HN Explorer

Ask HN: How to get PR for your website?

11 points by adzeds ↗ HN
Hey,

I am currently looking to gain some PR for my website but have no idea of the best ways to start doing this??

Has anyone found a good way of getting your first couple of PR exposures?

15 comments

[ 3.5 ms ] story [ 48.7 ms ] thread
bruceb
I can't say I have been that successful. We have been featured a few times, including Life Hacker: http://lifehacker.com/coursebuffet-organizes-online-courses-...

For Life Hacker I found the people who wrote about learning online and then wrote each one a semi personalized email.

The email said hey I have read your posts on X (something related to learning) this is why you and your readers would benefit from using us. Might be obvious but how can you benefit the readers is the focus not all about how you are cool.

Btw sometimes you contact writers/bloggers never hear anything then 4 weeks later without warning they write about you. Don't get discouraged because they don't get back to you. It doesn't mean they are not interested, just they are busy. Of course it could mean they don't care.

best of luck.

adzeds
I guess I could highlight the top 25 publications in my industry and then post the top writers on those publications an email to see how I get on..

Any tips from your emails to Lifehacker that I could use?

Is it best to talk more about them and then drop in my website at the end to ask them to take a look and consider writing about it?

bruceb
Just reference what they wrote and maybe a comment on it then transition to your site and benefit to readers. No need to go overboard with praise just show you have actually read at least a tad of what they have written. Can say I would be happy to tell you more about X not please write about us.
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beekums
This is something I'm trying to learn how to do as well! Things that I'm in the middle of: - Going to social/entrepreneur mixers and meeting people to talk about my site. The in person aspect of this is also a great way to get feedback on the idea. - Providing frequent updates through my own contacts on social media. - Contacting prominent bloggers in related topics about writing a guest blog post. - If it's fitting, Hacker News!

I would love to hear what other people are doing besides spending a ton of money on ads.

adzeds
Yeah, I like to avoid going down the ads route, just as I tend to prefer to get the traffic organically or through working for it..

I could look at where I might be able to interact more with bloggers.

debacle
Write a good whitepaper, get it published somewhere, get a backlink to your website.
adzeds
Where are good sites for publishing white papers?
JSeymourATL
Create a tie-in with a worthy cause that compliments the interests of your audience/community/clients.

Think Coding Camp for Kids, Local Park Foundation, Cancer Fundraiser, etc...

Tell a story, buzz it up. Show how your organization volunteers/donates/supports the cause. Link to their homepage.

asimuvPR
Do/have something worth promoting.

Break down why its interesting for people to learn about it.

Make a list of people who have the ability to reach many others at once.

Write an email that shows them why what you are doing is interesting. Include a good summary of your "thing" as separate document they can use as a base template.

Email those whose address you find. Buy some targeted ads on linked in or facebook for those you cannot.

Rinse and repeat.

tedmiston
I don't think there's any magic formula at the early stage.

Create some type of valuable content and distribute it to the right audience.

I think to examine the reason you're trying to get PR for e.g., increase number of signups, get trial downloads, read an article, hire you, etc would be useful.

Akash0001
Tell me what is your NICHE? You need to make a place where you can keep someone engaged or let them force to keep backlink. Just find high PR bookmarking sites where you can get high quality backlinks along if your content is interesting you could get bookmark from lots of people.