Launch Blueprint. Week One.

week 1 setting up & quick wins section 1 launch right section 01 step 01 introduction launching a product and getting customers is hard this launch blueprint is going to make it easy we have created 12 blueprints for you your mission is to complete one blueprint a week for 3 months you can speed it up or slow it down if a different pace works better for your product in each of the 12 blueprints you'll get a comprehensive task list and an in depth explanation for each step just follow the process and the launch will take care of itself doing the 12 week launch process yourself is easy just pick a few hours each week and step through our engineered launch process this is week one welcome if you want live support, trouble shooting, camraderie, and expertise, join our bi weekly live office hours we have a marketing expert, seo expert, and graphics geek standing by at each office hours to help troubleshoot, give feedback, and cheer for you (don't underestimate the power of camraderie!) office hours are entirely optional, but aggregating access to that much expertise to support your launch beats hiring your own fractional cmo, seo consultant, and designer you built your product with a plan now it's time to launch with one simply read & do if you see a checkbox, do the work, check it off the blueprint layout to make eveything faster and easier we've tried to optimize your blueprint user experience here are types of content, and what the different colors and blocks mean the goal is to help you move fast through a massive amount of content here are a few types of content in your blueprint ✅ green boxes hold your to do tasks i get it easy! i understand launching is a proccess, not an event this is an interactive document, not an app that means you can't literally mark the tasks as done and undone if you need the satisfaction of making that tick mark, you can print out the pdf version 📢 blue boxes have context and important information 📋 orange is a decision point we show you some options choose ⚠️ warning! here is something imprtant to pay attention to in the blueprint you'll also find gpt prompts in code blocks notice there are sometimes multiple tabs prompts are here we will use llms a lot to support your launch we will embedd prompts in code blocks like this notice there are different tabs at the top of the code block there won't always be multiple tabs in the code block, but when there are it is to give you different prompts to try in the upper right of the box is the two overlapping squares icon click it to copy the prompt to your clipboard (of course you can also highlight the text to copy as well ) subreddit search prompt example here is an example if the next task on your blueprint is to find the best subreddits for your specific niche, we'll provide you the prompt in a code block like this just copy, paste, and modify it in the chatbox window here is an example "my niche is below for this niche, list 20 subreddits that would be excellent places to engage the community and tell them about my product " \[your niche/interest here] were you able to click each tab and see both prompts in that code block? great! were you able to click each tab and see both prompts in that code block? great! 📢 there are also interactive go to market expert trained chatbots embedded in many places in the blueprints you can find them quickly in the table of contents on the right by this 💬 you can paste the prompts you copied from the prompt blocks directly into the chatbot you can modify the prompt before you click enter let's try it now below is an ai chatbot trained on harvard dissertations and mckinsey white papers on go to market strategies (this chatbot will use jargon you might not know it is trained to have phd level knowledge ) above the bot are a few prompts you can copy and paste into the bot freemium vs free trial what are the trade offs between a freemium and a free trial model in b2b saas gtm strategies? network gtm what are the key considerations for implementing a multi sided platform gtm strategy based on network effects? bowling pin strategy can you dissect the key components of a 'bowling pin' gtm strategy? 💬 chat with the ultimate go to market geek bot this bot has been trained on gtm white papers and phd dissertations use the questions above or ask your own all about expandable sections another type of content in your blueprint are exapndable sections these are for content that isn't essential, but still useful to some expandable sections will always have blue headers click the ">" to the left of the header to expand and shrink the section expandable sections will always have blue headers click the ">" to the left of the header to expand and shrink the section click click > to see extra content this is why you're here to power up your launch and build traffic let's recap the plan every week, for 12 weeks, you'll have a clear, actionable "launch project" to do list, loaded with places to announce and things to do just grind through it from top to bottom the tasks we've planned for you will broadcast your startup's launch across the vast digital realm the tasks are expertly designed to get you traffic, build your authority, and grow your digital foundation for seo in our plan we have general places to launch (directories for example) and ways to niche down and start talking with your real customers it's good to mix it up so be sure to do both sometimes posting at the sites on your to do list will drive traffic, but if you aren't getting clicks don't give up finishing the launch list we give you creates a digital footprint that will grow your seo and domain authority getting the word out will snowball if you just stick with it focus on process, stop stressing about the outcome just follow the directions and don't overthink it were you able to expand that section? great! were you able to expand that section? great! here's another expandable section explaining what else beyond the launch to do list is in your weekly launch blueprint so much more so much more each week's blueprint has your launch to do list which is packed with your actionable steps to build traffic and get customers but we are all about boosting everything so after the blueprint to do section, you'll find a full section on each week's theme week one is productivity these aren't tired old "drink more water and block twitter" crappy productivity suggestions that are endlessly recycled these are super useful protips you probably haven't seen before other themes in the upcoming eleven weeks include seo, landing page design, and pricing optimization you may know a lot about some of the themes we're covering in the 12 week program but the goal is to give you massive understanding in minimal time on those topics you may not know as much about for each theme, we also have a summary of the cannonical key book (or books) on the topic the summary comes with actionable steps to level up your startup game section 01 step 02 set a timer & check the boxes the rundown on what's in this week's blueprint your "grind down the list," non nonsense, to do list pragmatic and empirical launch concept deep