Online influence is critical to the success of a gaming affiliate. You need to establish yourself as the go-to person your users will come to and recommend. Although it does take some time and effort to boost your influence online, it’s not hard with the right steps.
Here are 10 ways to increase your online influence and get your name out there and recognized.
Host a Kick-Ass Website
Make sure your website is the best it can be. Keep your design fresh and modern, keep your content (blogs, articles, etc.) updated and applicable, and stay interactive with your users by providing newsletter subscriptions, offering bonuses and other deals. Create email marketing campaigns and establish a sense of community on your site.
See here for more tips on web design and ways to improve your content.
Develop Relationships
One of the best ways to boost your online influence is getting to know people. Use Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Reddit, Youtube, etc. to connect. Post comments on blogs or chat with folks in forums. And don’t just self-promote your site and your services; take the time to get to know people and talk about what’s important to them. This develops trust and shows that you’re not just using blogs/ forums for back links.
Network Beyond Your Network
You are a gaming blogger and you only interact with gaming bloggers? Get some fresh air into your networking pool. Connect with people who have nothing to do with gaming, but have large networks in other niches such as auto restoration or classic cars. You will reach a huge audience otherwise untapped. Also, if you can meet your networkers in the real world, do it. Or, use Skype video.
Interconnect Your Network
This means to connect people in your network with each other. Not only does this help strengthen the sense of community on your site, but their followers will likely connect, and you have just quadrupled your online visibility.
Use Twitter
When you use the power of this Internet bird, your online visibility can skyrocket. Repeat your tweets every seven hours to catch people that are online at different times and in different time zones. Set up weekly tweet chats to to get to know your followers and to promote new services. You can also invite experts to your tweet chats and have a Q&A session.
Use Videos
YouTube is powerful for instantly boosting online influence. Although videos can be about anything to do with your business—demonstrations, expert interviews, weekly video newsletters—keep the format creative, educational and above all entertaining, and your videos might go viral.
Give Away Your Knowledge
It’s time to give away what you know. You can do this by publishing an e-book, giving free online seminars, podcasts, sending out newsletters, etc. Also, if you feel you have a way with words, consider writing stories on your website or blog. Do you have a great success story? Share it in story-form. People love to read, and forward, good stories.
Master Your Niche
As a gaming affiliate, you should strive to know everything there is to know about being a gaming affiliate. Become passionate about what you do and what you know. This will show in the way you present yourself, and others will turn to you when they need information and services in your niche.
Master Social Media
Make social media an integral part of your business and include it in all of your marketing projects. In addition, go above and beyond having a standard Facebook page or Twitter account. Create a Facebook fan page to establish a fan club (it takes only seconds), and use hashtags for everything you tweet so followers can keep up with the conversation.
Be Consistent
Consistency shows you are passionate and committed about your work. Be consistent with your brand message. Have a posting schedule, and be consistent with responding to all comments (positive and negative) and answering all user inquiries. Give people what they expect from you and your services. Your users will always return.
Do you use these steps to boost your online influence? Have you used other steps that have increased your online visibility? Let us know in the comments below.