Get publicity and targeted traffic to your site, via an article

Here’s an example of a creative way to get some publicity and targeted traffic to your site, via an article.

One way to get publicity and targeted traffic to a site is to develop creative ideas for articles that can be published on important related web sites such as industry/market magazines etc.

I’m reading a male health magazine; the hardcopy version. (Yes, I’m trying to get healthy. It’s just not working),

There’s a one page article in it about a bar in the Atlantis Casino/Hotel in the Bahamas. The assistant manager of the bar talks about how they make cocktails using only fresh ingredients and juices, “when you ask for a pina colada, we crack open a coconut and slice up a pineapple”. He also mentions the unique specialty drinks they serve and the creative ideas they try such as a new custom Bloody Mary Cart they’ll push around the pool soon that will include their hangover cure – Containing ingredients to help you recoup like vitamins and antioxidants.

The article takes up one full page in the magazine. There’s a large insert in the article that highlights two of his drink recipes. In a sidebar there’s a contest for a reader to win a luxury cabana rental at the pool for an evening along with some wait staff, some specialty drinks, and two massages, as well as a discount on an a three night stay at the hotel.

To enter the contest people are given an email address to send in entries. I would have suggested setting up a page on their web site and direct people to it to enter the contest. That way they can collect more contact information and if the article goes into the online version of the magazine they’ll have another incoming link to the site.

This article succeeds in getting publicity for the bar and it does a good job of conveying what sets them apart: how they serve quality drinks with fresh ingredients, create their own unique drink menu etc, try unique ideas like the Bloody Mary Cart.

In addition, the article includes a contest that may entice a number of people to send them their contact information. The article displays the web site address for the bar so some people will likely visit the site now and more may in the future if the article goes into the online version of the magazine (plus they’ll have another incoming link to the site – See Strategic Link Building for more about the importance of having other sites link to your web site).

I don’t know who approached who with this idea, but, knowing who it is, The Atlantis Casino/Hotel, they probably have a publicist looking for publicly like this, but you (or we) can look for similar opportunities. You should know who the major magazines and newsletters are in your market. Chances are if they’re major force in print, they have an online version to. Go through their publications for publicity/article ideas and contact them. Of course it always helps to have a relationship with them to get their attention. Look for other opportunities too such as newsletters you can sponsor, pages on the site to request links to your site (resource guides etc), possibly advertising. Also make personal contact with the correct person to send your press releases to a couple of days before you release them online.

For more information

Strategic Link Building – About the importance of having other sites link to your web site and how we can help