8 Ideas for Promoting your blog you Might Not Have Tried Yet

We all know that as bloggers, our job doesn’t end when we put our metaphorical pen down. Lets face it, most of us communicate our thoughts via a keyboard, not a notebook. But even though we toil, plan, and produce content, if we don’t provide an outlet for that content to be seen and heard, was it worth it? Social media is like that old cliched saying, ‘If a tree falls in the forest, and no one hears it, did it really fall?’. Okay, this isn’t exactly a parallel situation, and we’re not in the woods. But ask most people in our industry and they will tell you, you can write the most amazing thoughts down, or photograph the most fashionable outfit, but if no one sees the work, what was the point? Most of us already know the main, and most talked about ways to get our content out to the public. We use Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram to consistently promote ourselves, whether it be moments from our daily life or our work. But there are dozens of lesser known, or lesser utilized outlets that can not only help you grow, but work to build your traffic and your audience.

1. Submit to a weekly blogger network link up, like iFabbo’s Favorites of the Week. Even if your post doesn’t get singled out, this is still a great outlet for getting your work seen by other bloggers and networks. If your post does get highlighted in the week’s best, this is a great opportunity for traffic, as all members in the network will see it. Not only that, it will increase the likelihood of engagement, and readership. So, make sure to like iFabbo on Facebook, become a member, and submit your favorite post of the week to us here. 2. Practice good SEO. Not everyone is an SEO genius, in fact, there’s plenty of people that don’t even know what it means. Search Engine Optimization has changed a lot in the last year, with more exposure now being found through independent social media promotion. However, if blogging is a game, SEO is still an important piece of the puzzle, and you don’t have to be a pro or computer whiz to add some simple SEO to your blog. In turn, this will increase the likelihood of a higher Google rank, and ensure that people can find you through specific searches. Some very easy ways to implement this:

• Make sure your title has important key words in it.
• Put those keywords in the first paragraph of your blog post. For example, if you’re writing a story on must have Summer 2014 makeup, make sure any or all of those words are bolded and added to your intro. Rather then must have beauty, or favorite makeup, something like Summer 14 beauty trends will be more SEO friendly and eye catching.
• Label your pictures with actual titles and descriptions so they come up in Google searches. For example, when adding a picture to your post, don’t leave it as jpeg 781. Instead name it properly, and in addition, use hyphens to extend even further the likelihood of showing up in a search. Spring beauty trends instead should be written as Spring-Beauty-Trends, this way your search rank goes up for each different word search, rather then those simply googling ”spring beauty trends”.

3. Stumble Upon. This outlet has gained a lot of traction, with increasing popularity and members. Yet, it’s still one of the lesser known traffic sources. However, the social bookmarking site, which allows readers to ‘stumble’ onto interesting content and images, can be a key tool in promoting your post to thousands of people. Link up your preferred blog post by topic, or subject, and open the door to being found by anyone who searches those topics. You can also self promote by stumbling and liking your own content. A little self promotion never hurt anyone! 4. LinkedIn. Although people use LinkedIn every day to connect with colleagues, seek out employment, or research businesses, not everyone realizes it is also an amazing platform for bloggers. Your profile acts as your resume, so remark on your biggest blogging accomplishments, and add a link to your blog or brand in your header profile. Join blogging groups that relate to you and then submit your blog posts onto weekly group discussions. This can really work if you regularly keep at it, and can be a very effective networking tool. 5. Tumblr. If you’re looking for another new way to get the word out, try opening an account on Tumblr. Though this site boasts thousands of blogs, it can feel less saturated, and is also very visual heavy. Rather then republishing blog posts, try working different content into your Tumblr account. Not only will this be another chance to promote yourself in a new way, you can expose yourself and your blog to a whole new outlet, and readership. 6. Pin images directly from your post with great pictures and titles. We all use Pinterest obsessively, whether pinning our favorite things into the wee hours of the night, or pushing our own pins onto boards and groups. Although we’ve been using it for a while now, there are many tricks and tools to perfecting your pins. One of the best ways to really promote your own stuff on Pinterest is by pinning an image directly from your blog that showcases the post properly. This means that your featured blog picture should be formatted with an eye catching image and title, and link directly to your blog. Studies have shown that people are more likely to click on a pin, if there is a title or text prominently placed on the image.
7. Intro video for your post. In this industry, a picture says 1000 words, and now more then ever, people are using video, not writing, to express themselves and their opinions. Whether or not you’re a vlogging expert, or just dabbling, promoting your post with a short video is a terrific and inventive way to get your story seen. It also allows for a short insight into what your story is all about, and the freedom to do whatever you want to make it worthy of readership. Many times people are struck by one word, or one picture, and creating a short intro video is a creative way to pull your readers in. 8. BlogLovin’. This is essentially, another bookmarking site aimed at keeping you up to to date with all your favorite blogs. Though the premise is similar to many others out there, what makes BlogLovin’ so great is the ease and effectiveness with which it works. By simply linking up your blog, all new content is automatically updated onto the site, meaning anyone who follows you will automatically see it. Bloggers bookmark each other, and can be kept up to date with their best content. Not only is this another great tool for getting your posts out there, but because the site is essentially a blogger community, it is another opportunity to engage and network with others. Blogging, like any creative craft, can be considered an art form. And though the content is the art, without perfecting the other piece of the puzzle, the promotion, you can wind up having an incomplete piece. No matter how you decide to promote your work, above all make sure it’s authentic, and true to you. Then, find your most successful outlet, and grow, grow, grow! How do you promote your blog? Let us know in the comments below!