Skeptic approach to web site promotion

[Bodhi Dharma Zen]

As a skeptic, Im not sure in how to find the best possible promotion campaign for a site Im about to launch. I have relatively modest resources, and would like to use them wisely. I would like something like a well designed viral campaign.

All ideas welcomed.

[Pipirr]

Link to it in your sig, and post new entries to Reddit, Digg, Newsvine, etc. Also you could start a thread about it on this board.

So this is probably a good start. ;)

[tkingdoll]

A well-designed viral campaign is expensive :)

Plus you are at the mercy of lots of factors like fashion.

What is the website about?

[Bodhi Dharma Zen]

Link to it in your sig, and post new entries to Reddit, Digg, Newsvine, etc. Also you could start a thread about it on this board.

So this is probably a good start. ;)

Thanks, will do that, but Im not sure in where does the spam begins and rightful self promotion ends. Still, I have the impression that if you try to push something you sell in sites like DIGG you are seen as a spammer. But what about if what I can offer is a free service?

[Bodhi Dharma Zen]

A well-designed viral campaign is expensive :)

Plus you are at the mercy of lots of factors like fashion.

What is the website about?

How expensive is expensive? ;) I agree in that about fashion, some products just seem to arrive at the right time (whatever that means). I cant state the nature of it because several confidenciality agreements, but I can give you a hint, its related to social networks and user generated content.

[tkingdoll]

How expensive is expensive? ;) I agree in that about fashion, some products just seem to arrive at the right time (whatever that means). I cant state the nature of it because several confidenciality agreements, but I can give you a hint, its related to social networks and user generated content.

Gosh, it's impossible to put a price to something without knowing the sort of thing you are thinking of. A viral can be cheap to produce but expensive to place, or expensive to produce (and still expensive to place :D). Some hit by luck but most take a lot of work and expertise.

A viral in the form of a photo, video, animation or flash game can cost anything from £500 for a photo up to £100,000 for a game or animation. Generally, the more you spend, the better the result, but some homemade efforts have become overnight smash hits. The execution is important, but the idea behind it is the most important thing. If you don't have a clever or funny idea, the viral effect won't take hold because people won't engage with your message. Entertain me for a few minutes, and in return I will listen to your message.

You can also try and place it yourself but you risk being caught spamming which is baaaaaaad.

[CFLarsen]

How expensive is expensive? ;) I agree in that about fashion, some products just seem to arrive at the right time (whatever that means). I cant state the nature of it because several confidenciality agreements, but I can give you a hint, its related to social networks and user generated content.

If you want our advice, you will have to be a hell of a lot more exact than that.

You want specifics of how to market something you won't give specifics of.

[logical muse]

As many of you know, I made this website:

definitely (http://www.d-e-f-i-n-i-t-e-l-y.com/)

Within a week of launch, it was (and remains) google's #1 hit for definitely, out of something like 175,000,000 results:

http://www.google.com/search?q=definitely

It hit the front page of Digg, and was their #1 story for a day. There were around 80,000 unique visitors that day, but of course that's dropped off since then. It was also featured on the front page of Yahoo Japan.

The site still gets a lot of hits every day, and in fact is the most popular of all the sites I've made. I get lots of email about it, and people discuss it in their blogs and forums.

The experience taught me a few things:


It's all about the content
Keep it simple
Be direct
Don't over-design
Address an issue or concern shared by many people
Content is king!


Promotion consisted of a submission to stumbleupon (which a friend of mine did without my knowledge!), digg, and I also mentioned it here a few times. From digg, it got onto reddit and de.licio.us. I could have been a lot more aggressive in my approach, but really all I did was put the digg link on the bottom of the page.

[Bodhi Dharma Zen]

You can also try and place it yourself but you risk being caught spamming which is baaaaaaad.

Yes, thats exactly what I dont want. Im already working in "the message" it will be a short video, no words up to the end, and very few of them. What I need is a way to distribute, not the video as it will be in the website, but its existence. Sorry if I cant be more specific (for now).

[Bodhi Dharma Zen]

If you want our advice, you will have to be a hell of a lot more exact than that.

You want specifics of how to market something you won't give specifics of.

You are absolutely right. I apologize for that. As soon as the NDA release me I will be able to give more details. For now Im merely exploring possibilities.

[Bodhi Dharma Zen]

Promotion consisted of a submission to stumbleupon (which a friend of mine did without my knowledge!), digg, and I also mentioned it here a few times. From digg, it got onto reddit and de.licio.us. I could have been a lot more aggressive in my approach, but really all I did was put the digg link on the bottom of the page.

Thank you very much for that information. I will do exactly the same. What do you mean by "a lot more aggressive"? ;)

[logical muse]

What do you mean by "a lot more aggressive"? ;)

Well, I could have placed links to all the social bookmarking sites on it, but I chose not to. Umm, yeah, that's about it. :D

[Bodhi Dharma Zen]

Well, I could have placed links to all the social bookmarking sites on it...

