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How do I get my message accross to a large number of people with no budget

by PoundAd
17 replies
I have just launched a new classified ads website called PoundAd.co.uk and desperately need some input into how I can market it without a marketing budget. I have done some SEO work with Google and have managed to get in on the first page of google.co.uk for the keyword "classified ads" but other than that I am stuck for ideas.

Input would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Peter
#accross #budget #large #message #number #people
  • Profile picture of the author Shane N
    How about writing a Press Release announcing the opening of your new site.

    Then, you can write articles (or outsource them) to promote your site. You can try PPC advertising, local advertising via business cards, flyers, etc.

    Having the site in your signature on this forum is also helpful.

    I would advertise to the people/businesses that use classified ad sites the most, such as car dealers, real estate brokers, tutors and other services, etc.

    These should definitely help!

    Best,
    Shane
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    • Profile picture of the author PoundAd
      Thanks Shane.

      I have written a press release and have submitted it to a number of article directories (particularly the ones well ranking in Google) but this has only had a small amount of impact. I have also contacted several car dealers, estate brokers etc. and they are going to be uploading some content very soon. The problem is I receive about 100 unique visits a day and I need to increase this substantially to get more ads on the site. I have also taken the business card and flyer route again with little impact.

      Any other ideas?

      Bests,
      Peter
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  • Profile picture of the author Steve Sanchez
    Maybe advertise your free ad section in other free online ad sites with your link. Helps with the ranking.
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    • Profile picture of the author PoundAd
      Steve - that is a good idea... something I haven't explored!
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  • Profile picture of the author jrailsback
    Shane said it.

    Contact existing businesses and let them know you exist. Give away a few slots for free for your first clients, then when you contact more people, show them you already have other clients (but don't tell them they're on there for free).

    How are you pricing your service? Monthly? Yearly?
    Signature

    Please read the sig file rules

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    • Profile picture of the author PoundAd
      jrailsback - I do not currently charge, I am offering the first 50,000 ads for free then will start to charge £1 per ad... hence the name PoundAd.
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  • Profile picture of the author Shane N
    Hmmm...

    How about PPC Advertising for specific keywords related to what your clients are going to be selling. For instance, if your site shows up on the first page of Google for "Used Cars" or "Real Estate in _______" - Then businesses will pay you top dollar for placement on your site.

    You can optimize your site to rank for these keywords "organically" or you can start with a little bit of Pay-Per-Click advertising to get businesses interested...

    Best,
    Shane
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    • Profile picture of the author Kelvin Nikkel
      How about trying an ad on Craigslist?
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  • Profile picture of the author jrailsback
    Got it, good idea. Have you seen Million Dollar Homepage? That dude made over $1 Million offering advertising space.
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    Please read the sig file rules

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  • Profile picture of the author PoundAd
    Shane - That is something that I have thought about, the problem being that keywords like "used cars" are extremely competitive and therefore very expensive to rank well in PPC.
    Kelvin - I've tried placing a few ads on Craigslist and got around 40 people come through to my site over a couple of weeks.
    jrailsback - Believe it or not he was my inspiration!
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  • Profile picture of the author lcombs
    Articles, forums, blogs, classified sites...

    Newsletters that may be interested in giving you a promo in return for a free listing.
    Signature
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fresh...55326481208883
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  • Profile picture of the author Shane N
    Yes, it is a lot more expensive to rank for "Used Cars" than it is to rank for "Used Cars Northumberland England."

    Why not try PPC ads that are more locally targeted so that the costs are MUCH lower?

    You can also buy (or swap) banner ads on other classified sites or other websites that you feel would attract potential visitors to your site.

    Other than PPC, SEO, articles, press releases, forums, Craigslist, other classified ad sites, social networking sites, flyers, business cards, etc. -- I don't see many other avenues...
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    • Profile picture of the author PoundAd
      Shane - That is a good idea regarding being more localised with PPC, I will certainly look into that. I guess it's just a case of doing lots of little things and keeping at it! Thanks!
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    • Profile picture of the author Blondmoo
      That's some great information, Thank you!
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  • Profile picture of the author Robert Puddy
    Get a Budget maybe?

    Not going to go far with out one
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  • Profile picture of the author robert100
    Hi,

    Why not write a blog about your experiences in :

    1. Getting the idea
    2. Creating the site
    3. Launching and promoting it
    4. Current postion with site

    Then people can follow your experiences, learn from you and gradually respect your advice.

    This will also give you more options for ranking high in google.

    Best regards,

    Rob
    Signature

    Non B.S. and non PC marketing info to beef up your sales... www.richmonkey.co.uk freebie hunters NOT welcome!

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    • Profile picture of the author PoundAd
      I like your idea Robert, where is the best place to blog in order to get most exposure?
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