4 ms·

I don't get this. Let me say this as succinctly as possible: it's not 2005 any more. TechCrunch, VentureBeat, Mashable, and GigaOm will not help you get users

I don't get this. Let me say this as succinctly as possible: it's not 2005 any more. TechCrunch, VentureBeat, Mashable, and GigaOm will not help you get users. We've been in those publications multiple times, and since I run Google Analytics with goals, I know how many new users and transactions they send. It's de minimus. The links might be good for PageRank, but you'd rather be in Lifehacker anyway. If you think users will come because you get into these pubs, please try harder.

rokhayakebe 17y ago
Everyone knows major blogs will send a bunch of visitors to your site and most will bounce back immediately. Webmasters usually follow up with "Techcrunch traffic does not convert...". Well, in all fairness that is not the bloggers' duty to figure your conversion method. At any rate for most consumer startups a bunch of visitors from leading tech blogs is better than no visitors. I run Google analytics with goals too for my website and at my day job. And let me tell you that in both cases I am pushing products that no one is jumping to write about. The same is true for (arbitrarily) 9 out 10 companies. Hence organic traffic is not easy to create, and paid traffic is as good as throwing money off the windows. So when giving advises, give advises to this group. Not the one who can built a product and gain traction easily. I have not done this successfully so I cannot tell anyone how to but here are a few examples: - Don't go to major blogs first, go to smaller ones (TC used to be small when Meebo launched in their living room) and create a relationship there. Find a few competitors or a business that is complementary to yours and do a Yahoo Link Search/Google BlogSearch to figure who is writing about them (call it regression analysis if you want), and drop them 4, 5 lines and ask them "Can you please present us to your audience". Email users with an "Invite your friends" link. SEO is a marathon, not a Sprint. Be steady and set a goal to email at least 5 new blogs/newpapers everyday. Call a couple local radio stations, or TV stations, everyone is looking for a story. If people don't answer after 21 days email again with a polite 2 liner, because sometimes your emails get overlooked. Email the guys at Startupschwag, and ask if they can include your startup in their next mailer. Etc....Be HOTDAMN PERSISTENT, because the "only thing you can control is INPUT".
- stepherm 17y ago
  Could your problem be that you're pushing the wrong product? If people don't find your product useful/exciting/etc, there's no reason to expect any amount of coverage to make an impact on your traffic.

rokhayakebe 17y ago

Everyone knows major blogs will send a bunch of visitors to your site and most will bounce back immediately. Webmasters usually follow up with "Techcrunch traffic does not convert...". Well, in all fairness that is not the bloggers' duty to figure your conversion method. At any rate for most consumer startups a bunch of visitors from leading tech blogs is better than no visitors. I run Google analytics with goals too for my website and at my day job. And let me tell you that in both cases I am pushing products that no one is jumping to write about. The same is true for (arbitrarily) 9 out 10 companies. Hence organic traffic is not easy to create, and paid traffic is as good as throwing money off the windows. So when giving advises, give advises to this group. Not the one who can built a product and gain traction easily. I have not done this successfully so I cannot tell anyone how to but here are a few examples: - Don't go to major blogs first, go to smaller ones (TC used to be small when Meebo launched in their living room) and create a relationship there. Find a few competitors or a business that is complementary to yours and do a Yahoo Link Search/Google BlogSearch to figure who is writing about them (call it regression analysis if you want), and drop them 4, 5 lines and ask them "Can you please present us to your audience". Email users with an "Invite your friends" link. SEO is a marathon, not a Sprint. Be steady and set a goal to email at least 5 new blogs/newpapers everyday. Call a couple local radio stations, or TV stations, everyone is looking for a story. If people don't answer after 21 days email again with a polite 2 liner, because sometimes your emails get overlooked. Email the guys at Startupschwag, and ask if they can include your startup in their next mailer. Etc....Be HOTDAMN PERSISTENT, because the "only thing you can control is INPUT".

stepherm 17y ago
Could your problem be that you're pushing the wrong product? If people don't find your product useful/exciting/etc, there's no reason to expect any amount of coverage to make an impact on your traffic.