Perhaps you're just starting out and don't have the funds to pay for traffic. What can you do to get people to look at your offers and start making sales as soon as possible without spending any money?
Here are seven tried-and-true methods. Choose the one that makes the most sense for you, get started, and you'll be making sales in a matter of days.
1: Perform expert roundups.
Ask a group of experts the same question and compile their responses into an expert roundup article. This could include any and all experts in your field.
For example, you could ask for their best Facebook marketing tip. Once you've written the article, nearly all of the experts will be eager to promote it, publish it, link to it, and so on, bringing you a flood of new traffic.
2: Be a guest on a podcast.
You know things that other people are interested in, and you can share this knowledge on other people's podcasts.
But here's the catch: while you'd probably make an excellent guest on a podcast, the person in charge of the podcast is unaware of this. Or, more specifically, they don't know who you are.
So, rather than asking, "Hey, can I be a guest on your podcast?" You should approach them for something much smaller. Remember that it is easier to obtain a large favor if you first request a small one.
Here's how to request that minor favor: Make a list of podcasters in your area of interest. Select a relevant topic (or topics) to write about. Then, as we did in the expert roundup above, ask each podcaster for a quote that you can use in your article(s).
Inform each podcaster that you will be linking to them. Most, if not all, will agree to this minor request because it is flattering to be recognized and quoted as an expert, and they are grateful for the link. Furthermore, if you're bringing in a large number of experts, they want to be included rather than excluded.
These experts will notice that they are listed alongside other experts in their field. In fact, you'll email them to let them know you've published the article with their quote and invite them to share it as well. This will provide you with free traffic.
Then, in a few weeks, you can contact each of these podcasters and ask to be featured on their show. Some will say yes, while others will say no, and that's fine. Maintain contact with all of them, and sooner or later, they will most likely invite you to be a guest on their podcast.
There's another advantage to using this method. When approaching someone in the future to do business or be on their podcast, you can refer to all of the influencers featured on your site, which will make it much easier for them to say yes to your request.
3: Make Ultimate Lists
Begin creating ultimate lists after you've completed a few expert roundups. This could be the ultimate travel blogger list, the top 100 SEO blogs, or the top 100 recipe sites.
Then, on Fiverr, pay someone to make a badge for each of these roundups. 'The Top 100 Keto Websites by Your Name,' for example, and make these available to everyone on your ultimate list. People will put these on their websites, with a link back to yours.
You're building rapport with some of these influential people by doing the expert roundups first. When you create an ultimate list, they are far more likely to display the badge on their website and share the list with others.
4: Share excerpts from articles on Medium.
Google does not penalize you for duplicate content, contrary to popular belief. This means that whatever you post on your own site can also be posted on other sites.
The following is a strategy for posting on Medium: Post the first few paragraphs of your article to Medium. Post a link to continue reading at the end of those paragraphs, which will take them back to your site to finish the article. Then, collect their email address via a pop-up or content upgrade.
The more you do this on Medium, the more new visitors you'll receive. And, as you continue to collect email addresses, you can send out notifications whenever you publish new content, resulting in increased traffic to your own site. Follow up with offers and you'll see how profitable this can be.
5: Share complete articles on LinkedIn.
Using the Medium strategy of posting a few paragraphs and linking to your website does not appear to work as well on LinkedIn. Perhaps this is due to the fact that LinkedIn is a social media site. However, posting the entire article on LinkedIn and then offering a 'cheat sheet' that is available on your website works well.
For example, suppose you write an article about 7 ways to get free traffic and post it on LinkedIn as well as your website. Then you create a cheat sheet that includes all of the steps for each of the seven strategies and offer it in exchange for their email address.
With a link to your website, provide the cheat sheet, step-by-step instructions, or whatever your content upgrade is to LinkedIn readers.
This is most effective if your freebie is a visual graphic, such as an infographic, or anything other than plain text. People will click over from LinkedIn to get the same information presented in a visually appealing infographic rather than plain text.
6: Transform Your Content Into Video
People are more engaged with your content when they watch your videos than at any other time.
Use your written and podcast content to do live videos on Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter. These live videos can be done on all of these platforms at the same time.
Watch to see what topics are extremely popular that you'd like to discuss, and then do live videos on those as well.
When you're live on these sites discussing various tactics and strategies, let viewers know that if they want your free cheat sheet manual / video, etc., they can just go to your site and claim it.
You can increase traffic to your website, build an email list, and, of course, pitch your products and services.
And here's the key point: someone who has just watched your video is far, far more engaged in what you have to say and offer than someone who has just read a tweet, for example. As a result, traffic from your videos will convert at a higher (odds are MUCH higher) rate than most other types of traffic.
7: Make use of contests and giveaways.
Not just any contest or giveaway will be effective, but one built specifically on a points-based system can bring in a significant amount of new traffic. Participants, for example, receive 5 points or contest entries for sharing the contest on Twitter, 5 more for sharing on Instagram, 20 points for blogging about the contest, and so on.
You can also provide referral links, so that every person who signs up through their link earns them an additional 5 entries or points.
The use of a point system causes the contest or giveaway to go viral. Make sure the prizes are appropriate for your niche. If you give away iPhones but your niche is gardening, you will receive a large number of entries from people who do not garden. However, if you give away the top ten gardening books, you know that the majority of those who enter are gardeners themselves.
Your winners can be chosen at random or by awarding prizes to those who have earned the most points, or you can do a combination of the two, awarding some prizes at random and others to those who have earned the most points.
