

Ask HN: OK, my project is complete, now how do I promote it? - meric

So I've "finished" my project.(http://www.textbookcentral.com.au/) From design to completion to scrap and redesign to completion, version two.<p>The website lists almost every university course in Australia. Students can opt to join a mailing list for a course, and will receive periodic updates about new buyers/sellers until their expiry preference.<p>I put it live yesterday, but now what do I do? How do I get people to use it? How do I promote it?<p>For version 1 (http://textbook-central.appspot.com/), I was giving out pamphlets, sticking flyers onto walls all over my university. I won't do that at the moment because there is a semester break until the end of the month and not many students are at university. So hmm.<p>It'd be great if you also give me some feedback as well.
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revorad
Run some crazy deal where people can sell or buy textbooks for a good price -
you will have to advertise on some campuses.

Find out which social networks people hang out on and advertise on those.

Advertise on and make deals with other textbook marketplace sites.

One trick I've used in the past is to sell stuff on Amazon, which my target
demographic buys. It looks like Aus may not have Amazon, so use the equivalent
biggest online retailer. Sell some textbooks or other books students buy on it
and insert flyers in the books you mail out. You might even be able to use
their advertising programme and mail out flyers with other sellers' products.
It's very targeted advertising.

Hang out on college forums and help out in any way you can. Don't pimp your
site, just help out. It pays back.

Write a really useful blog/content site, the focus of which is only to help
your users in any way possible, preferably in a way which relates to your
product. This will pay you dividends more and longer than any of the above
methods. See <http://kalzumeus.com> and <http://hubspot.com> for strategy and
tactics, but really here's the one line guide: What will my users find useful?

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

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brandoncordell
A little feedback..

When I want to buy a textbook, I find the book I need and click the buy book
button.

Inside the modal window, you have a spot where the user has to type the title.
I'm assuming that is supposed to be the title of the book?

If so, why don't you populate it for the user, since you already know the
title which were listed next to the buy textbook buttons.

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grah4
the noob guide to online marketing: [http://www.seomoz.org/blog/the-noob-
guide-to-online-marketin...](http://www.seomoz.org/blog/the-noob-guide-to-
online-marketing-with-giant-infographic-11928)

you will find it helpful.

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meric
Great graphic! Just what I needed...

"Claim your brand on popular networks..."
<http://twitter.com/#!/TextbookCentral> is taken already. Damn.

Tweeted them to ask if I could have it. <http://twitter.com/#!/merican_au>

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aorshan
make a twitter account. Start following everyone who has anything to do with
australian colleges and tagging them in posts about your website.

Find education blogs and comment on their posts.

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meric
great idea, didn't think of that.

