There are loads of different ways you can market your blog to your potential readers – this article looks at some ideas for blog marketing.
While each idea has some merit for some blogs, not all will be appropriate or effective. It’s important as a blogger (and a business owner) to assess each technique and make your own decisions on which routes to take for your business.
A whole bunch of ways you could market your blog
- Search engine optimisation. Why not let the search engines send you a bunch of free visitors?
- Link building. Part of SEO, but also a valuable marketing exercise.
- Pay per click. Very measurable method of marketing, particularly for new sites or small budgets.
- Linking out to other sites. Most website owners check their stats!
- Comment on other blog posts. Active blogs generally send back traffic if you comment on a post.
- Join discussion forums. Making a name for yourself is a good way to get your blogs known too.
- Google blog search. Where bloggers are found!
- Google news. Where news is found! Bit tougher to get into, but decent traffic.
- Banner ads. Advertise your brand on other sites.
- Source reviews. Ask other bloggers to review your website or product.
- Linkbait. Write a controversial or comprehensive article that will encourage people to link to it.
- Facebook. Take out ads, setup a fan page for your business and share your content to your friends.
- Other social media. Such as Digg or Stumbleupon.
- Include syndication links on your posts. Submit to Facebook, email to a friend, etc.
- Distribute PR. Press releases are more than just link building!
- Guest posts. Either recruit guest authors for your blog (they may bring fans along!) or write for another blog yourself.
- Flyers. Leave flyers for your blog in local shops, restaurants, businesses, etc.
- Champion a cause. Get some publicity behind you!
- Directories. Specifically blog directories, but also general or industry directories.
- Promotions & Merchandise. Everyone likes free stuff – why not give some away?
- Awards. Give out awards to other websites – it might give you some good PR.
Anyone have any tips they’d like to share?
Scott
You could also write about your customers. As a t-shirt printing company we find ourselves doing work for people from all walks of life, so there is very often a story there we can talk about on our blog. They often link to us from their blog or publicize the article on facebook.