And, for consistent new traffic, you can run a new contest every month or even every week.
Here are seven tried-and-true methods. Choose the one that makes the most sense for you, get started, and you'll be making sales in a matter of days.
1: Perform expert roundups.
Ask a group of experts the same question and compile their responses into an expert roundup article. This could include any and all experts in your field.
For example, you could ask for their best Facebook marketing tip. Once you've written the article, nearly all of the experts will be eager to promote it, publish it, link to it, and so on, bringing you a flood of new traffic.
2: Be a guest on a podcast.
You know things that other people are interested in, and you can share this knowledge on other people's podcasts.
But here's the catch: while you'd probably make an excellent guest on a podcast, the person in charge of the podcast is unaware of this. Or, more specifically, they don't know who you are.
So, rather than asking, "Hey, can I be a guest on your podcast?" You should approach them for something much smaller. Remember that it is easier to obtain a large favor if you first request a small one.
Here's how to request that minor favor: Make a list of podcasters in your area of interest. Select a relevant topic (or topics) to write about. Then, as we did in the expert roundup above, ask each podcaster for a quote that you can use in your article(s).
Inform each podcaster that you will be linking to them. Most, if not all, will agree to this minor request because it is flattering to be recognized and quoted as an expert, and they are grateful for the link. Furthermore, if you're bringing in a large number of experts, they want to be included rather than excluded.
These experts will notice that they are listed alongside other experts in their field. In fact, you'll email them to let them know you've published the article with their quote and invite them to share it as well. This will provide you with free traffic.
Then, in a few weeks, you can contact each of these podcasters and ask to be featured on their show. Some will say yes, while others will say no, and that's fine. Maintain contact with all of them, and sooner or later, they will most likely invite you to be a guest on their podcast.
There's another advantage to using this method. When approaching someone in the future to do business or be on their podcast, you can refer to all of the influencers featured on your site, which will make it much easier for them to say yes to your request.
3: Make Ultimate Lists
Begin creating ultimate lists after you've completed a few expert roundups. This could be the ultimate travel blogger list, the top 100 SEO blogs, or the top 100 recipe sites.
Then, on Fiverr, pay someone to make a badge for each of these roundups. 'The Top 100 Keto Websites by Your Name,' for example, and make these available to everyone on your ultimate list. People will put these on their websites, with a link back to yours.
You're building rapport with some of these influential people by doing the expert roundups first. When you create an ultimate list, they are far more likely to display the badge on their website and share the list with others.
4: Share excerpts from articles on Medium.
Google does not penalize you for duplicate content, contrary to popular belief. This means that whatever you post on your own site can also be posted on other sites.
The following is a strategy for posting on Medium: Post the first few paragraphs of your article to Medium. Post a link to continue reading at the end of those paragraphs, which will take them back to your site to finish the article. Then, collect their email address via a pop-up or content upgrade.
The more you do this on Medium, the more new visitors you'll receive. And, as you continue to collect email addresses, you can send out notifications whenever you publish new content, resulting in increased traffic to your own site. Follow up with offers and you'll see how profitable this can be.
5: Share complete articles on LinkedIn.
Using the Medium strategy of posting a few paragraphs and linking to your website does not appear to work as well on LinkedIn. Perhaps this is due to the fact that LinkedIn is a social media site. However, posting the entire article on LinkedIn and then offering a 'cheat sheet' that is available on your website works well.
For example, suppose you write an article about 7 ways to get free traffic and post it on LinkedIn as well as your website. Then you create a cheat sheet that includes all of the steps for each of the seven strategies and offer it in exchange for their email address.
With a link to your website, provide the cheat sheet, step-by-step instructions, or whatever your content upgrade is to LinkedIn readers.
This is most effective if your freebie is a visual graphic, such as an infographic, or anything other than plain text. People will click over from LinkedIn to get the same information presented in a visually appealing infographic rather than plain text.
6: Transform Your Content Into Video
People are more engaged with your content when they watch your videos than at any other time.
Use your written and podcast content to do live videos on Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter. These live videos can be done on all of these platforms at the same time.
Watch to see what topics are extremely popular that you'd like to discuss, and then do live videos on those as well.
When you're live on these sites discussing various tactics and strategies, let viewers know that if they want your free cheat sheet manual / video, etc., they can just go to your site and claim it.
You can increase traffic to your website, build an email list, and, of course, pitch your products and services.
And here's the key point: someone who has just watched your video is far, far more engaged in what you have to say and offer than someone who has just read a tweet, for example. As a result, traffic from your videos will convert at a higher (odds are MUCH higher) rate than most other types of traffic.
7: Make use of contests and giveaways.
Not just any contest or giveaway will be effective, but one built specifically on a points-based system can bring in a significant amount of new traffic. Participants, for example, receive 5 points or contest entries for sharing the contest on Twitter, 5 more for sharing on Instagram, 20 points for blogging about the contest, and so on.
You can also provide referral links, so that every person who signs up through their link earns them an additional 5 entries or points.
The use of a point system causes the contest or giveaway to go viral. Make sure the prizes are appropriate for your niche. If you give away iPhones but your niche is gardening, you will receive a large number of entries from people who do not garden. However, if you give away the top ten gardening books, you know that the majority of those who enter are gardeners themselves.
Your winners can be chosen at random or by awarding prizes to those who have earned the most points, or you can do a combination of the two, awarding some prizes at random and others to those who have earned the most points.
And, for consistent new traffic, you can run a new contest every month or even every week.
