Ideas for Promoting Your Business Blog

Businesses that blog regularly are already taking the right steps to marketing themselves successfully online. Blogging is a great way to position yourself as a thought leader in your industry, to keep your website content fresh and attractive to search engines and to engage and delight your site visitors, hopefully prompting them to convert to leads. But just having a blog and posting to it on a regular schedule is only half the battle. You’ve got to get people to come read it. So we’ve compiled some helpful ideas for promoting your business blog you may not have thought of before.

Use Your Company Emails

If your business sends out any kind of email – be it newsletters, sales letters, correspondence or marketing offers – you should take full advantage of this marketing tool. One way is to simply add a link to your blog to the signature block on emails for all employees at your firm. You can entice people to click on it by letting them know what kind of information you’ll be sharing: “Find out more about how to XYZ by reading our blog!”

You can also consider sending out an email to your entire database letting them know that you’re blogging and what they can find on your blog. Then make sure to post high-quality blog content that addresses problems your target audience faces, but limit your focus on selling your products and services. Remember: Business blog content is a marketing tool, not a place to sell.

Make Your Employees Blog Ambassadors

Business blogs usually start off with a readership consisting mostly of employees and close associates. Capitalize on this loyal readership by encouraging them to share with their friends and associates via email and social media. They can post blog updates to their Facebook feeds, tweet links to your business blog on Twitter, etc. Make it easy for them by including social sharing buttons on each post. If a potential client sees that a business’s employees believe in its blog, they’ll be more apt to click and read the content, and maybe even share it themselves. Don’t forget that blog posts should also go up on your business’s social media pages, too.

Involve Yourself in LinkedIn Groups

LinkedIn is an excellent place to network and share your blog posts with people who may be looking for just the kind of content you provide. The first step is to join LinkedIn groups that include people in your target audience. Then, start to participate in discussion, ask and answer questions and establish yourself. Do this before sharing your content, because LinkedIn is protective of groups and will kick people out who have clearly just come to promote themselves. Read other people’s blog articles, comment on them, and then begin to share your own when appropriate.

Immerse yourself in the discussions on LinkedIn. Start your own group or join groups relevant to your business and encourage your employees to participate in the discussions. People will begin to read your blog because they appreciate your expertise, and hopefully they’ll share your blog content. LinkedIn can raise your public profile among professionals in your business industry as well as the people who are in your target audience.

The best part about these ideas? They’re all free! And they all get your blog in front of many people who may not even be aware you’re blogging. Start by incorporating one or two of these ideas (or all three, we’re not going to stop you!) into your routine and watch your readership grow!