dives to expand what you know about getting traffic high impact best selling book summaries with actionable tasks great tools and resources (most of them free) to solve problems and save time this week's blueprint is going to take 90 to 210 minutes each week builds on the previous one to jumpstart getting you hot, targeted, convertible traffic you can get the work done in one day a week, or spread it out over multiple days just get it done we make it easy, we even have accountability built into our office hours but you still have to do it! we're founders, we get it there are always fires to put out you've got to set aside time for this though /lecture mode over if not now, when? for week one, here are the to do lists for you consider the launch plan to do list required work the other two to do lists are bonuses that may or may not be useful to you eep in mind, even if this week's bonus tasks aren't useful, subsequent week's could be pure gold launch plan to do list 90 150 minutes productivity level up checklist 20 40 minutes bonus book blink & action plan 10 20 minutes stay focused on the 'why' and try not to skip tasks don't skip tasks unless they truly aren't relevant or you have already completed them (we work with a lot of founders who quickly dismiss a lot of tasks as "not relevant " don't be tempted to do that you are building backlinks, awareness, domain authority do everything ) no more chitchat let's roll section 2 launch success section 02 step 1 ground rules 🗺️ we provide the roadmap your job is to follow it one step at a time we are building the traffic foundation just do this week's plan there's no room for overthinking or unnecessary analysis; just focus and act ✅ tasks are only checked off once they're done, or if they're clearly irrelevant to your business already did something on the list? cool check it off, pat yourself on the back and keep grinding << anytime you see a checkbox, that's a task for you to finish! 🤷‍♂️ do you need answers or text for something? don't know what to write? use the prompts and expert chatbots embedded in this document some embedded chatbots have been expertly trained on the actual task you are about to do, others on harvard business school and mckinsey go to market ("gtm") white papers, books and best in class content allowing you to explore your gtm strategies with an expert ai 💪 the power of http //launch farm lies in the simplicity just do the list sure, it might feel hard so what it's not going to kill you it's worth repeating don't overthink it, just get to work section 02 step 02 get a dedicated browser profile goals for this step we're going to set up a dedicated company browser profile in your preferred browser, whether that's chrome, safari, brave, firefox, etc having a dedicated browser profile keeps everything organized and separate from your personal stuff the major advantage of a second profile is for cookie and session management, especially for social media logins a dedicated profile ensures you're always signed into the correct accounts why have different profiles? why have different profiles? in chrome (and other browsers) a "profile" allows users to have separate settings, bookmarks, history, and extensions it's like having a distinct user environment within the browser for businesses, creating a new chrome profile presents several advantages clear separation it ensures that personal and company data don't mix dual access you can have personal and company social media accounts open simultaneously in different windows docs & sheets isolation all of the google docs and sheets you make will be in a dedicated company google drive work tools it lets you add extensions tailored for business without blending with personal ones boosted efficiency offers an environment dedicated purely to business operations security reduces the risk of accidental data breaches easy management centralizes all company related bookmarks, passwords, and credentials business transition if you ever decide to sell your startup, a distinct profile simplifies the handover of digital assets to sum it up, having a dedicated chrome profile for business streamlines operations, offers better security, and enhances the overall digital experience for the company if you've already taken this step, great! skip ahead if you don't want to do this, that's cool all of our recommendations are optional don't lose momentum; just get after the next step what to do now open the browser you want to make your new profile in (chrome, safari, etc ) follow the new profile instructions for the browser you prefer https //support google com/chrome/answer/2364824 new browser profile instructions https //www macobserver com/tips/how to/setup and use multiple profiles on safari browser/ new browser profile instructions https //support microsoft com/en au/topic/sign in and create multiple profiles in microsoft edge df94e622 2061 49ae ad1d 6f0e43ce6435 new browser profile instructions https //support mozilla org/en us/kb/profile manager create remove switch firefox profiles# text=open%2c%20as%20follows%3a ,creating%20a%20profile,such%20as%20your%20personal%20name new browser profile instructions 📢 setting up a new browser profile can be easy, or hard you might breeze through it, or you might get tripped up if you aren't sure how to do a step, or you get stuck, look up instructions on youtube or come to the http //launch farm office hours and we'll walk you through it 📢 duh! always use a strong, unique password for every account 📢 from now on, everything you do online for your company like making your company's social media accounts and making new docs and spreadsheets do in this new browser profile need help? if you're finding any step challenging, remember we're here to help during office hours ⚒️ chrome power user chrome power user a curated list of great extensions ⚠️ hey, a list like this one can be a rabbit hole we don't want you to get off task ⚠️ set a timer for ten minutes, or allow yourself a max of 5 clicks and 2 installs we've got launch work to do! ⚠️ these extensions will always be here for you it's best to load these tools up when you really need them onward! a chrome extension is a software add on for the chrome browser, enhancing its capabilities it can automate tasks, integrate tools, or provide quick info for startup founders, extensions boost efficiency and productivity here are some great chrome extensions that can help you do more, faster (most of these are free, or have a generous free version ) productivity and organization noisli enhance your focus with background noise https //chrome google com/webstore/detail/noisli/klejemegaoblahjdpcajmpcnjjmkmkkf session buddy manage browser sessions and bookmarks https //chrome google com/webstore/detail/session buddy/edacconmaakjimmfgnblocblbcdcpbko?hl=en blocksite control site access and increase productivity https //chrome google com/webstore/detail/blocksite block websites/eiimnmioipafcokbfikbljfdeojpcgbh latitude improve productivity and time management skills https //chrome google com/webstore/detail/latitude productivity and/npkjpiheabfaekaacnhljjhbpgbkajbb reading and content consumption postlight