can order a regular copy to add an ongoing feature to your
ezine and/or website. Details are at the bottom.
Pamela Heywood
Viral Marketing: 25 Ideas for the Financially Challenged
4.Creating an Award Site
Not all awards are created equal, but if you are prepared to
spend five minutes reviewing each site that applies for YOUR
award then this will provide another way in which you can gain
valuable, targeted traffic on the cheap.
Even if you sell fishing tackle, you could give away awards to
the Best Fishing Sites on the Net (or was that in the net?).
You'll gain reciprocal links with relevant sites and learn a lot
of useful information about your market and competitors too.
First, you will need to decide what rules you will apply to the
application process. Write these down and display them
prominently to avoid getting frivolous applications that will
waste your time. Then stick to those guidelines stringently when
you review, to make it meaningful.
To make the process easier for you, just install a simple free,
CGI script to handle the admin:
"FastAward is a must for any webmaster who gives out their own
award! This program completely automates the task. It not only
takes applications, but will weed out duplicates and has the
option of e-mailing you to alert you of new applications.
It also simplifies the task of awarding your award - press a
button to delete the site, or to send off a standard E-mail
proclaiming them the proud winner of your award.
Not only that, but it keeps a fantastic log of everyone you've
given your award out to complete with it's own search engine."
http://amusive.com/scripts/
Finally you will need a graphic button to give out for winners to
display on their sites. Of course you can create your own in your
favourite graphics package. Some Dingbat fonts have suitable
pictorial characters, such as rosettes and cups. Otherwise, grab
a template and just add some text to personalise it to your site:
You'll find suitable, free Award Graphic templates here:
http://www.highpowergraphics.com/templates/page3.html
Once your links start growing and as long as your award becomes
covetable, then it will "go viral" as people visiting the sites
to which the award has been granted, will also visit you to
apply themselves. Your network will grow, virally.
Copyright 2001 Pamela Heywood http://www.tucats-design.com
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