Musings on How to market a WordPress plugin

CrawlSpider Internal Link building plugin for WordPress launched on ProductHunt this year.

The following is not a detailed plan for marketing any WordPress plugin. That would be for some other article. This is very specific. How to market a SEO WordPress Plugin that does internal linking for WordPress articles and posts ( and also WooCommerce products ).

CrawlSpider Background

A lot of research and development went into building CrawlSpider from scratch. It boasts several unique selling propositions (USPs), with the primary focus on automated internal link building using a long-tail keyword strategy. Additionally, features like stunning data visualization, auto rules with spintax, and broken link monitoring are equally important, but internal link building remains the centerpiece.

Marketing Challenges

The challenge lies in the fact that not many people are actively seeking such solutions.

This could be because of the following few reasons

• Users are not aware of this [not doing internal linking] problem
• They think only external link building is important
• Internal link building being so time consuming and a difficult process they simply don’t care.

Therefore, our goal is to generate awareness that internal link building is a low-hanging fruit that every website owner should incorporate into their SEO strategy. This awareness must be raised through various methods to ensure that the benefits of CrawlSpider are widely recognized and utilized.

Introduction to CrawlSpider

CrawlSpider is the ultimate internal link-building tool, specifically designed as a fully automatic WordPress plugin. It simplifies the complex task of internal linking by automatically identifying and linking relevant content within your site, enhancing your SEO efforts effortlessly. With CrawlSpider, you can improve your website’s navigation, distribute link equity more effectively, and boost your search engine rankings without the need for manual intervention.

Key and Important Benefits

• Save tremendous time. On a typical website with 100s of articles you can easily save 10 hours /week

Why Tremendous Effort Should Be Invested in Marketing CrawlSpider

Investing significant effort in marketing CrawlSpider is crucial due to its unique value proposition and the growing demand for effective SEO tools. Internal linking is a fundamental aspect of SEO, yet it is often overlooked due to its time-consuming nature. CrawlSpider addresses this challenge with its automated, efficient, and user-friendly approach, making it an indispensable tool for website owners, SEO professionals, and digital marketers.

By marketing CrawlSpider effectively, we can reach a broader audience, demonstrate its unparalleled benefits, and establish it as a must-have plugin for WordPress users. The potential to significantly enhance website performance, improve user experience, and drive organic traffic makes CrawlSpider an essential tool in the competitive digital landscape. Therefore, a well-strategized marketing campaign will not only increase adoption but also position CrawlSpider as a leader in the SEO tools market.

Many of the marketing steps mentioned below are already in progress and some are not started yet.

Marketing Ideas for Promoting CrawlSpider

1. Content Marketing: (This is the current focus)
   • Educational Blog Posts: Write detailed blog posts on the benefits of internal linking, how to optimize internal links, and case studies showing the effectiveness of CrawlSpider.
   • Guest Blogging: Publish guest posts on popular SEO and WordPress-related blogs to reach a broader audience.
   • SEO Guides and E-books: Create comprehensive guides and e-books about internal linking strategies, offering CrawlSpider as a solution.
     
2. Social Media Marketing: (Not much happening here)
   • LinkedIn and Facebook Groups: Share insights and case studies in SEO and WordPress groups.
   • Social Media Ads: Run targeted ads on platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter to reach SEO professionals, web developers, and WordPress users.
   • Influencer Partnerships: Collaborate with influencers in the SEO and WordPress space to promote CrawlSpider.
     
3. Email Marketing: (Not started)
   • Newsletters: Include articles about internal linking and the benefits of using CrawlSpider in your newsletters.
   • Drip Campaigns: Create an email sequence that educates potential users about internal linking and demonstrates how CrawlSpider can help.
     
4. Webinars and Online Workshops:
   • Live Demos: Host live demonstrations showing how CrawlSpider works and its benefits.
   • Q&A Sessions: Provide opportunities for potential customers to ask questions and learn more about the tool.
5. SEO and PPC Campaigns:
   • Targeted SEO: Optimize your website and blog content for keywords related to internal linking and WordPress plugins.
   • PPC Ads: Run pay-per-click campaigns targeting relevant keywords on Google Ads and Bing Ads.
     
6. Partnerships and Collaborations:
   • Affiliate Programs: Create an affiliate program to incentivize others to promote CrawlSpider.
   • Agency Partnerships: Partner with SEO and digital marketing agencies to offer CrawlSpider as part of their service packages.
     