reader streamlined reading mode https //chrome google com/webstore/detail/postlight reader/oknpjjbmpnndlpmnhmekjpocelpnlfdi google dictionary (by google) quick word definitions https //chrome google com/webstore/detail/google dictionary by goog/mgijmajocgfcbeboacabfgobmjgjcoja hover read preview content by hovering https //chrome google com/webstore/detail/hover read/pbjiabndkopieackpnlkbbagomlkbopb?hl=en content creation and marketing screencastify capture screen recordings https //chrome google com/webstore/detail/screencastify screen vide/mmeijimgabbpbgpdklnllpncmdofkcpn vidiq vision for youtube analyze youtube metrics https //chrome google com/webstore/detail/vidiq vision for youtube/pachckjkecffpdphbpmfolblodfkgbhl?hl=en email finder by http //snov io find email addresses https //chrome google com/webstore/detail/email finder by snovio/einnffiilpmgldkapbikhkeicohlaapj lusha locate b2b contact details https //chrome google com/webstore/detail/lusha easily find b2b con/mcebeofpilippmndlpcghpmghcljajna?hl=en communication and collaboration mightytext send sms from your computer https //chrome google com/webstore/detail/mightytext sms from pc te/dkfhfaphfkopdgpbfkebjfcblcafcmpi dragapp organize gmail with a trello like interface https //chrome google com/webstore/detail/dragapp gmail shared inbo/kadokpknocdadnipihnphaaabanedjnb competitor research similarweb gauge website traffic and analytics https //chrome google com/webstore/detail/similarweb traffic rank w/hoklmmgfnpapgjgcpechhaamimifchmp?hl=en builtwith technology profiler identify technology stack of websites https //chrome google com/webstore/detail/builtwith technology prof/dapjbgnjinbpoindlpdmhochffioedbn?hl=en whatruns discover technologies a website is running https //chrome google com/webstore/detail/whatruns/cmkdbmfndkfgebldhnkbfhlneefdaaip seoquake a toolset for seos https //chrome google com/webstore/detail/seoquake/akdgnmcogleenhbclghghlkkdndkjdjc utilities crxmouse chrome™ gestures enable mouse gestures in chrome https //chrome google com/webstore/detail/crxmouse chrome gestures/jlgkpaicikihijadgifklkbpdajbkhjo?hl=en black menu for google™ quick access to google services https //chrome google com/webstore/detail/black menu for google/eignhdfgaldabilaaegmdfbajngjmoke web scraper scrape website data https //chrome google com/webstore/detail/web scraper free web scra/jnhgnmcogleenhbclghghlkkdndkjdjc link grabber get all links on a page https //chrome google com/webstore/detail/link grabber/caodelkhipncidmoebgbbeemedohcdma clipboard history pro clipboard history https //chrome google com/webstore/detail/clipboard history pro bes/ajiejmhbejpdgkkigpddefnjmgcbkenk web insights whatfont identify fonts on websites https //chrome google com/webstore/detail/whatfont/jabopobgcpjmedljpbcaablpmlmfcogm google scholar button access google scholar from the toolbar https //chrome google com/webstore/detail/google scholar button/ldipcbpaocekfooobnbcddclnhejkcpn?hl=en fakespot analyze product reviews for authenticity https //chrome google com/webstore/detail/fakespot fake amazon revi/nakplnnackehceedgkgkokbgbmfghain you did it! you've got a shiny new dedicated browser environment just for your business you loaded it up with great extensions great job keep up the momentum! section 02 step 03 create your "answer library" goal for this step our first step is to create your "answer library" this involves transforming your short answers about your company, customers, and product into ready to go content your unique "answer library" will serve as a repository of ready to use responses, that you'll paste directly into the forms of various sites and directories this makes the process of listing and launching your startup remarkably efficient what to do now open a new google doc http //docs new answer the 16 questions below 📢 you only need the question number and your answer 📢 the information you provide doesn't have to be perfectly written just clear enough for our ai to understand and elaborate 📢 we're looking for the essence of your responses, not the polish ⚒️ you clicked that link above (docs new) to make a new google document did you know that you can simply type "docs new" or 'sheets new" (and then "enter") in the url bar on your browser to instantly make and use a new google doc or google spreadsheet cool! here are the questions 1\ your business name 2 your business location 3 your industry 4 the founders names (or just your name if you are solo founder ) 5 a short bio or story about you / your team / your founding story 6 your dream customer 7 where your customer goes to buy your products 8 a description of your key product or service 9 what makes your offer unique? 10 your email 11 your website url 12 the tone and vibe of your business (we'll use this to style your copy) 13 any special information we should know or include 14 if you have a tagline you'd like to use 15 if you have any active social media accounts you want prospects to visit, put the link(s) here as the answer to question #15 16 any platforms (if any) your product is specifically for (e g , is it an ios app? android? web shop? chrome extension?) let's look at an example set of answers for a cupcake for dogs company 📢 notice that you don't need proper grammar, and you don't even need the questions themselves you just need the number of the question and your quick answer cupcakes4dogs eagle, idaho pet care and pet stuff ingrid goodwin started company because i made cupcakes for royal (my shitzu great dane mix) and friends started asking me to make for them dog owners who love to pamper their dogs we sell online and at "pethowse doggy daycare" in boise idaho cupcakes, but for dogs 18 flavors best seller is cajunbeef and other popular is chicken parm dogs love our cupcakes best,the frosting is especially delicious for dog's with sophisticated palette ingrid\@cupcakes4dogs com cupcakes4dogs com we are upscale and posh but also down to earth not sales y or cheesy keep it classy our cupcake was featured on the travel channel's "dog or royalty?" reality tv show in season 2, episode 7 no we don't have one yet instagram com/getdogcupcakesnow online store what to do now now copy all of your answers you just wrote in the google doc to your clipboard paste your full list of answers (all 16 at once!) into the chatbot below and hit enter 💬 build your profile answers this chatbot does one thing turn your massive list of unedited, freeform answers into an answer library of content about your company highlight and copy the chatbot's output and paste it into your google doc you now have an answer library nice! now you have all of the basic information you are going to need to paste into submission forms over and over again if you aren't happy with any of the answers, just rewrite them when you need them the big goal is to have a single place where you keep all of the content you'll use over and over during our full launch project as we work through the launch process you'll come across submission forms that ask you questions you don't have prepared answers for in your library if that happens, just add your new answers to the library let's only ever create content once you