Don’t have time for social media? Promote blog on the go with these quick steps.
As social media is becoming increasingly famous, bloggers have been required to consider including the platforms in their marketing strategies. But many bloggers don’t have the time to devote to social media sites or aren’t happy with these platforms, so we’re left trying to figure out how to advertise our blogs without using social media. Therefore, here are 10 strategies to help promote your site without using the tools that social media.
Promote blog without social media. Learn how to get organic traffic for your blog without paying for ads or using other marketing strategies.
1. Join Local Meetups
Many larger cities have local bloggers groups that meet regularly. Find out if there are any in your area and if not, think about starting one yourself. Even better take it a step further and offer to give a presentation at one of these meetings. This is an excellent way to promote your business, especially if you don’t use social media. As an added bonus, you’ll get some valuable advice from established bloggers in your field, who might even be able to refer new clients your way. Plus, joining forces with other like-minded individuals can help boost your morale when things aren’t going as well as you had hoped.
1. When You Can’t Afford a Sponsor:
When working with brands or affiliates, many bloggers are often told they can only feature their products or services on their site if they also provide a discount code for readers. But what do you do when the budget doesn’t allow for affiliate codes? This is where your local meetups come in handy. Offering discounts at meetups is a great way to promote your business without breaking your bank account. Think about it if someone takes advantage of your offer and comes back later to buy something else, they’ll probably remember how nice you were (and be more likely to purchase from you again).
2. Don’t Forget About In-Person Events:
If there are any conferences or events coming up in your area that relate to your niche, don’t miss out, for example, if you write about travel tips and destinations, there might be an expo happening nearby that features some of the best vacation spots around. While it may seem obvious, networking is one of the most effective ways to promote your business, and face-to-face interaction is even better than online networking because it allows for a more personal connection. When you meet someone at a conference or event, follow up with them afterward via email (or even better give them a call) so they know who you are when they visit your site. You never know what opportunities will come from meeting new people you could end up writing for their publication or landing a job at their company and not only will these types of events help promote your business directly, but they can also lead to great content ideas as well.
2. Guest Post on Well-Known Blogs
No one will find your obscure little site if it’s buried beneath hundreds of thousands of other blogs. Find some high-traffic sites in your niche and pitch them a guest post. Not only is a guest post a fantastic way to promote your own site, but it will also bring you valuable backlinks and introduce you to potential industry contacts. If they like what they see, who knows you might even get hired.
Just be sure that you have something worthwhile to say; your time would be better spent doing actual work than writing content for free. The best approach is to write an excellent piece, reach out to a few people within your niche with solid followings, and ask if they’d be willing to share it with their audience. (Be aware that Google has taken measures against guest posting as a form of link building.) Be genuine, know your stuff, and don’t overdo it: One great guest post is worth 100 mediocre ones.
Social Bookmarking Sites:
You should never leave any stone unturned when promoting yourself or your business online. Social bookmarking sites are a powerful tool because they allow you to attract targeted traffic while earning relevant links at the same time. The best part is that social bookmarking sites don’t require much effort on your part; all you have to do is submit your site and let it sit there. But if you want results, there are some things you can do to maximize exposure. For example, using keywords in your title tags and descriptions not only will it help with SEO (search engine optimization), but people will also be more likely to click through.
Include your site URL in every piece of content you publish: If you write guest posts for other blogs, include a link back to your own website in each post.
3. Feature in Well-Known Publications
If you’re working on a particularly innovative product or idea, try pitching it to editors at your favorite publications. If they bite, you’ll gain exposure and drive traffic back to your site. For example, if you’ve created an app that helps people find recipes based on what ingredients they have in their pantry, pitch it to Food & Wine Magazine. There are plenty of ways to get published without social media you just need to be creative. (Not all ideas will work for every publication, but it never hurts to ask.)
One great way to promote your website is by contacting bloggers who regularly write about topics related to yours. When you contact them with a new piece of content (and include a link), they might be willing to publish your post on their own site as well as share it via social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. This is often referred to as guest posting because you’re not necessarily trying to build links from other sites; instead, you’re hoping those writers will use your content as something new for their readership. How do you find these bloggers? Try using Google Alerts or Muck Rack to monitor when someone publishes an interesting post on a topic that relates to yours. You can also search for popular blogs in your niche, see if they have submitted article forms available online, and submit your content there.
