Promote Blog Posts Like a Pro

The best blog post written will go nowhere without promotion. There is such a glut of information on the web that posting a blog but not promoting it is like whispering at a rock concert.

Not only must you promote your blog posts, you must do it in a variety of places and repeatedly over time. If your not accustomed to the noise of the web, this might sound odd. Why would you tell your friend the same story three times? You wouldn’t. But on social media, the average organic (non promoted) post is seen by less that 10% of followers. On Facebook this number is smaller.

To succeed, I’ve found a system that delivers the best chance for views. I've also included a simple infographic for you to use at the bottom of this post. Of course you must also have good content and a killer title. Watch for post on these topics soon!

BLOG POST PROMOTION PLAN

This plan will sound overwhelming, and it will be if your try to remember it all in your head. Instead, use reminders and automation to keep yourself on track.

DAY ONE
First Share – As soon as you publish, share a (shortened) link to your post with the original headline, and optimized image to: Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. If you use other accounts, add those as well. Depending on how your blog is set up, the first social shares may publish automatically.

Second Share – A couple of hours after the first share, share the post again to Twitter, using a tweaked headline. Perhaps use a question based on your post.

Email – Emailing can take three forms. One is to email the post out to your blog subscribers. Most often this is set up to happened automatically.

Second, email the post directly to contacts who are not subscribers, but who you think may be interested. This option should include a brief personal note stating why you think they would benefit. This personal communication takes more time but results in a warmer communication.

Third, if you mentioned another company or expert in the post, email them a quick note letting them know along with a link. If they have a social media presence, ask them to please share the post with their network.

Newsletter – Make a note to add the post to your next newsletter. Include a title, image, brief summary, and “read more” link. This may be a day or month after publishing so your actions step at this point is to make a note on your newsletter plan to include the post.

DAY TWO
Share again to Twitter - This time try sharing a fact from your story. “Did you know…read more!”

NEXT WEEK
Share the post to Twitter and Google+ again, plus Pinterest - This time try using a quote or one of your alternate headlines. On Pinterest, use a new image.

NEXT MONTH
Share to Twitter, Facebook, and Google+ -  Again, mix up the headline by using an intriguing statement or another alternate headline.

TWO MONTHS AFTER
This share will only go to Twitter. Again, mix up that headline. 

LEVEL IT UP

After you have completed the initial promotion tasks, level things up another notch with these tactics:

Share to Groups – If you belong to groups on LinkedIn, Facebook, or elsewhere, share your post if it will be of value to the other members. The key phrase here is, “if it will be of value.” The etiquette of groups requires you use some judgment. Some have specific days when they invite members to share, others allow free sharing as long as it’s on topic, and some forbid sharing.

Bookmark the Post – Bookmarking sites like StumbleUpon, Reddit, and Digg are good sharing options. Focus on sub-categories, especially on Reddit. This way an interested audience will see your post versus it getting lost in the fray. One caveat, make sure to bookmark posts by others as well or it will appear (and would be) self-serving. Their algorithms pick up on this. Each is a little different so I suggest learning and using one.

Repurpose the Information – After all of your hard work, it would be a shame to only use it once. Repurpose that content into a video, podcast, or perhaps an info-graphic. I frequently turn my blog posts into podcasts because they make perfect notes. My podcast listeners are a different audience than the blog, so the same person rarely sees the information twice.

Pay For Exposure – You can promote your blog post using any of the “pay to play” options you’ve learned so far. I’ve had good success using Facebook for this purpose. One post I wrote went viral thanks to advertising, receiving nearly a 100,000 views, a large percentage of them organic.

Monitor and Re-Share – If an “evergreen” post is well received, note it for sharing months or even a year later. Evergreen means that the information doesn’t age quickly. A recipe is a good example. “How To” posts are frequently evergreen and can be shared over and over. If it is seasonal, “Perfect Pumpkin Pie” for example, mark it on your content calendar for the same time next year. Watching your analytics is the key. Sometimes a post is relevant but needs updating. I see a traffic spike each Christmas on a gift guide I wrote five years ago. The products are too old to be relevant anymore, but the traffic tells me I could update this post and have a winner.

Write a Round-Up Post – If your new post fits with a collection of others on the same theme, consider using it in a round-up or curated post. This will generate fresh traffic with little effort. 

This information is an excerpt from my social media marketing course where I coach students step by step through the process of content creation and promotion. I also teach organizations and efficiency strategies to make sure schedules like this one don’t become overwhelming.

What would you add to this blog post promotion plan? Please share with other readers in the comments below.

Erika

This post was originally published on ActiveExplorerMedia.com.