As Bloggers, we must be aware of the vast competition that is out there from New to well-established Blogs. Self-publishing authors face this as well, everyone wants to get noticed in hopes of walking to the bank one day and or the hopes of that 15-minute slot on a talk show. Perhaps have a following of 10k plus. What can we do to better promote our Blogs?
When it comes to self-promoting your Blog, there are no secrets a fast Google search and there will be many articles on the subject. Here are some important guidelines to adhere to.
- Content should be top notched: I know you heard it before and probably more than you like, Yet, this is a crucial aspect pertaining to Blogs that climb the latter and those that fall off. Delivering solid content that your readers want to come back for.
- Post Regularly: I have read many articles on this subject and found that posting once per month is not going to keep your readers engaged. On the other hand, if you post too often your previous post could end up buried and possibly fade away. It is a balancing act, some suggest six posts per day and others suggest four while some provide advice but no set number of posts.
- Your Blog Should Have Character: In an earlier post I mentioned about being honest and open with your readers. Just like a warrior becomes one with his weapon, flowing naturally and gracefully as though watching a beautiful dance, your blog needs to become an extension of your own persona so that readers can relate to you.
Headings: I have to admit on some of my posts the headings are crap, garbage, rubbage whatever you want to call it. There I said it! I recently came across a Site Copyblogger founder Brian Clark and once I registered I found a passage that is a real eye opener and I hope it will open your eyes to. “Your headline is the first — and perhaps only — impression you make on a prospective reader. On average, 8 out of 10 people will read your headline copy, but only 2 out of 10 will read the rest. The better your headline, the better your odds of beating the averages and getting what you’ve written read by a larger percentage of people.” One analogy is when we go on that first date of job interview, first impressions matter!
- Communication: Across the board on various sites stress this point. I found a list that might shed some light on this subject. “Here are just some of the elements of an effectively communicated message (blog content):Proper preparation of the message
It must have clear purpose
Keeping the User engaged at every step of the message
You pour your heart into the message
You must be passionate about your message
It must be complete and correct
It must help people make a decision (call to action centric)
Most importantly, it must be considerate of the target readers’ views
Communicating effectively with your readers is the essence of a successful blog. You can promote it across every known channel, but if it doesn’t come across as honest, you won’t be able to market your blog successfully.”(Dholakiya, 2012) - Variety: This is the one I like most. Your blog should offer some form of variety that will engage your readers. Most of us know that a majority of Bloggers don’t read a long post when just housing text alone. One analogy I can think of here is our pets like cats and dogs. Have you ever noticed your pet getting board of a certain toy or food. You and I with the same dish night after night makes for a boring conversation producing endless sighs. Your readers need variety. Add unique images from time-to-time. Videos are good too, but make sure they relate to your post.
- Forums: Join established forums that pertain to your main theme. If your Blog pertains to fashion, then locate a fashion forum and make friends while leaving a pingback to your Blog.
- Follow to Follow Directories: One method of promoting your blog as well as gaining new readers is to get listed on these directories. Now, when you see you have a new follower out of nowhere be sure to follow back. I believe most of you know that if someone follows me I follow them back, so I advocate this concept. One site that offers this is Janice from Mostly Blogging that page can be found here: http://mostlyblogging.com/how-to-get-new-blog-followers/
- Youtube Videos: “This is something that requires a bit of creative effort from your side, but if you get it right, and are able to link YouTube videos to your WordPress blog site, there is no better way to promote your blog. Start off with a video that is really simple and which helps you get the hang of creating videos for your blog. As you go along, you can get a little more creative and do something that is really innovative.” (Dholakiya, 2012) One of my Blogging friends Jennifer did just that and made her first video reciting one of her poems for hopefully thousands to see and hear. Way to go, Jennifer, you are taking chances those risks I mentioned in an earlier post. That video can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-54h7uo-pNU&list=PLEPn9EA5YtgPTEYeRDRcodLfc_E0BrfqV
- Fan Page: I have discussed this in recent posts to use a Facebook Fan Page to promote your Blog among certain Facebook Groups that we can utilize. In the wise words of Dholakiya, “Yes, one of the better ways of using social media to promote your blog is to create a Facebook Fan page. What this means is that you need to create a landing page on Facebook that offers information about your blog, and what it is all about. By using this page, you can even post your blog articles, pictures and any other information related to your blog. It’s important not to confuse your fan page with your personal profile. They are two very different things. The latter helps you spread awareness about your blog, using your personal network, while the former helps you collect ‘fans’ who have subscribed to your Fan page; these fans actually want to know about any new updates and happenings on your blog.”
- Twitter: When it comes to Twitter you have to keep in mind that this platform is to bring together like-minded individuals together.
- Patience is a Virtual: My Dad once told me I had the patience of a Chinese Man while we were watching Enter The Dragon. I never fully comprehended that until I was much older. Bloggers have to have patience. Finding the how-tos and grabbing the keys of the Porshe pedal to the metal from zero to sixty in thirty days or less will result in failure.
I think I Can-I think I can! Just like the choo-choo we have to keep positive, focused and keep moving forward. I have seen too many Blogs within WordPress give up.
Sources:
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Reblogged this on fiddledeedeebooks.
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Hi Michael, hope you’re doing well.
Have you done a tutorial on how to add RSS feeds to your wordpress? I used Google feedburner for a blog I was doing on blogger which I’ve recently abandoned, but just did created an account for my wordpress site. I know there’s a widget for wordpress, but it’s not acting the way I want. I don’t want the headers to my post to be visible in the widget, but there doesn’t seem to be a way to remove them.
