What’s on the iPod: Hardliners by Holcombe Waller
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Did I make the mistake of saying I wasn’t too busy? My days are getting longer – stretching well beyond 5 pm with phone calls – but until this client project wraps up, there’s no way to avoid it. Plus I’m starting on another sizable client project. I haven’t even asked the deadline. I really don’t want to know. Just keep swimming…
I got a note from my chum Kirk Petersen (the nicest Republican you’ll ever want to know), who owns that terrific blog All That Is Necessary, where he kibbutzes rather intelligently about all things political. While he and I don’t share the same political views, I appreciate his sensible dissemination of political topics. He makes me actually enjoy politics, which I don’t normally.
Anyway, Kirk sent me a message about my Entrecard. I’ve used Entrecard for a long time, and it’s been a useful tool in bringing new readers to this blog, as well as helping me find kindred spirits around the blogosphere. But he was telling me to take down my link. Why?
Because it’s gone.
Actually, I should have seen it coming. I’d noticed a rapid decline in the number of people using it – and in the quality of those who still remained. It was becoming a vehicle for get-rich-quick “bloggers” to drive traffic. I’d all but stopped using because I didn’t know quite where to spend my Entrecard credits.
It was good while it lasted.
I’ve met some wonderful people via Entrecard. I’m sad to see it go. But perhaps it was a tool that the new owners didn’t find value in, for rumor has it they simply put no effort into keeping it going.
So now what? Pinterest? Not likely.
I have a Pinterest account, but I’ve not yet seen anyone flocking there to find business contacts. And given the setup, and the terms of service, I’m thinking it won’t be a strong marketing tool. Besides, Pinterest does little to drive traffic to your blog or website. It’s more static in nature, though you can bring those things to Pinterest by “pinning” them to a board.
So how do you drive traffic to your blog? Here are some of my strategies:
Tweet about it. There is probably more traffic coming here via tweeted links than Entrecard could have ever sent this way. Twitter is a more immediate way to get word out.
Link on it. I love that LinkedIn lets me update AND tweet at the same time. One place, double-duty traffic building. What’s not to love?
Give it a +1. Google+ is good at getting the word out quickly, too. I don’t use it as much as I probably should, but that’s because the interface and the “noise” of it, though perhaps better than Twitter, isn’t easy to sort through (Twitter is, somehow). But I’ve begun putting a little more effort behind my connections on Google+. We’ll see.
Comment elsewhere. Look, it’s not cool to comment on someone else’s blog with the specific intent of leaving a link behind. But by being a good community member, by engaging in conversation, you can bring a few folks your way to see what else you have to say.
How do you drive traffic? Or if you don’t have a blog, how do you build a network?
Last week I was Skyping with a potential client in Canada about marketing strategies and the conversation quickly turned to social media. She worries she's not spending enough time on her Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn accounts. With all the talk about the wonder of Pinterest right now, she' wondering whether or not to sign up and is literally panicking at the thought of parsing out even more time from an already stretched-to-the-limit work day to promote her business there as well.
I told her to just relax and stick with what she's doing right now. You only get 24 hours in a day so you have to prioritize and do what you can. I know some people manage to pull quite a few clients utilizing social media as their primary marketing platform, but for me it's another tool in my overall marketing arsenal. I do use it more to generate traffic and visibility for one of my other blogs, but unlike some people, I just can't afford to spend all day updating. It's an excellent tool and produces great results, but at some point I have to actually get some writing and other marketing tasks done as well.
I try to update on Twitter at least a couple of times a day because as with most marketing strategies you get more out of it if you're consistent.
Kim, AMEN. It's one tool — not the entire foundation of a marketing plan. Those who don't get that won't survive once our fickle natures switch to other forms of communication.
I've ignored Twitter lately, and it shows in my traffic. Consistency — you're so right!
I joined Pinterest a while back, but only for the crafty side of my life. My cousins will spend hours on it looking for ideas. One is a teacher and finds great classroom projects. I swear, half the recipes and new decorations at our family gatherings last Thanksgiving and Christmas were from Pinterest.
But for business? The value of Pinterest probably lies in what you do. Unless you're a designer or run a company making products people pin (or use to make things that are pinned), I don't see the value. Yet.
Of course, I use Pinterest mostly to pin ideas for future reference, not to seek out new things I want to make but never will. (Last year, one cousin had pinned about 800 projects, but had only made two.)
When my new blog posts go up, I "publicize" them on Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and Ravelry (for yarny posts). Not Pinterest. Not yet.
I do what Paula does… and send a newsletter. That seems to do it for me.
btw, I'm impressed that your politician bothered to let you know. I still wouldn't vote for him, but I'm impressed.
The tips you presented are great. As a freelancer, myself, I am always looking for innovative ways to stay afloat without sacrificing my reputation with the IRS.