did it! congratulations! you have a reference document to help get you through all of the launch submission forms section 02 step 04 set up a dam and get images goal for this step our goal is to set up your "dam" solution that's just an acronym for "digital asset management" and it just means, where will you keep your images? you are going to need a lot of images or, more accurately, a lot of variations of your brand and product images you have a logo, but do you have it in 7 sizes? we won't waste a lot of time making all of the images that you'll eventually need but we will stay organized so every time you need an image you won't have to remake it right now, let's set up your "dam" solution time to make a decision you have have a few choices for your dam (unless you already have something that is working if so, check off the boxes and go to the next section ) here are a few ways to do this decision time here are the most common ways of managing your company and brand images 🔀 keep all of your images on your hard drive just get them when you need them 🔀 use google drive, google photos, dropbox, or another cloud storage option 🔀 get a proper digital asset management ("dam") platform ⚒️ if you want a "real" dam (and you like free) our recommendation is https //www resourcespace com/ which will work for up to 10gb of files and allows for team access without costing you anything what to do now comit to a naming convention for image files it's easy to do now (hard to fix later) and ensures clarity and avoids confusion here is a an easy to use naming system ☑️ include the image's primary function/concep "logo", "banner", "profilepic", etc ☑️ (if relevant) include key details "round", "noborder", "clientx", etc ☑️ specify the image styling "transparent" or "solidwhitebround" ☑️ include the size widthxheight format (300x300, 400x600) examples logo transparent 300x300 banner 5stars solidbluebackground 1200x400 decide where you are going to keep your digital assets make an account / make a folder and get it set up getting orgnaized now will save you a lot of time later load your logo and any other digital assets you have already made into the folder / platform use the standardized naming convention you chose add a section to your answer library (that we made in the last step) for images 📢 you don't need to upload or paste the images to your answer library document, but do keep a list of the images that you've made (with a reminder to yourself where it's located if you have images in multiple places ) 📢 a big goal of our launch plan is to "operationalize" everything you do if we have systems and documentation in place, your next hire can get these jobs done while you work on your business, instead of in your business ⚒️ free image tools free image tools a handy reference guide to create, resize, and build your image library photography & stock images beautiful free images ( https //unsplash com/ ) shopify's free photos ( https //burst shopify com/ ) royalty free images ( https //www pexels com/ ) stunning free images ( https //pixabay com/ ) photos, vectors, psds ( https //www freeimages com/ ) kaboompics free photos ( https //kaboompics com/ ) high quality free photos ( https //stocksnap io/ ) high res free photos ( https //gratisography com/ ) design & editing tools quick social media designs ( https //pablo buffer com/ ) online photo collages ( https //www photocollage com/ ) online photo editor ( https //pixlr com/ ) online image resizer ( https //picresize com/ ) svg & pattern generators generators by haikei ( https //haikei app/generators/ ) create svg waves with get waves ( https //getwaves io/ ) magicpattern free generators ( https //www magicpattern design/tools ) color & design theory meaning of colors ( https //nickkolenda com/guides/color ) css gradient generator ( https //cssgradient io/ ) fast color palettes with coolors ( https //coolors co/ ) emojis emojicopy keyboard ( https //www emojicopy com/ ) quote creators quick quote maker ( https //quotescover com/ ) beautiful quote creator ( https //quozio com/ ) you did it! congratulations! you have your image library set up, your file naming convention sorted out, and a whole lot of image utilities laying the groundwork takes time, but inthe mediumterm, it saves more good work! section 02 step 05 digital presence accounts goal for this step time to make social media accounts! over the next 12 weeks, we'll establish our brand's digital presence on major platforms including facebook, instagram, twitter (now called "x"), linkedin, youtube, google my business, reddit, discord, pinterest, tiktok, medium, quora, and more this step is crucial to prevent cybersquatting, lay the groundwork for seo, and provide a launch pad for your brand all of the platforms have different sizing requirements for logos, banners, and headers every time you make a new image size, add it to your digital asset management tool (even if that is just a folder on your hard drive) and your answer library that we made in the last step you have too much to do to waste time making digital assets over and over! the plan we will make a few of these "digital presence accounts" every week over the next 12 weeks by the end of the final week, you'll have accounts set up for your startup everywhere making each account is a bit time intensive, mostly because they all have different image sizing and write up requirements that's the main reason we'll spread the work out over the the full 12 weeks this week we'll make the accounts for reddit, facebook, and quora 📢 some founders like to just get all of these accounts made all at once if that's how you roll, go for it 📢 you may have already made accounts at some of these if so, great! you can click those checkboxes and move on to the next task 📢 if you think that one day you're going to sell your company or be acquired, having all of these social accounts adds value to the package a future owner might want to pursue a channel you weren't interested in if you have a cool company name or product name, get these social accounts while you can 📢 you might be tempted to skip making accounts at some of these social platforms maybe your thinking, "my audience isn't on tiktok / medium / etc " resist this temptation creating all of these accounts is part of a comprehensive seo strategy your building if you want to dive deep, read our guide to pillow links, below our guide to pillow links, below ⚠️ if a deep dive into seo jargon is not your jam, you can definitely skip this next expandable section which serves only one purpose explaining the logic behind making pillow links if you love to get deep in the weeds on the "why" of everything you do, feel free to read it ⚠️ really, for most founders, reading it will feel like watching paint dry don't torture yourself for that other and very small percentage of founders you know who you are you wouldn't like this blueprint without it ) everything about pillow links everything about pillow links what is link building? a definition link building is the process of acquiring hyperlinks from other websites to your own it is a fundamental aspect of seo (search engine optimization) and plays