The Non-Webcomic Reader Approach

[raerae]

For my first webcomic, it was the first webcomic for many of my long-time readers. I hung out in places related to my interests which of course were reflected in my comic. So while yes, the addictive webcomic reader is valuable, so are the ones that you bring into webcomics in general. So looking in non-comic places to promote your comic is a good idea.

People that tend to like my comics or art come from a heavy fantasy, anime, and roleplaying background, so those are good places for me to start when my fantasy-parody finally gets a decent buffer and web design. I'm already an active member in several such communities, and planning on joining some more. This is the kind of promotion I enjoy the most--put an banner in my sig and just talk away about the stuff I like. It gives more of a connection between me and my potential reader, and it's fun as well and gives me something to read while drawing.

Of course, I'll also be keeping an eye out for advertising spots in such communities as well.

[LegendWoodsman]

Sometimes it feels like a bit of a gamble to target an audience that would not normally read webcomics, but it can pay off.

[raerae]

Agreed, it is a gamble, but it certainly can work if you find the right place!

[Gibson]

A good amount of my readers (who comment, at least) seem to be non- or infrequent webcomic readers, which is great and something I'd like to foster, but I've never been entirely sure how to go about doing it on purpose. The nature of most of my work is that it doesn't have any kind of niche theme, it's all about people getting drunk and making goofy faces, so my niche audience isn't just a non-webcomic readers but non-comic readers in general and I run into the problem of "Ew, comics? On the internet? No thanks!"

I keep on the lookout for music-related sites and resources, and I suppose a more targeted banner would be a good idea too. Other than that, I would love suggestions or ideas.

[LegendWoodsman]

One idea I've thought about is targeting locations that would be comfortable to your demographic. If your audience usually goes to coffee houses or pubs, get some branded coasters for the tables and maybe work out an arrangement with the management.

*edit*Especially if the coffee house has free wifi.

[harkovast]

You dont have to target comic people, just people who are interested in stuff your comic is about.
For example, a comic about fantasy could well gain reading advertising on a dungeons and dragons related site.

I've posted my comic on quite a few none comic related furry fandom sites for this purpose.
(I'm bracing myself for being mocked for that admition though!)

[amanda]

*mock mock mock*

Nah, I read Harkovast, as you know - and I've mentioned before that I don't even think of it as being "furry."  I usually don't register that they're animal species really, other than just to tell different cultures apart.

Though I can see you getting a lot of traffic initally from furry sites ^.^

[harkovast]

You have to take it where you can get it in this game!

[Gibson]

Well, furry and D&D sites and the like might not be comic communities per se, but they're still part of fandom and not that far removed from comics. Advertising to them is kind of like advertising a book in a magazine...maybe not common, but not really outside the box. That kind of thing works less with comics about music or college life, the correlation of interests isn't that high.

[klingers]

I find Twitter's a really useful marketing vehicle for my target audience.

I have a number of quite well respected and followed geek-esque friends that kindly retweet my comic's twitter account posts, which tends to get the word out to some in the IT pro crowd that may not necessarily be webcomic readers.

I've also got a long-term plan to try and get some kind of unrelated single-panel comic going in our monthly organisational newsletter. Just a one-panel unrelated but topically relevant (to work) thing once a month that could potentially foster a bit of new local interest in my nebulous comic... stuff.

Don't know for sure if I will yet but I reckon I'll give it a go. You've got to make use of every potential advertising vector, eh?

[lastres0rt]

Advertising to non-comic readers is a but of a mixed bag -- like introducing someone to booze for the first time, you'll get a new reader, but you also run the risk of them looking at other comics.

You really have two options for finding relatively loyal "virgin" comic readers:

• Find readers related to the content of your comic -- this reduces the odds they'll just start reading someone else's inane comic on a whim.
• Go to conventions. Most congoing folk are reasonably savvy, and you have a chance to impress them with more than "just" your comic, but also you as a person -- and if you're anywhere near personable, you'll be surprised how well this works.

[Gibson]

Why would it be a bad thing if they started reading other comics?

And how is a convention a good place to find non-comic readers?

[JGray]

I think the idea is at many conventions have groups of people who wouldn't be in your "target" audience but who might still be receptive to your webcomic. For example, I don't write a furry comic but furries might still be interested in reading my comic and might respond well if I set up a table there.

Or, maybe the idea is to go to the Salvation Army's annual convention...

[lastres0rt]

Why would it be a bad thing if they started reading other comics?

Mostly from a distraction-related point of view.

Most of these new readers may only be able to keep up with a few sites at a time, so at least initially you want them to focus on yours so they have half a chance of reading the dang thing.

[Gibson]

Forgive me, but that seems like a particularly craven way of looking at your audience. That logic leads to other webcomic creators doing their best to keep readers away from you and all of us resenting any others of us. I'd rather have as much cross-promotion going on as possible, share as much of my audience with other creators as I can and trust that they'll stick with me as long as what I do isn't total crap.