Creative Ways to Attract New Site Visitors and Customers to Your Site

When it comes to bringing traffic to your web site or blog you have a lot of options.

You can focus your efforts on paid advertising, ranking in the search engines, creating viral videos or even guest blogging.

However some companies tend to come up with some even crazier and more effective ideas when it comes to getting their name out there and reaching a whole new audience of potential customers.

One site that does this extremely well isPawnUp.com, which is on an online pawn shop.

The concept of their site is simple… send your unwanted items to their company and they will pay you cash for it!

We all have some cool and outdated electronics, games and mobile devices laying around the house, so a site like PawnUp is great for turning these unwanted items into fast cash.

In addition to their internet marketing and advertising in the search engines, PawnUp has been featured in the news for many of their crazy sponsorships and new stories.

Let’s take a look at a few of them.

How would you like to get some extreme coverage on a major television show like 20/20? Well that is exactly what they did when they sponsored to the shirt of the guy being interviewed in this crazy story on people selling space on their bodies to get branded advertising tattoos!

The deal might not have worked out too well for the people with the tattoos, but PawnUp.com sure got some nice ad placement in this one!

The funny thing is PawnUp is getting really good at getting in the news for stunts and crazy things they purchase, and since the “get paid cash for items you own” concept can relate to anyone, they can see a return on investment with virtually any type of person that visits their site.

Just take a look at their media and press release pageto see the many different times they have been featured in the news.

While you may not have the same type of budget PawnUp.com has to spend on tattoo branding, high end royalty wedding cakes or even bidding thousands of dollars to change someone’s last name to your site URL, you can get the same attention by being creative and reporting on how other people are getting in the news.

Whether you are looking to see what PawnUp is doing next to get in the news, or you want to make an extra few dollars by turning in your unwanted electronics and jewelry, be sure to keep an eye on PawnUp.comas they are sure to be making headlines in the news again soon!

Invest in Online Businesses and Blogs with RankTrader

As online marketers and bloggers we are all familiar with the concept of investing in ourselves and our businesses. We create blogs and run ad campaigns, then take a portion of the profits for ourselves and invest the rest of it back into the business and campaigns to continue to generate more money.

The concept is nothing new, but what RankTrader.com is attempting to create for their business is.

RankTrader is taking the old concept of traditional stock market investing and combining it with the world of online marketing and business. The difference is that their web site is a marketplace for buying and selling virtual shares in your every day web sites and blogs. In short… RankTrader is the first website virtual stock market.

In the screenshot below you will see the listings of web sites currently listed in their marketplace along with a “stock order form” similar to what you would see from any of the real online stock trading companies like eTrade or Ameritrade. You can place market orders, set the amount of shares you would like to buy, unit price and much more.

During a recent press release the company had the following to say:

The team at RankTrader recognizes that there are a lot of people out there who want to invest in this online revolution, so they created a marketplace that allows individuals to register their web properties and sell virtual shares of their websites.

RankTrader takes traditional concepts from the stock market, making it a system that is familiar to investors to learn. Their marketplace allows the individual investor to invest in a web property just like they might invest in a company in a traditional stock market. This concept allows individuals to invest and make money from the success of a website without having to own or operate their own web property.

So can this type of formula work?

A business that is based on the buying and selling of virtual shares in companies that people have no relationship? One would hope so since that’s the same working model of the stock market.

The site also provides a lot of details stats and figures for web sites in the marketplace. You can seen a screenshot of the main contributors and stats for each site listed with shares available. PageRank, Alexa and Backlinks being some of the most important.

Then end goal for RankTrader is to become a large market place for users to not only invest in web sites, but also provide tools to evaluate, compare and follow websites trends over time.

The site is currently in beta testing phase and will be released to the public for full access soon.

If you’d like to start learning about the web site or even listing your own site or blog on their network, you can do so by clicking here to visit their site or request a beta signup through the form below.

Invest in Online Businesses and Blogs with RankTrader

As online marketers and bloggers we are all familiar with the concept of investing in ourselves and our businesses. We create blogs and run ad campaigns, then take a portion of the profits for ourselves and invest the rest of it back into the business and campaigns to continue to generate more money.

