The Official Marketing Guide *Look Here*

I haven't seen a guide around these parts, but have seen an awful lot of questions. How about I clear some marketing stuff up? Below I have created a small guide to provide users with the benefits and tips of marketing.

General Marketing Guide​

Table of Contents:

1. Social Networking
2. Marketing FAQ
3. Promotion
4. SEM and SEO
5. Paid Marketing
6. Conclusion



Part 1 Social Networking:

In our Web 2.0 time things are changing and advancing. The older version of social networking to let the world know about your product is over. Social Networking consists of a website that provides a community experience, not just a forum. Usually there is a place where you can advertise your website or product, in which case people register as members, kind of like myspace, but for us geeks better, since there's no predators, just spam . Here is a list of a few top level social networking websites:

Stumbleupon:

Probably one of the best social networking websites ever is Stumbleupon. StumbleUpon helps you discover and share great websites. With a unique interface toolbar, if you click Stumble!, the site brings high-quality web pages that match your personal favorites. With a vast community, other users who share your interest may stumble your website, and give it a review, which delivers traffic. Thanks to SEOMOZ here is proof of the traffic increase:

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Digg:

Another great resource. It is not like the social community you find, but more of a news source. You are still required to register, but it is worth it. Once at Digg, you can find various categories of news stories that people submit. Find one that is your interest, and you may stumble upon a new website. That said, submitting your blog articles is the most value I have on Digg. Using there simple interface, adding your blog article is simple. You enter your story, and then your website URL. Once your article is listed, in its respective category, Digg members will decide if they like it. If they do, they will "Digg" the article, but if not, they may just "Bury" it. Even though Digg is a great resource, I find it difficult to get many postive Digg's there. Of the millions of users there, it is very difficult to rank for what you write. For example, say you read an article from the news saying that Microsoft just bought Nintendo for $25 Billion. Everyone would want to read that, and everyone would want to post that. As soon as someone sees that, they write about it on their blog, then they go to Digg to advertise and get traffic. The catch is that if one person found out, another has, so you have to be on the computer reading news a lot, and have 90% luck of finding a premium article to submit before someone else does. If not, a duplicate article may be worth a few diggs if not one.

MyBlogLog:

I find this one to be my favorite. MyBlogLog is an ingenious social community. It is used most likely in every blog you find. The unique and innovative Sidebar widget is great because it shows which member has just visited your website. To see an example visit my blog and it is located on the sidebar, if you want join my community.
In MyBlogLog you create a member ID. Once you do that, author your blog, or add your website. It is then listed as a community in the website where you can advertise it. MyBlogLog is not easy though, you can't just have quality content on your website without advertising. It is tough to get many members to join your community at a time. I was skilled and new the technique to it, that is why my blog ended up in the Hot Communities section 3 days in a row! All you have to do is be nice. Be friendly and visit other communities, once you comment on someone else's community and leave a positive review of their website (a few sentences will do) they usually come and visit your blog, if their nice they join what they see. That is how I effectively get members. Now your probably wondering about the Hot Communities section. I am not really sure how it works, and how I ended up there, but I have one explanation. The first week I started MyBlogLog for the first few days, I just went to other communities, visited and joined, then left a comment, they ended up joining my blog, and by the first week I had 20 members a day to my community. I guess the more members you get in a short period of time, the more chance you have of getting in the Hot Communities section.

Del.icio.us:

I haven't use del.icio.us before, but its multilingual domain usage (del, icio, us) are something I haven't seen before. It just shows that nothing can be achieved with out uniqueness and originality. Anyways, since I haven't used it before, here is an excerpt from the website, "del.icio.us is a social bookmarking website -- the primary use of del.icio.us is to store your bookmarks online, which allows you to access the same bookmarks from any computer and add bookmarks from anywhere, too. On del.icio.us, you can use tags to organize and remember your bookmarks, which is a much more flexible system than folders." Ok, thats just a brief summary, but what really gets it going is the use of tags. "What are tags? Tags are one-word descriptors that you can assign to your bookmarks on del.icio.us (tags are common in other websites too). They're a little bit like keywords but non-hierarchical. You can assign as many tags to a bookmark as you like and easily rename or delete them later. Tagging can be a lot easier and more flexible than fitting your information into preconceived categories or folders."

Technorati:

Technorati is everyones favorite list. It's used primarily for blogs, but websites are common now too, as well as videos. Technorati also uses the tag feature, and implements it better than del.icio.us in my opinion. When signed up with Technorati, you can add your websites into a small community. Technorati is common for its favorite list, where people view other websites and can favorite a certain one. With more favorites you can be ranked higher on the Top 100 list. Although favorites is not the only factor in Technorati. The cool feature of an using links as a value is very wise. Links play an important role in Pagerank too, so it is easier to accumulate links then favorites. Links are not limited to the Technorati world as well like Favorites. Links can be attained for from any website and any place of communication. So it is easier to obtain links in ranking.

