The other day I published a post about how I climbed the Tots100 rankings. One of the major parts of that was getting more traffic – unique visitors and over all page impressions. With that in mind, here is a list of ways to promote your blog. This list is by no means exhaustive; if you have any other tips do please leave a comment for others to see!

promote your blog

1. Facebook

Durr, obviously! A couple of tips: use a page rather than a personal account (unless you’re 100% sure all of your friends are interested in your blog). And don’t only post links to your blog; they should be a very small part of what goes on with your Facebook presence. You can also join Facebook groups and share your links in them. Take a look at this post and this one for more ideas.

2. Twitter

Another obvious one, but another one where you can’t just tweet a bunch of links; you need to interact with people, or they just won’t care what you have to say. Use hashtags to get your links under as many noses as possible, but also just chat and build relationships. This post has more tips for using Twitter to promote your blog.

3. Pinterest

Pinterest is another biggie – but it really only works if you’re posting good, pinnable pictures on your posts. Pinterest works best for things like recipes and tutorials, rather than long, ranty opinion pieces. You can also share to group boards as well as your own. This is the bit where I plug my own group board, the Weekend Blog Hop Group Board. All bloggers are welcome to post on that board; just give me a yell to add you!

4. Instagram

If you have a great post at the top of your front page today, why not Instagram the feaured image with a little blurb, “on the blog today: blah blah blah, link in bio.”

5. Other Social Media

Your audience may not be on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram; you might find that your readers are on Google+ or LinkedIn. Experiment with where you share your links and see where you get the best click rates.

6. Join in Linkys

A linky is a great way to bring new readers to your blog. Be sure to read the rules each host has for their linky – and to follow them! Linky hosts are apt to get a bit sniffy if you just link dump without following basic instructions regarding which posts to link up and visiting other linkers! *ahem* You could take a look at the Weeeknd Blog Hop for a great place to link up on the weekend as well as a list of linkys running throughout the week… *ahem*

7. Comment

Leaving comments on other blogs in your niche is a great way to get people to look at your blog. The trick is, rather than leaving a generic “nice post blah blah” comment, to add to the conversation. Give your opinion, provide more information and tips. Others reading the post and comments will see your comment and think “ooh, this person has something interesting to say.” Many bloggers now use CommentLuv too, which gives you the option to include a link to a recent post of yours at the bottom of a comment.

8. Write Guest Posts

A lot of people advocate writing a guest post for a bigger blog in your niche – but I think any blog in your niche is a great place to publish a guest post. No matter how big your own audience is, you can bet your bum that a similar sized audience for another blog is not made up of the exact same people. Writing a guest post for a different blog will allow you to reach other readers and wow them with your amazing abilities. If you’re in the mood for a guest post, you could join in the #DayInTheLife project on my blog.

9. Join #LovelyBlogs

Okay, this one is really just me promoting my #LovelyBlogs project, which is an initiative to showcase newer blogs. Each Tuesday I usually showcase a different blog, including screenshots and links to their blog. Do feel free to apply using the form, regardless of whether yours is a parenting blog or not!

10. StumbleUpon and Flipboard

I have both of these apps on my mobile, and in the mornings before I get out of bed (if I’m awake early enough) I use them to submit my own blog posts. The good thing about StumbleUpon is that something you posted months ago can suddenly become popular, because of the way it works. It’s not brought me masses of traffic yet, but every little helps – and there’s always hope that today will be the day one of my posts goes viral…

11. Work on Your Headlines

Spend a little time researching what people are Googling, in relation to the content of your post. Try to come up with a headline that includes the relevant keywords but also grabs attention. For example, I could have called this “how to make sure your blog is seen by as many people as possible” – but that’s just not very catchy, is it. If you have a great headline, then people will be more likely to click on your link – whether that’s on social media, a search engine or elsewhere.

12. Send an Email

Do you have an email list? Make use of it! Don’t send an email every time you post; people already get eleventy different pieces of spam mail a day. I’ve just started a monthly roundup type email though, with the idea that people are highly likely to have missed at least one post I’ve published throughout the month. It can’t hurt to put your posts right under people’s noses, can it! So far I’ve had a good open and click rate on that email – better than I expected, if I’m honest. If you’d like to receive my next email, you can sign up here.

