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52 Easy Marketing Ideas to help you increase your influence
If you are like most business owners and entrepreneurs online, you are looking for ways to build and increase your own ‘Tribe’ online.
Here are 52 easy-to-implement marketing ideas that you can start using today:
1. Fine-tune Keywords and Buzz Words – Make it easy for your audience to find your content. Check your keywords to make sure you are using the “standard” keywords as well as new “buzz” words that your audience uses to find your content.
2. Guest Post – Offer to contribute content (related to your niche) to an established site, which has the same or a similar audience. This can increase your readership, as well as provide another quality resource for your current readers. When done correctly, both sites profit.
3. Get Subscribers and More – Build your traffic but convert those visiting readers into subscribers and more. Offer freebies and solutions that only subscribers can access. Then use your list to convert them to buyers.
4. Tap into Different Modalities – Different types of content attract specific people. Implement a variety of content so you have something for everyone. Create content and freebies that appeal to people who like to read and write, listen and talk, look at images, watch videos, interact at live or semi-live events, etc. Then focus on the most popular types.
5. Focus on Social Media Specialty – Each social media platform specializes in a certain type of content. For instance, Twitter is known for short messages and Pinterest specializes in images. Create campaigns and/or content that focuses on the site’s media “speciality.”
6. Add Website “Like” or “Share” Buttons – Make it easy for your readers to like or share your website content with interested friends. Use WordPress plugins like AddToAny or others that meet your needs. Not using WordPress? Check each social media site to get compatible code or software recommendations for your website platform or CMS.
7. Promote to the Right Audiences – On social media platforms, like Facebook, you can target your messages and your ads to be seen only by the “right audience.” Use their demographic information, such as age, location, gender, etc., to create highly focused offers and content for audience subsets.
8. Create Facebook Groups – FACT: Facebook groups generally reach more people than pages do. Groups allow you to interact through your personal profile, yet focus on industry-related topics. This helps your audience get to know (and trust) you on a personal level while keeping the topics relative to the audience’s needs. Make more than one group if you have audience subsets with different needs.
9. Find Your Audience on Social Media – Discover which social media sites you should focus on by asking your audience. The answers can change over time. Email the question to your list, create a poll on your site, and/or write a post about some statistics you found and ask what social media platforms your readers use. Don’t let this poll expire to continue to get info over time. Track and test the results by using the platforms and noting the audience participation rate.
10. Network with Niche Peers – Regularly, network with fellow niche bloggers. Be supportive. Leave helpful comments on their websites, offer to guest post, ask peers to guest post for you, and join niche groups. Get them accustomed to seeing your name.
11. Allow and Encourage Image Sharing – Funny topic-related images, images with quotes, and images that explain a complicated concept tend to be shared more often than others. Create galleries and albums on your site to make it easy for your audience to “promote” your site.
12. Include Website Post-CTAs – Incorporate a call to action at the end of each website post. The CTA could be a sign-up freebie/offer, a related product (yours or an affiliate’s), other articles about the topic, a topic-related and sharable image, and much more. Check each post to make sure you have a CTA on the page. Add one if it isn’t already there.
13. Brand Sharable Images – Add your logo or URL watermark to images that you want your audience to share. This helps to keep your brand and your site in public view, even if words aren’t present on the sharing page.
14. Short and Sweet Content – Add content that is likely to be shared. A BuzzSumo study recently showed that infographics and list posts received more shares than other types of content. Consider creating more list posts and infographics for your site. Follow up with more in-depth guides.
15. Create Smart Headlines – Each headline or title is a promise about the type of content and information contained in the post or content. Headlines should also intrigue and leave the reader with a question that is answered in the content. Check your website headlines. Spruce up headlines and make sure you redirect the old URL to the new version if it changed in the process.
16. Make it Visual – Adding a visual element to your posts or articles will encourage more shares, get you more likes, increase your website traffic, and ultimately give you the opportunity to turn your traffic into audience subscribers. Add images – tip images, quote images, photographs, product images, etc. Also, add videos, slideshows, presentations, and interactive maps.