Myspace:

Myspace is a common method of advertising. You can advertise there by first signing up as a member. Once you have an account the best way is to get a huge amount of friends. Usually more than 500 suffice for marketing purposes. If you can't get as many friends as me then you should visit the Buy/Sell/Trade forums here in the Services section and hire someone who has enough friends to do it for you. Usually in the Advertising section people have MFM myspaces, or Made for Marketing myspace pages. In this case, an MFM (I made this up) myspace can have more than 1,000 friends. What this can be used for is bulletin advertising. If you haven't already heard, bulletins are small posts viewable to everyone friend you have. If you make 1 bulletin, it is viewable by your ENTIRE list of friends. But be cautious, even though Myspace is a good way to market, don't get in trouble by Tom .

Those are just a few of the most popular social networking and social bookmarking websites. Follow this link for a complete list.



Part 2 Marketing FAQ:

What is Marketing?

Marketing is one of the terms in the world that does not have one commonly agreed upon definition. In a brief summary you could describe marketing as a social and network type process where products including services are exchanged and advertised in order to promote a business. Although advertising is one of the many ways of marketing.

What are Social Bookmarking sites?

Social Bookmarking websites are used to organize a list of bookmarks, store and classify websites, and provide the internet with general networking of websites.

Why do people use Marketing?

Marketing can be used for many things, but it's most common use is for advertising and promoting.

Is Marketing related to business?

Yes, it is. Using a product, good or service, and marketing you can efficiently sell your product, good, or service.

Does Marketing really work?

It certainly can, but not for everyone. If you don't know what your doing, learn first before making a fool of yourself. To learn as a beginner it is good to read this guide.

What is SEM and SEO?

SEM stands for Search Engine Marketing, and it is a method using the search engines to divert traffic, usually SERP's are beneficial to SEM. SEO on the other hand stands for Search Engine Optimization. SEM and SEO share a mutual bond because in order to perfect one, you need the other. SEO will help you rank better in SERP's and therefore help you have a rank in SEM using the major search engines. It is like a synergy. To lean more about SEM visit this link.

How do I market a website?

Usually it depends on your niche. If you have a strong niche, then use the Marketing tactics to implement your website.

What is a niche?

A niche is your specific category in which you market your website. A niche cannot just be Technology, even though it is a category, it is too common. To stand out from the rest and have quality content, use a very specific niche. For example, Technology is ok, but what is better is Hardware, or Software. Because the world has infinite knowledge, not everyone can cover it. So to speak, Technology includes software, hardware, security, news and updates, auto, mechanic, aeronautical, web developer, engineering, etc. You cannot possible cover all of these together.

Where can I learn about SEO and Optimizing?

To view another guide of mine focused specifically on SEO visit this link.

What is advertising?

Advertising is the broadcast or overview of sharing your service to another person. Advertising is a key point in having a successful Marketing technique.

What are Forums?

Forums are a great marketing source. Forums and generally considered as a community, such as this one. You can use a forum to advertise, learn, apply, ask questions, and advertise.

You mentioned Forum Advertising, how is this possible?

Well usually a good forum consists of an advertising section. The advertising section can be asked for reviews, suggestions, or explanations to your website/product. Another use of Forum Advertising is Signature Links. I cannot stress this enough that Sig Links are the most popular forum advertising technique ever. They are very very simple and can provide a great investment.

What exactly is Signature Links?

If you don't know this yet, you need to brush up on learning. But again since your reading this, signature links are a shortcut to your webiste or product located at the bottom of each and everyone of your posts. There is controversy of nofolow or follow signature links, but that's SEO complication, and this a Marketing thread. To see an example of a Sig Link, go ahead and click on my Signature .

Promotion, what do you mean?

It is the advertising of your website or product. Just another word.

What is Paid Advertising?

Paid Advertising or Paid Marketing is generally the easiest way, although for some the hardest way of advertising. If you have cash, just simple walk anywhere and pay someone to do your dirtywork. Simple as that. For example, if I wanted to do Paid Advertising, I could sign up for the Google Adwords Program.

Is Marketing difficult?

Generally if you know your stuff, it shouldn't be difficult to learn. To implement your techniques it is tedious and takes hard work and time. So I think it is, but in the end it is worth it.

Is Link Development included in Marketing?

Yes it is.

What about SEO?

Yes that is too.

What about Forums, how do you promote those?

Forums are generally monotonous to promote because they are usually broadly categorized and are common. To promote a forum the best way is to write a lot of posts and threads yourself, or hire a paid poster. Then advertise your forum in your Signature and other places. Also offer something that your members would like, whether it would be free stuff, a learning experience, or fun.

