So I'm currently developing a website, and it will be a good 4-6 weeks before the programming is complete. How can I start the marketing ball rolling before the full site is ready for launch? I was thinking about starting a related blog at the domain name to get an established audience who will likely stick around once the full site is complete. Any comments on this idea, or thoughts for other ones? Many thanks!
One thing I forgot to even ask - does anyone think it's a BAD idea to start doing some basic marketing for a site before it's fully complete?
It's a good idea if you know what you're doing. If it's a site which could create some large attention then you could create a buzz/viral campaign (like movies do for example). However it takes specialist knowledge or you'll be wasting potential visitors and customers. The blog idea could work. It would also help build some backlinks to the domain as long as they're too the root domain, or any backlinks to individual blog postings will vanish when the blog is replaced with the website. For now I'd suggest compiling lots of high quality articles, postings and marketing material you can keep and then use when the site is online. May as well make the most of the wait.
I think the blog idea is a good one. Keep peoples interest in the site, dropping clues here and there of upcoming content to keep them coming back. Do a little reading on here on various marketing techniques and see which ones could be helpful in a site/blog launch.
Thanks guys. Scott - Maybe something like a funny little flash game would work as a viral marketing tool? Emoney - My sentiments exactly. Any tips for particularly good threads? There's so much content on here, its a bit daunting.
It could work well. Just create a mixture of resources and content via your main blog and get a buzz going about the big up and coming site via there. Slap a countdown on too if you like.