Did you know that businesses with blogs get 97% more links than those without? That’s a pretty compelling statistic, don’t you think? If you’re a small business owner, or if you run a blog for a small business, then it’s important to understand how to promote your blog. In this post, we’ll outline some of the best ways to do just that. Keep reading to learn more!
Consider these numbers:
- 77% of internet users read blogs.
- Internet users in the US spend 3X more times on blogs, than they do on email.
- Companies who blog get 97% more links to their websites.
Source: https://optinmonster.com/blogging-statistics/
Understand what a blog is and its purpose
Blogs are websites that people can visit. They usually have writing on them (and supporting images, along with videos). Often, they show how to do something or teach people about your products and services!
Although blogs can show people how to do things, they also share information and support small business owners. If you’re a small business owner or if your blog is for a small business you are helping, then it will be easier for your team and colleagues to see how to “naturally” promote your blog; when you know how the blog works!
A key reason why businesses get 97% more links is because their blogs help people, using engaging content. For example, if you write how-to articles and share useful information about your products or services, then many readers will be compelled to promote your blog by sharing those posts with their friends and contacts.
Blog posts should be well organized so that it is easy for people to navigate your website.
Identify the target audience for your blog
You need to find the right audience for your blog. This means that you have to know how people are using the blog so you can write posts that will help them. You also want people to come back, so it is important how you organize your posts on the website.
As a small business owner, you will likely be the primary promoter of how to promote your blog with posts that are easy for people to understand. You can also follow your readers or see how they find your blog when writing how-to articles.
Ultimately, you’ll want (at some point) to offload the activities of blog promotion to your team, and also through your readers.
Promote your blog across all digital channels.
When you know how to promote your blog, you’ll see how people find your website and how you can best describe how to do things (in a way your customers can appreciate).
Once you understand how to promote your blog, you’ll want to share that information with everyone who works on your small business or who has interest in learning how to use it (or how it’s used). As such, promote how-to articles across all digital channels.
That means you should promote how-to articles across various forms of social media, your website, email, how-to videos, how-to podcasts and how-to infographics! Each form of digital content can help people learn how to use your blog or how it’s used in the business that benefits them.
When you know how to promote your blog, you’ll find that it’s easy to do and is a valuable way for your business (and your blog) to succeed!
This way your team will be able to drive the engine (so to speak), as they’ll be fully knowledgeable of your blogging strategy!
Research keywords that are relevant to your business
When you want to promote your blog, you need to find the right words to help people reach your blog. This is called “keyword research.” You can use different tools to help you find the right keywords (or lead you to them) for your blog. Some of these tools include:
- AnswerThePublic
- WordTracker
- Google AdWords Keyword Planner
- SEOBook Keyword Tool
- Google Trends
- Ubersuggest
One web browser extension I particularly like using is SEO Minion, I use it to analyze pages – With the On-Page SEO feature I can access and review keywords (and more) of website pages. It helps provide some insight into why a specific blog post performs.
Create high-quality content that is relevant to your target audience
You should write high-quality content because it is helpful for people. They can learn how to do things, and they may also share your blog with their friends. That way, more people will learn about your products and services!
This is important because high-quality content will be more engaging when you promote your blog. If the quality is low, it could result in hemorrhaging readers, which you’ll see in your analytics bounce rates!
To phrase this another way… One of the most important reasons why high-quality blog content is important is because it can help you engage your readers. If the quality is low, they might not stick around for long, and you’ll lose their attention. You’ll also see this in your bounce rates.
However, if you write high-quality content that is relevant to your target audience, they’ll be more likely to stick around, and you might even get them to share your blog! (Engaging your audience to promote your blog!) That way, you’ll be able to reach more people and promote your business (and blog) in a more effective way.
Use social media to share your blog posts with a wider audience
One way to promote your blog posts is by using social media to share them with a wider audience. You can share them on LinkedIn, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms.
When you share your blog posts on social media, be sure to use catchy headlines and images to grab people’s attention. You can also use hashtags to help people find your blog posts.
Be sure to post links to your blog posts on your company’s social media pages, as well as on your personal social media pages. You can also invite your friends and followers to read your blog posts and subscribe to your email list.
You can also create social media graphics that promote your blog posts. Be sure to include the headline and a link back to the blog post. You can also share your social media graphics on Pinterest, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc.
Monitor website analytics to track reader engagement
When you promote your blog, it’s important to track how readers are engaging with your content. This will help you determine whether your content is resonating with your audience and whether you need to make changes. Naturally, it lets you know where to tweak your promotion activities.
You can track reader engagement by looking at the following metrics:
- Bounce rate
- Pages per visit
- Average time on page
- Exit rate
https://analytics.google.com/analytics/academy/course/6
You can also use Google Alerts to track when people share guest posts that you create on other blogs!
You should also monitor how many people are sharing your blog posts on social media. You can do this by creating Google Alerts for your company name, brand, keywords related to your blog topics, etc.
Be sure to visit your website analytics on a regular basis so you can track how your blog content is performing. Then, tweak how you promote your blog posts accordingly!
How can I promote my blog for free?
Some of the best free ways to promote your blog are by using social media, creating social media graphics, and monitoring website analytics.
