How to promote your blog content

You wrote a blog. Now what? You need readers, and they aren’t going to flock to your content just because it’s out there. You have to actively promote your blog content yourself.

We have talked about why you should be blogging for your business, but so many people just put the content up on their website and then expect traffic to roll in. In reality, you have to put a little elbow grease into it. It has to be a part of your overall marketing strategy.

Obviously you need to focus on writing great content that provides value to your audience in some way – the foundation of any successful blog. But here are a few ways to promote your content to make sure it is being seen:

Social Media

When you post your blog, you should share it on all of your social channels. The catch is, you should share it multiple times. Each social media post has a specific window of time to be seen once you post. To ensure a wider audience sees it, post at different times during the day and post multiple times over a few weeks. And don’t forget about your older content that is still relevant. You may have blog content from a year ago that you can still share.

Of course the goal is to get other people to share your content as well. To do this well on social media, you need to be open to sharing their content. It’s a relationship you build up over time with content creators where both sides benefit.

Email Newsletter

Do you have a list? If not, you should consider building one so you can send out regular email newsletters – that add value for your audience. Newsletters are also a great way to share your blog content directly with an audience you know is already interested in what you have to say.

Business Development

If you are growing your business, you are likely constantly meeting new people and new prospects. After meeting someone, grab one of your blogs and include it in your follow up. The key is that it should be relevant to something you were discussing or something you think they may be interested in. Don’t just send random blog posts – consider the context.

In the case of a potential client, this is also a great way to showcase your expertise before they sign on the dotted line.

Syndication

This can seem a little daunting to some, but blog syndication can be quite simple. Basically, you want to get your content on a few popular online outlets. In most cases, you sign up to create a profile and then you submit content on your own. The key is finding outlets that are relevant to your audience. Syndication can drive traffic to your site and it can generate brand awareness.

Marketing Materials

Whether you are setting up at a trade show or you are headed to a meeting, print out a few blogs as part of your take away marketing materials. It’s content that you have already created, and it SHOULD provide value to your audience. This is also a great way to drive traffic to your website if they are looking to read more of what you are saying after your face-to-face meeting.

Influencer Involvement

Once you start to interact with influencers in your industry, try reaching out to see if you can get their thoughts or a quote for your upcoming blog. If you don’t feel comfortable reaching out to influencers just yet, reference their content and link to it in your blog. After you have posted, be sure to tag them on social media, but also feel free to email them and let them know that you have included a reference to their work or their quote. Ask them to share it on social media.

Make Sharing Easy

The more people share your content the easier it is for your content to be seen. Make it easy to share by having sharing buttons on each blog post. And when you are sharing on social media, ask people to share your content.

A lot of work goes into each blog post, so why wouldn’t you put an equal amount of effort into getting it seen? If you don’t, what is the point of writing in the first place?

If you are just stuck on your blogging and promotional strategy, or maybe you just don’t have the time, be sure to give us a call! We love blogging.