a crucial role in improving a website's visibility and rankings in search engine results pages when it comes to link building, quality is more important than quantity it is better to have a few high quality pillow links from reputable sources than a large number of low quality links search engines value links that come from authoritative and relevant websites and consider them as indicators of trust and authority what is a pillow link? the term "pillow link" refers to the idea of links that "cushion" your overall profile, mimicking the natural organic growth of a website's backlink profile they are typically high quality and relevant links that are acquired through a variety of link building techniques, such as guest posts, blog comments, directory links, and social media profiles these links serve the purpose of blending seamlessly into the website's overall backlink profile, ensuring that search engines view the site as reputable and trustworthy by incorporating pillow links into a website's link building strategy, seo teams aim to create a diverse and natural link profile this helps to improve the website's domain authority, search engine rankings, and organic traffic a natural link profile reduces the risk of penalties from search engines, as it is considered a white hat seo practice building a strong and natural looking pillow link profile can boost seo success, as it signals to search engines the site's relevance and popularity within its niche by acquiring high quality backlinks from reputable sources, websites can establish themselves as trustworthy and authoritative one of the key advantages of pillow links is their ability to help websites avoid penalties from search engines search engines like google employ sophisticated algorithms that can detect and penalize websites with low quality or spammy backlink profiles by focusing on building high quality, natural backlinks, website owners can ensure that they maintain a positive relationship with search engines and avoid potential penalties pillow link building an underused strategy pillow link building is an underused strategy by companies that that don't have the budget to hire seo experts for new websites aiming to rank on google, pillow link building is especially important the google algorithm places great emphasis on the quality and relevance of links to determine a website's authority and trustworthiness by pursuing pillow link building, new websites can establish a strong foundation of high quality links from reputable sources types of pillow links there are several types of pillow links that can be used in your link building strategy one type is guest post links , where you write and publish a guest post on a relevant website within your niche, and include a backlink to your own website within the content this not only helps you gain exposure to a wider audience but also provides a powerful link from a reputable source another type is niche edits , where you strategically insert your website's link into existing content on other websites that are relevant to your niche this type of link building is more subtle and can help to create a natural looking pillow link profile social media links (and profiles) also play a role in pillow link building by driving traffic to your website and contributing to your social signals whether it's facebook, twitter, instagram, or linkedin, or another dozen smaller platforms, creating a detailed profile, sharing your content and including links back to your website is a big part of any pillow link strategy in addition, forum links can be utilized by actively engaging in relevant forums and including your website's link within your posts this not only allows you to connect with others in your industry but also provides an opportunity to build strong links to your site directory listing sites are another great way pillow link strategy by utilizing these different types of pillow links, you can enhance your backlink profile, increase your website's authority, and improve your search engine rankings social media profile links social media profile links are a great way to build a backlink profile by leveraging social media platforms, you can create links that not only improve your search engine rankings but also increase brand awareness and engagement the goal is to look like an honest, authentic citizen of the web when you have accounts on everything from reddit to discord to twitch, you are it's like the kid who won student of the year at middle school they probably were in 25 different clubs showing up to everything gave them a lot of cred with the teachers are social signals pillow links? social signals and pillow links are two different concepts in seo social signals refer to the engagement and activity on social media platforms, such as likes, shares, comments, and followers they indicate the popularity and relevance of your website or content in the eyes of social media users on the other hand, pillow links are backlinks acquired from various sources including social media platforms to improve search engine rankings, domain authority, and organic traffic types of directory links directory links are also a valuable type of pillow link building they'll not only diversify your link profile but also potentially drive direct traffic to your site there are two main types of directory links that can be used for pillow link building general directories and niche specific directories general directories are platforms where websites from any niche can be listed these directories have a wide range of categories and subcategories, allowing you to find a relevant category examples of popular general directories include yelp, yellow pages, and dmoz niche specific directories, on the other hand, are directories that cater specifically to certain types of websites these directories focus on a particular industry or niche for example, there are directories specifically for software tools, ai startups or gardening companies by utilizing both types of directories, you can create a diverse link profile that reflects natural backlink patterns additionally, directory links can potentially drive traffic to your site, as users browsing these directories may be interested in the products or services you offer this can contribute to both your search engine rankings and overall website visibility the importance of citations/directory listings citations and directory listings play a crucial role in any pillow link building strategy, offering several benefits to boost your backlink profile these links, commonly found in online business directories and citation sources, provide valuable trust signals to search engines and potential customers including citations in your strategy ensures that your business information, such as name, address, and phone number (nap), is consistently and accurately listed across different platforms this not only improves your online visibility but also increases your credibility and trustworthiness in the eyes of search engines incorporating citations and directory listings into your pillow link building efforts contribute to a diverse and natural backlink profile search