How to Write a Blog Post People Will Read (Part Three)

So you've figured out what "your people" want to know and you've written up a really good post about it that is both concise and well formatted.

Now what?

From what I see in my Facebook feed you bomb every possible outlet you can with your post link. And while that is one method of getting yourself out there, there are more effective ways.

First, do you have a Facebook Page? A Twitter Handle? If you do, then that's the FIRST place you should promote your post. If you and your blog are the same thing (and you're ok with YOUR personal social media profile being shared and re-shared as one would hope when trying to build an audience) then go ahead and share via your personal profile. But even if you and your blog are one and the same I highly advocate for a separate Page or Twitter account.

Once you have a Facebook Page or Twitter handle exactly how do you promote your post? Well at first you're not going to have very many followers. This makes the marketing of posts key. Here are a few things I've found that work well.

• Don't just use your blog post name and a link to your blog post! Think of when you see that. Do YOU feel automatically compelled to click it? Maybe if it's highly relevant to your day-to-day life yes, but otherwise probably not.
• Instead "create" a problem that you're solving for your reader. This may sound deceptive but it's not if you think about it. Sometimes you didn't know you needed something until somebody told you ;) In the last post's analogy about a "Top 5 blog post about running apps" you might say "Need an easy, portable way to track your mileage? Here are my top 5 picks!"
• Use a real photo Yes, Facebook will generate a photo from the blog link you provide but it will be tiny. Studies show people pause for pics! Upload a relevant picture and use your blog post call-out as a caption in the picture. Photo + compelling caption + link = click-through!

If you hang out in other spaces where "your people" are, promote there as well. So long as you're allowed to do so through the websites Terms of Service. You don't want to be getting kicked out of anyplace. Usually, though, so long as you're not selling anything you're good. 

Leave blog post comments on similar, well-trafficked, blogs as your blog. Not as YOU. Unless you and your blog are the same! (What the heck does she mean by that? She keeps saying it??? For example, I am Nikki. My blog is Bariatric Foodie. I post as Bariatric Foodie on other people's blogs, not as Nikki. Get it?) Be sure there's a hyperlink to your blog in there somewhere. You don't necessarily need to pimp a particular post unless it's relevant to the discussion.

Tweet, Tweet, Tweet! You can set up automatic Tweets when post on your blog through Networked Blogs, but I also highly suggest you do your own call-out (using similar language as on Facebook) with a shortened URL. Remember, don't just use the blog post name (which is what Networked Blogs will do). Tell folks WHY they NEED to read your blog post!

See? That wasn't very much to ingest, now was it? Simple things you can do to effectively promote your blog posts when you are ready to do so.

When is that point? I advised at the outset of this blog that you build up some content first. When you are ready to take your blog public, make sure you have links in the body of your blog posts to past posts. That will get people clicking around to see what else you have to offer. I'll go over the subtle art of hyperlinking another time.

Until now, let me ask you this. What effective ways have YOU found to promote your blog posts?