How to Create a Website Advertising Campaign

When you want to get serious about spreading the word about your online business, you might find yourself wondering how to create an advertising campaign for your website. Advertising for your website is a mix between search engine optimization and ad design. Read these steps to find out how to get started on your advertising campaign.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Newsletters
• Back links
• Banners
• Press releases

1. Design some advertisements. Think of a consistent theme to model all of your ads after. Think of the current "Mac vs. PC" ads. They all have a consistent tone and setup, which helps make them both memorable and entertaining. For the Web, this can mean having a particular color scheme or logo design--or innovative way of delivering your message.
2. Be clear and concise with banners. Sum up your message in seven words or less. Make your message the most prominent visual element in your ad. Make sure you know exactly what your message is, what you are selling and how customers will benefit from it. Make the viewer want to click on the ad.
3. Compare prices of banner ads. To get your banners displayed on relevant websites, you're going to have to pay some money. Choose an advertising network that will get you the most page impressions on the most relevant sites for the lowest price (see Resources below).
4. Build inbound links. Inbound links from relevant pages are the best way to increase your search engine ratings and to increase your traffic. Create original, unique content that people will want to link to and allow other sites to syndicate it. Get involved with the forums and blogs from similar but noncompeting sites and work on a link exchange.
5. Look into pay-per-click advertising. This differs from page impressions, as you only pay when someone actually clicks on the link. "Google AdWords" offers one of the best programs for this.
6. Publish press releases. A press release at the launch of your website or after new developments can help spread the word and get you inbound links. Press releases are reposted on RSS feeds and blogs and news networks and spread the word quickly.
7. Update often. Don't expect your link popularity and your traffic to shoot up overnight. A steady campaign of keeping your site updated and your content fresh will get you results if you persist.

Tips & Warnings

• Get your ads displayed more than once. The more times your banner shows up, the greater the chances that someone will click it.
• A key to getting clicks is a call to action. Make sure your advertisement compels customers to act now.
• Professional copywriters and graphic designers have the experience to create content that sells. Finding a good SEO company can be well worth the investment.
• Beware of link exchange sites that ask you to pay. These are never as good as cultivating relationships and building links organically.
• Plan out your budget carefully. Don't spend all your money on banners and skimp on content syndication. There should be a balance.