How to you get your page on the news?

[vip-ip]

How do you get to be popular like the milliondollarhomepage? They had them advertised in various TV programs, newspapers, and on the web -- how the heck does it get so popular? Bribing?

Interested in inputs on that

 

[RJ]

There's not really a secret to it. Just build something worthy of discussion and get the right people to see it.

I experienced a little of this early last year with ImaginaryGirlfriends.com. Within days of opening the site I had media from around the World contacting me for interviews. To get it started I really didn't do anything more than open the site and link to it from a few eBay auctions. Bloggers picked it up quickly, which led to links on forums and big websites linking to it. Attention spread fast and pretty soon it was on television and in the newspaper.

There are big sites like SlashDot that can get your site seen by millions of people. However you have no shot of showing up there or most other places unless your site is noteworthy. This is why milliondollarhomepage.com will be a huge success while 99% of the copycats will not.

 

[DJ-Sound]

I defently agree, you can do press releases and all that crap, but you have to make a unique site to really get attention.

 

[vip-ip]

How will they find out about it, though?..

 

[RJ]

How will they find out about it, though?..

Word of mouth is better than any self promotion you can do.

MillionDollarHomepage.com is a great example. Someone saw it, posted it here on NamePros, and hundreds, if not thousands of people, saw it here. It's been linked to and posted on hundreds of blogs. The media sees it and writes about it, more eyeballs.. it's very much like a virus.

 

[Flaresolutions]

Word of mouth is better than any self promotion you can do.

MillionDollarHomepage.com is a great example. Someone saw it, posted it here on NamePros, and hundreds, if not thousands of people, saw it here. It's been linked to and posted on hundreds of blogs. The media sees it and writes about it, more eyeballs.. it's very much like a virus.

It was posted on many places before namepros, you shouldent give yourself too much credit.

 

[brandonlanglois]

Make a good site layout, get lots of money, ADVERTISE LIKE HELL!

 

[Albino]

It was posted on many places before namepros, you shouldent give yourself too much credit.

I dont think he was taking credit, i think he was just using it as an example

And i agree with most of the things said in this topic

Word of mouth, if it is a really good site, you will show your friends, and they will show theirs etc.

I think the reason MDHP is so well known now, is not the actual site/idea (although fantasic), but its the story behind it. One mans fight to not come out of uni in debt. Its something most people can relate to, I know i can.

 

[primacomputer]

It's all a matter of timing and luck. The concept behind the milliondollarhomepage is nothing new. It's been done countless times over the last 10 years. For some reason this time it clicked. Why? Who knows.

One of the keys to marketing in this way is to get it out to the right people. These in turn get it out to more of the right people and so on and so forth. When you reach a certain critical mass everyone wants to see it because everyones talking about it.

Another key is to get it to the right people in the press. A lot of things start off with a little human interest story in the local press and get picked up by others and turned into a full blown fad.

 

[Grrilla]

Another key is to get it to the right people in the press. A lot of things start off with a little human interest story in the local press and get picked up by others and turned into a full blown fad.

Exactly my thoughts. Find a good example of a media release and pattern your own release after it. Than mail a hard copy, (emails are often brushed aside), to the appropriate party. At a TV station that would be the assignment desk. Find out the names of the Assignment Editors- (there will be more than one- daytime, eve, wknd shifts), and mail directly to them, as well as, to a reporter(s) that might specialize in stories covering your area of interst, (ie Business, Entertainment, etc). Besides TV stations and newspapers, don't forget local bulletins, business newletters etc.

 

[RJ]

Word of mouth is better than any self promotion you can do.

MillionDollarHomepage.com is a great example. Someone saw it, posted it here on NamePros, and hundreds, if not thousands of people, saw it here. It's been linked to and posted on hundreds of blogs. The media sees it and writes about it, more eyeballs.. it's very much like a virus.

It was posted on many places before namepros, you shouldent give yourself too much credit.

No way can I take credit. We're by no means ground zero for the spread of this attention virus, just one of thousands of carriers and spreaders of it.