17. Show Gratitude and Make Mentions – You wouldn’t be where you are if others hadn’t helped you. This applies to your mentors, audience and followers, staff members, and others. Publically thank at least one person every month. You may even create a thankful schedule to highlight someone from each area per month.
18. Interview People of Interest – Interview experts on topics that interest your audience. Depending on your niche, you may want the interviews to include niche industry leaders, peers, staff, audience members, or anyone who provides helpful information or a different perspective. Record and transcribe the interview to sell or share later.
19. Make it an Event to Remember – Get your audience and potential subscribers involved by creating a few yearly, interactive events. Create a list of events (and activities) you could host during each season. For example, in the Mommy niche, you could host a “Mom’s Day at the Beach” – summer, “Mom’s No Cleaning Day” – spring, “Girl’s Night Out” – fall, or “Mom’s Holiday” – winter. All of these could be done locally or online. Get your audience to invite friends. Host at least one event per year.
20. Track Mobile-Friendly Stats – To build your audience, you need to know what technology they use. For example, knowing what device and browser they use enables you to optimize your site to give viewers an exceptional experience. Check and document these stats every month, using a 12-month spreadsheet. Compare these to your subscribe and buy rates. Fine-tune according to your findings.
21. Know your Top Channels and Referrers – How is your audience finding you? Where is the link they clicked? Using your stats, record your most visited posts and pages, as well as top channels and referrers each month. Re-use the strategy and methods you used on that high-performing content.
22. Provide What They Need – What do your people need? They come to you for a solution to their problem, a how-to guide on a topic, as well as useful tools and resources. Provide these in website content, products, services, and freebies to attract traffic and build your audience.
23. Audience Problem List – Brainstorm a list of your audience’s possible problems. Create a solution for each. Offer the solution in a post, product (free or paid), coaching session, group setting, etc.
24. Engage with Stories – Adults, like kids, enjoy stories and learn from them. Hone your storytelling skills and use stories to create an emotional link with your audience.
25. Make Them Curious with Titles – Create titles, subject lines, and headlines that make readers curious. “5 Reasons Grandma Should Have, But Didn’t” leaves them wondering what Grandma has to do with it as well as what she should have done but didn’t. Your audience will click through to read, giving you an opportunity to convert them to a subscriber.
26. Stockpile Resources – Readers want free, topic-related resources. Bookmark and organize resources into categories that match your website. Add a related sign-up or bonus in selected website category sidebars or posts.
27. Add a Pop-up or Overlay on Your Website – Offer an opt-in freebie on the pop-up. Adjust the timing to avoid click-a-ways.
28. Provide Multiple Sign-up Opportunities – Use one or more freebies and add sign-ups in several places onsite such as at the end of posts, in the footer, on the about page, etc.
29. Include A Specific Bonus Opt-in – On ‘high-volume posts and pages, add a special opt-in bonus when they get “more on this topic”, which is actually a specific, topic-related, autoresponder mailing list.
30. Phrase it with Confidence – Rather than telling them what to do on the sign-up, like so, “Get your free copy now, “ask, “Where would you like me to send your free copy of…?”
31. Host a Spring Contest – Use the top “spring-related” problem or question your viewers have as the basis for their freebie. Encourage your buyers to promote the offer for a one-time discount on their next purchase. You’ll need to set other contest rules to limit the offer.
32. Create a Summer Contest – Use the top “summer-related” problem or question your viewers have as the basis for their freebie. Encourage your buyers to promote the offer for a half-hour Q&A session (or 3 emails) with you. You’ll need to set other contest rules to limit the offer.
33. Set up an Autumn Contest – Use the top “Autumn-related” problem or question your viewers have as the basis for their freebie. Encourage your buyers to promote the offer for a chance to win a special invitation to the “Members Only Holiday Party” next season. You’ll need to set other contest rules to limit the offer.