4. Build Relationships with Influencers
You may have noticed that I didn’t put social media as a way to promote your blog. The reason for that is simple: blogging isn’t about promoting yourself; it’s about building relationships with your readers. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t share posts from your own website on Facebook or Twitter but it does mean that you should never promote yourself at someone else’s expense. If you can engage with influencers in your niche and build relationships with them, they will be more than happy to promote anything from you and won’t even think of it as a promotion. After all, everyone loves what their friends are talking about.
1. Comment on other blogs in your niche:
This one seems obvious, but it’s amazing how many people overlook commenting on other blogs. By leaving thoughtful comments (not just great post.), you not only demonstrate that you are genuinely interested in helping others succeed, but also give yourself an opportunity to establish rapport with like-minded bloggers who could potentially help spread the word about your content when appropriate. And if you do get some traction by getting mentioned by another blogger? Be sure to thank them publicly so others see how easy it is to get attention online.
2. Link out to other blogs in your niche:
A lot of folks don’t realize how important it is to link out to others, especially when you are trying to build up a new site. Not only does it show that you value those whose work has helped inform yours, but linking out gives those bloggers a chance to reciprocate and drive traffic back to your site.
3. Build relationships on social media:
While I believe strongly that social media shouldn’t be used solely for self-promotion, there is no denying its power as a promotional tool when used correctly. When looking for ways to promote your content online without relying on social networks directly, look no further than your existing network of friends and family members through these channels.
4. Share links to your articles on Google+:
Google+ might not seem like much of a social network anymore, but it still plays host to a number of influential communities where you can easily start sharing links to articles posted on your site.
5. Create shareable content:
There is no doubt that listicles are popular right now; however, simply creating lists isn’t enough to ensure that your content gets shared widely across social media sites. If you want something shared widely, make sure it contains interesting facts or data points that will encourage readers to share this means making sure everything in each listicle point is worth sharing.
6. Reach out to bloggers that you’ve mentioned:
Have you ever heard someone say there’s no such thing as bad publicity? Well, that’s partially true. While you might not want to necessarily go around advertising your business by saying bad things about competitors, there is definitely something to be said for giving credit where credit is due. If you mention another company or individual within your content, reach out to them afterward and let them know that you did so.
5. Comment on Other Popular Blogs
One of my favorite ways to promote my own content is by commenting on popular blogs in my industry. Whenever I have time, I try and leave a thoughtful comment on an influential site like Mashable or Entrepreneur, as well as more specific blogs related to what I write about. This way, I don’t just drive traffic back to my own website I also get it in front of people who might want to read it but wouldn’t have found me otherwise.
Remember: Every blogger began their journey as a reader of someone else’s work. Be helpful and add value whenever you can. You never know where your next opportunity will come from Participate in forums/message boards/social media groups Engaging with other bloggers and writers within your niche via social media platforms (such as Twitter) or forums (like Digital Point) is another great way to share information, receive feedback and build relationships with others in your field.
Commenting on each other’s sites, responding to comments made on yours, re-sharing interesting content…these are all excellent ways to connect with one another online. Not only that but if you do participate in these conversations, there’s a good chance those same people will be eager to check out what you have to say when they see that familiar name pop up again down the road.
6. Start a Podcast
What can you do if you don’t have an extensive social media presence? Start a podcast. If you’re an expert on a topic, why not talk about it in front of a microphone? You can record episodes from your computer, or invest in (and learn how to use) professional equipment. Podcasts are free to listen to and usually range from 30 minutes to an hour. And, bonus: if someone likes what they hear, they might take you seriously enough as an authority figure to follow your social media channels and visit your website. There are even platforms like Anchor that make it incredibly easy and completely free to start a podcast.
steps to get started with podcasting:
- Find an audience that is interested in your topic.
- Research and buy any necessary equipment.
- Record at least one episode of audio (which can be edited later).
- Listen back to yourself and decide how much time you want to put into each episode.
- Then, start marketing your show.
- Use promo codes for websites such as iTunes and Stitcher Radio
- Create ads for Facebook
- Post flyers around town
- Email to friends, family members, colleagues, and acquaintances
- Share it on Twitter
- Upload it to YouTube…the list goes on.
The more people who know about your podcast, the more listeners you will attract. Remember: consistency is key when trying to promote something new. Don’t give up after just one try.
