I've seen plenty of threads on low cost/free marketing tips. However, if I want to spend $1000 to bring in quality, targeted traffic, what would be the best approach? We want users for the site, not just random traffic that'll never return. The site can be best described as similar to Yahoo Answers. We already have plans for contests with cash prizes. We're working on SEO and social bookmarking. What else should we be doing? How would your answer change if we increased the budget to $5000? The money does not have to be all spent at once. If it is more effective to spread it out over a few months, then we are willing to invest the time, energy, and money.
This is a very difficult question, and there are far too many variables involved to just throw an answer out there without knowing more information about the business/website that you are marketing. It sounds like you are definitely on the right track but I'd need more info to chime in my two cents .
What I would do (am doing): -organize a prize game. Have 2 prizes, first one for adults and second one for teenagers. Let 1st prize be something like portable air conditioner and a 2nd one something like iPod. Everyone who wants to participate has to send invitations to friends and for 1st prize at least one of invited friends has to join the game. The winner is then chosen by drawing. The 2nd prize gets the one whose most friends join the game (without drawing). This way every visitor will spread the word. If that is not against the laws in your country of course.
+after you get some daily visitors you can get a sponsor for organizing that prize game. In the exchange you can give it advertising space.
Unkn0wnPlayer: If I'm allowed to post my site, I'll put it up in a couple of days when we get some more kinks out of the way. mjereb2: We already have plans for cash prizes and perhaps an iPhone as the top prize for most new users and other stats. It is a Yahoo Answers type of site so there are several metrics we can use to award users. circuscircus: We toyed with print advertising including using Google's print media advertising however an ad in the Times is not cheap. $1,000 doesn't go very far in traditional print media. For example, something like TIME magazine ad could cost more than $300k for a package. I'm also aware of their demographics and we'd rather approach sub-35 range. John: I'd have to find your part 2 because that seems to be where the marketing is. Thanks for all the responses so far.
Hey Mr Blue, could you give your domain name, as it may help us focus more on your question. A few thoughts would be; Popular Forums Social Networks (myspace - livespaces - Izimi - Youtube) Internet related magazines. (print)
Take a week off from work and use the $1000 to pay your bills while you read this forum in its entirety and sitepoint, warrior etc. Or just pay someone to do the dirty work...
I hope you have tried PPC to test some keywords before you do SEO on them. Run banner ads, do multiple press releases, payperpost service, CPA network, just to name a few advertising avenues.
Such a hard question to answer. So many variables. Find a few good places to advertise. Links/banners. Best way to get targeted traffic.
This sounds like fun. Contest could be cool. Also, you could simply try creating some viral campaign with help of pros... some ultimate link bait to gain traffic.
BrianJump: I have followed both SitePoint, this forum, and Warrior forum for several months. The problem seems to be that the main thrust is selling eBooks, pushing some kind of product, or membership site. I don't think YouTube got to the size they are by making squeeze pages. imking: I'm considering PayPerPost and other services. Which is part of why I posed this question to the forum. Re: Contests - I stated in my original post that contests are being planned and that budget is outside of this marketing budget. I'm looking for ideas of how to effectively reach a broader audience in addition to contests. Thanks for all the replies.
Promoting a site as subject you mentioned you want to stay in similar circles..so if you are most similar to yah answers..then go there. Pay per post and other posting services to post on yahoo answers would be a good idea, but think about it..people who go there have already asked a question...you can try and get them to use u the NEXT time..but how to find them BEFORE they go to yahoo would also be my quest...both actually..so, i would do paid postings to questions on yahoo ans, and ppc.. You'll burn thru that $1k in no time tho if you dont research your kw and choose the BEST and most economically, powerful kw mix...test test test my friend.. g'luck