How Pretty Links has Helped planet5d.com Create a Thriving Brand
Since I released Pretty Links (PLP), I've become friends with some fantastic bloggers. Many of these PLP users are really top notch bloggers and have used Pretty Links in ways that I never anticipated. One of these PLP users is Mitch "planetMitch" Aunger over at planet5d.com.
Great Content + Awesome Marketing = A Thriving Brand
PlanetMitch knows just about everything about Canon Cameras, Accessories and Photographic techniques and his site is definitely proof of this fact. He's only been at it for 2 years and in that short time has built an impressive blog and brand that is a destination site for anyone interested in Photography. His articles have been picked up by several major news sites because his content is so timely and relevant.
How planetMitch Does It
PlanetMitch has been using Pretty Links to accelerate the success of his blog and brand for a year now. Here's what planetMitch has to say about Pretty Links:
Yup, it is true, I’m a Pretty Links fanatic and that’s because I know it has helped turn my blog into a hugely popular destination for photographers. If you’re a WordPress blogger, you probably know that blogging actually takes time – shocking I know! But as you spend time working on your blog, you look for tools to improve your user’s experience as well as ways to make the process of blogging easier. Pretty Links is a must have tool for both.
New bloggers (and even experienced ones) don’t spend enough time working on branding themselves and their blog. Pretty Links’s Pretty Bar and URL shortening tools are phenomenal ways to let readers see your brand and share your brand with others. The more readers see your brand, the more they’ll think about coming back - isn’t this what advertisers know how to do? Well, you should be doing the same things to build your brand - and Pretty Links does just that.
I have one case where other people were sharing a page that I linked in one of my blog posts (that was created with the URL shortener and with the Pretty Bar attached) with others - and they were copying my branded link to share. My post had over 1000 hits, but thru sharing my branded URL with the Pretty Bar has been shared over 50,000 times. Imagine your brand being shared so many times with just one simple link that PLP created!
And let’s not forget the time savers. PLP’s keyword replacement tool alone saves me hours and hours - because all I have to do is to include a keyword (“training” for example) in a post and PLP automatically inserts a link to my training page - apply that to your affiliate links - type a product name and PLP inserts your affiliate link - simple. I have hundreds of keywords built up. Imagine the amount of time that saves! And that’s just one of several different time savers included.
[Pretty Links] replaces several other wordpress plugins - Blair has included several features that do the same things as other plugins (re-tweet, social media bars etc) - using only one plugin saves resources and reduces plugin conflicts.
Would my blog be as popular as it is without Pretty Links? Maybe - but I know that it makes my blogging life easier and I know it has helped branding my site. I darn well won’t give it up!
Here are a couple of links to planetMitch's blog that will showcase his use of PLP's Tweet Count Badge and PLP's branded pretty bar:
http://blog.planet5d.com/vvq -- Just an example of some of planetMitch's phenomenal content and his use of PLP's Automated Keyword Replacement (the red links in his content body)
http://blog.planet5d.com/zs5 -- Many of planetMitch's articles get re-tweeted like crazy
http://blog.planet5d.com/5dadb -- Even when planetMitch's external links are shared, they retain his branding -- helping his site be more viral
PlanetMitch over at planet5d.com is a great example of someone who has used PLP to streamline his blog and to create a thriving brand -- I think anyone trying to build a brand could take a lesson or two from him.