You have written your blog post and hit publish.Now what?Don't sit back and wait for traffic to happen. Get active and start driving readers to your latest post!My colleague, Peg Fitzpatrick and I have put together a two-part series to help you not only capitalize on opportunity, but maximize your blog post exposure.Her post, "8 Smart Tips to Maximize Your Blog Content" kicked our series off and offered insight into her top blog promotion tips.Below are eight more ways you can pump up your latest blog post and get it in front of a whole new audience!
How to Boost Your Latest Blog Post
Tip No. 1: Tweak Your Headline
Your blog title is the the tantalizing treat that draws readers to your content. Your content is the glue that gets them to stick around.While both are equally important, you must first get them to walk through the front door.As Neil Pattel of QuickSprout says,
The goal of the headline is to stop readers cold and draw them into your post. You can’t do that if you use cute, clever or confusing headlines. You can stop readers cold, however, if you write headlines that are unique, ultra-specific, useful or urgent.
Don't settle on the first iteration of your title. Work with it and test it. A tool I love to use is the Advanced Marketing Institute's "Emotional Marketing Value Headline Analyzer."Simply plug in your title, choose your business or industry, and hit submit. Within seconds your title be scored based on an algorithm that tests the emotional, intellectual, and spiritual value of your headline.As you can imagine, the higher the number the better. Keep tweaking your title until you feel comfortable with it, and you feel you've gotten the most out of it.
Tip No. 2: Optimize for Maximum Exposure
While search engine optimization has taken somewhat of a back seat to social media optimization in some marketers minds, it's certainly not dead.Proper optimization of your blog post can get search engines (particularly Google) and your target audience to pay attention.Write about current topics that are relevant tо уоur industry and make sure you post this content consistently. Not only do the search engines love fresh content, but it will keep your readers coming back for up-to-date information.As you write your blog content, also think about the keywords that your target market will be using. As you can see below, my post "25 Smart Ways to Promote Your Latest Blog Post" is ranking on the front page of Google based on the search "blog post promotion."Include your keyword in your title if possible and then add them throughout your post. However, don't get carried away. The days of keyword stuffing for search engine placement are long gone.The most important ingredients that will keep readers coming back is the readability and conversational tone of your content. If you are simply writing for search engines, you will have readers running (not walking) away from your blog altogether.
Tip No. 3: Create а Video
Did you offer a tip in your latest blog post that is worth sharing in a different format? Take that tip and turn it into a quick video.Just make sure your video is worth watching аnd sharing. The sound and visual should be high quality and you want to kеер іt short аnd get tо thе point. People will not stick around if your sound quality is poor or you ramble on with no particular point.Using blog content in a short video is an excellent way to showcase your talent and expertise by arousing viewer interest. Give them enough to want to learn more!
Tip No. 4: Create a Google+ Hangout
While video marketing might be hot, creating your own TV show is even hotter. But why make it difficult? Give Google+ Hangouts on Air a try!Google+ Hangouts on Air (HOA's) are a terrific way to position your personal brand as the go-to professional within your industry. As Stephan Hovnanian of WebSIGHT said in a recent article,
"We all know YouTube has its share of amazing “shows” where individuals have taken their webcam and turned themselves into superstars. Now, there’s a new wave of “hosts” coming on board, and they’re using Google+ Hangouts On-Air (HOA’s) to create a ton of exposure, not just for themselves, but for their guests as well.""If you are personable, know something about something, and can look into a webcam, you should be participating in Google+ Hangouts On Air."
As consumers' appetite for content grows, offering an alternative to traditional marketing allows you to reach a larger and broader audience.A Google+ hangout has greater visual impact, emotional appeal and reach given the active social nature of these events. Whether you decide to run your own or join one, grab the opportunity to put your business or brand in front of this growing audience.
Tip No. 5: Join Blog Networks
Do you write content only to find that only a handful of people have read and shared it? Let your post get in front of a much larger audience through blog communities.Blog networks are a great way to establish relationships with fellow bloggers actively writing about your niche or topic.One of my favorite communities is Triberr. I use Triberr to build alliances and assist other bloggers in spreading their content across the web. It's simple to use and highly effective when used strategically.Sign up and join Tribes that share content similar to yours. You can share across multiple networks immediately or set up an automated system to drip content to your social sites.
Tip No. 6: Utilize Social Bookmarking
Social bookmarking sites serve two purposes. They allow you to collect and manage content and share your content with a group searching based on your keywords.Sharing your latest blog post on social bookmarking sites such as the ones below can open your content up to millions of potential viewers you would not have access to otherwise.Make this a must-do each and every time you publish a new post!A few of my favorites:
Reddit is a unique social bookmarking and social news website with a very unique community. Search by “sub-Reddit’s” that act as categories.
Scoop.it
Sccop.it is a bookmarking and curation website where you can create magazines based on topic or niche. Add content from across the web to your Scoop.it account and let others begin to find you based on similar interests.
StumbleUpon
StumblUpon is a bookmarking and discovery engine that allows users to “stumble” through related content. Add your latest blog post to your StumbleUpon account, categorize it based on topic and let others stumble to it based on interest.As you can see from my post below, it can be an incredibly effective traffic-driving tool!
Tip No. 7: Turn Your Post into a Podcast
Another way to to take your blog post and get it in front of a whole new audience is to turn it into a podcast.If уоu аrе lооkіng to boost your website traffic, thеn соnѕіdеr adding a podcast to your marketing mix.Once you have written a blog post, chunk it down into your top tips or key takeaways. This will be recorded so that anyone can listen, whether they are in the car or the treadmill.Your post and your podcast will now cross-promote one another and support each other in driving additional traffic and new subscribers to your blog.One of my favorite podcasts is Pat Flynn's, "Smart Passive Income Podcast." Pat says that launching his podcast is one of the best decisions he ever made and hearing the results below, I would have to agree.
"The show has surpassed 6,000,000 total downloads. (as of December, 2013) and has become the #1 way people who read my blog found out about me – that’s above search, social media and links from other websites."
Tip No. 8: Write a Follow Up Post or Create a Series
Do you have articles that you have written in the last year or two that have an evergreen quality, but have a few key points that need updating?Let your readers know that since you wrote the original post that there have been many changes you want to make them aware of.Stop the churn and burn. There is so much great content sitting on your blog. There is no reason to reinvent the wheel when you can update an old article in 30 minutes or less.
I'd love to hear from you! What are your top tips to maximize blog post exposure?
About Rebekah Radice
Rebekah Radice, co-founder of BRIL.LA, has traded narcissism for purpose. When not driving growth, you'll find her tricking family into thinking she's Emeril Lagasse - likely covered in marinara. The spotlight was fun, but impact is better. These days she's using 20+ years of brand brilliance for good.