engines consider a well rounded profile with a mix of citation links, social signals, and powerful links as a sign of authority and relevance this can positively impact your search engine rankings and ultimately drive more organic traffic to your website by leveraging the power of citations and directory listings in your pillow link building strategy, you can establish your brand's credibility, improve your online visibility, and ultimately attract more potential customers so, don't underestimate the importance of these links in building a strong and trustworthy online presence blog comments blog comments can be a valuable tool for pillow link building, but they also have their drawbacks one of the benefits of using blog comments for pillow link building is the potential for referral traffic by leaving insightful and relevant comments on popular blogs within your niche, you can attract the attention of readers who may click on your link to visit your website this can drive targeted traffic and potentially lead to conversions another advantage is the opportunity to establish niche relevance this can enhance the credibility and trustworthiness of your website in the eyes of both users and search engines however, it is important to note that most blog comments include nofollow links nofollow links do not pass link juice or contribute directly to search engine rankings while these links may not have the same seo benefits as dofollow links, they can still generate referral traffic and increase your website's visibility it is important to avoid comment spam, as this can harm your reputation and potentially lead to penalties from search engines niche relevant links a niche relevant link is a type of backlink that links from a website related to a specific niche to another website within the same niche this type of link is highly valuable in seo (search engine optimization) because it allows search engines to identify and prioritize content related to a certain subject, helping webpages rank higher in search results by targeting niche relevant links, you ensure that your website is seen by the right audience also, these links can drive targeted traffic to your website, increasing the chances of conversions moreover, search engines consider niche relevant links as a signal of credibility and authority when your website receives backlinks from industry specific blogs, forums, or other related websites, it strengthens your website's reputation in the eyes of search engines this boosts your search engine rankings and helps you outrank competitors in your niche when targeting niche relevant links, it is important to also incorporate specific keywords related to your company, products, or your target audience by using targeted anchor text and including relevant keywords in your guest posts or forum responses, you can optimize these links for search engine visibility and ranking purposes when to build pillow links before starting any other form of link building, it is crucial to establish a solid foundation by building pillow links these types of links serve as the initial building blocks and set the stage for a successful link building strategy the easiest pillow links to go after are social media profiles and directory listings one of the primary benefits of pillow link building is the establishment of a link base by creating a network of high quality and relevant links, you can ensure that your website has a strong base for further link building efforts this foundation will contribute to the overall strength and authority of your website, ultimately improving your search engine rankings common pillow link building mistakes to avoid using low quality links in pillow link building can have severe negative consequences for a website's search engine rankings it is important to avoid such links and focus on obtaining high quality links instead low quality links are often detrimental to a website's rankings because search engines penalize sites that have an abundance of them these links are usually from spammy websites or directories, have no relevancy to the content, and are often obtained through black hat techniques they do not add any value to the user experience and can even harm a website's credibility to ensure the success of a pillow link building strategy, it is crucial to follow best practices for identifying and using high quality links firstly, focus on obtaining links from authoritative websites with high domain authority and a natural link profile these websites should have relevant content and a strong online presence building social profiles has benefits beyond pillow links when it comes to building pillow links, many people focus solely on the benefits of improving search engine rankings and acquiring high quality backlinks however, there are additional advantages to building social profiles that go beyond just pillow links one of the key benefits is brand name protection by claiming and maintaining social profiles across various platforms, you can ensure that your brand's online presence is consistent and accurately represents your business this helps to protect your brand from identity theft or misuse by others additionally, building social profiles allows you to actively engage with bloggers and writers in your niche it creates opportunities for relationship building and networking with influential individuals who have the potential to provide genuine backlinks to your website key concepts in seo understanding how pillow links fit into a strategy there are three main categories of seo, each targeting different aspects of the algorithm to improve search rankings technical seo focuses on optimizing the technical elements of a website to ensure it is easily accessible and crawlable by search engines this includes optimizing the site's structure, improving site speed, implementing structured data, and optimizing meta tags the goal of technical seo is to create a smooth user experience and help search engines understand the content on the site on page seo involves optimizing the content and elements on individual webpages this includes keyword research and optimization, creating high quality and relevant content, optimizing title tags and meta descriptions, and improving internal linking the goal of on page seo is to make the content more visible and understandable for search engines off page seo is centered around building a website's authority and reputation through external factors this includes earning high quality backlinks from reputable websites, promoting the content through social media and other channels, and engaging with the online community the goal of off page seo is to improve the website's credibility and demonstrate relevance to search engines pillow links and link building is entirely about off page seo relevance, authority/power, & trust relevance is essential because search engines prioritize websites that provide relevant and valuable content to users obtaining links from sites in similar niches is a great way to maximize relevance when linking from sites within the same industry or topic, search engines perceive the content as more relevant and