Is your blog stuck in a follower rut? Do you often feel that if you promote your work, you’ll sound like a spammer? Don’t worry, you’re not alone.
Promoting your work can be a daunting challenge. We’d all like to write a post one night and wake up the next morning to a hundred thousand views. But, let’s face it, we’re not all Beyonce.
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We can’t just post a blog and hope the world finds it. Promoting your piece is one of the most difficult things to do, even for a seasoned blogger. But without promotion, you’ll rarely reach a wider audience.
So how do you tow the line between humble writer and promotional maven? These 3 tips will get you on your way:
#1 – Locate Potential Audience
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No matter what your subject matter is, there is likely someone talking about that same topic right now on social media. You just need to find them. One of the best tools to do that is TweetDeck. TweetDeck allows you to instantly locate conversations around your subject matter by following hashtags or common phrases. By following phrases associated with your posts, you’ll be able to connect with potential readers who are already interested in your content.
Example: You wrote a post about tips for packing for a business trip. Your first step would be to create a new Column that tracks ‘business travel’ (for tips on that, visit ). Now you have a list of people who would potentially be interested in your post, you just need to respond to them using the following tips.
#2 – Keep It Personal
Once you find a potential audience, you need to do put in a little work to get their attention — and that means no more cookie cutter responses. If you’re in the habit of creating a canned “you may find this post interesting” response, STOP!
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A personal touch will always get more attention than a generic post. To craft a personal message, think about the value each individual will receive from your post, then create a message that highlights how your post can address their questions or expand on topics they were discussing.
For example:
You come across this comment on another blog:
“I’ve been at it for 20 years but packing for a business trip is still my worst nightmare. I have never found a way to get everything I need in one bag.” – Bob
You respond:
“Bob, I know the feeling. Before I found a few handy tips (link to your post), I was always stuck in the checked baggage line wondering if my luggage made it to the same city.”
#3 – Use Your Judgement
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If you find yourself struggling to connect your piece to the person you’re reaching out to, remember: What feels like a stretch to you will feel even more like a stretch to someone who hasn’t read your post. If you send them something irrelevant you’re likely to alienate them from reading future posts.
Use your best judgement and think hard about the ways in which your post relates to that person. As you begin crafting your outreach, be sure to include those points.
These tips should help you promote your blog to a broader audience without feeling obnoxious. Just remember to engage in conversation with people interested in your topic area and make each interaction as personal as possible.
