Over the weekend I created a landing page for my Twitter account.
I got the idea off Laura Fitton (@pistachio) when a guest post on TwiTip highlighted what she’d done with her own Who is @pistachio landing page.
What is a Twitter Landing Page?
In short – a twitter landing page is a page on your blog or website that is specifically written for those arriving at your blog having clicked on the link in your twitter profile.
Why Develop a Twitter Landing Page?
I recently wrote a post on ProBlogger suggesting 3 alternatives to promoting your blogs homepage – the reasoning behind this post was that when you promote your blog’s front page you send people to a page that at times can be confusing and is less likely to convert people into regular readers.
The idea behind a landing page is that it can be tailored to suit the audience who arrives on it.
Think about why people click the URL on a Twitter profile?
Most times that I do it – I want to know more about the person behind the Twitter account. I want to know who they are, what they do and how I can connect with them.
Being taken to the front page of their blog doesn’t really answer all of these questions without me having to do some more work (looking for an about page, sifting through their latest posts etc).
A Twitter Landing Page can quickly answer some of these basic questions and at the same time give a strong call to action (what this Call to Action is will depend upon your goals).
My Twitter Landing Page
My Twitter Landing Page is designed simply to give more information and a relatively quick introduction into who I am and where people can find out more about the different aspects of what I do. It includes:
- A prominent personal picture – the the same one as my Twitter avatar which hopefully reinforces the brand. There’s also images of my book and the ProBlogger logo.
- My story – a very brief version of my blogging story – with a link where they can read an extended version
- Introductions to my blogs – links to where people can read more of my content
- A stronger introduction to ProBlogger – as my twitter account is centered around this blog I wanted to highlight what it is about and call people to subscribe to it.
- A call to follow me on Twitter and introduction to what people get if they do
- Introductions to my other projects – b5media, the ProBlogger Book, the Problogger job boards
In addition to that I’ve personalized the page so that people know it is written specifically for Twitter users in the hope that this personalization will make them feel a little more personally welcomed.
Extend this Idea
Of course Twitter Landing Pages are just the tip of the social media iceberg. Extend it further by creating Facebook Landing Pages, LinkedIn Landing Pages, Plurk Landing Pages, Digg Landing Pages and more.
I think you did a really good job creating a nice simple entry point and roadmap for folks for your online life.
You menionted you’re relatively active on Facebook, LinkedIn, Digg, StumbleUpon and FriendFeed. Thoughts on MyBlogLog? … Do you have any summary posts on how you spend your time and make the most of your activity across the social sites?
Thanks so much, Darren. I had no idea…on many fronts. No idea about the possibility of a landing page; no idea about your first blog; and, no idea you do something called TwiTips (I’m headed there now). I follow you on Twitter but I guess I never found my way to your landing page, because I came aboard before you had it I guess. So thanks again. I’m off to work on this new landing page project:)
Excellent idea.
Excellent.
Thanks for the reminder :)
This is something I intend to do for all my social media outposts, so that those who click can get targeted information.
I’ve thought that the idea could extend to blog comments and even creating specific landing pages for when you do high profile guest posts.
I’d go so far to highlight posts that may be relevant to that particular reader.
It was an idea I’d put into action on a previous version of my blog, but forgot to reintroduce it. Will add it to the to do list!
Now my question is: Why wasn’t this idea more obvious? :-)
Great idea.
This is really good idea.
I like the concept of giving information before the reader is reading my blog.
Kind of like an introduction to a book, outlining what the person will find and can expect when they click on the blog.
Sounds like I need to put this task on my to-do list.
Cheers,
Katrina.
Good idea, but I’m not sure if you need a whole page for giving a quick introduction for users who click through from Twitter. If you use WordPress[.org], I suggest you give the WP Greet Box plugin a try.
The plugin automatically detect people who have clicked through to your page from Twitter (and many other social media sites) and display a customized message to them. In your case, you can specify a quick Twitter introduction there.