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Thanks, Michael, this was most helpful. My blog is a mess , but I try to post once a week on different topics. When I have no time, I post a book review which my readers seem to like. Who knew?
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Great points, Michael! I have pressed to reblog. The only other question I have is how to make a pingback to my blog if I am visiting other sites…that has always baffled me…Thanks for such helpful suggestions!
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Good morning, Pinbacks within WordPress should be automatic. I found this article relating to pingbacks from WordPress support.
“A pingback is a special type of comment that’s created when you link to another blog post, as long as the other blog is set to accept pingbacks.To create a pingback, just link to another WordPress blog post. If that post has pingbacks enabled, the blog owner will see a pingback appear in their comments section.
Think of them as automated comments:
Person A publishes a post.
Person B publishes her own post, including a link to Person A’s post.
WordPress.com automatically sends a pingback to Person A’s post.
Person A’s post receives the pingback, then automatically goes to Person B’s post to confirm that the pingback did, in fact, originate there.
Person A’s post then displays a special type of comment highlighting Person B’s post.
Pingbacks will appear mixed in with any other comments on the post:”
https://en.support.wordpress.com/comments/pingbacks/
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ahhh…you make it so easy to understand! When I reblogged your Stumble Upon post I got good comments for you about making the process so easy to follow!! I know Sandy (my wife the virtual assistant) almost did it in one step but didn’t see the 16×16 pix on the left when skimming and had a revelation moment upon going back to the original post and reading c a r e f u l l y !! Then it worked perfectly!! A lot of people said…I have been wondering how to do that so thanks for such a useful post 🙂
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You’re very welcome! I do try to make things easier for the Blog community when I can. That 16×16 pix is tiny lol!
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🙂 🙂 🙂 Then that explains it 🙂 🙂 🙂
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The name on my blog is patriciaruthsusan, kind of a pen name I used at the time I started my blog. The name I use, which is my real name is Suzanne Joshi. 🙂
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Good advice Michael. I hope I also have ‘the patience of a Chinese man.”
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Thank you! I come here for inspiration to share with the girls. Thank you again!
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You are very welcome, and I hope it helps.
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It does.
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Reblogged this on J.A. Stinger.
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Reblogged this on Kim's Author Support Blog.
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Thank you Kim, I appreciate the reblog!
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Hi,
I am linking to this post tomorrow at my linky party.
Janice
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Reblogged this on Bette A. Stevens, Maine Author and commented:
Excellent tips and resource links! ~ Bette A. Stevens http://www.4writersandreaders.com
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Some very useful information Michael, thank you ☺ I especially like number 3.
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You are very welcome, yes #3 giving character to your Blog. I have been finding out that is important lately!
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Reblogged this on Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog and commented:
Great tips – Give them a try 👍😃
Thanks Michael 🐵
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Chris, I am honored by you reblogging my post. I thank you! 🙂
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It’s a great post that had ‘Reblog It’ appear before my eyes when I read it Michael 👍😃
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Thank you again! 🙂
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👍
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Reblogged this on itsgoodtobecrazysometimes and commented:
I don’t do advice on blogging, but I do like to share good advice when I find it.
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Thank you, I appreciated the support and encouragement by reblogging my post. Thank you! 🙂
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Not a problem some really good advice there
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Those tips are amazing! But I could never post 4 times a day! I now post three times a week and I do think it gives me a great opportunity to still be regular, but it gives me time to create content. Thank you for the encouraging words ant the end. This was really a inspiration to read! 🙂
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You’re welcome just some basic tips to use as a guideline.
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Thanks for the tips Michael! I know I have a bad habit of not posting regularly – I hope to do better!
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I shared your link today Michael. Hope you don’t mind!
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Don’t mind at all.
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Great points!! Thank you for sharing!
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Your Welcome 🙂
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Great tips! Thank you Michael!😊
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🙂
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Thanks Michael, as always, your post is VERY informative.
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Your Welcome EttaD
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Reblogged this on Simply Etta D. and commented:
Some great advice and tips here……
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Very helpful tips that I’ve found to be true overtime. Patience is paramount! 🙂
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Very True!
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Hi,
Nice to meet you. I am still working on the “patience” tip.
Janice
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Hi Janice. Nice to meet you too. It’s definitely not easy but a crucial aspect to learn. 🙂
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Great post Michael and really great tips! Thanks so much for including my video! Was totally out of my comfort zone, but I got a great response on social media channels like FB. Might have to do another soon!
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Thank you, Jennifer. And your welcome. As time goes by the nervousness will go away, when I do mine it usually takes three re-takes before I have I can publish.
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Yes I did a lot of takes when I did mine! Haha 😅
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Good to read it
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Thanks for sharing these tips!
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You’re welcome!
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I find heading the most difficult to come up with. And I love number 13 – very motivating.
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Yes, the heading is one of the hardest to come up with a good one that will catch the readers eye!
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Can you just write mine for me? Then I don’t have to work on it.
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Lol, I know how you feel. I just read your recent heading, since we know people like to win stuff, I think I would have named yours, Facebook Give Away Party, or Give Away Party October 25, the “Give Away” will catch the eye of the reader. I don’t think Door Prizes would be catchy and anyone that has worked for a large call center would more than likely frown on that one. Just my thoughts.
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