Professional Blogging For Dummies®

Chapter 11. Getting the Word Out about Your Blog

In This Chapter

• Developing marketing strategies for promoting your blog

• Getting the most out of social networks

• Introducing search engine optimization

Remember the quotation, "If you build it, they will come"? In a Hollywood movie maybe, but not in the blogosphere. For people to read your blog, they have to know about it, and the only way to make that happen is to tell them. You don't need a megabucks advertising budget, just a simple promotional plan.

This chapter outlines a number of ways to promote your blog. A few of them, such as commenting on other blogs and using your social networks appropriately, are musts. The others are up to you, your inclinations, and in some cases, your budget. The more tools you use, the more people are likely to be exposed to your blog.

Keep your perspective. Just as no amount of marketing will save a poor product from failure, your content is the key to your blog's success. Promotion gets people there, but your unique voice and compelling posts keep them coming back.

Telling Your Friends, Family, and Business Contacts

When your blog is ready for readers, tell people whom you already know.

Sending an e-mail

E-mail your friends, family, customers, and business contacts. Personal notes are better than mass e-mails, but if you already have an established newsletter list that complies with the CAN-SPAM Act (a law that regulates commercial e-mail in the United States; see Chapter 3), definitely send it.

Promoting ...