How Do You Promote Your Blog

[KristineS]

Promoting your blog can sometimes be harder than writing it. I try to promote my blogs by putting the in my signatures on forums where allowed. I mention my blogs on sites like Plurk on occasion. I also Stumble my posts and add them to delicious. I also pursue exchanging links with blogs I like that are in my subject area.

What are the best ways you've found for promoting your blog? What ways haven't worked for you?

[theGypsy]

To be honest, as with many things on the web; create quality/useful content and they will come.

Initially I promoted the blog via industry social media (Sphinn for me), Stumble and so forth... now other peeps seem to be doing it for me... it's not good to self-promote on social media/bookmarking sites IMO...

Now, so-called 'micro-blogging' is another story as it is more of a broadcast meduim...so I do still announce new posts on Plurk/Twitter.

One of the best ways is to get into the niche and leave comments on or link to industry influencers. This will often result in others promoting your posts which is truly the best way IMO... 'if not for the kindness of others' I like to say....

Another great way is to guest post and have guest posters on yer blog... this also helps reach a segment of the market U may not have otherwise.

[KristineS]

Comments have been one way I've had success promoting our company blogs. The trick with comments is that you have to leave more than just "great post" or something. If you can really contribute by leaving substantive comments, most readers will follow you back to your blog.

Then, as you say, you have to have useful and quality content, or you'll have no chance of holding the readers you've just attracted.

[Harold Mansfield]

First of all, after it is said and done, most of the blog promotion platforms like Blog Catalog and My Blog Log are O.K. if you want traffic from other bloggers, not so much if you want traffic that is going to buy something, and here is why I say that:

People on the blog promotion sites are the same as you, struggling for traffic, looking for ideas, networking and hoping for a few people to drop by. They are not buying. They may read, but rarely do any of them return unless you just happen to be blogging about something that will give them free tips, or something that truly interest them. They are mostly one time visitors. Those odds are just as good as any...forums, SERPs, and links.

With all of the options for social bookmarking and traffic generation and social networking...none of them will really help you if you do a drive by every now and then.

Each has a different personality and culture. You need to find the few that fit the niche of your site and work them. be a part of the community and contribute more than just bookmarking your own articles.

There is no magic site, or one that is better than the others. They all require that you work them.

Examples:

One of my blogs is a Dance Music Magazine : Most bookmarking sites will do nothing for me. Digg, Sphere, Sphinn, Delicious, all do nothing for that niche and do not generate any traffic for me at all.

Residual traffic for this site comes from:
1. Search engine results
2. My Space Page
3. Face Book Profile
4. Links from other sites
5. Stumble : I have a lone Stumble button at the end of each posting to give readers a chance to stumble me without having to search through a list of bookmarking icons. it is responsible for some huge leaps at times.

I also have a Political Opinion Magazine:
The same things that work for the Dance Music Magazine, DO NOT WORK for this one, with the exception of SERP's. What works here is :

1) SERP's
2) Fark (Politics, Current Events and Humor)
3) Digg
4) Participating in Political Sections of Forums

My point is...No matter what works for me, based on the niche of my blog, will not work necessarily for you. You have to find the ones that are suited to your particular niche.

There are 2 plug ins that I swear by. To me, every blogger that wants to generate comments, and build a community of readers should check them out:

SezWho (http://www.sezwho.com) - Takes Comments and Gravitars to a whole new level

Intense Debate (http://www.intensedebate.com)- Follows comments all over the blogosphere

[vangogh]

I start by trying to create the best posts I can. I link to my blog where appropriate (forum sigs, blog commenting, etc) Linking out to other blogs can help, especially if it's combined with commenting on that blog.

I don't have a ton of readers, but most of my readers seem to stay with me a long time. There are people I know have been reading for years and still come back. For whatever reason StumbleUpon and Sphinn seem to be the sites my readers like submitting my content to and both deliver the occasional spikes in traffic.

I have had people find the blog through one or another search query and sign up as well.

[Aaron Hats]

See my avatar? I have my blog on AaronHats.com. I link to it from my "selling" site, GetaHatOn.com and another informational site I have, TheHatSite.com. With all the cross linking the search engines seem to point people to one of the sites and from there they get lead to the other sites.

[the goat]

I have found this link to be very helpful with blog promotion:

99 Ways to Promote Your Blog for Free | Vandelay Website Design (http://vandelaydesign.com/blog/blog-promotion/99-ways-to-promote-your-blog-for-free/)

I just keep it bookmarked and try to do a couple of things on the list when I can get to it.

[KristineS]

I'll have to check that list out. I'm sure there are some things I haven't considered on there.

[vangogh]

I remember that post. I think most every post on Vandelay is worth reading too. One of the blogs I've been subscribed to for awhile.

[theGypsy]

I have found this link to be very helpful with blog promotion:

99 Ways to Promote Your Blog for Free | Vandelay Website Design (http://vandelaydesign.com/blog/blog-promotion/99-ways-to-promote-your-blog-for-free/)

I just keep it bookmarked and try to do a couple of things on the list when I can get to it.

hhhmmmmmmm........ a few stick out to me as a FAIL though in this one....

2. Use BlogRush --- that one is a dead duck IMO... no?

6. Start a 2nd blog and link to yourself -- erm... now what? Promote 2 blogs? Silly...

10. Participate in blog carnivals - are these really viable?

18 # Email your friends and contacts about a new blog post that may interest them - aaaaaaahhh.... Spam your friends and contacts, nice... if they want to know they use yer RSS no?

20. Email other bloggers to introduce yourself - and Spam bloggers too

56-60 - Press Release; has anyone had any luck using these for blogs? Not here....

61-65 Classifieds? erm... really?

74-77 Give aways - isn't this the same as 'Create Linkbait' (already mentioned)

yada yada yada.... there are a few things in there I would change.... hmmmmmm.... we really should create our own list like that.... make a post, then each of us write about the thread on our blogs... hee hee..

[the goat]

I have to agree on your point about blogrush after thousands of syndications I still haven't seen one hit from it. It is just wasted space as far as I am concerned.

[vangogh]

BlogRush was definitely a waste of time. I tried it last year and found it to be about 100% useless.

I agree with most of your points Dave, though I have heard blog carnivals are better than you might think. No real experience to offer, but seems to be an ok way to promote.

[KristineS]

We've participated in some blog carnivals with the A Frugal Housewife blog and they did bring in some traffic. The problem with a lot of those sorts of gimmicks is that you need to get the traffic to stick.