The old adage about it not being what you know but who you know, although not entirely accurate, does hold a grain of truth. Your first job as a website owner is to know the subject around which your site is based inside and out, so that visitors to your site know they can trust you and learn from you. Then you need a marketing strategy to promote your site and reach your target market. One element of a successful strategy is the connections you make to people who can help you with your marketing.
Guests
If you have a blog or add regular articles and reviews to your website, you will need to add high-quality content on a regular basis. This constitutes a lot of work for one person, so you may want to outsource some, or all, of the writing. To raise the profile of your blog, you should also be inviting guest postings from well-known or highly talented writers who can add something valuable to your site. You can actively seek out prospective writers by reviewing sites that have similar content to your own and seeing who writes for them. You can then invite those whose writing impresses you and fits into your site style to write for you. You can also invite submissions from writers who may have something to contribute by adding information to your site detailing what subjects, writing style and article length you would consider publishing.
Influencers
These are people with a high profile and a substantial following who you ask to endorse your products or services. The idea is that consumers are more likely to buy a product that has the seal of approval from someone they know and admire, and influencer marketing has become big business in recent years. You need to select your influencer with care, as you want to be associated with someone who will reach your target market and who will give authority to your brand. Do some research on who has the most power in your sector, and opt for the most influential person you can afford.
Customers
Your own customers can provide you with some of your most important marketing tools, by reviewing your business on your site or consumer review sites. Not only does this get your name spread further afield, but good reviews are very persuasive when potential customers are deciding who to buy from. Companies like eBay and Amazon have built their businesses based on this exact concept, and the review process is what drives their success. Encourage your customers to leave you a review when they have purchased from you, and make use of independent review sites where they are applicable and available for your sector. This gives prospective customers an assurance that the review is genuine and unbiased, and you can still alert them to the reviews from your website.
Don’t be afraid of seeking out content and input from any source that is relevant and adds value to your customers. You may have built an excellent website all by yourself, but there’s no doubt that having help from other people can make marketing the site more rewarding and keep the content fresh and interesting.