You can use social media to share your blog posts with a wider audience. You can share them on LinkedIn, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms. When you share your blog posts on social media, be sure to use engaging headlines and images to capture people’s attention. Again, you can also use hashtags to help people find your blog posts.
You can also create social media graphics that promote your blog posts. Be sure to include the headline and a link back to the blog post. You can also share your social media graphics on Pinterest, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc.
You can also engage in guest posting!
Guest posting is when you write a blog post for someone else’s website. This is a great way to promote your blog and reach a wider audience.
To promote your guest post, you should promote it on social media and include the blog URL in your bios.
I wrote a post that includes this subject on: How to Promote Blog Content and Build Better Readership Traffic.
How do you attract customers to your blog?
There are a few ways you can promote your blog and get customers to use and read it. One way (that we already know) is to promote your blog on social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. You can also promote it on other websites by including a link to it, or by adding it as a widget.
You can also email your subscribers about your blog, or post updates about it on your website or blog. This is where you use your opt-in mailing list to let your readers know “what’s new”. Don’t just email them about this – That’s called spamming – instead, make sure you have permission, by using an opt-in subscription.
Anyone running a business knows how important it is to promote the business. It is even more important for businesses with blogs to promote their blog, rather than just their website.
The reason why this is so important is because when people visit your website, they expect to find all of the information they are looking for, on the website. They do not expect to have to look elsewhere, such as on an external blog that you promote somewhere else. You want people to visit your website first and then follow up by directing them to your related blog posts.
You can use any combination of these methods in order to promote your business blog effectively. The more exposure it gets, the more chances it has to be discovered by potential customers.
Remember that links, though important for SEO and blog promotion, will only take your readers so far. Once you have used up its power, then people typically forget about it and don’t visit it again. Instead of just promoting your blogs through links, promote them in other ways as well.
- Promote your blog with links
- Promote your blog with social media platforms
- Promote your blog with emailing subscribers
- Promote your blog on websites by adding it as a widget or including it in that website’s blog posts.
There are many more ways to promote your business blog effectively, but the four I’ve just mentioned are the most common. You can also promote it by including it in your marketing plan, or on billboards, flyers, etc.
It’s important to promote your blog frequently so that people get used to finding it on their own. The more they use and visit your business blog, the higher its search engine rankings will be.
Promote your blog frequently, with consistency!
The biggest thing to remember when promoting your business blog is that you must promote it in many different ways in order to get the best results. Promoting it through one method only, such as only including links, will not provide the blog success you expect.
Don’t be afraid to experiment, then review the results using analytics, and your revenue reports. See what’s working, what not so much, adjust, and move on.
When you have a system that works well, it can (almost) be a wash, rinse, repeat process.
How do I announce my new blog? What are the most effective ways to promote blogs?
There is no one answer to this question because there are many different ways to promote a new blog. Some of the most common methods include promoting it on social media platforms, emailing subscribers, posting about it on other blogs, or purchasing advertising, and including any other initiatives in your marketing plan.
It’s important to promote your new blog frequently and consistently in order to get the best results. You can also promote it by using various combinations of the methods mentioned above. Experiment with different methods to see what works best for you and your blog.
One good method is to announce the blog to your existing clients, and within the blog, provide them with an incentive to share your blog’s content.
Another interesting way to promote your blog is to use gamification features. For example, offering discounts on blog posts that describe your services and products.
One WordPress plugin that does a good job is: WP Optin Wheel where visitors can win a coupon by spinning a wheel. In a way, this encourages people to share (announce) to their circle.
Other plugins, such as GamiPress help you provide, and reward your audience with digital rewards! Again, this also encourages people to “announce” your blog.
Keep in mind, there’s nothing wrong with using traditional methods to announce your new blog: Flyers, newspaper ads, t-shirt slogans, car magnets, running a cross promotion with another business (to broadcast your blog launch).
How can I promote my blog without social media?
There are many effective ways to promote your blog that do not use social media. Some of the most common methods include promoting it on other websites, emailing subscribers, or purchasing advertising.
Again, it’s important to promote your blog frequently and consistently in order to get the best results. You can also promote it by using various combinations of the methods mentioned above. Experiment with different methods to see what works best for you and your blog.
Don’t be afraid to promote your blog in new ways. If it works, keep doing it!
Here is a list of ideas I’ve provided clients in the past (because not using social media seems to be a “thing” for a lot of people):
- Include your blog URL in all promotional materials.
- Add your blog URL to client invoices and receipts.
- Speak at events and gatherings, and mention your blog.
- Engage in guest blogging.
- Create stickers with your blog URL for laptops, car bumpers, and other devices.
- Create car magnets for your doors, that display the blog URL.
- Visit (business) websites and promote your blog.
- Provide power point presentations, where the slides include your blog URL.
- Reward people for promoting your new blog URL (run a contest for example).
- Engage in offline advertising (sparingly).
- Create business cards containing the URL of your blog.
- Try adding your blog’s URL to online directories.
- Give away reusable shopping bags with your blog logo and URL.
- On your product description pages, include a link to your new blog.
- …use your imagination to promote your blog!
In closing…
What are you waiting for? Get started promoting your blog and increasing your audience today! And when you’re ready to take your blog traffic and revenue to the next level, be sure to check out our Blog Content Writing Services. With our help, you can create content that not only increases your reach but also drives conversions and boosts ROI. Thanks for reading!