Ever since medieval shopkeepers have hung signs on nearby trees advertisers and marketers alike have been fascinated with the prospect of generating traffic. Traffic building was a fine art designed to drive people through your store.
And they came. traffic builders were great for producing exactly what they were named for - Traffic! But not sales. Free drinks, air conditioning, Hot Dogs, whatever are not likely to entice people to buy real estate, or perfume, or tobacco or whatever it is that you actually sell.
By the same token driving traffic to your web site via shotgun style Adwords messages, or SEO marketing on a range of vaguely representative words, contextual links or even buying traffic through blog sponsorship will not produce ales unless it stands for something.
Tricking people to enter a store just annoys them, it doesn't mean they will suddenly decide to buy whatever it is you are selling.
Getting your name out means very little. Getting your brand out means the entire world. People need to know what it is that you represent. What your personal or professional brand actually means to them in terms of value or experiences.
Don't try to be where they are, instead try to be what they are looking for. (And be extraordinary when they find you)
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