Friday, 4 July 2014

Content Promotion- How To Promote Your Blog Posts

Content <b>Promotion</b>- <b>How To Promote</b> Your <b>Blog</b> Posts


Content <b>Promotion</b>- <b>How To Promote</b> Your <b>Blog</b> Posts

Posted: 30 Jun 2014 04:34 PM PDT

If you are like many others, you find it frustrating when you take a beautiful piece of content and publish it, only to see days later that three people have visited.

How disheartening!

After all, you pay a decent blog writer $100 or more to write about a topic at the center of your company's purpose.

Since about two years ago I started helping companies get their blog posts and other pieces of content in front of those who are likely to read it, need the information and take action on it.

Certainly with the help of social media websites, bookmarking, email software and chat programs, it has become much easier to find places to earn a readership.

But, the vast majority of companies are still not promoting their content, and it isn't getting the attention it deserves from potential readers.

This is a big problem, a problem that content promotion can certainly help solve.

How important is content promotion?

Almost as important as the content itself.

While a new blog post will eventually bring search traffic to your website, that takes weeks to months of time, and if it wasn't optimized, or written about a keyword that receives decent search volume, it can be several months before the post begins to pay off for your investment.

On top of this, if you are blogging regularly (as you should be) you are posting multiple times a week. At 3 posts per week and waiting months to see a return, your investment and ROI is not providing the results you need to see.

You also want to consider the fact that if your posts are time related, and you are waiting months to get traffic, you could be wasting your time and money.

This is one reason evergreen content is suggested, but in some industries like tech- there are too many changes for every piece to be evergreen.

What is content promotion or distribution?

Contrary to popular belief, content promotion is not blasting your links across social media websites. There is a lot more to the process and it all begins with knowing your target audience.

Who is the content written for?

Is the piece written for a certain industry? Is the piece a landing page written for people with a specific problem you solve?Why is this important?

When you know who you want to read your piece, you know where to start your content promotion journey. From email lists to certain influencers and even groups you participate in, not every piece you write is going to be welcome in every possible distribution place.

Not becoming a spammer

While you want to get your content in front of everyone that could possibly benefit from it, it is not a good idea to share it everywhere, when it doesn't fit. You won't want to share a piece on dog sitting to a group of social media marketers, because they won't read it.

Over time doing things like this will lead to you being labeled a spammer, and from then on no one will want to read your posts, in fact, in some places your account will be suspended or deleted.

HOW to post your content

It isn't only important to figure out the best places to target your audience, it is important to know how to post the content. Simply throwing up your links won't suffice.

Social media examples

While I already said you can't simply blast your social media accounts, you can and should use them- where they make sense.

If you have several Twitter accounts and Fanpages that have nothing to do with the topic, do not waste your time with these profiles.

For the social accounts you have that are relevant, you have to use them wisely.

Twitter

Now that you've finished the blog post and you've covered everything on my Blogger's Post Checklist, it's time to publish your post. Then the next step starts, we will begin with Twitter.

Your post is live, the simplest thing you can do is go to the post page and start clicking the social share options, beginning with Twitter. The first tweet can be your the title of your post, and your link (this will be shortened) plus a couple of relevant hashtags.

For example:Content Promotion- Why, Where, How & More http://shortlink.com via @marygreenim #content #socialmedia

That's fairly simple.

Next hit the Buffer button in your browser or in your sharing options. You'll schedule 3-5 more tweets about your new post over the next couple of days. Each should be a little different, see as follows:

1- Why you need content promotion for your newest blog posts & where to do it http://shortlink.com via @marygreenim #content

2- Everything you ever needed to know about content distribution, right HERE http://shortlink.com @marygreenim #content RT

3- Content Distribution- Your Complete Guide, please retweet http://shortlink.com @marygreenim #content #social

4- The Best Destinations for Blog Distribution http://shortlink.com @marygreenim #content #promotion #socialmedia

5-How I Got 400% more Traffic- http://shortlink.com @marygreenim #traffic #content Please Retweet

Schedule these out every 6-8 hours.

You'll notice I played with different titles, different tweet styles, lowercase and uppercase, hashtags and more. This helps you see what is working once you look at your analytics and traffic statistics.

