1. Display your social media icons prominently toward the top of your website.
Make it as simple as possible for your blog readers to connect with
you on various
social media platforms. They shouldn’t have to hunt
around to find your Twitter handle, but should be able to click on a
button and be taken right to your profile. Bonus points if your social
media icons reflect the overall design or feel of your blog.
2. Every blog should have its own Facebook Page.
Even with
Facebook’s new subscription feature, there’s still merit to
giving your blog its own space on Facebook. It’s nice to be able to
post a link every time you publish something new, and not have to worry
about annoying your friends. Plus, readers who don’t your name but know
the name of your blog can search for it on Facebook. Show your fans some
love on your blog by using the Facebook social plugin, which makes it
easy to convert readers to fans.
3. Generate traffic with StumbleUpon.
This “recommendation engine” serves as an alternate browser where
users click through pages that their SU friends and SU itself have
recommended. You can submit your own blog posts into the system, but it
works best if you also share them with your SU friends and accept their
shares back. Like most social platforms, you need to have a strong
following to get good results. While people are still trying to figure
out what makes SU content go viral, many bloggers have seen terrific,
albeit fleeting, traffic spikes through the service.
4. Import your RSS feed onto your LinkedIn profile using its Blog Link application.
As long as your blog somewhat pertains to your professional goals,
you should be showcasing it on LinkedIn. List it as one of your three
websites in your profile, where it will be labeled “Blog.” However, by
using the Blog Link application, your most recent posts will display
right on your profile.
5. Pinterest is the hot new frontier for bloggers.
Pinterest
is the cool new kid, and all of the bloggers are scrambling to
establish a presence there. Pin your best photos onto themed boards with
links to a relevant blog post. Blogs with strong visual content, like
fashion, food, design, crafts and travel, are a natural fit.
Infographics will also do quite well. Don’t forget to add a Pinterest
plugin (like the Pinterest “Pin It” Button for WordPress users) to make
it easy for your readers to share your content on their Pinterest
boards.
6. Use link shorteners even when you don’t have to.
Twitter will now shorten your link for you, and the length of your
link doesn’t matter on Facebook and Google+. But by using a link
shortener like bit.ly, you will gain access to metrics, so you’ll know
how many people clicked and at what time. With this essential data, you
can experiment with different ways to tease your content and different
times to post it.
7. Use your blog name as your username whenever possible.
Promote your personal brand by consistently using your blog’s name
for your Twitter handle, StumbleUpon name, Pinterest name and so on.
Then, people don’t have to wonder about your blog’s name — it’s right
there. Also, people will remember you easily across platforms, which is
key as you develop up your online community.
8. Join blogger groups on Facebook.
There are some very active groups on Facebook that are terrific
resources for any blogging issues you encounter. Look for groups like
“Travel Bloggers” or “Global Bloggers Network.” WordPress geeks have
“Advanced WordPress” and Central Florida residents have “Central Florida
Bloggers.” Not only are blogger groups good for problem-solving, but
it’s well-known that bloggers like to read other blogs. Do some
searching and find a bloggers group that’s suited to you, or start your
own!
9. Be generous with other bloggers.
Promote other bloggers’ content, and hopefully they’ll return the
favor. You can’t simply blast your own content anyway — you need some
variety in every social media stream. So why not check out what your
fellow bloggers are posting and give them a retweet, a share or a repin
whenever you can. And don’t forget to reciprocate and share content from
bloggers who share yours.
10. Be on social media — even when it’s not driving traffic.
It can be frustrating when you feel that you’re doing everything
right (posting good content on the appropriate platforms in the best way
possible) and you’re still not getting many clicks. But console
yourself by thinking about all of the links that you see throughout the
day that you don’t click on. Just spending time on social media
platforms is great way to forge relationships, keep up on industry news
and find inspiration for that next blog post.