13. Business Cards

Around this time of year, bloggers are looking to get business cards printed up in preparation for BritMums Live. We typically go for a short print run, hand out a few cards at BritMums (or another convention, if you’re going to it), and then bring the “spares” home and put them on a shelf. I have business cards for my blog, which I carry around in my handbag alongside my “business” business cards. Whenever someone asks me a question about my blog, I give them my card to help them remember.

14. Postcards

I sell a lot of things on Ebay, and have some “Single Mother Ahoy” postcards which I send as a sort of compliments slip with anything I send out, usually with a little “thanks for your order” or similar. If you’re sending notes to people or deliveries of any kind, why not send your own version of a compliments slip, and promote your blog at the same time?

15. Think Outside the Box!

Ha, I love saying that. Think about who your ideal reader is, and where they hang out – where you’re likely to catch them thinking “hmm, I wish I had a great blog post about XXX to read…” I’ve heard of bloggers leaving business cards on trains or inside library cards; I managed a massive coup (unintentionally) when I went on This Morning and (while I completely forgot to mention the blog) they showed a photo of S and I – and it was the one from my blog header. If your blog is a craft blog, why not see if a local craft supply shop will have some of your cards on their counter? If you write about cake decorating, ask the local cake decorating place to have your cards on display. This sort of thing works better with indies than corporations who tend to have universal rules about these things.

16. Content, Content, Content!

In all honesty, you can plug your blog from here to kingdom come – but if you don’t have the content to wow people when they get there, they won’t stick around – or come back! Content really is king! I’ve put this one at the end because I really feel it’s the most important one. Although that “if you build it, he will come” line from Field of Dreams doesn’t really apply here – people won’t just come looking for your amazing content – they also won’t stick around if they come, and you didn’t build it!

 

Do you have any others to add to the list? Do leave a comment if you have a fantastic idea!

You might find these other posts about blogging, social media and work interesting.

 


Vicky Charles

Vicky is a single mother, writer and card reader.

25 Comments

Sabrina (The Mummy Stylist) · 06/06/2015 at 09:40

Thank you for these tips. I never thought to promote the blog outside of the internet, so printing compliment slips is a great idea! I might just do that, as I’m a mad ebay seller too (supasabrina) :-D And wow that you got on This Morning!
Sabrina xx #weekendbloghop

    Vicky Charles · 06/06/2015 at 18:16

    Ah I’m so glad you liked my idea with the compliments slips. Whenever I write these posts I feel like everyone will go “durr, yeah, we know!”

Harry's Honest Mummy · 06/06/2015 at 13:51

Thank you for sharing these tips. There was a lot of information on here that was really useful. I find quite a few of these types of posts are quite generic but there is a lot I can take away from yours. I absolutely need to improve my Facebook reach as well as spend more time working out what I can do with Instagram. For now though I just have to focus on the content. I originally started writing it for my son so he can read back on the funny things that happened, however it does get addictive so I am open to see where this little adventure takes me and learn new skills in the process. Thanks again #WeekendBlogHop

    Vicky Charles · 06/06/2015 at 18:14

    Thanks, I’m glad you found it useful. I know what you mean, so often I click on a link thinking it’s going to tell me what I need to do and it’s just generic and useless!
    I’m planning a post about Facebook reach in the next few days so watch this space!

Mim · 06/06/2015 at 16:53

Agree with all of the above, good tips :) I think engaging as much as possible with your audience is key too – interacting on social media, including a call to action in posts, responding to comments in good time etc. Mim x #weekendbloghop

    Vicky Charles · 06/06/2015 at 18:11

    Thanks Mim, you’re so right. Interaction is definitely key!

Vicky · 06/06/2015 at 19:12

Thanks for the tips, I am defiantly going to remember them. My tots score hovers around the 500 mark but I struggle with promoting my blog as I work too. #weekendbloghop

    Vicky Charles · 07/06/2015 at 10:24

    I know what you mean Vicky, it can be tricky to juggle everything. Perhaps I’ll come up with a clever way of getting things done in minimal time one of these days!

