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How are you promoting the post? When I think of ways to promote blog posts I can only think of ideas which are quick (post to HN, tweet about it etc.). What ar

How are you promoting the post? When I think of ways to promote blog posts I can only think of ideas which are quick (post to HN, tweet about it etc.). What are you doing differently?

deleted 13y ago
[deleted]
pault 13y ago
This doesn't really answer your question specifically, but one helpful way to think about it is to invert your process. Most people create content and then try to find a traffic source for it. The most successful marketers I know find traffic sources and then create content for them.
- grinnick 13y ago
  Thanks. That does resonate with me actually.
  - pault 13y ago
    It's a lot harder than most people think. A fun exercise is to seek out some message board or facebook page for a group of people you have nothing in common with and see if you can repurpose or create content that engages them. Create a mailing list and see how many people you can get to sign up. It's great practice and you'll quickly realize how insanely difficult it is to interact with people regarding a subject they are passionate about without sounding like a paid shill. It's easy for those of us with a technical background to belittle the marketing folks, but there's an art to it that isn't readily apparent until you are staring at that proverbial empty piece of paper. Edit: the oatmeal comics are a perfect example of this. The best advertising doesn't look like advertising.
    - grinnick 13y ago
      Nah I totally get what you're saying. I'm just trying to teach myself some marketing skills at the moment (coming from a tech background) and I can't seem to get any traction at all. Interestingly I'm actually doing the exact mailing list thing you suggest already (conversionnewsletter.com). It's far harder than I though it would be from the outside and, as you say, great practice.
ivankirigin 13y ago
- Posted links to my personal Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn/Tumblr, - Posted links to my company Twitter/Facebook/Linkedin - Quibb, Growthhacker.com, HackerNews, Reddit r/startups - Asked some experts to make comments - Asked some people to share it - Asked some people to upmod the story (but don't tell pg!) - Retweeted some people posting links to it - Promoted the Tweet from @yesgraph. Promoted the post on Facebook. - Ask people that got in touch after my /r/startups AMA to help spread it. - Linked to this thread from the blog post - Engaged in the comments on HN, reddit, and the blog I think driving the process quickly and keeping it socially appropriate is more about how you do it and not what you do. If you see another YesGraph post on Hacker News within 2 weeks, then I'll know what I'm doing it right. I should also stress that I think this is a good post, better than my last one on the blog. That matters a lot too.

How are you promoting the post? When I think of ways to promote blog posts I can only think of ideas which are quick (post to HN, tweet about it etc.). What are you doing differently?

deleted 13y ago

[deleted]

pault 13y ago

This doesn't really answer your question specifically, but one helpful way to think about it is to invert your process. Most people create content and then try to find a traffic source for it. The most successful marketers I know find traffic sources and then create content for them.

grinnick 13y ago
Thanks. That does resonate with me actually.
- pault 13y ago
  It's a lot harder than most people think. A fun exercise is to seek out some message board or facebook page for a group of people you have nothing in common with and see if you can repurpose or create content that engages them. Create a mailing list and see how many people you can get to sign up. It's great practice and you'll quickly realize how insanely difficult it is to interact with people regarding a subject they are passionate about without sounding like a paid shill. It's easy for those of us with a technical background to belittle the marketing folks, but there's an art to it that isn't readily apparent until you are staring at that proverbial empty piece of paper. Edit: the oatmeal comics are a perfect example of this. The best advertising doesn't look like advertising.
  - grinnick 13y ago
    Nah I totally get what you're saying. I'm just trying to teach myself some marketing skills at the moment (coming from a tech background) and I can't seem to get any traction at all. Interestingly I'm actually doing the exact mailing list thing you suggest already (conversionnewsletter.com). It's far harder than I though it would be from the outside and, as you say, great practice.

ivankirigin 13y ago

- Posted links to my personal Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn/Tumblr, - Posted links to my company Twitter/Facebook/Linkedin - Quibb, Growthhacker.com, HackerNews, Reddit r/startups - Asked some experts to make comments - Asked some people to share it - Asked some people to upmod the story (but don't tell pg!) - Retweeted some people posting links to it - Promoted the Tweet from @yesgraph. Promoted the post on Facebook. - Ask people that got in touch after my /r/startups AMA to help spread it. - Linked to this thread from the blog post - Engaged in the comments on HN, reddit, and the blog I think driving the process quickly and keeping it socially appropriate is more about how you do it and not what you do. If you see another YesGraph post on Hacker News within 2 weeks, then I'll know what I'm doing it right. I should also stress that I think this is a good post, better than my last one on the blog. That matters a lot too.