34. Organize a Winter Contest – Use the top “winter-related” problem or question your viewers have as the basis for their freebie. Encourage your buyers to promote the offer for a chance to win a “Holiday Gift Package, worth $ X amount.”
35. Reward New Subscribers – Towards the end of the year, hold a “Thankful for You” Event/Party for new subscribers who have stuck with you for at least 1 year. Put together a thank-you pack for them. Include a discount coupon for their next purchase of one of your products.
36. JV with Peers to get Event Sponsors – Ask a few of your peers to sponsor (provide items or services) for your events. These can be freebies, full products, services, discount codes, etc. Don’t forget to return the favour!
37. Reward Important Feedback – Getting feedback can be difficult. Occasionally, offer a feedback/poll bonus to non-subscribers. Add a sign-up for them to get the bonus. Remember how to “phrase it!”
38. Increase Perceived Accessibility – Create a “mentoring or Q&A” Facebook page, specifically to answer quick questions for beginners/newbies. Stick to quick answers. Refer others back to website posts, a download, product, or other solution. “Be there” twice a week at a certain time.
39. Get Sign-Ups from Guest Posting – In your byline/bio add a link to a special landing page, which offers a special freebie or incentive as a thank-you gift for “learning more.” Add a special opt-in at the bottom of the page. Mention the site they came from to make them feel valued.
40. Make the Most of Twitter – Twitter can seem very restrictive when your objective is to convert visitors to subscribers. Use Twitter Cards to give you an extra edge. Card styles allow you to provide different info, such as title, description, thumbnail, account attribution, large images, direct download to a mobile app, and video/audio/media.
41. Do More of What Works – Make a list of what you try and what works. For this to be effective, you want positive proof rather than just “thinking” a combination of strategies or methods is working. Once you get the “number” proof from the stats, rinse and repeat the successful methods.
42. Upgrade Offers – On specific posts offer an “upgrade offer” to opt in and get more info on that particular topic. The upgrade should provide tons of up-to-date info, resources, and value. This is a great way to provide updated info without creating a whole post or product…yet.
43. Give Them a Sneak Peek – Offer visitors a limited-time sneak peek at what “subscribers and members (buyers)” have access to. Create a specific opt-in list for these people, who may still be on the fence about becoming a “loyal” subscriber.
44. Hide Social Share Numbers – This helps you to avoid negative social proof and encourages visitors to share according to their own feelings and thoughts rather than what the “numbers” show. People tend to follow the trend so don’t give them a reason to avoid sharing.
45. Answer Questions on Quora & Yahoo Answers – This helps build your reputation as an expert and gives you links back to your website. Spend time answering questions within your niche to ensure you’re attracting the right audience.
46. Use LOTS of Videos – Add a video to your site to give people a chance to get to know you. Do a few live streaming videos on Facebook or other places. Address an issue your audience struggles with and offer them a solution. Again, this builds traffic and your reputation.
47. Host a Free Webinar – Choose a topic near and dear to your audience’s heart. Talk about a pain point or show them how to solve a problem. You’ll increase traffic to your site & gain new followers. Be sure to collect email addresses so you can stay in touch and continue to build their loyalty.
48. Connect with Industry Influencers – Offer to help them with something. JV with them on projects. Follow and participate in their conversations. Not only will you gain a valuable new connection but also new high-quality, targeted followers.
49. Publish eBooks – Write short, high-quality ebooks and give them away for free or charge a buck or two on Amazon. Be sure every ebook includes a link back to your website.
50. Ask Your Audience to Share – Create something to give to your audience for free. Then ask them to pass it on to their friends, followers and colleagues, where relevant. This can quickly increase your audience list.
51. Get Expert Help – SERIOUSLY… you don’t need to BE an expert to prosper and succeed in business. But nobody gets far without expert help and advice.
52. Start a YouTube Channel – it is a really powerful way to build a tribe and best of all it is 100% free.