trustworthy, which boosts the visibility and credibility of the linked website additionally, niche edits, which involve adding your links to existing relevant content on other websites, further enhance relevance by ensuring the linked content aligns with the referring site's theme authority/power refers to the strength and influence of a website search engines consider the authority of the referring website when evaluating the value of a link obtaining links from high authority websites is highly beneficial in establishing credibility and improving search rankings the more authoritative and powerful the referring website, the more weightage the link carries, resulting in higher visibility and improved search rankings for the linked website trust is an equally important factor in pillow link building search engines prioritize links from trustworthy and reputable sources factors that contribute to trust include the credibility of the referring website, its reputation, and the distance to seed sites follow vs nofollow links follow links and nofollow links are two types of links commonly used in online content and seo strategies the main difference between them lies in how they are treated by search engines follow links, also known as dofollow links, are links that search engines recognize and use to pass pagerank or link juice from one website to another these links are considered valuable for seo purposes as they can help improve a website's search engine rankings on the other hand, nofollow links are links that have a rel="nofollow" attribute attached to them this attribute tells search engines not to pass any pagerank or link equity to the linked website while nofollow links do not directly contribute to seo rankings, they can still generate referral traffic, meaning that users who click on them can be directed to the linked website having a balance between dofollow and nofollow links is important for several reasons first, it helps avoid suspicion from search engines a natural link profile should have a mix of both types of links, as an excessive number of dofollow or nofollow links can raise red flags and potentially lead to penalties how long does it take to see results from pillow link building? pillow link building is a long term strategy that requires patience and dedication while it would be ideal to see immediate results, it's important to understand that building a strong and effective link profile takes time the timeline for seeing results from pillow link building can vary based on several factors one of the key factors is the effort put into the strategy the more time and resources you invest in acquiring high quality pillow links, the faster you are likely to see results additionally, the effectiveness of the tactics used can also influence the timeframe for results if you are consistently creating valuable content and building relationships with authoritative websites in your niche, you can expect to see improvements in your search engine rankings over time however, it's crucial not to get discouraged if you don't see immediate results building a natural and diverse link profile takes time, and search engines prioritize websites that have a steady and organic growth of backlinks while the exact timeframe for results may vary, pillow link building should be viewed as a long term strategy by focusing on creating valuable content, building relationships, and consistently acquiring high quality pillow links, you can expect to see significant improvements in your search engine rankings over time make your reddit account ⚠️ the reddit community loathes companies! in fact, their wiki explicitly states "it's perfectly fine to be a redditor with a website, it's not okay to be a website with a reddit account " ⚠️ in most case you don't want to use your personal reddit account you don't want potential customers see your post from six years ago about \[that embarrassing thing ] there are exceptions to this of course maybe your 10,000 karma gives you cred (karma is a reddit measurement of valuable participation ) maybe you have a lot of clout in the subreddits where your customers are but if this isn't the case, make a new account and keep things separate ⚠️ make your new account with a non company name that gives credibility about your company or product for example, if you are selling cupcakes for dogs, a username that might work with your customers in the pet subreddits might be "woofchef " 📢 use the content in the answer library you made in step 3 for your profile content we have a lot of forms and profiles to fill out, so don't get bogged down in writing all new answers to every question let's make your reddit account round up digital assets you'll need you'll need a 256x256 png or jpg for your avatar picture reddit allows you to have a banner on your profile 1000x300 png or jpg you can wing it, but if you want something optimized, take a look at https //www kapwing com/resources/how to make a reddit profile banner with template/# text=reddit%20profiles%20have%20a%20background,profile%20banner%20of%20your%20own some founders like to have a dedicated email address for all of these social accounts (like " mailto\ social\@mycoolcompany com ") if you want to do this, go make your email you'll use for social accounts be sure to check it often! make a new reddit account not in your company name (see the warning above ) verify the account with the email they sent you fill out your profile add the images use the content from the answer library make sure you give people a way to find you in your profile when you post great content people will look save any new images, write ups, and other digital assets you made in your library keep track of your login information use a password manager like lastpass or dashlane, or use your own secret cool method but do keep track of all of the accounts we are making this account is an asset of your company you wouldn't forget where you parked the company car would you? facebook business page 📢 your business page username is crucial for easy discovery ensure it's your brand or company or as closely aligned as you can get it 📢 if you don't have a personal facebook account, you will have to make one before you can make a business page for your company for those of you without a facebook account, this is tough news you've resisted this long while you can ignore facebook, for most businesses (b2c and b2b) not being on facebook can limit your launch 📢 although connected, your business page and personal profile are distinct always ensure you're operating as the business entity when you eventually start engaging on your business page let's make your facebook business page round up the digital assets you'll need profile picture a crisp 170x170 png or jpg this should be your logo cover photo you are going to want a compelling visual in 820x462 pixels ensure it’s on brand and communicates your business essence 📢 if you are struggling with this, we can help in office hours business email make sure it's an account you check often you'll need basic contact info for your company log into your personal facebook account this acts as the anchor for your