5 Ways To Make Self Promotion Work For Your Blog.
Self-promotion is one of the scariest aspects of popularizing your blog. They worry about how their readers, friends and competitors will think of them if they stand up and start touting their new blog. They are afraid of being labeled a spammer or even worse, a fraud. Don’t confuse self-promotion with self-adulation. Self-promotion is admirable while self-adulation is pathetic.
So many people with great ideas and a powerful message waiting to be heard sit on their hands and do nothing. It is because they fail to take action, they watch as their blog flounders in obscurity. It doesn’t have to be that way. You can promote your blog without sounding like a used car salesman. In fact, self-promotion done right can not only drive traffic it can be informative and fun.
If you study the most popular bloggers, you will find that they are expert self-promoters. They are great at spreading ideas. They connect with others without pushing themselves onto others. They don’t lose all hope when someone says no them. The top bloggers are not the greatest writers in the world. Rather, they are expert connectors. They network, partner, collaborate, and get heard.
Let’s look at some great ways to get the word out about your blog without selling your soul.
Help yourself by helping others – Promoting the work of others may seem like a bad idea but it is actually a powerful marketing tactic. Share the work of others on your blog and then reach out to them and let them know that you liked their work so much you are helping to spread it around. Most likely they will look over your blog and may even subscribe. At some point in the future you may get a message from THEM about how they shared YOUR work. Only do this if you think highly of the work of the other, and don’t expect anything in return.
Build relationships with other bloggers in your field – As Ernest Hemingway once said, “Writing, at its best, is a lonely life.” It doesn’t have to be. Get out of your shell and start mingling with other bloggers by submitting comments on their posts and adding to the discussion on their Facebook pages. The better they know you the more likely they are to share your work and provide advice on how you can reach their level of success. Don’t be pushy though. Be yourself and take time. You can’t build friendships overnight.
Use multiple outlets for promotion – Create a Facebook page, Twitter account, and Pinterest board for your blog as soon as possible. Collect email addresses from day one. Use these channels and more to reach readers first and promote your blog second. By providing useful information you gain legitimacy in the eyes of your readers. This legitimacy will increase the chance that they will accept invitations to visit your own blog when you put them out there. If your industry has their own specific social networks and forums, get on them as well.
Give more than you get – Your number one concern should be your readers. Make sure that you are providing them with useful content. The majority of the posts on your blog should be information that the readers need, not what you want them to read. The more you help them, the more authority you have in their eyes. Once the inevitable pitch to join a mailing list or buy a book comes up, they are far more likely to do so if they know you are concerned about them and not just trying to make a quick buck.
Promote yourself offline – Conferences, trade shows, user meetups and other events that happen “IRL” are great venues for promotion. When people see the face behind the words, it creates a personal connection that a million posts cannot match. Keep your pocket full of business cards and don’t be afraid to spend a few bucks and have your blog’s logo and address printed on a shirt.
Self-promotion can feel awkward. However, when done properly, it can greatly increase your readership and legitimacy in your field. The hard truth is that self-promotion is not an option. While this may be the hardest step that many bloggers face, it is one that can’t be avoided.
