4 reasons to start your knowledge Directory today
Find out why you should make a curated list of resources on a topic you feel passionate about.
Online directories are not a new invention, but they have recently increased in popularity as an effective way to connect with businesses and review products and services.
There are several articles out there which explain why a fully fledged business should create a directory: it is low cost and low risk, great for SEO traffic, building consumer trust…the list goes on.
We wanted to focus this post on why individuals should consider compiling their own directories.
Want to see what a MakeTheList Directory looks like?
Here is one of Eddie’s directories for Free Cloud Hosting Providers.
Traditional long form content is not the only avenue
When 280 characters is not enough to share our thoughts, most of us turn to longer form content avenues such as blogging or videos.
However there could be several reasons why these are not for you. Blogging can be considered a high effort endeavour which can discourage some people from starting one. You might find that you feel you do not have enough to “fill” a blog post or you simply do not want the commitment to publishing your opinions on a regular basis. Making videos - particularly the speaking on camera part - and the work that follows with editing and publishing, is just not everyone’s cup of tea.
Putting together a directory is a great way to create long form evergreen content with lasting SEO benefits, where you can still share your opinions on products and services. There is no reason why you can’t start small (with only a few items in your directory) and build on this as and when new experiences arise, particularly as populating a directory is a straightforward thing to do. Rather than committing to spending hours on a piece of content, with a directory you can get started and add value within minutes.
Become a community resource
One of the reasons for a business to build a directory is that they provide high-quality backlinks to the businesses listed as they are considered reliable and well-known sources by search engines. This eliminates a consumer’s concern that the business might be a fake company hiding behind a website.
Yes, directories can be a great marketing tool for a business. More so, they can be genuinely useful to their users.
Sharing your experiences and knowledge with the community through a carefully curated set of resources provides more value than an “opinion-less” list of services. More often than not when looking for a service or a product, potential users want to hear from real-life users - rather than the promises and tag lines on a company’s website.
Given how quickly a directory can be populated and scaled, your curated list can become an authority on that particular topic and the go-to resource for the community.
It is not just about the list itself: make sure your authentic voice comes across. MakeTheList can help you with this as it will populate the directory item from the URL as a first pass, and you can then use the rich text editor to really make your opinion stand out.
A boost to your online presence and credibility
In the same way as your social media account is a good tool to solidify your online presence and personal brand, so is having your own directory.
As we mentioned above creating a list of curated resources while sharing your opinions and reviews, helps establish you as a voice in that space. As your directory gets more and more visitors this will bring traffic to you and what you want to promote. For example:
If you have a SaaS, why not create a directory for that niche? The likelihood is that you will have researched your competitors so populating your directory will be easy. Plus, some online directories give you the functionality to pin or feature your product at the top of the directory list.
Have you done a deep dive on one of your directory items? Why not link that blog or YouTube video for those who want to learn more.
Have you used one of your directory items on a real use case or as part of your portfolio? Bring this to the visitor’s attention so they can find out about your work and other projects.
Use your directory as a way to get the users to discover your content on other platforms.
Sponsorship and affiliate opportunities
Once you have set up your directory consider adding it to a business directory, many of which offer a free listing. Having your directory showcased on a business listing (for examples, check out the Explore Directories tab on MakeTheList), brings you exposure at zero or low cost.
As your directory accumulates more listings with reviews providing good value, your profit potential increases. When you consider that platforms such as MakeTheList make it straightforward to create a directory and populate it, growing your list of directory items doesn’t seem so daunting.
One of the main sources of income from a directory comes from businesses paying to be in the directory and also being featured at the top. By having a directory you are creating another source where the supplier can connect to the consumer, the product to the user. The higher the traffic to your directory will translate to higher premiums for listings.
If your directory attracts significant traffic, additional revenue streams such as advertising (in the form of banners on your directory website, for example) and affiliate programs (earning a commission for each new user who signs up to a product or service listed in your directory), become viable.
Last Thoughts on Directories
Having your own directory is a great way to share your knowledge, create SEO friendly evergreen content and potentially have an additional income stream. We hope that you will consider choosing MakeTheList as the platform to create your directory.
