Comic Exposure Methods

[Tentoumushi]

What have you found to be the best way go get your comic "out there"? I know it seems like a "duh" question, but I've found that the traditional methods, such as comic databases, listings, and web rings haven't been working for me. I've gained more exposure by simply putting a small banner link to my comic in my sigs on the many forums I post on (or so my stat counter tells me) as the vast majority of my traffic comes from forums I post on. I also have gotten a ton of hits from sites of which I've given some fan art to (not becuase I want linkage in return, but becuase I really liked the comics enough to stop being lazy and make art!)

So what are some of the ways, you've found, really helped your comic get some exposure? Do you have any tips or tricks to share with little n00bugs like me? :3

[Boozeathon4billion]

There was a post on this very forum by yeahduff about this topic, so read it by clicking right here! If you have any other questions on it, read through that thread and then ask away. Or ask here again.

[Tarts]

I got a bunch of hits from Stumbleupon people. I don't know exactly how they found the comic per se... then again, I don't really know how a bunch of stuff on the internets work.

[Kasaii]

Advertising, making cameos for other people's comics, going to conventions, and making a damned good comic.

Those are the four most successful methods in my experience (the one ad I ran doubled my long-term readers, actually).

[Lunar]

The fan art thing is actually the most effective way I've found so far, although like you said that was just a happy side-effect.

[KWill]

Funny. I've discovered not being able to update keeps visits at a relatively constant level...

[Fishies]

Hmm, well, you said it didn't work for you, but the thing that made my visits go up was online lists. It went up from 18 a day the month I signed up to a few, to 34 the next month, to 54 the month after that. Onlinecomics.net seems to be the one that gives me the most refferers, but I've decided to sign up for any list that'll take me.

I also got a lot of hits this month from a webcomic I'd never seen before (I'm gonna go read it now!) Other places I seem to get people from include here, and Gaia (I have an art request thread there for my comic characters.) Keenlace also brought people in. Yay for Keenlace!

I'd try advertising but I don't want to spend money on my comic for I am cheap.

[TheWhiteWilSmith]

My hits spiked when I did a guest strip for WereGeek this month, which have pretty much bottomed out at this point, but for a week or 2 it was pretty crazy and I've got a KeenLace going up later on this spring.

So guest strips and fan art seem to be the way to get your stuff noticed. I've found a lot of people very non-compliant as far as banner exchanges go, so I've all but given up on that route.

[Orinocou]

This is a topic that I have seen revisited so many times, yet I never tire of it.
I have not really gotten much response to fan arts that I create for other webcomic artists, but then again, I have not made much fan art. Too busy drawing the comic.
But I suspect that posting frequently in some forums might do you some good.

[Smelch]

A nice long trenchcoat, and isolated groups of grannies in the local park...

Or am I getting the wrong end of the stick here?

[Td501]

Likewise I've found comic lists to be a big help. Had a significant increase in readership after joining topwebcomics.com, and another big increase with thewebcomiclist.com. Going to give onlinecomics.net a try now!

[Jekkal]

Conventions for the win.

No, really, a good convention weekend made my PW ad prices JUMP from 5-6 cents a day to twenty cents. It's only been a week since, but the prices are still up there, which makes me think I really boosted my exposure if nothing else.

[Phact0rri]

two words... fan... service. Its always win win.

[Theleftangle]

This kind of thing...
HEY-My comic is NEW today!! Come check it out!
http://theleftangle.comicdish.com/
Feel free to comment too!
Thanx
Marty

[Warren]

Put your URL on all the money you spend. And go to a lot of strip clubs.

[Birdie]

Put your URL on all the money you spend. And go to a lot of strip clubs.

Yeah, but strippers hate the sound of jingling quarters even if your URL is on them...

[K-Dawg]

This kind of thing...
HEY-My comic is NEW today!! Come check it out!
http://theleftangle.comicdish.com/
Feel free to comment too!
Thanx
Marty

I find it only works if people know you in whatever community you're posting in. If you just sign up to as many places as you can and just plug your comic on your first post you'll probably end up with less visits.

[McDuffies]

Put your URL on all the money you spend. And go to a lot of strip clubs.

What, you still haven't been jailed for defacing government property?

[RobertBlake]

I used to make 4-page comic books and leave them all over town, on the bulletin boards of local supermarkets or leaving a stack wherever people are, with my site's URL on it. If you do this, always get permission from the manager or whoever before doing so.

[Redtech]

It helps if your boss is into webcomics and your workmate's an Otaku!