Claire - Growing Wild Ones · 06/06/2015 at 19:28

Great info! I’m a newbie blogger & I absolutely love how helpful the blogging community is. Everyone is so supportive and encouraging of each other’s success. I might have to apply for the #LovelyBlogs feature when I get some more content up! :)

    Vicky Charles · 07/06/2015 at 10:22

    It’s lovely isn’t it, there are a few pointy elbows but by and far most people just want to help each other.
    Oh, and I would sign up for #LovelyBlogs now – I only do one post a week and there have already been a few people sign up so you’ve a bit of time to get more content up!

Janet Yarwood · 06/06/2015 at 19:57

Thanks for the tips and for hosting the weekend blog hop. I’ll definitely be trying to use your advice and checking out #LovelyBlogs

    Vicky Charles · 07/06/2015 at 10:19

    Thanks Janet, I hope you find it helps – and do sign up for #LovelyBlogs!

Carol · 06/06/2015 at 20:21

I love these tips and plan to start using the postcards for thank you’s after sales. I agree headlines are important and have been working on honing my headline skills. Thanks!

Joy Morales · 06/06/2015 at 21:00

Great list – I need to pay some more attention to my Pinterest page…it’s on my to-do list for my vacation!

    Vicky Charles · 07/06/2015 at 10:15

    Oh, me too Joy – I’m terrible at keeping up with Pinterest!

Kim Carberry · 06/06/2015 at 21:39

Great ideas! I have found linky’s fantastic…..A great way to promote and find new blogs to read x

    Vicky Charles · 07/06/2015 at 09:56

    I love linkys but I try to be strict with myself and only link up if I have the time right then to go and visit other linkers. I’m terrible for leaving it for later, and then just forgetting. It means I end up writing posts to link up but often never linking them but I don’t want to just link and run!

Tarynn Playle · 07/06/2015 at 00:48

Thanks for the great tips! I’ve been really working hard on my FB page, now I’m trying to maintain that and improve on Pinterest.

    Vicky Charles · 07/06/2015 at 09:52

    I need to work on my Pinterest too, I’m really bad at remembering to pin my own posts, let alone anyone else’s!

Jody @easypeasymom · 07/06/2015 at 01:37

Great tips! As a new blogger I am constantly trying to read up on “how-to’s” and this is a great list! Thanks for sharing it!

    Vicky Charles · 07/06/2015 at 09:51

    Ah thanks Jody I’m glad you found it useful.

Camesha | Mama Motivator · 07/06/2015 at 16:39

Very useful tips. I have done many of these. I’ll be working on guest posting next. Thanks for the tips!

    Vicky Charles · 07/06/2015 at 17:28

    Thanks, I hope you find it helps!

Helleanor Rigby · 08/06/2015 at 18:34

Sorry that this comment falls into the generic “great post” category… BUT, I really did think it was a great post! I’m new to the whole blogging thing, and I need all the tips I can get, as apparently you can’t just attract readers by being stunningly beautiful and wickedly droll ;)
Seriously, though, I’ve found that the whole concept of luring readers is so stressful. I just wanted to write and have fun and enjoy a creative outlet. Then, people started asking, “How many visits are you averaging? What is the bounce rate?”, and suddenly it seems less fun.
I hope that we all can continue finding posts like these that make the behind-the-scenes business part more convenient, so we can all just focus on the real task/joy: writing what makes us happy to write.
That being said, I’d love to see a post sometime about how to go about guest blogging. I have no idea even where to start on getting that done.
MWAH! Love your blog!

    Vicky Charles · 08/06/2015 at 22:18

    Ahh thank you! I think if you’re only blogging as a creative outlet and not trying to climb a chart or get good stats to wow PRs, then why worry about it? It’s so easy to get tangled up in bounce rates and unique visitors but it’s all just superfluous isn’t it? I don’t think many people start a blog just to get good stats and get free stuff from PR companies. Or perhaps they do and I’m wrong…
    What is it you want to know about guest blogging? You want to guest on other people’s blogs? Email and ask them! Send them an idea for a post and I’m sure most people would love to have you.

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