Well, thanks a lot! Im sure going to do that. I wasnt even aware of such sites.

[geni]

Thanks, will do that, but Im not sure in where does the spam begins and rightful self promotion ends.

When you get caught.


Still, I have the impression that if you try to push something you sell in sites like DIGG you are seen as a spammer. But what about if what I can offer is a free service?

Spam. From the POV of those on the reciveing end (with the posible exception of youtube) any form of self promotion is basicaly spam because if you can do it so can several 100k other people. Thus even the most aparently inocuies self promotion multiplied by that ammount becomes a problem.

[Bodhi Dharma Zen]

Spam. From the POV of those on the reciveing end (with the posible exception of youtube) any form of self promotion is basicaly spam because if you can do it so can several 100k other people. Thus even the most aparently inocuies self promotion multiplied by that ammount becomes a problem.

Ok, but would it be seen as self promotion is what "I offer" (I think these are the key words) is a web portal which gives a service for free? Users will get utility from it by telling others to access it. Also, Im not talking about a personal blog nor anything like that, this is a commercial effort, and there is a company behind the product. In about a month my NDAs will allow me to tell a lot more.

Im currently developing a video which will tell (without telling it) whats the nature of the portal, its planned to be emotional, and give merely hints about its real nature.

[geni]

Ok, but would it be seen as self promotion is what "I offer" (I think these are the key words) is a web portal which gives a service for free?

Yes. and to save time the answer to any varaitions on this question is yes as well. Wether you have any problems with this is up to you.


Users will get utility from it by telling others to access it.


Users will be encouraged to spam as well. Hmm napster tried that one.

[Bodhi Dharma Zen]

Yes. and to save time the answer to any varaitions on this question is yes as well. Wether you have any problems with this is up to you.

What would I have a problem???? Im here to learn. Now, what can you say about the OP? Do you have any suggestions to promote a service?

[tkingdoll]

Bodhi, if this is a commercial product with a company behind it then they should have built a marketing budget into their launch plans. You can have the best product in the world but if you aren't prepared to pay to get it out there alongside the competition then it's pretty much doomed to fail. There are rare exceptions but they are usually unique propositions.

If the company behind this website want it to go global, the only way to maximise the chance of success is to pay a digital marketing company. DIY efforts will get DIY results. The risk of negative publicity or poor perception (or even failure) far outweigh the costs of getting the professionals in.

The problem with the DIY approach is that if it fails, you do not know if it's because the product is bad or because the marketing was bad.

[Pipirr]

I think it depends on what it is. If the product pushes Digg user buttons - web 2.0/3.0, is innovative, sticks it to microsoft, or is on a top ten list of something or other - sure, it could be good to promote it on social networking sites. I don't think it's spam if it meets the needs or interests of the community. The community decides that.

[Bodhi Dharma Zen]

Bodhi, if this is a commercial product with a company behind it then they should have built a marketing budget into their launch plans. You can have the best product in the world but if you aren't prepared to pay to get it out there alongside the competition then it's pretty much doomed to fail. There are rare exceptions but they are usually unique propositions.

Thanks, I understand that. Yes, we have a budget for marketing, but when I say a company Im talking about a really small enterprise, I wish a big corporation was behind us (so far its basically composed by a couple of friends and an angel investor). Thats why we are interested in viral marketing, we want to try it first, if the campaign doesnt succeed a more traditional marketing strategy will follow.

Budget is limited, about 50k.

[Bodhi Dharma Zen]

I think it depends on what it is. If the product pushes Digg user buttons - web 2.0/3.0, is innovative, sticks it to microsoft, or is on a top ten list of something or other - sure, it could be good to promote it on social networking sites. I don't think it's spam if it meets the needs or interests of the community. The community decides that.

Thanks. What I didnt understand is that about "stick it to microsoft", and regarding a "top ten list", what do you mean?

[Pipirr]

Thanks. What I didnt understand is that about "stick it to microsoft", and regarding a "top ten list", what do you mean?

Just a reference to the articles that tend to make it to the Digg front page. Top ten lists, Apple rulez and 'Microsoft is evil' stories are really popular.

For example, a story on 'The top ten microsoft killer web apps as approved by Steve Jobs', would be like crack for Digg users.

Just looking at Digg right now, and there are six top (n) list stories, and one about Microsoft sucking. Three Apple rulez stories on page 2. I wasn't far off...

[Bodhi Dharma Zen]

Just a reference to the articles that tend to make it to the Digg front page. Top ten lists, Apple rulez and 'Microsoft is evil' stories are really popular.

Excellent. Thanks.

[geni]

What would I have a problem???? Im here to learn.

Well you may or may not be prepared to carry out actions other people see as spam.


Now, what can you say about the OP? Do you have any suggestions to promote a service?

Nope. While I have some level of knowlage of viral campains it is mostly focused on stopping them working.