You can’t just rely on one marketing approach to get your blog read by your target audience. Blogger must read!
Here are the marketing essentials for promoting your blog; combining at least eight to nine of these as a basis for your first marketing effort will help you get ahead and start promoting your blog with much higher chances of success:
Post high quality content on a regular basis
If you are providing news on your site, average post amounts range from 3-5 posts per day. Make the most of your postings by only posting unique and high quality content. If you are looking to entertain or engage readers, aim for at least one posting per day. But if you don’t have time for that, as long as your posting schedule is consistent you will grow, perhaps just a little more slowly.
Enable automatic trackbacks and pinging
Pings are a valuable way to notify search engines that your blog has been updated. Increase the chances of sharing blog content by enabling trackbacks on your blog.
Make sure all posts are formatted and archived correctly
When you first start out, it can be helpful to leave this as a future project until you have developed some solid content. After that, take the time to sort through your content and make sure it is placed in the appropriate category. Also keep in mind that categories and tags need to be based on keywords; you can gain a significant advantage with the search engines when you include high-ranking keywords on your category and tags section.
Develop your own link building campaign
Whether this involves contacting other bloggers, responding to comments and providing linkbacks, or simply making a ‘call out’ for links as you post, make sure you are keeping track of results and try a variety of strategies.
Make sure your blog is optimized
Template optimization involves the URLS, RSS subscription buttons, and title tags are embedded appropriately. While most blogging platforms can help you do this automatically, you will need to pay attention to these areas on an ongoing basis.
Submit any podcasts and media files to the appropriate directories
If you do start developing podcasts for your blog, make sure you are submitting them to the appropriate directories. Most are free, and can help you gain even higher rankings on the search engines.
Comment on other discussions and use your expertise
Researching is just as important as writing for your blog, and you can search other blogs relevant to your industry and start commenting appropriately. Keep in mind the rules of the forum or group, and make sure your posts are relevant to the discussion. Always remember that your credibility is an important part of this, so be resourceful and post accordingly.
Develop a glossary section
This is an often-overlooked opportunity for increasing search engine rankings, and can be a valuable resource section for your readers as well. A glossary can be as simple as keywords with definitions, and you can also start inter-linking the definitions to actual posts within your blog.
Customize your blog and design it with your logo in mind
Even if you aren’t launching with an exact replica of your website colors, choose something similar that will be attractive to your readers. Customized designs and templates are the best way to make a valuable first impression, but you may choose to wait until a later date.
Setup a Google sitemap
Google sitemaps are designed to capture the key elements of your blog and validate them for search engines. This is one valuable step toward web optimization, and can significantly impact search engine rankings.
Identify a list of authoritative blogs and other web sites
Even if you are not using these on your blogroll or link exchange program, knowing where to consult information can help you develop content on a regular basis. Create a comprehensive list of at least 15-20 sites that can help you post unique and relevant content.
Make use of statistics
Statistics will help you track results and easily see fluctuations in visitor traffic. Most blog platforms are equipped with statistical analysis programs, and you can watch trends and patterns daily. We use and recommend Jetpack.
Promote yourself on social networking platforms
These are essential for gaining exposure and a strong presence alongside your target market, and you can join different groups and communities very easily. Setting up the right profile will take some strategy, but is an important element of building your social community presence.
Submit links to social bookmarking sites
This is a very effective way to promote individual pieces of content. As soon as you have created a URL of your submission, that link can be promoted across multiple channels and networks in just a few steps. Try submitting to the major social bookmarking sites such as Reddit (post one blog link a day to this subreddit for quality links to your blog), Digg, and StumbleUpon for increased exposure on highly valuable topics and content. Even interacting on these networks can help you learn what types of content and topics your audience may be looking for.
Position yourself as an authority
Consult valuable resources and give appropriate credit on your blog. This is not only helpful for your readers, but can help you establish yourself as an expert within your niche.
Focus on building credibility
You can build credibility by communicating directly with other bloggers in the industry; establish a guest blogging opportunity for other bloggers to participate, and encourage them to market their contributions in the process.
Make contact with bloggers offline as well
You can still build credibility and enjoy networking in the offline world, and attract some new visitors the ‘traditional’ way.
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