As I go through my series, you’re going to be learning a lot of ideas and some will sound strange at first, but later on, they’ll resonate with you. In Part 18, I’ll be looking at how starting a debate online is great for user engagement because you are going against the norm of internet marketing. Many bloggers have made a living by talking about products and services simply to make a profit. They’ll use them then write something promising, enticing visitors to purchase the product. However, sometimes going against the normal procedure is the best way to engage your readers because this builds momentum quickly. For example, look at some of the MOST shared photos online and you’ll notice they are completely against normal marketing strategies. These images use unique thinking and some even tap into a culture that considers themselves different. This reminds me of an image I saw online years back…
When Apple was picking up steam, someone posted a picture of them urinating on the Microsoft board. Here is the image:
You can imagine how this created an immediate buzz, especially on social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Digg.com, and Delicious? Here’s something else…
Think about how many celebrities gain more popularity when they do something wrong compared to when they do something good. I guess bad publicity is good in the end…right? Let’s look at this and how you can build momentum using this strategy.
Having the Right Mind Frame
First, let me start off by saying you need to be genuine in this approach or it won’t work. This can easily turn into you being fake if you are NOT genuine about the way you feel. For this reason, I encourage everyone who has an opinion to be completely honest with your readers and yourself. Next,
Let’s look at some ways to build engagement by simply being a “haterâ€.
Comment Box
One of the best places to start a debate is within the comment box of a relevant blog. This works well in two ways. First, if you are able to leave a link before submitting a comment because this will drive traffic to your blog. Secondly, if the blog is popular because this will encourage a lot of opinions going forward, which is great to increase engagement on the niche blog. You’d be surprised how many bloggers love opposing opinions because they know the value of keeping things interesting, etc.
- Focus on finding relevant blogs
- Choose the ones that have loads of relevant traffic
- Focus on blogs that allow a link to your website
Social Networks
The amount of relevant people who are using social platforms is enormous and you can use them to build serious engagement. I’ve written about social platforms and how they apply to “user engagement†in one of my other parts but it’s important you know how to use them when applying this strategy.
First, you need to find an image or content that is completely against the norm. You’re looking for something that you know will stir things up but that you are genuine about at the same time. Next, head over to the right social platforms, especially those with a high flow of traffic, because this will increase visibility. Research the right hashtags and share your image, but don’t forget to link back to your website. I recommend posting the entire image on your blog with a link back to it from these social networks.
Forums (amazing)
Using forums is awesome and they are so targeted that you can pretty much find one for any niche. Another huge thing is there are so many users, things can get spiked up very quickly if the right comments and/or images are posted. Even though forums have become more moderated over the years, you can still build engagement quickly if you follow the rules. As a matter of fact, Shoemoney.com stated numerous times he built up momentum for his blog by starting out in forums. He found so many targeted people and they encouraged him to start his own blog and he did. However, you have to follow some things before getting started, which I have listed below.