This almost sounds like linking to your about page. You wouldn’t have really any different information and you would just put the @name as one of your contacts. thanks.
Darren – This is really smart. Thanks for sharing. Kicking myself that I didn’t already think about doing this.
Wow! I am glad I found this blog.
This is only the second post I have read, and I have felt compelled to reply to both posts! They were that good…
I am a week old blogger (well a little over a week), and I think I am getting off on the right track. Now, reading this post I will start adding some landing pages from social sites such as Twitter and the like.
I love the idea, and you are totally right! When I click on someones link from Twitter I am not really wanting to now about their blog — at least not yet — I am wanting to find out more about them and possibly get some information on what they Twitt about… In your case this blog ;)
I think you have won yet another avid reader!
Joshua Collins
http://ISeeNewPeople.com
Nahh I don’t think this is a good idea. See for a popular blogger like Darren it might work well, because it is advertising the book and who he really is. People, at least I am not really curious about getting to know the person from his website, instead I would get to know him through social network.
Regards: rizzy
http://twitter.com/rizzy81
wow this is really a great idea, its simple but really hit on the spot
I think this is perfect idea to grab more followers. I will use it in my blog.
I’m thinking that if I did a landing page that took those who read my twitter profile over to the landing page, then I would have an explanation of twitter on this landing page also, something you didn’t have. The reason I would do this is because — I would have a link from the front of my blog to this same landing page. That way my readers woud have both my twitter address and an explanation of twitter. A good number of my readers/commentators, believe it or not, don’t know what commentators are. So I would make the page be a landing page from both directions! Thanks for the ideas you have given to us!
Krissy :)
my main blog: Sometimes I Think
my twitter: http://www.twitter.com/iamkrissy
Great idea. I’m going to work on my own.
I’ll work on putting it up in the next day or two….
my site is http://www.designedbyeh.com, so I’ll work on http://www.designedbyeh.com/twitter for my landing page.
This is why he is the ProBlogger…
Great idea. I blog on several sites, so this will help me get everything organized – which, BTW, is the theme of my new website.
This was a great idea…I just put mine together, I cannot wait to see what it will do to raise awareness about who I am to my followers.
great job…damn I love this site!!!!
As I am,
George Torres
The Urban Jibaro
Sofrito For Your Soul Media, Inc
Good topic, Darren. Just earlier today I was thinking of landing pages for blog comments. Have you touched on this subject before? Clearly I don’t have one yet. I was thinking it may be most useful to leave a blog comment URL that goes to an about page. Thoughts?
WOW! Great idea, originality and simplicity. I am going for creating landing page. I saw one at Pistachio but that is much more folksy.
The Ryze network has a great set-up for personal pages that allow you to make it your very own.
I hope this might be what you mean: http://www.ryze.com/go/verbatimeb
I can add anything I want – change it on a daily basis if necessary!
I’ve seen this idea tossed around, but you really do it justice. I love the way you introduce yourself to Twitter readers on your landing page. Now I’m thinking hard how to do something like this. Thank you!
Excellent! Must add to the top of my already extensive Internet Marketing “To Do List.” Thanks!
@ZaraGreen on Twitter
I saw this mentioned on your new blog Twitip.com and had to know more. I am so glad I did. I have since created a twitter landing page for my blog. Thanks again for the great information.
All the best
JB
@jbrath
I’m so going to suggest this to my manager. I think that blog.viscape.com really needs this.
Thanks for the great post!
@Mistyeyed
Having a specific landing page for a particular audience should be more responsive than a one-size-fits-all vanilla homepage.
Mark
I have been using Twitwall like a Twitter landing page and I wonder how you feel about that approach?
@laurenamcmullen
Yes indeed good idea! In this way it will be so easy to count statistics how many visitors you get from twitter and thus to judge how effective is your online twitter activity.
This is a great idea Darren–but can a Twitter/facebook/etc. landing page be the same as one’s “about” page and just simply put a direct link to that in your Twitter bio than the link to the homepage?
@ShannonNelson