Your website is only going to be as popular as the methods you use to drive traffic are effective. Without successful promotion you’re going to find it very hard to convert your website into dollars and easy to turn your dollars into nothing.

Advertising

You can buy advertising and traffic on different search engines like Google, MSN, Yahoo

You can trade links and traffic with other websites

You can try your hand at SEO, Search Engine Optimization, (or hire someone) getting high search engine results based on keywords used on your pages to drive traffic.

Press Releases

Write great and newsworthy press releases to open up more ways to get exposure for your website. Press releases not only are widely published online but they are used as the a basis for many newspaper and magazine stories too. Press releases also work as a great tool to solidify your brand and have your name better remembered by a wide audience.

We recommend using PRWewb.com to send out your press release. Cost effective and helpful, you’ll also have stats to track the visibility of your press release over time. Your press release will be made available on a wide range of websites, blogs and be exposed to news people and media companies in categories you pick.  Your press release will also be archived online for long term traffic too.

Create Your Press Release Using The Following Format Beginning At The Top Of Your Page:

For Immediate Release: [or future date of press release]

Contact: [name, email address, phone number of press release contact]

HEADLINE: [short, concise, 150 characters maximum]

SUMMARY: [short, concise, 1 or 2 paragraphs]

BODY: [content of your press release, paragraph style, bullet point highlights work well]

YOUR LOCATION; DATE OF RELEASE INFORMATION TEXT: [business contact information; date press release was first released;]

FINAL SERVICE, CONTACT, URL AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: [short points about your services offered; contact information for the business in the PR; contact information for the main subject as required]

It’s that easy. The hard part is what to say and who to say it to. Your Press Release should create a sense of excitement and urgency about your service. Do not overlook including explanations of features at your service and the positive feedback you have received from your members. Be brief in your wording, but also be as specific and exciting as possible. It’s a tough mix, but when properly achieved you will get the recognition and publicity you seek.

Here is the Dating B2B Press Release as an example:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Robert Lee
Dating B2B
ph: (250) 314-7076
rob AT datingb2b.com

http://www.datingb2b.com

Dating B2B Introduces A Complete Resource Center For Dating Service Owners and Managers

Vancouver, BC – May 20, 2008 — With the onslaught of new web based dating services appearing every day online, DatingDating.com introduces Dating B2B, a comprehensive information source for dating service owners and managers to more effectively find and research promotional resources and services.

Starting with the basics of web page design and proceeding step-by-step through web site promotion and management, Dating B2B is helping webmasters world-wide to create better online services with more content, finding and using effectively online and offline promotional resources and techniques, thereby increasing visitors and revenues in a highly competitive area of the Internet.

Managers of the largest dating service affiliate programs are recognizing Dating B2B as an invaluable center to direct their affiliates and associates in their drive for higher sales and commissions.

Robert Lee states “Individual web dating services and affiliates of large online dating services will find the information they need to drive traffic to their sites, add ’stickiness’ to their web pages to encourage return visits and add value to the membership programs they offer their single’s target market.”

“Increasing revenues is no longer a guessing game for dating services small or large with the opening of the Dating B2B Resource Center.”

Dating B2B offers insights and information to webmasters of dating service web sites, small or large, at no charge. Information and requests about possible affiliations with Dating B2B should be directed to: Robert Lee, rob@–nospam–datingb2b.com

Additional ideas for your press release to consider

A Sample News Story.
You may find your article ending up being included as a filler piece since editors see ready-to-print-stories as an easy way to fill up space with little effort on their part. Make it exciting with a good story concerning events at your dating service!

You can safely add these topics to your Press Release, but be brief:

Community Involvement Projects
Recent Awards
List of Singles Events
Biography Sheet of Staff Members (If appropriate)
A List of Frequently Asked Questions? (This helps the editor to think of questions to ask you in an interview or include in their article)

Copy Writers That Write Press Releases Professionally

If you’re not up to the task of writing your own press release, but you see the value in issuing your newsworthy item, you can hire a freelance writer to get the job done for you, quickly and affordably.

www.freelanceworkexchange.com – Post your project free and choose from hundreds of freelance writers.

What To Do After Sending Out Your Press Release

It’s crucial to follow up to make sure they got your Press Release. Follow up calls and emails provide the perfect opportunity for your target publisher to ask questions, or schedule an interview with you. Take this opportunity to network and get to know the editors. By developing a relationship with important members of the media, you will build recognition and rapport and improve the chances of them covering you. If you do get your press release or company story published, be sure to send a handwritten thank you note.