If you want to get even more from your Tweets schedule them with a photo that represents your post, on average these tweets get better results.

 

Facebook

Your Facebook update should not just be a link, with the description pulled from your site. Instead it needs to have an image from your post, the link to the post and an introduction to the post.

For instance, I might write the following for this post:

Are your blog posts getting immediate visitors? If you are like many your answer is probably no, but I can help you change all of that- RIGHT NOW! You can begin getting immediate traffic to your blog by reading my newest post on #content #promotion.

This is how it looks in comparison between the three ways you can post:

With an image, link and introduction

 

 With the title, link and picture automatically pulled from the site- done by having appropriate coding on your site.

Of course on Facebook, your post won't reach a lot of people, unless your advertise it. Jon Loomer does not suggest using the promote a post option, so please read more about this on his site.

If your audience is active on Facebook, it is worth it to pay for advertising here, it is inexpensive and can be very targeted per Jon's suggestions.

Other Examples of Content Promotion

Email

One of my favorite bloggers is Adam Connell at Blogging Wizard. His posts are visually beautiful, are packed with information, and he sends out a great email for each one.

 

Here is how he is a bit different, and more effective than others in promoting their new blog posts to their email lists:

  • Never automate a new blog post to be sent automatically to your list
  • Entice readers with information about what the post says, for instance I might say the following about this post:

Hello Social Media Fuze Readers,

I've been at it again, writing a blog post you'll love. This time it's about HOW to promote your blog posts. While most gurus are telling you where to post, I give you the inside tips on formatting your posts for Facebook, Twitter, email and more. These tips make a big difference in how well your content is received, so head on over and check it out- Link to post

Until next time,

Mary Green

Social Media Fuze

Do you see the difference between that and a simple title as a subject, with an email that includes the entire text of the post?

Forum Signatures

If you are active on any forums online, your signature area is a great place to share your latest blog post. Remember earlier when we discussed different ways to share your blog post on Twitter?

Now that you have shared a few times you should have some idea of what is working to bring more traffic, choose the template for updating Twitter to use in your forum signature. Remember to entice them, whet their palate with interesting headlines, etc.

Influencers

Now that you've been blogging for awhile, you probably know of others in your industry that wouldn't mind sharing your newest blog post for you. It's a win-win when they have followers who would be interested and you have content that pertains to them.

You should have a list of people you can reach out to for promotion help, if not, check out this post by Kapost.

In your outreach to them, be specific and make it easy for them to share. Even write up the share for them and tell them what site you would prefer to have them post on.

Hi Susan,

I just wanted to let you know I wrote a post Content Promotion and I was hoping you could share it to your followers on Twitter for me. I've already written it up for you, all you have to do is click here to tweet it.

 

Rules for Writing Your Promotional Shares

As you can see there are a lot of small tweaks that can make a difference in the success of your promoted content. Try to keep these things in mind as you work on your own content promotion strategy:

1- Focus on where your most likely readers are.

2- Entice them to visit your link with more than a title.

3- Try different headlines where you can to see what works best.

4- Build a following if you are going to use a platform for promotion.

5- Provide a benefit or value of another kind in your headline.

 

Content Promotion Questions?

If you have questions about content promotion, ask away. I'll do my best to help you overcome obstacles holding you back from getting your posts shared and viewed across the internet.

Get Help With Inbound Marketing

Find out how I can help you inbound marketing consulting, content production, distribution and social media.

<b>blog</b>.thebdx.com » Seeing the Big Picture: <b>How to Promote</b> Your <b>...</b>

Posted: 23 Jun 2014 07:00 AM PDT

Home » Best Practices

HouseSo you've invested in high quality renderings and photographs! Congratulations! So… do you hear any crickets chirping? Having great art is a vital start- but you really need to start promoting your renderings and photographs through several different outlets to maximize your efforts and create some buzz. Get your houses and creative photography SEEN. Here are some tips that so you can make your renderings and photographs go viral!