Is this enough questions?

Well if your a journalist no, but since your not giving an interview, yes, that's enough .

 

Part 3 Promotion:

Promotion can be described in many ways. It can be used for advertising, using products, viewing websites in a specific manner, or just telling someone what something is. In this case Internet Promotion consists mainly of advertising. Now in the General Marketing thread, I usually see topics on how to market a specific website. Below are a few ways in which this is possible.

What are the goals for your website?

If you have certain goals, you can have certain achievements. If your purpose is to make massive amounts of money of no work, stop right here. But if you want to work towards a goal and accomplish it, keep going.

Who is your targeted audience?

Many website owners create a site without having a clear conception of their target audience. People may think it is one group, but they realize it may attract others altogether. Here is a nice quote I found related on this matter, "Even if the Internet reaches the world, the world is not your audience, but only its specific section." Which summarizes why you need a niche.

What is your competition?

Knowing your competition will successful help you understand what you are up against. If I want to create a new a better programming language that implicates the computers programs, I could call it A++. I would search on Google and find a list of programming languages similar to mind. I then find C++, I realize that it is my completion, because it is what I am aiming for, a programming language that solves complex problems and provides simple user interface. Now that may seem hard, but its quite easy to find out your competition.

How will you progress your performance?

After you get your first 100 unique visitors, what will you do? Sit on your computer and say I reached my goal? I wouldn't stop there. Congratulations you reached 100 visitors, go for 1000. At this point you need analyzing tools. Usually to keep track of your performance, which is very helpful in marketing. You need Traffic Stats, how many uniques you got, how many hits you received, where did they come from, what did they search for, how did I get this many or this less? Using this you can adjust your current status to improve.

Now you may not know how to gather this data, but there are tools provided for you on the World Wide Web. Usually your host may provide some kind of statistical data tool, such as cPanel, which covers Traffic, Graphs, External Links, Internal Links, IP adresses, Visitor Origins, Bookmarks, and Destinations.

Traffic Commerce is also a major role in a business. In order to succeed you need to keep data of how much you sell, earn, lose, costs, customer rate, ROI (Return on Investments), conversion rate and more. What helps me the most is to compile this data into a graph or chart. Therefore I can see what is progressing, and what is decreasing, and perfect that portion. Revenue is a great data source and should be learned about to create even more.

How will you beat your competition?

Ok so you have competition, in this case I have C++. How do I beat that language? I will think of a unique language, find a good advertising method, provide satisfying service, give originality and style, and offer a smooth, clean, service. That way, my language can be quick, sleek, and easy to use, so more people can use it. In this case A++ will beat C++

How will you maintain your website?

It isn't easy to control a website, I struggle with it at times as well. In order to create a successful website, I plan, market, and research my goal. In this case I brainstorm. Now some of you may or may not know, I am working on a new website project, a unique and creative and original one. It has never been seen before, and should be a hit, but I need to know what I am doing. So..what I did is write everything down on paper and pencil, draw out the design, specify what I am doing, and what I am implementing, and focus on it. In this case I created blueprints. I have the *blueprints* saved on paper, and have also typed them up on word, due to confidential reasons I am not going to show you what steps I used to market, but here is a small preview of what I thought of when thinking about maintaining a website:

-Programming Needs
-Page Interface
-Marketing and Advertising
-Content and Originality
-Full Features
-SEO
-Administrative Organization
-Domain and Name
-Web Hosting
-Customizable and Noticeable
-Time Management (Work Needed)
-Custom Layout
-Design and Graphics
-Staff and Moderators
-Writers
-Rules and Troubleshooting
-Professionals
-Press, Media, and Competition
-Security
-Investment
-Long Run Ideas

I hope that helps, because it should, otherwise I leaked part of my *blueprints* out to my comptetitors (Yes I am against you, in the never ending race for Internet Dominance ) for nothing.

How do you take full use of forum marketing?

Thanks to a list compiled by WM7 you can find what Forums are best for Marketing and Learning webmaster and web developing:

1. forums.Digitalpoint.com --- Alexa :140 ---- PR :6 --- Signature link : Without Nofollow

2. sitepoint.com/forums/ --- Alexa :413 ---- PR : 7 --- Signature link : Without Nofollow

3. webmasterworld.com --- Alexa :447 ---- PR : 8 --- Signature link : No signatures

4. warriorforum.com/forum/ --- Alexa :582 ---- PR : 5 --- Signature link : Without Nofollow

5. V7N.com/forums/ --- Alexa 960 ---- PR : 6 --- Signature link : Without Nofollow

6. Webhostingtalk.com --- Alexa :1557 ---- PR : 6 --- Signature link : Without Nofollow

7. namepros.com --- Alexa :1767 ---- PR : 5 ---- Signature link : Without Nofollow

