Here’s a sure way to build a significant following fast: do something a little crazy.
Have you ever watch a reality TV show such as “Married at First Sight” or “Survivor?” If you have, you know what a draw it can be to attempt something a little crazy. Millions of people tune in each week to see what new drama would befall the cast of Survivor, or what new crisis would occur on a couple’s wedding day on “Married at First Sight.”
What if you could bring that kind of traffic to your blog or to your website just by attempting something a bit whacky?
The fact is, it’s is a time-tested marketing plan companies have done for more than a century, and you could easily do something similar for your business.
Write a Book…Or 20
When Kristen Joy of TheBookNinja.com needed a boost in traffic, she turned to the medium she knows best: Kindle publishing.
After accepting a challenge from her business coach, she agreed to write and publish a new Kindle book each week for 20 weeks! What!?
As word spread about Kristen’s outlandish plan, her traffic grew (and grew and grew). Why? Some people wanted to see her fail. 😕 But most people thought Kristen must have something important to say if she had committed to such a large project.
Nicole Dean pulled off a similar plan with her “Blog World Tour.” During the summer of 2009, she visited 15 blogs in 15 weeks and guest posted on the target blog for five straight days before moving on to the next. Did it work? You bet!
Just like Kristen’s crazy book-writing spree, Nicole’s blog world tour gained her tons of traffic and thousands of new fans.
Stretch Yourself A Bit
You don’t have to write a book each week for 20 weeks or even spend several months guest blogging, but there are things you can do to build some buzz and drive traffic to your site. The key is finding something that would make most people say, “I could never do that.” And then you do it!
Things you could do:
• Post a new post to your blog every day for a year (Google would love you for adding new content!)
• Post a new mico-vlog to your Instagram Stories every day for 90 days
• Speak at or attend one virtual conference or online webinar each month for a year
No matter which “stunt” you decide to do, it must have two components to be successful:
1. It must be outside what most people would consider being in their comfort zones
2. Commit to it publicly and often—tell your list, share your goal with your social media followers, post to your blog readers, tell your clients…tell everyone.
A challenge of this magnitude must have one other component, too—your absolute conviction to complete. You certainly don’t want to declare your intention publicly then quietly fizzle out half-way to your goal.
If you’re looking for a fun, innovative way to drive new traffic to your site and get more eyeballs on your content, consider setting a wild goal for yourself. You’ll be surprised how many people show up to watch and cheer you on, and you’re bound to have fun along the way. Plus, in the end, you’ll have so much new content, you can repurpose again later.