business page head to https //www facebook com/pages/create/ select business category choose the one that best aligns with your business page name use your official business name it aids brand recognition and searchability add your business details—address, phone number, etc upload visuals add the profile picture and cover photo you've prepared about section be concise and compelling mention what you do and how you add value use content from your answer library dive into page settings tweak preferences to align with your business needs save any new images, write ups, and other digital assets you made for this in your library add any other content you want to make your page feel inhabited make your medium account medium is an online publishing platform combining the best of blogging and social media it's a space where writers, professionals, and hobbyists share in depth articles, personal stories, and expert insights with a focus on quality content, medium offers a clean, reader friendly environment catering to a broad audience seeking depth and clarity businesses, experts, and individuals use medium to reach a broader audience, connect with industry peers, and build their online presence it's a great platform to build credibility as a subject matter expert 📢 even if you think you'll never use medium, make the account anyway for more information on why, refer to the "pillow links" section above 📢 if you decide to post on medium, their audience values genuine, insightful content share unique perspectives or industry knowledge to connect with readers 📢 if you decide medium is a good platform for your business, submit to medium's topic specific publications to amplify your reach ⚠️ medium, like many websites, allows you to sign up with google, facebook, or email for your business, alays sign up with email for everything if you ever lose your facebook or google account, you don't want to lose access to every other site you are way less likely to lose access to a business domain email let's set up your medium profile round up the digital assets you'll need profile picture 400x400 png or jpg; your logo or personal image a brief, 160 character introduction use content from your answer library links you'll be able to add the links to your website and other platforms visit https //www medium com/ and choose 'get started' under your profile picture, select “profile” to edit add your profile picture, name, bio, and location include your cover image and links under the 'also on' section save any new images, write ups, and other digital assets you made for this in your library keep track of your login information you did it! congrats! you now have a reddit profile, a facebook business page, and a medium account in the coming weeks we'll use these account to get traction and tell the world about your company and product great job! section 02 step 06 general directory sites introduction directory sites play an important role in announcing the launch of your start up to a broader audience over a 12 week period, we'll systematically list your company on hundreds of directory websites, focusing on a manageable ten to twenty five each week by adding these directory listings a bit at a time, you won't get bogged down and, by sticking with it for twelve weeks, you'll steadily build domain authority, awareness, and credibility by listing your start up on these sites many specifically designed for announcing company launches you're embarking on a strategy that may seem incremental, but collectively works to enhance your online presence, boost search engine rankings, and connect with new networks goal for this step the goal is to list your start up on selected directory sites this is a grind put on your favorite playlist, grab a coffee, and don't get up until you'r done simple, but tedious in the task list below there is a list of directory sites and startup announcement sites the list (like everything in the launch farm plan) is tightly currated on the left is the link to the site on the right is the link (or instructions) to submit your startup click the submit link, grab your answers from your answer library, and start telling the word about your company and product 📢 one of the chrome extensions we included above is a utility that let's you grab anything you've copied to the clipboard for the last few hours (even days ) this will be useful for accesing multiple snippets from your answer library quickly 📢 clipboard history pro clipboard history https //chrome google com/webstore/detail/clipboard history pro bes/ajiejmhbejpdgkkigpddefnjmgcbkenk what to do now click answer submit and again (and again ) 📢 you might need answers to some questions you don't yet have in your answer library if so, you can use the chatbot below it has been trained to write short answers for directory listings 💬 submission copywriter bot use this copywirting chatbot to get through those directory submission questions quickly! yep it's a lot your dream is worth the grind submit to these general directories and listing sites main site https //f6s com submit use link in upper right main site https //betalist com submit https //betalist com/users/sign in main site https //startups snapmunk com/home submit https //startups snapmunk com/join main site https //www launchingnext com/ submit https //www launchingnext com/submit/ main site https //launched io/ submit https //launched io/newsubmission main site https //allstartups info/ submit https //allstartups info/startups/submit main site https //10words io/ submit https //portal 10words io/auth/register main site https //nextbigproduct net/ submit https //nextbigproduct net/product submission/ special case geekwire is only for startups located in the pacific northwest main site https //www geekwire com/startup list/ submit https //www geekwire com/submit startup/ you did it! directory listings done! let's tackle the next challenge section 02 step 07 niche down reddit groups goal for this step you have a shiny new reddit account we made in step what to do now let's look at an example what to do now you did it! (in following weeks add discord, instagram, fb, twitter, uora and other social strats) launch on 5 reddit subreddits use promppt grab your short biz descript from the library, paste with this prompt we will work up to big launches like producthunt in the 12 weeks we will cover alternative (and for some startups, wildly successful launch channels, like (see list in book) this week the one we are tacklin is, and how is section 02 step 08 special affinity groups goal for this step what to do now let's look at an example what to do now you did it! section 02 step 09 producthunt goal for this step what to do now let's look at an example what to do now you did it! section 02 step 10 can you capture emails? goal for this step what to do now let's look at an example what to do now you did it! section 02 step 11 keep the momentum going (this section is all about what to do during the week) identify brunson idea, cold call is hard expect nose punch goal for this step what to do now let's look at an example what to do now you did it! what to do if you get stuck office hours