After You Publish Your Blog Post: TO-DO

You have done it, you have written yet another informative, insightful and fantastic blog post. You know that it can offer readers something great…but you still feel a little sad. Why? Because you know that few people will read it, thanks to the lack of traffic you have been getting to your past published work. It just doesn’t have the reach you so desperately want.

This is definitely a frustration, but you don’t have to feel as though the situation is helpless. Just writing the post isn’t enough; it all comes down to what happens after you hit the publish button. As in, how you promote the post, and your blog as a whole in the process.

What you have to do is make a concentrated effort to get the word out about this new post. Here are a few ways to do that.

Social Media

Every marketing expert on the web says it, and they are right: social media is the most effective promotional tool you can ask for. Even blogs themselves are a form of social media, and comment sections can be just an informative as the original post, sometimes more so. It is a testament to the way interaction, especially when concerned with the expertise in a genre, has shifted over the years.

The trick is knowing which site offers which kind of campaign, so you can more properly utilize it as a tool. Besides, in many cases you should look for some awesome niche social media networks (like food or travel communities)

• Facebook

This site is best for direct reader engagement. Post a link to your content, as well as other people’s content, from an official page. Answer questions and comments left on your wall. Respond to people’s replies to your updates. Run contests and promotions…all of these are good uses for Facebook.

• Twitter

Quickfire updates should be posted here. A lot of blogs you it only for giving links to both old and new content, but it doesn’t have to work that way. You can still engage with readers, especially through reputation management. Or connect with others who are based within the same niche as you, by searching Twitter hashtags. It is also great for holding Tweetchats.

• Pinterest

Still new on the scene, Pinterest is the fastest growing social network on the web. You have a specific demographic dominating the site (mainly women within the US), but that doesn’t mean it is exclusive. It can be a great way to reach a target audience. Just post original photos you have rights to, or stock photos you have the right to used, linked to posts. Make sure you have a decent headline and description for each one.

• YouTube

Viral content, anyone? There is no better way to gain viewers on the web than hitting it big with a widely shared video. However, you have other uses. Recycle old blog posts by creating slideshows or videos on the subject, and then post them to YouTube. This gives you even more results with a single piece of content, and takes you into a whole new market.

• LinkedIn

You can do a certain amount of promotion on LinkedIn through posting content. But you are better off finding contacts who can aid you in the future, and who you can build a relationship with. It might be possible to find other bloggers who are happy to trade post mentions or guest posts.

• Quora

This is one of the best tools around for establishing yourself as an expert. Create an account, post a link to your blog in your profile, and start answering questions. Stay within your range of expertise, and build yourself up as an authority. When you publish a new blog, start a question related to the topic with a link to the post, to get the views of the users on Quora. Above all you should be helpful here, not self promoting.

Newsletter

A newsletter is a great way to get repeat visitors by letting them know what it is you have been doing lately. New posts can be sent to them on a regular basis, which increases the likelihood that they will read it.

Create a newsletter and a simple sign up form on your site to join the mailing list. This should be nothing more than a request for their email, and possibly a question on whether they would prefer text or HTML newsletters to be sent.

RSS Feed

I am always amazed by how many websites do not have RSS feeds available. Don’t they realize what they are missing out on? People who subscribe are doing so because they want to be alerted immediately of new content. Which means they are rather dedicated readers, and a great source for both traffic and potential link sharing.

Activate an RSS feed, and watch the effect such a small action has.

Internal Linking

You can always milk more out of your old posts, and a great way to do it is by internally linked to them through newer ones. Any time you cover a topic that has been addressed or mentioned in another post, take a moment to anchor a link into the text.

This is a very easy, quick way to draw attention to posts that the reader might not have read otherwise.

Guest Posting

Finally, you have guest blogging. A lot of bloggers don’t bother with this, and I can understand why. It does seem like a major hassle, but the payoff is incredible. You can gain an entire new set of readers from a single post, spread visibility of yourself and your site and pump up your reputation as an authority all in one go.

The good news is it isn’t so hard to find guest posting opportunities these days. Where we once had to spend a huge chunk of time and effort scoring the web in hopes of stumbling across someone wanting a post, there are now websites out there that will directly connect you to people wanting them.

My favorite is MyBlogGuest, which allows you to post your article up to ten times (with unique descriptions), and then blogs that want to use it will contact you. You don’t even have to go looking for them…how cool is that?

Any questions? Let us know in the comments!

Image Credits: 1, 2.