When it comes to blogging, writing most certainly isn’t the hardest part. There’s the technical side, which while sometimes demanding, generally isn’t much of a hassle for tech-savvy bloggers. Of course, the hardest part of blogging is promotion. Gaining exposure in the blogosphere is something that troubles even the most skilled writers. From technology to self-improvement, every part of the blogging world is packed with insular, difficult groups that can prove a difficult promotional target.
Still, there are some blogging techniques that have been proven to be effective. Guest posting is one of those techniques. By guest posting on someone else’s blog, you can instantly gain credibility and respect in your niche. Say you’re an electronics blogger, and you want to generate some extra publicity for your own writing. By contacting one of the top electronics bloggers and asking for a guest post, you open yourself up to the opportunity to generate a massive amount of traffic in a relatively short amount of time.
Make sure you’ve got a post idea lined up for this method, and be sure to include any potential subjects in your pitch email to the top blogger. Remember that top bloggers can get hundreds of emails a day from readers, and keeping things short will increase the chances that you’re picked for a guest post. Treat it as an opportunity rather than a task, as you’re asking a favor here. A short, well mannered email with subject suggestions and a short description of yourself should be enough to get the attention of any blogger.
There’s another option for blog promotion, which works along slightly different principles. If you have a large sphere of influence amongst social media circles, it’s popular to promote your blog through those platforms. Say you’ve got 300 followers on Twitter, none of whom know about your electronics blog. Put out a great, attention grabbing blog post and link to it from your Twitter account. You should get some visitors, who in turn will tell their friends about your content. Of course, you need great content in the first place, so focus on getting that completed before you eye up promotional opportunities.
Finally, a third method for generating blog traffic is through comments on other people’s blogs. This can be incredibly effective if you’re writing on blogs that exist within your niche, and are providing useful insight into the post itself. Say you run a careers blog, and you frequently read a highly respected, authoritative careers blog written by a well-known author. After getting a feel for the material, post a comment highlighting part of their post, and voice your opinion on it. Try to focus on inspiring discussion rather than sucking up, for ultra-positive comments can easily be seen through. From here, blog readers can click through to your own and may become subscribers to your content.
While blogging can seem daunting and difficult at first, once you piece together the puzzle it’s no more difficult than any other online field. Focus on your long-term goals, use these promotional methods to generate publicity, and be sure to keep putting out ultra-high quality content for your readers.