Getting Traffic and Links to Your Website by Pitching to Popular Blogs…

September 21, 2007 by 2 Comments

Is easier said than done. I have been trying to network and have been emailing pitches to popular blogs and even the little unknown blogs for about 3 weeks now. Result- I’ve had a few mentions that got my blood pumping and kept me motivated for a few days.

Still, the question I ask at the end of everyday is HOW do you get a mention from these influential bloggers.

I have experience pitching and networking traditional news media. But when I started the job of pitching hireahelper.com to bloggers, I knew I was headed into unknown territory for me, so I did my homework first. I read countless blogs and articles about what to do, and more importantly what not to do. And then I took the plunge and dove in headfirst thinking I had my head on straight and I would be successfully tracking results within a week or so.

Everyday I eagerly search and read and pitch, only to come out empty handed. The underlying duty at hand is one that I am not skating around, but one that I am trying to short cut through. Unfortunately, I will eventually have to do. I will have to study all of these blogs and read them and comment on them everyday to build relationships as an everyday reader without dropping in solicited links and messages.

That’s hard work! Not to mention it doesn’t guarantee an article, a review or even a link.

My final thought… Does anyone know which bloggers prefer bribes?

Filed under Marketing

Viral Marketing Strategy – 101 – PlumberSurplus.com

September 14, 2007 by 1 Comment

A lot of you read my post on BlendTec and their big mishap (since then their YouTube video shows up 3rd for searches on BlendTec on YouTube) , I’ve been thinking lately… the guys at PS have the resources to really pull of a successful viral campaign if they want, here’s my idea:

  1. Make up a composition of “Will It Blend” spoofs that use one of their manufacturers garbage disposals. I’ve seen some pretty crazy stuff put into garbage disposals before, and I’m sure with their resources they can get a hold of a “super garbage disposal” that you could put just about anything into.
  2. Get a hook, use “character” as the mock-blendTec guy. Ideas:
    • Gangster: “Will it blend B$#$?” – Blends firearm, evidence, drugs, another gangster
    • White Trash: Blends dog from his front porch (its wrong, but we all know that faux animal sadism spreads), car parts found in front yard, beer cans
  3. Post the video on YouTube and draw publicity to it through a few blogs.
  4. Post the video as a “Video Response” to all the BlendTec videos
  5. See if BlendTec will host a “Blend off” vs the garbage disposal.

That’s pretty much it… Post your feedback if you think my viral marketing strategy would work. PlumberSurplus are you up to the challenge?!

Filed under Marketing

A Lesson in Free Advertising: BlendTec

June 6, 2007 by 1 Comment

For those of you who haven’t heard the story…

BlendTec developed a great blender and had a hard time getting the word out about it, so they made a bunch of videos of their blenders taking on random household items like rakes, coke cans, and even Tiki Torches.

The videos ended up on YouTube and their sales sky rocketed (Who wouldn’t want to watch someone put all sorts of large objects in an industrial strength blender.

BlendTec vs. Glow Sticks

The guys at PlumberSurplus were attending the Internet Retailer conference and happened to video this:

See the original Video Here.

It’s really great PR for both BlendTec as well as “The Surplus” as both will probably end up getting thousands of hits and brand recognition.

We’ve toyed with the idea of advertising on YouTube doing things like this, the problem is you can’t count on the spastic success of “hit” videos, regardless the instant success of the Will It Blend videos (and similar) will keep people trying for years to come.

Filed under Blog, Business, Design, Development, Marketing, Startups

Marketing Via Little Annoyances

June 5, 2007 by Leave a Comment

I was just thinkin the other day how 95% of the emales I get in response to a friend of family member loking at HireAHelper is letting me know they found a speling or grammer error.*

Seth posted this: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2007/06/maybe_not_so_du.html

Same idea I guess…. I’m thinking about spelling something wrong on the site and throwing a “find the error” contest…

* (Grammar errors on purpose)

Filed under Blog, Business, Design, Development, Marketing, Startups

Marketing via Saying the Right Thing (or at least NOT the wrong thing)

May 8, 2007 by 1 Comment

I was busy writing a sweet post on my thoughts about Seth’s latest post when I ran accross someone who already said what I was looking to say.

(Sometimes you just can’t say it any better… )

Stu writes:

Seth Godin today writes that when a store helper asks, “May I help you,” it’s equivalent in its uselessness to asking a teenager “How was school today?”

It’s funny because I was thinking about the same thing when I walked into Radio Shack the other day. The RadioShack employees are paid on commission, so helping you is pretty important to them. When I walked in, the sales rep asked me if he could help me today, and I politely declined. I tend to decline most of the time, perhaps because I’m stubborn and perhaps because I’m a man.

At the same time, though, I was thinking, “If I were him, I would be asking customers something they don’t have a predetermined response for, like, ‘What are you looking for today?’” It’s a little tweak in language, but it would make all the difference in getting a response.

“Oh, you want headphones, it’s over here – follow me.” In this way, I am not supposing the customer is helpless or incompetent (which is what the customer feels when you ask him “May I help you”), but rather, I am now cutting down his or her time in the store. I am suddenly a value added.

Tweak your questions, and you’ll get a much better response.

Filed under Blog, Business, Development, Marketing, Startups

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