Blogger vs WordPress Blog

Even if you're the best blogger in the world, you'll lack readers if folks can't find your posts online. How do you lead readers to your posts? By promoting your blog in as many ways as possible.

If you want your blog posts to get the attention they deserve, you'll need to know the best places to promote your blog on the Web. Then you need to do the legwork necessary to have your blog listed in those places.

Below are a bunch of places to start.

Places to Promote Your Blog on the Web Email Signature

Including a link to your blog in your email signature will promote your blog every time you message a customer, vendor, new contact, colleague or even friends from high school.

Using tools such as WiseStamp, you can also include a link to your latest blog post automatically.

Social Media Profiles

Have a Twitter account? What about Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google+ or Instagram? As you can see in the example Twitter image below, there's space to include a link to your blog in each:

Per-Post Social Media Sharing Buttons

Make sure that each and every one of your blog posts prominently feature social sharing buttons like the set on the left in the image below:

These buttons enable your readers to promote your posts for you and that's a very good thing. If you have a WordPress site, click here for a list of social sharing plugins.

In-Post Social Media Sharing Links

Encourage readers to share your posts by providing sound bites they can share with the click of a button. Click here to tweet this …

(FYI — we used ClickToTweet to create this free link)

Social Media Updates

Whenever you publish a new post, let your social media fans, followers and connections know about it by posting an update with a title that attracts attention and a link to the post.

Use @Mentions to Increase Social Media Reach

If you refer to a source in your blog post (e.g. a site or person), make sure to @mention them in the social media updates promoting that post. This lets them know that you've promoted them and, in turn, they may share your update with their own fans, followers and connections.

Social Media Groups and Communities

Posting an update to social media groups (on Facebook and LinkedIn) and communities (on Google+) will promote your blog to targeted readers. One warning however: make sure the blog posts you promote are truly useful or you will be seen as "spammy", something that will drive readers away rather than attract them to your blog.

Share Blog Posts Multiple Times on Social Media

Your targeted prospects are neither on social media all the time nor at the same time. To increase the odds that your blog updates are seen, you should promote them many times. Again, to avoid being "spammy", don't pelt your followers, fans and connections with updates — send them over time.

Post Social Media Updates When They're Most Effective

Tools, such as the free Google Analytics, can tell you the best days and times to post on social media based on the number of clicks your previous updates received.

Paid Promotion on Social Media

Social media advertising is on the rise, and it's a handy way to extend the reach of your promotional updates. Click here for some social media advertising tips.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a practice that will help your blog posts obtain higher ranks in search engine results so readers are more likely to discover them. Click here to learn some SEO basics.

Paid Promotion on Search Engines

Search engines offer "Pay-Per-Click" (PPC) advertising that can be aimed at your targeted readers. This is an especially useful tool if your target market is specific.

Other Paid Promotion Platforms

There are a number of paid promotion platforms that can get your blog in front of millions of potential readers. Here's how that looks on one of these solutions, Outbrain:

Other solutions include: SimpleReach, Taboola, ZergNet, and Adblade.

Guest Contributing on Other Sites

Get the word out about your blog by guest contributing on other authoritative blogs in your industry. Not only will you get in front of their readers, but you'll be able to point people back to your blog, as well.

Leverage Sites with Heavy Traffic

Similar to guest contributing, this approach enables you to post content on heavily-trafficked sites, such as LinkedIn (tips) or Medium, to leverage the readership they've already built. Be sure to include a call-to-action link back to your own blog so they can read more of your posts.

Set Up and Promote an RSS Feed on Your Website

Readers who subscribe to your RSS feeds will be automatically notified when you publish a new blog post. Make sure to promote your RSS feeds (with a button as shown below) so readers can subscribe.

Use Desktop and Mobile Push Notifications

A growing number of solutions enable you to send desktop or mobile notifications when a new post is published. Here's how that looks on one of the solutions, Roost (desktop on top, mobile on the bottom):

Other solutions include: and OneSignal and Pushbullet.

Leverage Your Email Marketing List

Bring list subscribers back to your site by sending an email when a new post goes live. Click here for some email marketing tips.

Add Your Posts to Curation Sites

When you add a post to a curation site such as Scoop.it or Storify, folks can add your post to their own list of "must-read content" for their followers to see.

Team Up with Other Bloggers on Triberr

Triberr is a reciprocal social media site for bloggers where you form a "tribe" that shares each other's posts with your respective audience. This is a great way to leverage others to promote your content.

Links Roundup Submissions

Many sites create weekly link roundups that are perfect for promoting your posts. Click here to see a list of sites to start with.

Submit Your Site to Content Aggregators

Regardless of topic, get your blog listed in popular news aggregators to help people find it. Two examples are Alltop and DoSplash.

Social Bookmarking/News Sites

These sites allow you to submit your post after which its visibility depends on the number of people who vote your post up. Examples include: BizSugar, Digg, Blog Engage, StumbleUpon, and more.

Syndicate Your Content to Top Blogs

Many top blogs and networks will allow you to republish your content on their site with credit back to you. Most big blogs, including mega publications like Business Insider and Huffington Post, do it if they feel that your content is good enough.

Answer Questions on Quora

Quora is a site where you can establish your authority and attract attention by answering questions. Make sure your profile has a link to your blog and you'll drive readers to your posts.

Make Comments on Other Blogs

Have a list of blogs that you read and respond to regularly? Include the link to your blog either in the text or in the URL field as a reference point for who you are and what you're knowledgeable about. You don't want to get in the habit of spamming blogs with your blog URL, but if you're adding to the conversation, it doesn't hurt to leave it.

Use a Press Release

For posts with truly interesting or exclusive news, consider using a press release to promote your work.

Bonus Section – Offline Places to Promote Your Blog

Here are some ways to promote your blog in the real world:

Print Promotional Material

Hey, just because that brochure or handout resides offline, doesn't mean you shouldn't be using it to promote what you're doing online. Make sure customers are aware you're a business whose blogging by putting the address and blog-related call-to-actions on printed promotional material.

Customer Receipts

Whether they made a purchase in your store or through your website, put your blog address on receipts to build awareness and encourage people to check it out.

Packaging

Why not send customers home with something else to check out?

During Presentations

Speaking at a local or national event? Using a PowerPoint or a Keynote presentation? Don't forget to mention your blog!

On Business Cards

It's not just for your phone number anymore. Include your blog URL + all social profiles!

Community Happenings

Sponsoring an event or just taking part in a community activity? Make sure to include literature that mentions your blog or direct people there during conversations.

Conclusion

Knowing the best places to promote your blog on the Web is the key to building your readership, use the list above as a map for your promotional journey.

Do you have additional ideas on how to promote your blog you want to share?

Promote Photo via Shutterstock

Source: 30+ Places to Promote Your Blog On The Web