  • Get Pinning! Pinterest is a GREAT way to showcase your images and organize them by different categories. Pinterest users are incredibly active spending nearly 15 minutes a sitting on the site and over 80% of them are women. This is great news considering that nearly 91% of all US home purchases are determined by women! Be sure to add photos from all of your floor plans- variation will ensure a large follower base of individuals who may only be pinning pictures of stunning kitchens or luxurious bathrooms.
  • Instagram, Facebook, Twitter- Chances are, you already have a presence on all of these sites. However, are you using them correctly? Hashtags (#), or for the non-millennials the pound sign, is a great way to keep your images organized and improve virality. But remember- hashtag etiquette varies between these sites. For Instagram and Facebook- it is a good practice to use multiple hashtags to convey the feel of your photos. But on Twitter- it is a best practice to only use one.
  • Timing is KEY! Research has shown that there are some peak times to post to social media to really get the most of your posts, tweets and pins. For instance, according to SurePayroll.com, the best time to post to Facebook is between 1-4pm resulting in higher click-thrus. Twitter's window of opportunity tends to be Monday-Thursday between 1-3pm. Saturday mornings are the sweet spot for Pinterest. Since social media is likely a key component of your customer engagement strategies- post at these best times to maximize your reach!
  • NewHomeSource "Home of The Week"- The best of the best photos are showcased on New Home Source's Home of The Week that includes a high-quality slideshow that are full of facts about the home and surrounding area. So how do we choose the next "Home of The Week"? If you think one of your homes has what it takes, make sure your NewHomeSource.com listing is up to date with photos of exceptional quality. Not only will it help you to be considered for the next email, but will also help drive and engage traffic on your listings.
  • NewHomeSource TV- Why not go a step further and show off your homes in video? NewHomeSource TV is the perfect way to target the most important demographic that influence home purchase decisions- women! NewHomeSource TV, the companion television program to the leading new home website NewHomeSource.com, provides a glimpse of the latest floor plans, design trends, green features and neighborhood amenities from the new home builders across the country. Architects, designers, contractors and other experts will also contribute to the show by highlighting the more subtle benefits of today's new homes, such as modern construction techniques and the lower cost of living that comes with owning a truly new home. And with NHS TV expanding into even more markets this fall- now is the time to be a part of the action!

One of the most appealing things about new construction is the constant photo-ready qualities of both the inside and outside of the homes. They are pristine, brand new and oh-so inviting. Invest in renderings, video and photography and then start promoting them to showcase your homes! Contact us today at info@thebdx.com if you are ready to invest in the big picture.

HOW I <b>promote</b> Authors and WHAT is involved. | Chris The Story <b>...</b>

Posted: 29 Jun 2014 05:10 PM PDT

 

(See my WHY I promote authors HERE)

Simply put, I promote Authors on my blog by introducing them as Guests for others to meet, learn about and hopefully read their book / stories.

WHAT is involved?

I give submissions guidelines to work on.

These are not definitive guidelines, my intention is not to restrict their natural talent, only give them an idea of what I need to make their articles into blog posts.

These guidelines include sending me a list of all the online places they and their books can be found.

I've found that many authors don't actually appreciate or realise WHERE they can be found online and forget to send me, or omit, places I know they are to be found, so I often spend time researching for them, then they express surprise when their article contains otherwise unknown links to places where they and their books can be found :D

Another common omission is forgetting to send me non-Amazon photos of ALL their book covers, so I need to check and find them myself for inclusion in the article.

Research is time consuming and slows up the processing of articles significantly but I try to do my best for each author and they have made the effort to comply to the submission requirements.

However, I've also had authors contact me 'On Spec' because they've found my blog through Search Google, Yahoo, StumbleUpon and the like, or have noticed an article I've posted on Twitter, a Facebook, Google+ or LinkedIn Group.

These 'On Spec' contacts almost invariably start with the words "Read my book / like my FB page / follow me on Twitter / see my book at / etc.

The more considerate of them say "Hi there" or "Hi Ape", however, it's ONLY their BOOK they want to push (sorry – Promote)!

