Marketing Your Blog: Part Deux (That's 2 in English)

Now that you've actually had time to work on your blog and you've practiced the six tips I gave you earlier (wink*wink), its time to add to that knowledge. The last 5 tips are simple but in my opinion they require the most work. When marketing your blog its important to remember you have to be involved in both posting content and commenting on other's content. Social media is a two-way street and you can't get anything, if you're not willing to give something back.

7. Press releases are for blogs too
I bet you thought press releases were only for announcing new services or products. Well, think again. Your blog is a service you are sharing with the world and there are a number of online sites out there that will help you disseminate your press release. Not only does it help you reach your target market, but it also helps to further legitimize your blog. One site you should check out is: PR Web.com


8. Join Blog Communities
Bloggers of the world are uniting all over the web and you should too if you want to promote your blog. They are a great way to socialize with other like minded individuals in your industry. Additionally, its a great way to drive traffic back to your site. Two very prominent communities to consider joining are:

Blogcatalog - simply get a profile & network
MyBlogLog.com - same as above

9. Don't forget the news sites
After posting entries to your blogs, make sure to add them to popular online news sites for further distribution. But be careful, you have to be aware of what a ton of traffic can do to your server if you're not prepared to handle the bandwith. We all want the traffic, but when interested readers are unable to access your site its similar to the "Kiss of Death". Here are a few news sites to add your posts:
Digg.com
Newsvine.com
Sphinn.com
Propeller.com

10. Spark some conversation
Don't just read other blogs, but get in on the conversation. This is by far one of the best ways to promote your business blog with other people in your industry. As I stated earlier, social media is a two-way street and the only way to get something back is to give something. It's called reciprocity. Sites like Bloglines.com or Technorati are great tools to find other blogs that interest you so you can get involved.

11. Review are not just for movies anymore
With so many new blogs popping up every day, what can set your blog apart from the rest? Get reviewed! There are a ton of services on the web now that will review your blog and give you feedback on how to improve it. Here are two services, I personally use & love Reviewback.com and my second favorite is Smorty.com.

Follow these simple steps and watch your blog take off in readers, subscribers & traffic. Next week, we'll flip the script and begin looking at some B2C social marketing efforts that Small business owners can use to attract more customers no matter what their industry. Till then!


Yours truly,


B.Croom
Social Media Stepchild