Design matters
The power of a good design should be not underestimated. When your viewers land on your blog or website the first thing they notice is the design. Your site should be uncluttered and easy to navigate and your design should be focused to cater to your target audience. Stay away from pop-up advertising and make sure your subscription box is not mistaken for advertising or spam collection. Collecting emails for newsletters and updates is great, but you won’t get very many if your viewers think they will be inundated with spam.
If you think good design is expensive, you should look at the cost of bad design.
— DR. RALF SPETH
Headlines are hooks
Get your viewers attention by creating headlines that will reel them in and make them want to read. Most people skim articles and don’t actually read them, they just read headlines. Use your headline to create the first impression of your article. If you intrigue your reader by creating sexy headlines, they will want more and the chances of them reading the entire article will increase substantially.
Get social with your people
Social media is one of the best and easiest ways to market your website or blog. If you hang out in the social venues and post where your target audience hangs out, your chances of getting your post shared will increase. Have a basic understanding of your audience and when and where they are on each social media venue. Facebook tends to work best for the 29-49 year old group, while twitter is better for the 18-29 year old group. If your site has a lot of great images and photography, consider Pinterest or Instagram as an additional means of marketing. Once you know who your audience is, create a social marketing plan and stick to it. Find out what schedule works best for you and your followers and adjust as needed.
Think like a wise man but communicate in the language of the people.
Increase your post size and frequency
Writing longer posts will keep your readers engaged longer and increase your opportunity to add more organic keywords. This and increasing your post frequency will help your Google rankings.
Consider a free giveaway
Who doesn’t like free stuff? If you are marketing a product, book, advice or have something your audience will connect with, why not try a free giveaway. It keeps the audience checking for other giveaways and gives the winners an opportunity to share their experience and give feedback on their blogs and social media venues. Giveaways help your website and also supports other likeminded businesses.
Occasionally break the rules
Every now and then you need to break free from the standard platform and try something different. You never know something brilliant will happen.
If at first the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it.
— ALBERT EINSTEIN
Susan Sullivan
Susan lives in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex area with her husband and children. She is an avid distance runner, environmentalist, part-time beekeeper, chicken farmer and amateur photographer.