Professional Press Release Services

This is very much a regional exercise. I recommend by starting with your local newspapers and magazines. Tailor your Press Release to make it relevant to the type of publication you are issuing it to. If at all possible, find out the name of the contact person in charge of media relations or press release acceptance.

Press Release SEO Tool – Use this free online tool to optimize your press re4lease and increase the odds of getting a top ten placement in search engines with your press release.

www.YellowPages.com – an American and International website with listings online of all Yellow Page Information sources. Begin your search with the term “Public Relations” in your state, province, or country.

24-7 Press Release Newswire – We perform professional distribution through numerous channels including one with a partnership with PR Newswire. We are able to offer targeted wire distribution to a pool of approx. 80,000 journalists, 3,600+ web sites, including Yahoo News, CBS Marketwatch, About.com, MSNBC, and Google News.

http://www.prweb.com/
PR Web is offering free online press release distribution services since 1997. Thousands of editors and journalists search their site.

http://www.press-release-writing.com Learn how to write your press release with great tips you need to know and sign up for the impressive newsletter available here.

http://www.prcentral.com – Sample publications, case histories and forums to help you learn effective ways to promote your service.

http://www.wilsonweb.com/webmarket/pr.htm – Features articles and methods to send our your information package.

A good resource for tips on how to deal with the press:
http://www.netpress.org/careandfeeding.html

A good resource for anything you need to know:
http://www.promotionworld.com/directory/press.html

http://www.digitalwork.com
Solutions for promoting your service, online and off.

http://www.mediapost.com
Complete resource for advertising online. “Interactive Contacts by Name” and “Magazines by Category/Business” are good places to start. Email the press release (you ARE announcing a new product) from the mediapost.com site.

http://www.urlwire.com – Promotional information is sent to the people that matter, reviewers of interesting websites. This is not a general press release company but it is the right place to announce your NEW web site and service to get noticed!

http://www.webwire.com/
Submit your Press Release to the WebWire Community.

http://www.conservativeusa.org/megalink.htm
Get email addresses of Talk Shows, Magazines, National Newspapers, Internet News Sites and TV Networks.

http://www.fair.org
Get email, phone number and contact addresses of Network & Cable Television, National Radio Programs, National Newspapers & Magazines and News Services.

Post your Press Release to all news papers in your country. The below given sites list all leading news papers in the world. Select your country and get email addresses of news papers by visiting each site. Then send your PR to them.
http://www.onlinenewspapers.com
http://www.newsdirectory.com
http://www.allnewspapers.com

Contests, Sweepstakes, Giveaways

Promoting your website using contests and product giveaways is a great way to exchange links, introduce your visitors to new items and promote your website worthiness in value and merchandise.

Plan out your contest, check applicable local and national laws, find a sponsor to provide products to give away and you’re all set to use contests to drive traffic to your website.

Prizes can be as simple as cash or gift certificates and sponsor provided items such as books, DVDs, t-shirts, and more.

We have found the higher the value of the prize the more entries you will receive. We usually use an online form as contest submission form that adds the entry into a database from which you can draw your winner. Allow at least 45 days for the contest from start to finish to maximize the potential visibility of your contest.

We have successfully used the following online websites to promote our contests (some require a link back on your website):

http://www.grandmajam.com
GJ’s Sweepstakes Crazy – Your Source for Online Sweepstakes and Contests - Detailed listings to hundreds of free sweepstakes, contests, games, and lottos you can enter on the Web.

http://www.contestguide.com
Image banner to be added to your website.

http://www.contestgirl.com/sweepstakes
No link back required.

http://www.sweepsadvantage.com
Membership required and text link.

http://forums.online-sweepstakes.com
Membership required.

http://www.freebunch.com
Form submissions

http://www.contestformoms.com/
Email submission websiteadmin @ contestformoms.com

http://www.goldfishlegs.ca
Email submission: juju @ GoldfishLegs.ca

http://www.contests-sweepstakes-4free.com/
Form submission

http://www.freemania.net
Form submission – link back required

http://www.contesthound.com
Form submission – link back required

http://www.freakyfreddies.com
Email submissions: sales @ freakyfreddies.com

http://usafreebies.net
Email submission: support @ usafreebies.net

http://www.freenclearstuff.com/
Email submissions: webmaster @ freenclearstuff.com

http://www.freebielist.com
Email submission: info @ freebielist.com – link required

http://www.coolfreebielinks.com
Form submission

http://contests.about.com/library/blsubmit.htm
Form Submission – link back required

Additional Promotional Opportunities

There are as many ways to promote your website as there are ideas available. watch what you spend but always think “Will this help me get my message out there?” effectively, cheaply and in a way that promotes your website brand positively.