Marketing my website - Advice sought

Hi Folks,
I've been running my model shop directory (modelshopsin.com) for about 12 months now and it's slowly growing (in traffic).
I've so far used the following methods to market the site:

• Contacting shop owners to perform interviews about their business, this works mutually as they get return publicity about their business.
• Contacting relevant manufacturers to get review copies of their products.
• Facebook & Twitter marketing (pages on each).

Some additional ideas I've had are:

• Place print adverts in relevant publications
• Limited use of google adwords (could end up being a sink hole for cash though).
• Produce some vinyl stickers or other promotional items that small independent retailers display (eg, "As seen on modelshopsin.com")

Ultimately, I'd be looking at affiliate marketing as the best way to monetize the site but I'd be really interested to know what you guys think might be better or alternative methods of marketing the site and to increase its visibility to relevant users.

Phil

 

To add, I've also nearly finished an android app which will enable users to search geographically via an app, sites like this seem as if they will benefit from good mobile access.
And I'm aware that I can (to a degree) market products via email directly to signed up users.

 

How bout forum marketing, SEO, or expanding your reach in other social media platforms?

 

Hi Phil,

I think the number of possibilities is quite significant, however, let me start by providing you a couple of items as starters.

1. Have you considered having the shops have links on their sites to your website? This would also include their social communities, especially Google+.

2. Your website is a year old and the Google Page Rank is 0 out of 10. While Google's Page Rank is not as important now-a-days as it used to be, what this is telling me is you are not actively engaged in content marketing and social media marketing. Editorial articles, blogs, news releases, press releases, powerpoints in presentation communities, social media marketing (eg. LinkedIn company page that is updated, Google+ page, Facebook page, Twitter).

3. Another idea is to find a blogger that will pitch you to their community. You can take a look at Blogdash or alternatively along the same concept checkout finding someone a Fiverr to help get the word out.

Hope this helps.

 

Content marketing. Create a blog about your niche. Make sure you blog about relevant issues in the niche, solve problems people have (look for questions people ask on related forums), new trends and not just self promote.

Make your blog so good that people in the niche can't ignore it. Network with other bloggers and vendors in the niche. Get to know them, share their content, interact on social media with them. Write about them (ego bait posts and expert round ups work well).

Get involved in places where your target audience are - blogs, forums, social media groups etc and make sure to get well known there for giving out good advice. People will seek out more information from you and follow your links back to your site.

 

Blog a lot more, and make videos - videos on Youtube are a good way to get seen in Google, which can get you more traffic. Also get a lot more active on Facebook - try to add value for people so that they want to share your stuff and like your page. Pictures and videos will get shared more than anything else - get some great modelling pics and videos shared - either embedded in your site to get people going there, or just on Facebook to get more people sharing and liking your page. Same for Twitter - a new shop added is only going to interest me if it's where I live, but some great content will interest me wherever Iam and I may share it.

 

Some really useful tips there people, many thanks. I think I've probably been a bit half hearted and need to push harder with the marketing to raise awareness

 

Got to be worth it - you've put in the effort to build it, with plenty of content, and potentially very useful content - might as well let people know about it, that's where your profit is!

 

That's the way to go

 

I use forum marketing and blog commenting to market my blog.