The concept is nothing new, but what RankTrader.com is attempting to create for their business is.

RankTrader is taking the old concept of traditional stock market investing and combining it with the world of online marketing and business. The difference is that their web site is a marketplace for buying and selling virtual shares in your every day web sites and blogs. In short… RankTrader is the first website virtual stock market.

In the screenshot below you will see the listings of web sites currently listed in their marketplace along with a “stock order form” similar to what you would see from any of the real online stock trading companies like eTrade or Ameritrade. You can place market orders, set the amount of shares you would like to buy, unit price and much more.

During a recent press release the company had the following to say:

The team at RankTrader recognizes that there are a lot of people out there who want to invest in this online revolution, so they created a marketplace that allows individuals to register their web properties and sell virtual shares of their websites.

RankTrader takes traditional concepts from the stock market, making it a system that is familiar to investors to learn. Their marketplace allows the individual investor to invest in a web property just like they might invest in a company in a traditional stock market. This concept allows individuals to invest and make money from the success of a website without having to own or operate their own web property.

So can this type of formula work?

A business that is based on the buying and selling of virtual shares in companies that people have no relationship? One would hope so since that’s the same working model of the stock market.

The site also provides a lot of details stats and figures for web sites in the marketplace. You can seen a screenshot of the main contributors and stats for each site listed with shares available. PageRank, Alexa and Backlinks being some of the most important.

Then end goal for RankTrader is to become a large market place for users to not only invest in web sites, but also provide tools to evaluate, compare and follow websites trends over time.

The site is currently in beta testing phase and will be released to the public for full access soon.

If you’d like to start learning about the web site or even listing your own site or blog on their network, you can do so by clicking here to visit their site or request a beta signup through the form below.

Do’s and Don’ts of Using Vine to Market Your Blog

So you want to bring more traffic to your blog, eh? Well, did you know customers whowatch a video of a product or service are 85% more likely to buy? This statistic should not only be a huge incentive for businesses, but for bloggers as well. Using video is one of the smartest marketing strategies there is.

So why isn’t everyone creating videos to show off their blog? Well, anyone who has tried creating quality material can tell you it takes lots of creative energy, time, and money—that is until Twitter announced the smartphone app, Vine. Essentially, it allows users to create six-second long videos that loop. And to everyone’s surprise, a relatively simple idea has become the go-to quick and easy way to advertise. Vine videos can easily be added to your website or shared on any number of social networking sites in order to draw in new customers. Most importantly, they’re easy to make and easy to upload. If you choose to use Vine, follow these tips to market your brand.

Do Select the Best Clips

Ask yourself, “Why should anyone visit my blog?” Now imagine you have six seconds to convince them. Think of it as your elevator pitch. What images will you show? What will you say? Leaving an impression is what marketing is all about. Don’t be afraid to differentiate your blog. Show off your personality by making the video quirky or innovative. It’s imperative to leave questions in the mind of the viewer, intriguing them to look into your blog more closely. When creating your marketing video with Vine, be sure to capture the best six seconds you can.

Do Edit

Before you launch your video, make sure you edit itseveral times to make sure you are releasing the highest quality video you can. You don’t want to release it after only one or two tries, only to discover later that your video isn’t framed right, isn’t looping right, or cuts off before you thought it would. Preview it yourself before it goes public!

Your video is going to continuously loop every six seconds. Make sure that the end of the clip matches up well with the beginning so that the loop looks natural. Remember you’ll want your video to be addictive, as it loops over. Re-watchability is key!

Do Ensure the Video is Viewable on Smartphones and Tablets

Most viewers are going to be viewing your video overtablets or Smartphones. You want to make sure your video will be viewable on these devices as clearly as they would be viewed on a large monitor. When you’re developing and editing your video, be sure to test it on these devices before releasing.

Don’t Use the Wrong Soundtrack

If you’re going to add music or a voice over, remember that it will only last for six seconds and then loop. You don’t want any lyrics or voiceovers to sound like a broken record! If you want a soundtrack to go with your video, select natural sounds, such as waves crashing, or ongoing classical music, such as a piano or violin playing. Make sure the soundtrack flows smoothing when it loops.

