HTML and CSS Reference
In-Depth Information
Getting Links from Other Sites
It doesn't take much surfing to figure out that the Web is huge. It seems like there's a site
on every topic, and when it comes to popular topics, there may be hundreds or thousands
of sites. After you've done the hard work of creating an interesting site, the next step is
to get other people to link to it.
The direct approach often works best. Find other sites like your own and send a personal
email to the people who run them introducing yourself and telling them that you have a
site similar to theirs that they may be interested in. If they are, there's a good chance that
they'll provide a link to your site. Oftentimes, there's a quid pro quo involved where you
might link to someone else's site and ask them if they're interested in linking to yours in
return.
This doesn't mean that you should go out and pester people or email them repeatedly if
they don't do as you request. The subtle approach often works best. Figure out what
kinds of people might be interested in what you're publishing, and let them know what
you're up to. If you are launching a site for a new restaurant, it's worth searching for
blogs that cover the city or neighborhood where the restaurant is and letting them know
about the site. Many people are on the lookout for things to write about or link to, so if
you have something of legitimate interest, they'll be glad to hear from you. Just make
sure your email is to the point and that they know it was written to them personally, so
they don't assume you're mass emailing people like them.
Promoting Your Site Through Social Media
First, what are social media? Most people define social media as websites that enable
their users to socialize with one another. Sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace
are popular examples. Weblogs can be considered social media, too. There are also link
sharing sites like Digg and Reddit, where users can submit links, vote for them, or com-
ment on them. Links that get more votes are featured more prominently on the site.
Social media is about people connecting to one another, and promoting a site through
social media is as simple as talking about your site on those sites. The tricky part is
doing so in a way that makes you a valuable participant in the conversation rather than a
tedious self-promoter.
In Lesson 22, “Content Management Systems and Publishing Platforms,” I explain how
you can integrate some of these social media sites with your own website, but first I
explain ways you can use these sites to reach people who might be interested in your
site. Many people talk about “viral” marketing. The concept is simple: Instead of pur-
chasing an advertisement that may be displayed for hundreds or thousands of people,
you tell just a few interested people about your site (or essay, or product, or movie, or
whatever it is that you've created), and then they in turn share it with people they think
 
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