How To Promote Your Blog!

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.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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!
5. 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)
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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/
9. 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
10. 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.”
11. Twitter: When it comes to Twitter you have to keep in mind that this platform is to bring together like-minded individuals together.
12. 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.
13. 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:

http://www.copyblogger.com/

http://famousbloggers.net/promoting-wordpress.html