7. Get Featured in Ebooks, Special Reports & Whitepapers
Working with organizations and companies that produce ebooks, special reports, and whitepapers is a great way to create free publicity for your own business. Getting featured in these types of publications not only gives you additional exposure, but it’s also an excellent way to build quality backlinks (which will boost your SEO).
Before getting in touch with organizations you want to work with, research their website and social media presence. If they already have published any white papers or reports on similar topics as yours, be sure that they include a hyperlink back to their source content (otherwise they could just seem like plagiarists).
You should also find out who is responsible for compiling all of their outside contributors and get in touch directly. Send them an email with a link to your product/service page, along with a brief description of what makes you unique. Also, make sure that there isn’t anything else about your company/blog/product/service that would make you incompatible for inclusion in their publication. For example, if they are known for featuring mostly non-profits or local businesses, don’t contact them unless you fit into one of those categories. Be specific when asking to be included in their next report don’t just say I’d love to be included because there’s no guarantee they’ll remember who said what later on down the line. Plus, being more specific will help ensure that you’re actually a good fit for their publication.
Once you’ve been accepted to participate in an ebook, special report, or whitepaper, make sure that you follow through by submitting your contribution on time and following any formatting instructions provided by the publisher. It’s important to remember that once your piece has been accepted for inclusion in a particular publication, everything from there on out is up to them so take note of deadlines and do whatever you can to meet those expectations. If they reject your submission or request changes before including it in their final product, don’t take it personally. They probably had good reasons why they made that decision so try again with another organization instead. The most important thing here is consistency: keep trying until someone says yes.
8. Do YouTube Videos
YouTube is a great place to market your brand, especially if you have a fun or interesting personality. Make sure you have some form of editing software (even just iMovie will do) so that people can learn about your business and connect with you, but don’t overdo it. In other words, resist spending hours upon hours making fancy videos; chances are no one will watch them anyway. Create three or four short and engaging clips instead. This way, when someone is on YouTube, they may see one of your videos and then click on the website link that you provide in the description area of each video. That could be just what it takes for them to make a purchase. In addition to having an attractive YouTube channel, you should also consider joining Google+ communities related to your niche. This allows you to network with others who might also want to promote your products and/or services. If they like what they see on your channel, there’s a good chance they’ll become loyal customers down the road.
After creating all these videos, remember that having a strong social media presence goes hand-in-hand with marketing yourself online. You need both channels in order for people to find out about you and once they do, it’s up to you how much work you put into converting those viewers into customers.
9. Create Case Studies
Case studies help show real-world examples of how your product or service solves a problem. They’re simple and easy ways to promote your brand, but can really be powerful for gaining traction in new markets. To create a case study, all you need is someone who’s been successful with your product or service. Interview them about how they were able to overcome a problem using what you offer and be sure to ask questions that lead them through their process, so you can highlight how it all came together in the end.
Add some supporting images, and you’ve got an informative content piece that also shows off what you do best. It might take some time to find a client willing to speak openly about how they used your product or service, but if you keep at it, you should have no trouble finding at least one example for each of your offerings. If you don’t have any current clients yet, talk to other businesses in similar industries and see if they would be willing to contribute something as well. It will help give your business credibility and legitimacy when people see that others are already trusting you with their business needs. You could even approach local businesses directly if they fall into a market segment that overlaps with yours if nothing else, these businesses will have an idea of where your strengths lie.
10. Speak at Conferences
While many people get excited about writing and publishing a new post, you should also focus on how to promote your writing in other ways. For example, speaking at conferences can build your credibility as an expert and allow you to share key learnings with a new audience. In fact, some of our most popular posts are from guest authors that we’ve invited to write for us after hearing them speak at industry events. While social media is important for many businesses from connecting with customers to driving traffic back to your site there are other equally valuable marketing channels that aren’t related to Facebook or Twitter. If you want to grow your business by promoting yourself and your content, consider giving a talk or hosting an event. It could be one of your best investments.
Final thoughts to promote blog
A lot of bloggers have tried and failed to develop social media strategies that are authentic, useful, and grow their audience. Unfortunately, a lot of so-called social media experts will try and tell you otherwise they’ll promise an instant success if you just give them money or follow their system. If you’re looking for real answers on how to promote your business without social media, there are good ones out there you just need to find them. The truth is that promotion is hard work, but it doesn’t have to be impossible.
