitors or users to them and qualify more free services to review them. Plagtracker also has an offline follow-up such that those who print their services to get more visitors get even more free services and checks.

To drive traffic to your website, you can add a few freebies to users depending on your service. This will give you traffic that is more relevant in the same fashion.

Discussion forums

In the past, the main source of website traffic was forums and online communities. The discussion groups bring forth many people on the web, in most cases, interested people. If you leverage the power of these discussion groups, you will be amazed at how many of them could bring visits to your website. If you’re a beginner in whatever field you operate, you need to start by finding a community of interested people in your niche, participate and get them interested in what you offer.

Blog comments

The key to getting traffic to your website lies in how much connection you create with fellow online authors, site owners, bloggers and many others. The easiest way to do this is comment on blogs they create. Blog commenting when done right improves the ability of other people to make site visits. More so, blog commenting in a niche or target market also gives you access to other users who may be interested in what you have to offer and hence visit your website.

Social bookmarking websites

Social bookmarking websites are a great source of traffic for websites if they are implemented properly. In most cases, these service or websites are good for new websites because they help discover new awesome websites or content. StumbleUpon for example, makes it easy for you to get traffic as a new site owner. Digg is good to help you get public interest to the content you create, while Delicious will categorize your website links and make it viral for traffic and interest.

Create good content

People will always look for interesting, detailed, well-authored content. Curating interesting, content rich articles on your website, and optimize them for SEO, chances are you’ll get more visitors coming. Sharing ideas, new perspectives and ways to do things with your blog will help you get the right attention and should be top on your list as far as generating relevant traffic to your website is concerned.

Learn to say thank you

The number of unappreciative people in the world is ever rising. If you run a business that sustains itself from more traffic, you need to start appreciating your visitors. You can do this in the form of podcasts, videos, photos, newsletters, and messages, which ask them to share with friends. This can drive huge amounts of traffic to your website.

Overall, application of one or all of the above techniques will enable you get more traffic.

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