The Social Media Crutch

I asked (ironically enough, on twitter...) what my followers wanted to score free advice on this week. You know, holiday season and all. And Melsha Shea of Wedding Jitters was the first to respond. And she posed a challenge. Melsha wanted to know how to promote her new website (Inspiring Plan-It-Yourself weddings. Workshops to help engaged couples planning their own wedding) when she does not (yet) have a significant following on social media.

Tough question, right? I know I lean on social media to promote all of my initiatives, (including this blog post) but for the sake of everyone just starting out in the world of online, how would you promote your new website? You would read this blog:

1) Build a good website. Do not get your brother's girlfriend's sister's dog groomer's  cousin to do it just because it's cheap. You know you need to be online these days - do it well or people will visit the site once and never return.
- Make your content funny, clever, engaging, thorough yet concise and above all relevant to your audience.
- Make the site easy to navigate. Pretend you are teaching your grandma to use a computer. Where does it make sense for information to be categorized? Which tabs should be visible and which should be drop down? Where should images go instead of words?

2) Pick good key words and get utilize your search engine optimization (SEO). You always hear about SEO - now you know what it means. Essentially, it is how easily search engines can find your site. So choose strong, relevant key words for your web designer to build into your site. Remember that people are not always as specific as you would like them to be, and often don't know exactly what they are looking for. For example - when searching for communications and PR help, a lot of people will search "marketing". I don't do a lot of marketing, but it is one of my key words so inaccurate people can find me. Got it?

3) Submissions still work. By that I mean, submit your website to search engines using a tool like WebPosition Gold or WebCEO. The goal of submitting your site is to get it indexes by search engines such as Google.

4) Links! Link your site to others that are relevant to your business. For example, you run a wedding planning company, get your site to link from linens rental companies, florists, caterers, hotels and more.

5) Cross promote. Write guest blogs, articles or promotions for other companies to post on their site, and link it back to your own.

6) Incorporate a blog. A blog is a great way to add content, opinions, tips and any other info that you couldn't fit into your web content. It also shows that you are up-to-date on trends in your industry, that you understand what your clients need and that you know your stuff! By linking other businesses or topics into your blog, you drive their followers to your site as well.

7) Include a tool on your site. Give people a reason to come back time and time again after they have already learned about your company. For example - Melsha, your site could include a wedding budget calculator to encourage people to return to your site, and to tell others about the useful tools you offer clients.

8) Include your web address in all you do. Online profiles, business cards (my business card has a QR code on the back that scans directly to my website), email signatures, newsletters etc. You never know who will click through...

9) Tradeshow demos - when you attend tradeshows, have a laptop open to your website in your display so you can show people it's features and value as you chat with them at the booth. Then hand them a card with a link to it so they can delve deeper on their own time.

10) Social media - HA! You thought I was going to leave it out since you asked for other suggestions. But, the truth is that even if YOU only have a few followers, they each have followers, and those followers have followers. Do not underestimate the power of the retweet or share buttons in your social media streams. Use an engaging, clever title not just "Check out my new website" to pique interest and ensure people are following the link.

11) Hire a communications or PR consultant to help you promote your business. Ok, ok....that was a shameless plug but it works! There are more ideas and tips where these came from.

By ensuring your site is as visible and search-able as possible, your site will be busy in no time!
Now, if only I had found you before I planned my own wedding....