How do you make a blog stand out?
There are so many blogs and so much competition that it can be difficult to attract readers. However, there are simple ways to gain publicity for your blog. Here are ten tips to help you market your blog.
- Blog Frequently
Readers like to see fresh content. It is very annoying to click on a favorite blog only to discover that it hasn’t been updated for a long time. It’s a good idea to tell visitors if you are unable to blog for a while so that they will still come back to check if there are new posts.
- Relevant Content
Content should be relevant to the topic and helpful, especially if you write a business blog. Posts shouldn’t be about fairies if the blog concerns gadgets, for example. Readers may forgive posts that are off-topic occasionally but they are likely to get irritated if these are written too often.
- Include Photos
Attractive photos that accompany the topic will improve the look of your blog. Photos that you’ve taken yourself may add a personal touch, although this may not be professional if you write a business blog.
- Use Social Networking Sites
Social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, can provide excellent publicity for your blog. Some writers create a page on Facebook just for their blog. These sites also provide ways to form and join web communities, such as groups interested in a particular topic.
- Use Forums
Many forums, such as the Digital Point Forums, allow users to post signatures. These are links to your website and blog placed at the end of your post. Many users of forums like to click on to these and see different websites. It is also a good idea to write posts to the forums which include links to relevant posts on your blog.
- Your Website
Karen Bryan, the author of Business Blog Boost, writes that placing the titles, date and the first line of her 3 most recent blog posts on the home page of her travel website is an excellent way to publicise her blog. She states that: “It means that any visitors to my website notice that the site has a blog and they can click on a post title to read the full post.”
- A Virtual Tour
Many owners of blogs go on virtual tours to gain extra publicity. This means contacting writers of blogs who are interested in your subject, scheduling the tour, and publicising it on your website and blog. This is especially useful for authors who want to attract readers for their books. It’s a good idea to have the tour so that it ‘ties in with your other marketing efforts, e.g. a multi-city book tour or reviews in print publications’, according to the article, ‘Blog Touring 101: Around the Blogosphere in Eighty Days’, at Future Perfect Publishing.com.
- Start Or Join A Blog Carnival
Blog carnivals are weekly or monthly lists of blog posts about a particular topic. This is another useful way to attract readers to your blog and network with other writers. You can join one or start one yourself.
- Links and Comments
Provide many links to blogs that you think are useful. Write to the owners of these blogs to request that they link back to your site. Also write comments on as many blogs as you can. These are two easy ways to generate awareness of your blog.
- Keywords
Don’t forget the importance of keywords, i.e. words that are relevant to your topic and reflect what your post is about. These make it easier for search engines to find your blog.
These ideas should be enough to start with. Even if a blog is excellent, it’s unlikely to be an overnight phenomenon. It takes time to attract readers and comments so remember not to give up. Writing and marketing a blog is hard work but it is well-worth it, especially if you need more publicity for your business.