I realise the name of my blog and persona leaves me open to such requests and generally speaking I don't mind and try to accommodate if my read / review backlog permits, but I do wish they'd remember that readers are people too and be a bit more circumspect in their messages instead of acting like a Salesperson jamming their foot in the door until the poor soul BUYS IT just to get rid of them, I'm afraid it makes most people nervous and try to avoid contacting them at all. I wish they would use the imagination that, as Authors, they should have more of.

My advice to all authors is always, INTRODUCE yourselves the way you would when meeting someone you'd like to have as a friend for the first time.

It also pays to check out any submissions guidelines your target (sorry – NEW BLOG FRIEND) may have and try to stick to them, it really does make life a little smoother for all parties concerned.

Please don't misunderstand, I don't say any of the above to offend anyone, I just want to help authors in their endeavours to succeed.

Next week I'll explain what happens next, after a Guest Author or Book Promotion article has been posted on my blog.

 NO! WON'T

 

. Bookmark the

.

<b>How to Promote</b> Your <b>Blog</b> Post - Bluleadz Inbound Marketing

Posted: 29 May 2014 09:32 AM PDT

If you love your blog, you'll want to make sure that everyone can see it.As you may already know, maintaining a regular blog is a great inbound marketing tool. A well-crafted blog improves your SEO, gives your website's visitors meaningful content to answer their needs and helps you generate leads.

But, how do you promote your blog post so that people can see it? There are many ways in which you can promote your blog posts so that more people will see and enjoy your content, such as:

Using Relevant Keywords

Using strong, relevant keywords in your blog post allows people who use those keywords in their searches to find your content more easily. Using keywords well can make your whole website more visible to search engines, improving your ranking on a Search Engine Results Page (SERP).

However, it is important to make sure to avoid the practice of keyword stuffing. Unnaturally inserting the same phrase over and over again can actually harm your SEO efforts, as the more sophisticated search engines actively punish such abusive practices.

Instead, work your keywords into your blog naturally, focusing more on creating quality content than on search engine optimization. If you must fill in a keyword, try to work in different permutations of your keyword when you can, whether by alternating between the abbreviation and the full term, pluralized and singular versions of the term, or even using synonymous phrases whenever possible. You never know what someone might type into their computer when making an online search, so covering all of your bases can be a very useful strategy.

Sharing Posts on Social Media Sites

Investigating the ways that you can use social media to promote your posts is time well spent.Whether your blog is brand new or has been around for a while, taking advantage of social media sharing to promote your posts is a great tactic to get more people to see what you write.

You can use social media internet marketing strategies to help increase the visibility of your blog in a few different ways, such as:

  • Attaching social media buttons to your blog. Whether your company is active on Google +, Facebook, Twitter or some other social network that isn't listed here (or has yet to be created), putting social media buttons for liking or sharing your posts can be highly useful. If a lead enjoys your content or finds it to be especially helpful, he or she may want to share it with their own friends and family. Make it easy by adding a button so they can do it with one click. For an example of how this works, feel free to try it out by pressing one of the social sharing buttons attached to this blog post.
  • Attaching a link to your blog on your social media page. Once you have your blog readers promoting your blog on their social media network of choice, it's time for you to start sharing your blog through your own social media pages. Marketing software such as HubSpot can help you immensely here by allowing you to schedule out numerous social media posts to your online following so that you can catch them when they're on.
    • This is especially useful on Twitter, where your post might be quickly buried where your followers won't be able to see it unless you make multiple posts to catch them while they're "on."

When you use social media to promote your blog, it is important to make sure that you keep the focus of that particular social media network in mind. For example, if you are posting to LinkedIn, you'll want your posts to be professional and business oriented, much like this particular social network is. If you're posting to Pinterest, you need to make sure that you have a strong image to draw attention, as this network has more of a visual focus.

Many social networks have a specific type of audience in mind when they're being created. A key part of any social media strategy is to make sure that your content is catered to that audience.

Via Email

When it comes to promoting your blog posts through emails, there are two commonly used strategies:

  1. Sending email blasts to unqualified (paid-for) leads.
  2. Getting visitors to your site to opt-in to receiving email notifications whenever you have a new post.

