How can we grow this website now that it has made it to public beta?

Question

Now that the site is open and usable to the public, how do we successfully grow it? I imagine it should be easier to promote it now than it was when it was just in the proposal stage, but that's not to say it will be easy.

How have other Stack Exchange sites successfully promoted themselves? What has worked, and what hasn't worked?

I tried posting on the woodworking subreddit but my post was immediately downvoted (I think for self-promotion). I think there's a lot of synergy between SE sites and reddit--for example, reddit is conversational and encourages wood identification questions, but when you just want a definitive answer, it seems like WW.SE (or should we say W.SE?) would be a better resource.

Answer 1

Well I promoted the World building site on my other social media avenues and I have started promoting this one as well. If someone knows how to use the Stack Exchange ads and inter-site promotions more power to us.

Tell people you know who would be interested, post in other groups etc. I started a wood turners group on G+ and I let them all know about this site being promoted to public beta (about 1300 users)

I also forgot to mention, don't just point out the site. Find questions and answers you find interesting and helpful and use the 'share' to give direct links to them.

Answer 2

The sites below come to mind (please add as you see fit). I've started spreading the word across some of these. If you're active on any of these sites or others, please feel free to do the same but try to do it in a non-spammy way.

• Post on other dedicated woodworking sites/forums (if they allow it)
  • Lumberjocks
  • Sawmill Creek
  • Woodnet
  • Woodworking subreddit (TODO: how do you do promote in a way that isn't construed as self-promotion?)
  • ...
• Share/@ on social media
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google+
  • LinkedIn
  • ...
• Post tips to woodworking publications
  • Fine Woodworking
  • Popular Woodworking
  • WOOD Magazine
  • ...
• Contact bloggers and podcasters directly
• Promote locally - woodworking clubs, flyers, maker groups, ...
• Stack Exchange ad network - DIY, StackOverflow(?)