7. Customer Testimonials and Case Studies:
   • Success Stories: Publish case studies and testimonials from satisfied users showcasing the effectiveness of CrawlSpider.
   • Video Testimonials: Create videos featuring users discussing their positive experiences with CrawlSpider.
     
8. Free Trials and Discounts:
   • Free Trial Period: Offer a free trial period to allow potential customers to experience CrawlSpider’s benefits firsthand.
   • Discounts and Promotions: Provide limited-time discounts or promotional offers to encourage sign-ups.

Target Personas for CrawlSpider

1. SEO Professionals:
   • Job Titles: SEO Specialists, SEO Managers, Digital Marketing Managers
   • Interests: Improving website rankings, optimizing on-page and off-page SEO, using SEO tools and plugins.
   • Approach: Highlight the SEO benefits of CrawlSpider, such as improved internal linking for better search engine rankings and user experience.
     
2. WordPress Developers and Designers:
   • Job Titles: WordPress Developers, Web Designers, Webmasters
   • Interests: Enhancing website performance, using efficient plugins, improving site structure.
   • Approach: Emphasize the ease of integration with WordPress, the automation features, and how CrawlSpider simplifies internal linking.
     
3. Content Managers and Marketers:
   • Job Titles: Content Managers, Content Strategists, Digital Marketers
   • Interests: Creating and promoting content, improving user engagement, driving organic traffic.
   • Approach: Focus on how CrawlSpider can help in better content interlinking, improving content discoverability, and boosting engagement metrics.
     
4. E-commerce Business Owners:
   • Job Titles: E-commerce Managers, Online Store Owners
   • Interests: Increasing online sales, optimizing product pages, improving site navigation.
   • Approach: Demonstrate how CrawlSpider can enhance internal linking in product pages, leading to better navigation and potentially higher sales.
     
5. Small Business Owners:
   • Job Titles: Entrepreneurs, Small Business Owners
   • Interests: Building an effective online presence, using cost-effective SEO tools, improving website performance.
   • Approach: Highlight the cost-effectiveness and ease of use of CrawlSpider, and how it can help small businesses improve their website’s internal linking without requiring extensive SEO knowledge.

Approach to Reaching Target Personas

1. SEO Professionals:
   • Channels:
     • SEO Forums: Moz Community, Reddit’s /r/SEO, BlackHatWorld
     • LinkedIn Groups: “SEO Experts Group,” “Digital Marketing & SEO”
     • Industry Conferences: SMX (Search Marketing Expo), BrightonSEO, Pubcon
       
   • Content: In-depth articles, webinars, case studies showcasing SEO improvements.
     
2. WordPress Developers and Designers:
   • Channels:
     • WordPress Meetups: WordPress.org’s Meetup groups, WordCamps
     • Development Forums: Stack Overflow, WPBeginner, WordPress Support Forums
     • GitHub: WordPress repositories, WP plugin repositories
       
   • Content: Technical blog posts, live demos, integration guides.
     
3. Content Managers and Marketers:
   • Channels:
     • Content Marketing Blogs: Content Marketing Institute, HubSpot Blog, Neil Patel’s Blog
     • Social Media: Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, especially in groups and communities focused on content marketing
     • Email Newsletters: MarketingProfs, Copyblogger, Content Marketing Institute’s newsletter
       
   • Content: Guides on internal linking strategies, success stories, tool comparisons.
     
4. E-commerce Business Owners:
   • Channels:
     • E-commerce Platforms: Shopify Community, BigCommerce Forum, WooCommerce Community
     • Industry Webinars: eCommerceFuel, eTail events, Shopify webinars
     • Facebook Ads: Targeted ads towards e-commerce interest groups and pages
       
   • Content: Case studies, blog posts on e-commerce SEO, promotional offers.
     
5. Small Business Owners:
   • Channels:
     • Small Business Forums: Small Business Bonfire, Warrior Forum, Reddit’s /r/smallbusiness
     • Local Business Groups: Chamber of Commerce websites, Meetup.com business groups
     • Email Marketing: Newsletters from SCORE, SBA (Small Business Administration), Bplans
       
   • Content: Simplified guides, testimonials, free trials and discount promotions.
     

This is Work in progress and very high level map of activities for marketing a SEO WordPress plugin.

What would you do for marketing CrawlSpider?