Sending emails can be a great way to notify people that you have a new blog post... when it's used the right way, at least.The first method has, at best, spotty results. Yes, you can get your blog post noticed by someone who may have never found it otherwise, but will they respond to it in a positive manner. After all, an unsolicited email is an unwelcome intrusion even in the best of times. At the worst of times, it can get reported as spam by the receiver, and hurt your ability to send emails at all in the future.

Also, is the person who receives this (to them) random email the kind of person who is compatible with your business? If you purchased their contact info as part of a mailing list, even one that is "pre-sorted" to be compatible with your business, the odds are high that any potential sales lead contacted in this way won't be a strong candidate to become a long-term customer.

The second method is much better. Visitors to your website are already interested in something that you have, and are much more likely to be engaged with your content. Plus, by getting them to opt-in and subscribe to your blog on your site, you have gotten their permission to send them content, so you are much less likely to have these emails marked as spam.

However, with this method, you are limited to contacting those who are already in your mailing list. Even so, drawing attention to your new posts through emails to these individuals can get them to view your new content and share it with others by clicking on your social sharing buttons (thereby adding to the social media strategy's effectiveness at promoting blog posts).

Of course, there are more ways in which you can promote your blog posts online, but these are some of the easiest ones to enact.

<b>How to Promote</b> Your <b>Blog</b> [Infographic] | JohnEEngle.com

Posted: 17 Jun 2014 07:00 AM PDT

How to Promote Your Blog [Infographic] - Promotional Tactics and Marketing Recipes Revealed

In today's 'overrun with self-promotion,' Internet-based world, getting people to pay attention to your recently posted blog content is not as easy as it may seem.

In the digital marketing age, the rules have changed. You can no longer have the "Build it and They Will Come" type of attitude.

If you've done the work to gain the followers then this may be an easy task for you, but if you are lacking the basic skills required for today's digital marketing world, you have quite a climb ahead of you.

Below is a quick rundown of some of the basics to gain traffic when promoting your blog…

1. Your Blog has Got to Rock – This goes without saying… your blog content needs to be helpful to your readers, not just a bunch of words plastered on a page to meet a deadline.

2. Make Sure it's Searchable – Do your keyword research to make sure your content is filled with searchable keyword phrases used by your readers.

3. We are Visual Creatures – Make sure your work is visually stimulating… "a Picture Paints a Thousand Words."

4. Relationships Matter – Your post promotional efforts will be a lot more effective if you build those relationships first before asking anyone to share your work.

5. Know Your Target Audience – Understanding your target audience then providing critical information to solve their issues is key.

6. Get Personal by Email – If you mention any particular people in your article, write to the person and let him know.

7. Perform Targeted Distribution – Share your new article with those whom have shared your content in the past. You can also send out your content to specific targets and reach out to influencers.

8. Maximize the Potential of Social Media – It's said that timing is everything, so time your publication and promotional efforts with your audiences schedule.

9. Make it Happen – Every morning before doing anything else, grab your list of tactics and strategies, look it over and ask yourself this… what's the one thing I can do today that will help me grow my readership? Then DO IT!

For many more blog and marketing promotional tactics, see the infographic below…

Take a Look at the Well Designed Infographic, then Share Your Thoughts Below.

How to Promote Your Blog [Infographic] - Promotional Tactics and Marketing Recipes Revealed

Embed This Image On Your Site (copy the code below):

Related Article: How To Have Success in Business – Treat Social Media Like a Cocktail Party & Watch Your Business Thrive!
TO YOUR SUCCESS, Skype: wranglerjohn12

Please Share it on Facebook and other Social Networks Using the Buttons Below, Thank You!

comments

<b>How To Promote</b> Your <b>Blog</b> - Karen Yankovich

Posted: 04 Jun 2014 06:53 AM PDT

Copy of Social (4)

 

Guest post by Jaclyn Mullen

 

The Inspiration for this series of steps.

Four years ago, when I first started learning about content marketing, I participated in a series of 30 day blog bootcamps as well as Hubspot's Inbound Marketing program. That said, the ideas, and tactics to promote your blog are a result of my experience and what I learned.

 

So you've hit publish on your WordPress, blogger, perhaps your Tumblr blog post. You have a link, now what do you do?

