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vangogh
10-17-2009, 03:18 PM
Promoting content is a topic we don't always talk about except as part of another topic. I thought it might be a good idea to start a thread about it and begin the discussion with a link to this post:

Qualities Of Devastatingly Effective Web Promoters (http://thefuturebuzz.com/2009/10/12/qualities-of-effective-web-promoters/)

There's a lot of good advice on how to promote your content and how to be prepared to promote your content. Here are the main headings in the post

Knowing how to effectively share content
Knowing what type of content will actually get shared
Being well networked
Consistency *and* quality

More detail in the post and there are more points covered under the Other Points heading.

One thing I think important that many miss is the preparation you need to do in advance in order to successfully promote content. This is one of those areas where your network comes into play. If you've built working relationships with people over time most will be there when you ask them to help you promote something. Trying to build your network at the same time you want to promote something isn't going to work.

Another important idea is know what content will likely work where. Digg makes a good example. The community there is heavily tech savvy, pro Linux and Apple, and anti-Microsoft. The community tends toward the young male demographic. If you try to promote content about knitting there it's not likely to go over well. You don't have to only look to the most popular communities. It's about finding a good match between your content and a given community.

One last point from the article, that of being consistent. You can't expect to create one article or video and think it's enough. When you're able to get the right content in front of the right people time and again is when you'll see the most benefit from your efforts.

Any thoughts about promoting content? Agree of disagree with the points in the post?

Harold Mansfield
10-18-2009, 10:00 PM
I have been fortunate in some aspect of promoting my content, in that, people have asked me to contribute articles and information for their forums and such. Most times I don't have the time or interest and I invite them to use my RSS feed to populate articles.

In my case, bookmarking is not going to do a whole lot because the main bookmarking sites don't have a demographic that cares about my music niche...so like forums are the only option.

Writing for Examiner has done a lot to get more articles promoted to a new audience, but I don't duplicate articles either, so when people click through to my site or social media profiles,, they get all new stuff...each one offering different types of content.

I can honestly say, I don't have a structured plan for promotion. I have 3 main outlets to post content and I created my own niche aggregator with a strong keyword domain that ranks at the top with my content leading the way, but it also incorporates content from the leading sources...basically I had to create additional options for myself because they didn't exist for my niche.

vangogh
10-19-2009, 01:14 AM
I don't think the goal is having your content bookmarked, though it could be one goal. The way I see it the goal is to get eyeballs on your content. Not just eyeballs either, but those likely to want to stick around and read more of your content.

If you were to find a handful of music blogs that allowed guest posting you could create posts targeted toward those sites and say over the course of a month get 3 posts published on each blog. Assuming the content is good and the audience of those blogs likes it many should follow you back to your blog and subscribe.

Maybe the goal is to specifically get people to a post you've written on your site. In that case you want to consider your content and what communities that content would resonate with. Then get your content to that community, wether you do or you ask someone in your network to do it. If your content really is a good match and you give it the right push it should begin to get passed around and pull traffic to it.

Harold Mansfield
10-19-2009, 04:34 AM
If you were to find a handful of music blogs that allowed guest posting you could create posts targeted toward those sites and say over the course of a month get 3 posts published on each blog. Assuming the content is good and the audience of those blogs likes it many should follow you back to your blog and subscribe..
I tried the traditional way of posting on other blogs. Generally, most blogs in this niche fall into 2 categories...the big ones that don't do guest posting because they have an agenda (like their own products to sell or only promote certain labels) and my content doesn't conform to that....I post everything relevant regardless of label or management company...or...smaller blogs looking for someone to write for them because they don't have access to a lot of regular content.

I found it easier to keep a steady flow of content on my own blog and pick up links from other blogs and related forums who don't have the information, and most times I have stuff that no one else has, or neglect to promote in a timely manner.

I made my own additional avenues by writing for sites like Examiner, that way I am in control of the content and all links point back to me, or my other sites.

I discovered a long time ago that that normal avenues of promoting my content to others don't work...at least not for me in this niche..competition is steep and I have watched a few blogs and online magazines come and go over the last 2 years, while my readership has grown...and then there are the small start ups like new blogger blogs that want to write about dance music, that just scrape my content...they are usually gone after a few months, or turn to linking to illegal downloads to draw traffic.

Although I don't have a formal agenda, I am finding that Twitter, My space, and Facebook work better for me than sharing information with like bloggers and websites.

I am sure that this is not the case for others, but for me, I have decided to turn my efforts towards being the source, and not a contributor.

Like you said, good or informative content will get linked to anyway.

vangogh
10-19-2009, 11:39 AM
Nothing wrong with what you're doing. In your case then the promotion is all about getting people directly to your site to absorb your content. That's really more what the article is about anyway.

I think some of it's points as applied to you would be understanding where your content is best to be pushed and building networks in advance to help you promote.

Promoting content really is more than just submitting to the usual sites and posting a link on Twitter. I'm not suggesting that's all you're doing. Just trying to make the point of the article.

KristineS
10-19-2009, 12:54 PM
I think the big trick is to remember that you need to build and cultivate a network. It always amazes me when people I don't know at all e-mail me and ask me to help them promote something from their blog or website or whatever. The people I help promote and which I link to reflect on my reputation. I'm not going to risk that reputation on someone or something that I don't know and for which I have no reference.

You have to spend time getting to know people before you can ask for a favor. You also have to spend some time helping other people. The more you do that, the more likely you are to find others who will help you publicize your content.

vangogh
10-19-2009, 10:48 PM
you need to build and cultivate a network.

Cultivate being the key word. You can't just ask people you barely know to help you promote something. And you should be thinking about building your network months and years in advance of when you'll need it.

I think a lot of people wait until it's too late to build their network.

phanio
10-21-2009, 08:14 AM
Another important idea is know what content will likely work where. Digg makes a good example. The community there is heavily tech savvy, pro Linux and Apple, and anti-Microsoft. The community tends toward the young male demographic. If you try to promote content about knitting there it's not likely to go over well. You don't have to only look to the most popular communities. It's about finding a good match between your content and a given community.

Great point - marketing always comes down to knowing your customers - why they buy (so your content is relevant) and where they find information - tech people on Digg. It really comes down to knowing the most you can about your customers. Great point!

vangogh
10-21-2009, 11:18 AM
@rebecca - controversy can definitely work. You have to be careful with it though, because if everything you say is controversial that can turn people off quickly too. You get seen as being controversial just for the sake of controversy. Now if you have an opinion that goes against the common thought there's no reason to hold back. You just don't want to fake the controversy so you can be controversial.

@Joseph - I think so many people miss that point. They simply here that site X can deliver a lot of traffic and don't stop to think about the match between the community and the content.