It's all a matter of timing and luck. The concept behind the milliondollarhomepage is nothing new. It's been done countless times over the last 10 years. For some reason this time it clicked. Why? Who knows.

This guy really implemented the concept well and must have gotten just the right attention for it to spread as it did. I remember the first time I saw MDHD I said "billiant!"

 

[Redleg]

One other great example of getting a site in the media is the good old
"Baghdad Bob" site www.welovetheiraqiinformationminister.com :lol:
Crappy site, and an even more crappy domain name, but they received millions of visitors after it was introduced on CNN...

 

[paaaaaaaaaa]

This is a very interesting thread. I decided to write a blog about this. Here is what I wrote.

I’ve always pondered the same question.

Most people agree saying that creating something truly unique and innovative would get the media and general public interested. Thing is, I don't believe that’s 100% true.

To a certain amount a unique, never seen before website will make people talk but more than often the buzz will filter out. This is unless you impress a well respected person or piece of media. If you do the virus spreads fast and furiously like RJ said and news all around will get involved. But to get to that person without being of any respected stature yourself is very hard and this is the part that needs focusing on.

I’ve seen many websites get big news for different reasons. Let’s take MDHP for example. Before it was ever so popular the actual site would be an over priced advertisement scheme where surely paying to get a link in one of those squares would never get much traffic to your business site. Though the concept behind it was very innovative there seems to be no worthy reason to write a story about it or to tell your friends.

This is "where the story behind the site" comes in to play. Writers saw this opportunity to write a nice article about one mans fight to not come out of uni in debt (albinos’ words). This mixed with the idea behind the site was what fuelled the media interest.

I have also seen a more cheap way to promote your site. I don’t recall the actual site but it was marketing towards gamblers to bet on football results from what I can remember, with very expensive prizes and very expensive subscription fees. I saw the article around the time Chelsea football club where buying all the greatest players. The website firm whether true or not took this opportunity to spread the word that half the Chelsea team where using there service betting on their own results to win these "bling" prizes.

In conclusion I feel no matter how unique, crazy, cool your site is if you’re aiming to get media interest you need a subject to link up with. Though this link has to be the opposite of your site. In which I mean already popular and spoke about hundreds of times.

Please feel free to post some comments in my blog it's pretty new and lonely there. Cheers.

 

[vip-ip]

It's just that I'm working on a very very unique project right now, and I'm wondering how to get people in big loads...

 

[sunken]

One of the biggest things I remember is the chicken guy who did whatever the users told him to do. Because it was unique. Back in the old days, there was the Big Red Button That Did Nothing that was visited by the throngs in hopes that their push would make it do something. It never did. The trick is to find something that will make your friends tell other friends and other friends etc. Word of mouth is really the most advertising. Blogs have become the central part of that these days.

 

[Albino]

vip-ip, email EVERYONE, get in in people sigs on loads of forums, pepole blogs, pretty much pester everyone to see it, im sure it would help :D

 

[vip-ip]

vip-ip, email EVERYONE, get in in people sigs on loads of forums, pepole blogs, pretty much pester everyone to see it, im sure it would help :D

I'm sure it'll get annoying over time, too It's too good to be promoted like that.

 

[Freakz]

I remember the first time I saw MDHD I said "billiant!"

Did you now? =)

I think the most important thing is just having a great site that will make people want to come back. Anyone can advertise and have people come to their site, but the people are only going to KEEP coming back to the good sites.

 

[gio~logist]

Well it must not be easy at all. I mean, these days it's hard to get otu a site that hasn't been made yet if you know what i mean. However, it is possible and witht he right people visiting your site and proper marketing, this could be only a host away.

 

[BigP]

To get popular you need one of several things. A great site. Cool new concept. Fantastic content. Word of mouth.

Over the years, many great ideas have come and gone. Remember the Website award craze? Everyone had their own "Award". Someone was the first to come up with the idea, and probably did really well with the idea. Looks like this pixel ad craze will be a trend for a while. There is no need to be jealous. Come up with your own new & original concept, and I'm sure the world will come and knock at your door as well.

Good luck to Justin at MillionDollarHomepage.com, and to you as well.