Fleaflicker's sole source of promotion the first two seasons was Google AdWords. Fantasy football search terms are always popular; one user would invite a dozen of their friends to play after they discovered the site.
I tried other methods but that provided by far the best return.
I spent a lot of time E-mailing bloggers and journalists. The reply rate is very low but if one person actually reads your message writes about the site, the payoff is huge. Obviously don't spam when you do this. Research the journalist you're pitching to and make your E-mail memorable. It's kind of like a cover letter when applying for a job.
Agreed ... though I say the title of your email is most important, rather then it's contents. Be short, sweet & descriptive in your title and in the email. Press and bloggers get a lot of mail each day.
Don't forget the little guy bloggers (they may be the big guy soon) as you never know who the big guys read or feed they subscribe to.
What type of Adwords bidding strategy did you use? Since fantasy football search terms are so popular, I imagine that your adwords campaigns could get expensive.
They were very expensive ($1-$2 per click during peak season) but it was worth it. A print ad costs a few thousand dollars and you're not guaranteed any visitors.
One thing I learned about print ads is the price is very very negotiable. Start with a price so far below their asking price that you feel embarrassed. The list price for magazine ads can be several times greater than the price they're willing to settle on, especially as deadlines approach.
Another good option is to advertise on small niche sites. There are a lot of "mom and pop" fantasy sites with cheaper advertising and the exact audience I was looking for.
Fleaflicker's sole source of promotion the first two seasons was Google AdWords. Fantasy football search terms are always popular; one user would invite a dozen of their friends to play after they discovered the site.
I tried other methods but that provided by far the best return.
I spent a lot of time E-mailing bloggers and journalists. The reply rate is very low but if one person actually reads your message writes about the site, the payoff is huge. Obviously don't spam when you do this. Research the journalist you're pitching to and make your E-mail memorable. It's kind of like a cover letter when applying for a job.