If you had a $1000 budget to spend on a 3 to 6 months marketing campaign of a new directory, how would you spend it?
I think I would try a bit of old-style marketing...advertisements in trade journals, direct marketing (snail mail), etc. I would do online too but I would split the budget to do a bit of both.
Well, one thing I think you should do with a good chunk of it is this: Seek out and compile a list of the most engaging, respected and most-read bloggers within the industry most relevant to your directory... IF your directory is a 'niche directory' of-course; if not, just seek out the top Internet-marketing bloggers since directory submission is related... Next: pay each blogger to write about your directory, effectively endorsing it. This is a paid post OR you can write a guest post, and write about it yourself, on their blog. Most big Internet-marketing bloggers have a button on their site, or openly sell this service and it's good profit for them, so even if they don't direclty offer it: contact them and you will surely be able to offer them a cash amount. This will get your directory instant exposure to readers of engaging, respected and trusted writers within the industry relating to site management and promotion... therefore, the clickthrough and 'conversion' (which in this instance is effectively people signing-up; and perhaps you charge?... either way) - will probably be relatively high and of a good quality; as these are targeted, interested users reading an entry from somebody they've probably followed and trusted for a very long-time. I think this, and Google AdWords will get you great results.
I would not waste your money. You would probably having a better chance of getting a return on the money with a bookmaker.
I would keep it until I had enough to effectively market the directory. 1,000 would just be a waste of time and money.
The last directory I developed and put on the web had a $10,000 a year advertising budget and due to some very heavily marketed other new directories opening at the same time we went well over budget.
I would invest it into media buys and classified ads. This is the best way to go for a directory. Just make sure that you budget properly so your campaign will run smoothly.
What i would say is a particular niche of directory is waste of time and money rather u can develop some general directory n make cash out of it....coz u have to spend more money for advertising and u wont get proper customers for a particular niche....
Banner advertising in major webmaster newsletters, and forums to get the name around to webmasters and text links in Google. Google can cost $1000 plus a week for prime listings. Submission specials are also good promotion but need to be advertised to be effective.
The one best thing I saw in your post is about submission specials. Do you know a solid methods to scrap details about submission specials from internet. I was searching this info for very long time for a directory site softnwords.
Is it really that hard for people that have nothing to add, to just close the browser tab and not post anything?
When you look at the editing in the signature directory you will see it's just ignorance generating posts like that.
And yet, you either take money from a directory owner for your signature space or are pimping two of your own there. And, you expect other directory owners to pay you to be in your directory of directories. Fine spot of marketing work there - insult the very people who are feeding you.
If you want to compete with Dmoz, then $1000 is nothing. If you want to make money out of it, then $1000 is too much. Few hundred bucks can get your directory PR6 and your sub categories PR5. This will draw the market attention to your directory.
I'd buy weed and booze and drink/stone myself to death. If you want to never see the money again, at least have some fun.
Not in any fashion that is ethical. Persons who work like that should all be stoned in the streets to put it in terms everybody will understand.