Writing a blog post and clicking the publish button is only half the battle when it comes to internet marketing. If you want to your website and blog posts to gain considerable traction, you should know that there are more things to do after a blog entry goes live. And most of these skills that you need to learn has to do with content marketing.
A successful content marketing campaign should include most, if not all, of the things that we have listed below. If you are never heard or done any of the things below, you should begin doing so now so that you could see positive results as soon as possible.
Share it on social media
One of the easiest things to do to promote your blog post right after it is published is to share it on social networking sites. Make sure that you have signed up and have already set up a separate profile for your blog so that you can share your posts effortlessly. The most common social media sites to post on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and even LinkedIn.
Depending on your blog niche, there may be other social media sites that are more appropriate for you to share post links to. For instance, if you are operating a crafting blog and have published an article on how to create Valentine’s Day cards, a more appropriate site to post your article link would be on Pinterest.
Also, make sure that you are not only sharing your blog posts’ live links. Always include a short description, summary, or teaser about the content of your post. If appropriate (and if it works for your audience), you may use clickbait titles to help increase the likelihood that your followers will read your posts.
Notify your email list
Another way to promote a blog post after publication is by tapping into your site’s email list. This internet marketing strategy can work wonders especially if you have taken the time to gather emails from your blog readers.
When sending an email newsletter or update to your list, make sure to include a short message about what you have been up to and what your article is all about. Often, the most effective email newsletters are the ones that already provide the blog post on the email body itself. Email readers can then have the option to head over to your blog post for more information about you and your site.
If you have just set up your website and blog, you may not yet have sizeable email subscribers. As a workaround, you may look into different email automation tools like MailChimp and AWeber and choose the tool that will work best for your own blog.
Reply to comments.
This next tip perhaps does not give as much oomph as other social media marketing examples but it surely can affect your blog’s image in the eyes of your readers. We are talking about the need to reply to most comments in your blog posts.
This practice is especially important if you are new to the blogging world as it allows you (and your blog) to have an approachable and helpful image. Successful blogs often are the ones that aim to help as many people as possible by either providing useful and relatable content or by answering readers questions in the comments section and then directing them to different helpful resources.
Tell friends, relatives, and colleagues about your new post.
Another internet marketing strategy that newbie bloggers should implement is to harness the power of the people closest to you in helping spread your online content. This is why when you publish a blog post, always ask your relatives and friends to visit your site or repost and retweet your social media posts. This strategy can work well especially if you are just starting out and no one knows about your site yet. Having a few people like, retweet or comment on your blog post will somehow give a sense of authenticity to your site.
Be active in forums and groups.
In order for a blog and website to succeed, it needs to address the needs of a specific group or people. This is why there are big blogs and sites that focus primarily very specific niches. For example, you can find high-ranking sites for raised bed gardening and even different musical subculture fandoms.
So if you intend to create a website and write blogs posts about focused on a specific niche, it pays if you already belong to that niche. One way to do this is by signing up to different chat forums, boards, and Facebook groups. These curated sites allow you to find several like-minded people at once – the very same people who are more likely to read the content that you create..
When you have already produced a content that will be relevant to this specific forum or group, you can then share snippets and a link to your blog post on the forum. And since you already belong and have contributed to that forum before, the other forum members will not be wary of visiting your site. It is a win-win solution for you and the forum members since they will be learning from what the content you have posted.
Connect with other bloggers or site owners.
Aside from posting on social media sites and on forums, another blog promotion technique that new bloggers can do is to connect with other existing bloggers. These other bloggers may be established bloggers in your industry or they can be bloggers in a related niche. What is important is that you build a mutually beneficial relationship with them. But do not befriend them just for the sake of getting a retweet or they will see through it immediately. This way, when you post a blog content, these new bloggers friends will be more likely to help promote your content without being forced to do it.
Create posts for social bookmarking sites.
Another content marketing strategy that new bloggers and website owners should do is post on social bookmarking sites like Digg and Delicious. These sites allow you to post your a shortened version of your content along with a link to your post. They help increase the backlinks to your post. Just remember to do this in moderation as these sites tend to limit posts that solely promote their own sites or blogs.
Participate in roundups.
Roundup posts are articles that curate multiple numbers of posts from different sites and blogs. They can be created for any kind of niche. If you want your content exposed to people who are more likely to read them, make sure to create great content that can qualify to be included in different blog roundups.
These roundup posts are often compiled by influencers in your niche so it will be better if you have already built a professional relationship with other bloggers and influencers.
The main goal of each blog promotion technique included in this list is to make sure that any blog post you create gets the proper exposure it deserves. After all, you have worked hard to create a highly original and helpful piece of content. With the help of intelligent internet marketing, more readers will find and read your blog posts and, eventually, your site’s ranking will proportionally increase over time.
Article by: Lisa Smith, MsMoney contributor