How to Amplify Your Blog Posts Beyond Social Media
This might come as a shock, but there are other ways to promote your blog posts besides Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and LinkedIn. Don’t get me wrong, they’re all incredibly powerful tools for sharing your content.
But they aren’t the only ones at your disposal.
So before you become overly reliant on social media, let’s take a quick look at some highly effective strategies for promoting business blog posts...
- Every time you link to someone else’s blog, shoot them a quick email letting them know. When you do, you’ll 1) increase the chances of creating a meaningful connection with that person, thus expanding your network and 2) increase the chances he or she will then share your post through their social networks. I’ve only met one blogger (that’s right, only one) who does this consistently and I can tell you it’s huge.
- If you find someone wrote an interesting post or mentioned you in their content, don’t be afraid to pick up the phone and give them a call. Jonathan Kay, Ambassador of Buzz at Grasshopper, reached out to me in response to a Fast Company post I had written about employee incentives on a shoe string budget. He just wanted to share some of the really cool stuff they were doing at Grasshopper. Our conversation led to a collaboration which in turn expanded the amplification of our post to both of our social networks.
- Don’t neglect your blog title. If it isn’t descriptive enough or doesn’t grab attention, nobody is going to open it. Look around. Check out other blogs to see which posts are generating the most traffic. Experiment to see what works best with your audience. Make it simple to share your posts without your readers having to burn whole a lot of calories.
Social media will undoubtedly play a huge role as you market your blog posts.
But don’t underestimate the power of emails and phone calls. Both will allow you to create meaningful dialogues with others. And that will drastically increase the chances they’ll show your blog post some love.
Titles really do matter. You need to walk the tightrope between clearly communicating what the post is all about while also doing so in a way that grabs attention and really resonates with your audience. Oh, and you need to do all of that in 5-7 words.
Have you found other effective ways to promote your blog posts beyond social media? Or are you new to blogging and trying to figure everything out? Share your experiences below.
By: Shawn Graham
[Image: Flickr user .thana✌]
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