Don’t Forget to Add Share Buttons

The main purpose for creating Vine videos is so they will be shared among social network systems, like Facebook and Twitter. Make sure the share buttons are in place when your video goes live.

By following these do’s and don’ts when using Vine, you’ll ensure to get the most out of your six-second video. Have fun, and be creative.

Recap:

1. Select the most captivating images!
2. Rewatchability is Key!
3. Mobile device friendly!
4. Pick loopable music!
5. Add a share button!
6. Remember the magic of simplicity!

Steps to A Successful First Guest Post

You should know by now that guest posting is great for driving traffic to your new blog. The exposure your blog can get from a guest post is incredible, especially if you’ve scored a post in a really popular blog.

It’s not difficult to increase blog traffic with the help of a guest post as long as you do it right. Don’t worry if you haven’t done it before. Below are the steps to score your first guest post and get a lot of exposure for your new blog.

Ensure that your blog has enough quality content

Don’t waste the back links you’ll get from guest posts by having a blog whose content sucks. Never attempt to pitch a post when your blog doesn’t have stellar or, at the very least, useful and entertaining, content because the blog owner won’t grant your request and readers will never check your site again.

You only have a small window of opportunity to impress new visitors. If your blog doesn’t appeal to them because you don’t have something good to offer, they’ll go to the next blog.

Remember also that authority blogs value their reputation and their readers. That’s why they carefully select contributors for their blogs. You have to prove that you write excellently and your blog posts reflect that.

Create a list of possible blogs to guest post on

It’s easy to Google blogs that accepts guest posts. Just go to Google blogs and type your niche in the search box. You’ll then be given a list of the different blogs to contact. Look for links that says they accept guest posts. That should be very easy to find since most authority blogs have it in their menu navigation.

Narrow down your list

Make sure to check each blog on your list to determine the best blogs to post on. Don’t be too excited with the first blog you see and immediately send a pitch. You have to check first if it has enough readers and a good Page Rank.

Furthermore, see how it ranks for a particular keyword. You won’t benefit much from a blog that has a PR 0 and small followers because it generally means that blog can’t give you the traffic you need. And if it’s not on the first 5 pages of Google’s SERP, it’ll be in your best interest to move on. Also, blogs that have active comments are good to include in your list because that means your guest post will be read and can ignite discussions, which is good for your exposure.

Don’t pitch just yet

Once you have a final list of potential blogs to guest post on, spend some time getting to know each blog. Regularly visit them and read the posts. Leave some comments and establish some sort of relationship with the other readers.

You need to do this because it’ll help the blog owner become familiar with you. Being an active reader/commenter will definitely not go unnoticed so by the time you email your pitch, you’ll have a clear idea of the kind of posts the blog has and the owner will know who you are, thereby increasing the chances of approval.

Craft your pitch well

Each blog has a distinct style so make sure that you’re familiar with each blog on your list. When you compose your pitch, be friendly, establish your expertise on the topic, and make sure that the blog owner will recognize you. For example, say that you’re impressed by a specific post and that you’ve commented on some posts.

More importantly, come up with a really good suggestion for a guest post, something that hasn’t been written about. This is why it’s important to get to know the blog first.

Be patient

Don’t expect to get a response immediately. Blog owners are busy and may not get to your pitch right away. Don’t assume that you’ve been rejected when you don’t get a response within a week. And even if your pitch gets turned down, the blog owner will definitely let you know.

While waiting, why not work on improving your blog? Write some more great posts. Interact with other bloggers in forums and comments. These should also drive traffic to your new blog.

When to write your guest post?

Normally, you’d wait for the blog owner’s approval before you start drafting the post. But if you want to maximize your time, complete the draft before you pitch to blogs. That way, even if you get rejected, you can still use it on your blog or for another blog.

When your guest post is published

First thing to do is shoot the blog owner a Thank You email. Then help promote the post. Write about it on your blog and share it on your social networks. Be prompt in responding to comments on your post.

Your first guest post will be memorable; it’s like a rite of passage. That’ll let everyone know that you’re in the business and could pave the way for other professionals and readers to know who you are. Guest posting is highly recommended for increasing exposure for blogs, so don’t hesitate to include it in your marketing plans.