 

1)     Input your link in bit.ly Not only does this super tool shorten the amount of characters, but you also get some analytics built in to help you track clicks, date and time info, etc.

2)     Repurpose. Before we start scheduling your posts, take a look at the title. Take a look at the body. Come up with 6-8 ways to repurpose the post over the course of the week and in the future to come. As an example. Your first post would likely be the title and the link. Your second could be a snippet from the post with the link. The third could be a question the post explores with a link, etc. I think it's important to create these first so the next step, scheduling them, is more streamlined.

3)     Hootsuite. Make sure your social profiles are synched up to Hootsuite (or Sprout social/other aggregators) for streamlining and time saving purposes. Twitter, Linkedin, Facebook, (Google+ if you prefer—I prefer to post to Google+ manually and will explain why). Schedule your post and the repurposed posts you created over the course of the day and the week. *It is a best practice to share a blog post more than once per day on Twitter since the stream moves so fast but, be sure to do so in between OTHER content. A little self promotion on Twitter is ok. A lot of self promotion starts to lose it's luster. LINKEDIN/FACEBOOK BIZ PAGE best practice: posting the blog 1-2 times is fine. As for the repurposed posts you created in step two, you will want to spread these out even further on Linkedin and Facebook over the course of a month to even the year on Linkedin and Facebook.

4)     Google+ Copy and paste your original post into Google+ and use 3-4 corresponding hashtags including your name. Why? Hashtags in essence are becoming like key words as far as search and you want to be positioned and found for your expertise.

5)     Pinterest. Here's why I like having Google+ be separate from Hootsuite (this is totally personal and not one size fits all). I copy and paste the post from Google+. Then I click on the blog link so I am redirected back to the original post, I hit my "Pin It" button, Pinterest posts up and then I pin the blog image and paste the Google+ posting onto one of my Pinterest boards. Easy enough?

6)     StumbleUpon is alive and well. It's been awhile since I used it personally, but I was with a client the other day checking their analytics and it's STILL a top traffic generator for them.  Join for free and submit your blog posts here: https://www.stumbleupon.com/login

7)     Instagram. It is not uncommon for folks to share their blog posts on Instagram. In fact, visit instagram.com/theeverygirl_ to see how The Everygirl does a great job of this. Again, you will want your bit.ly link, the image and a "sound byte" from the blog. *Tip. The best practice is to have your bit.ly be clickable and hyperlinked by having it under your description. Your Instagram post would include the text <link in profile>

8)     Newsletter. How does this post fit into your newsletter content? Perhaps you can highlight it along with other tips and updates OR you can feature it as a stand alone message, similar to what MarieForleo.com subscribers receive every Tuesday. The choice is yours. And it all depends on the frequency of your blogging. Just make sure to share with your email list as it is safe to assume that not everyone has the flexibility or time to keep up with you socially.

 

BONUS: Blog directories. Have you submitted your blog to any of the following directories to help you increase reader base? Here are a few to consider:

http://www.blogher.com/publishing-network/application

http://www.networkedblogs.com/blog

http://www.bloggingfusion.com/submit.php

http://www.bloglovin.com/join

 

The beauty of content marketing is that it's not a 'one size fits all' approach. Each of us has our own strategies and techniques. Is there a blog promotion strategy I didn't cover? Add it in the comments below!

 

 

Jaclyn-MullenThis is a guest post from Jaclyn Mullen. Often referred to as "the Jaclyn of All Trades", Jaclyn is based out of sunny Los Angeles, California. She is a performing artist turned business coach+entrepreneur+writer+speaker helping female entrepreneurs grow their businesses creatively, strategically and consciously. Armed with an expertise in marketing, personal development+storytelling, on any given day you will find her fueled by Starbucks coffee, keeping up with online marketing trends & inspiring women to step out of their comfort zones as they create their own careers. In 2014, she was selected as a Tory Burch Foundation Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Scholar. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram: @jaclynmullen or join her community at Facebook.com/jaclynmullenmedia

It's not Vanity, It's Strategy

Sign up to receive this free ebook, a step by step guide to personalizing your URLS. You'll also get my weekly social media tips!

We hate spam just as much as you

No comments:

Post a Comment