8. dnforum.com --- Alexa : 2286 ---- PR : 5 ---- Signature link : Without Nofollow

9. webmaster-talk.com --- Alexa :5131 ---- PR : 6 --- Signature link : Without Nofollow

10. kirupa.com/forum/ --- Alexa :8224 ---- PR : 7 --- Signature link : Without Nofollow

11. EarnersForum.com --- Alexa :9650 ---- PR : 5 --- Signature link : Without Nofollow




Part 4 SEM and SEO:

I am not going to go to full detail into SEO and SEM, because you can view an already made I guide I have on those subjects here. I also don't want this guide to turn into a book . SEM is called Search Engine Marketing.

From statistics, more than 1 billion people used the internet in 2005. More than 80% find new websites using search engines. According to this data, more than 650 million people use search engines in order to find websites.

According to those statistics, it is an important role that the SE find you. In order to do so you need SEO skills, and SERP's or Search Engine Rank Positions. In order to learn these SEM skills I would highly recommend downloading this ebook, and learning about it online.



Part 5 Paid Marketing:

Paid Marketing is usually the fastest, most efficient, and user friendly way of Marketing. Paid marketing consists of many ways:

Advertising Services: Use these services to submit your website to multiple bookmarking sites, give someone and advert. promotion, or place adverts on their website.

Submissions: If you don't want to submit your website to countless directories, forums, and more, or just don't have the time, hiring someone can be the solution. People offer a wide variety of services to help you out, and they are cheaply priced.

Text Links: A common source, seen on most websites, and as well as blogs. Text Links can provide a simple keyword of your website placed on someone else's. Using this they can advertise for you and give you PR.

Reviews: Usually this type of Paid Marketing ties in with the blogosphere. In blogs you can write reviews for other websites on various factors. If you have a popular one, you ask people to pay you a certain amount for reviews. In return you can get a significant amount of traffic from reviews.

Contests: Are a great way of bringing in visitors. If you post a contest that gives away free prizes for just registering on your site, you will get many people. Most of the time contests are successful.

Content Creation: Maybe your not a good enough writer, hire someone. Hire a professional who will assure you good articles to bring in potential readers.

Traffic Services: Traffic services are a cheap way to provide targeted visitors to your website. They may include popunders, redirects, advertising banners, and pay per surf methods. Be cautious, most of the traffic methods found are risky and fraudulent. Most of the time it is against the Adsense TOS o use this type of traffic, but if you can find a good targeted traffic method, go ahead and do it, as long as it is quality.

Freebies: Not everything has to be expensive. Free stuff is always provided from generous people. Receiving things in free online may include gifts, exchanges, trades, online services, and goods.


Part 6 Conclusion:

I hope you learned the importance of marketing in this guide. I have written it on past experience, knowledge, and work. If you have problems and/or questions you can also post here. If you have comments or suggestions feel free to reply to this thread. I hope you learned something valuable thanks.

Also if you liked this thread, please give us a digg, and a stumble, thanks.

 

A good summary of the basics of this game.

Just a hint about your blueprints... and maybe you do this, but don't want to give it away. Try breaking down the task list into categories, its easier to keep track of. Try Conception, Design, Content Creation, Marketing for starters.

 

Thanks for your concern, and yes I do have categories.

 

Wow, good summary! This really help a lots.

About paid poster for forum, i never know one exist. - really, i'm new, so don't laugh - How can i hire one?

 

This is a good summary over all. I would like to here CPM Vs PPC in your paid marketing segment.

 

Nice infos ... thanks

 

No problem. To hire a paid poster you should look in the Content Creation section.

Thanks for letting me use your list btw. And CPM vs PPC, I would like to talk about that, but I haven't really used Adwords or adCenter before, just the paying programs (Adsense, AuctionAds, Bidvertiser, Text Links, etc.).

 

Interesting read..
Thanks

 

Good summary..thanks for sharing.

 

Great info Ratman!

Ian

 

Check out the Buy, Sell, and Trade forum.

 

Love the thread ratman all the content is so useful, wish I have seen it long ago but then you only posted it yesterday so I guess I couldn't.

Thank you

 

Yeah, I never really realized there wasn't a guide on here.

BTW, if you think this topic should be stickied for newbies just say so.

 

Thanks for this very good info. It's really very informative.

 

I enjoyed reading your post. If people do at least half of what you wrote they should increase there traffic two folds.

 

Nice post!
Too long to read now, but I will bookmark it and come back later.
Thanks!

 

Nice article, with lots of interesting information.
Thanks for posting it

 

Haha, yeah I thought it would be long, but I am sure it is worthwhile.

 

The article is long but worth reading especially if your serious about bringing your site traffic.