Several months ago we posted an article about some simple ways to make your business blog stand out amongst the competition. But what about actually promoting that blog? Are you maximizing your available resources and really leveraging the many places online where you can effectively reach a bigger audience and get more exposure for your brand? If not, stay tuned because we’re about to unveil 5 super easy ways you can promote your business blog and get it the attention it needs to increase traffic and get results.

Get Social – Ok, ok, I know…we sound like a broken record, but the fact is if you’re not utilizing all of the social media channels that are available to you to promote your blog, you’re most certainly missing out. Sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn make it super easy to link back to blog posts and even offer helpful analytical tools so you can measure your reach and identify which content got the most attention. That way you can focus your future efforts on tailoring your content to better suit your audience and get better results.

Spread the News – Do you have an online company newsletter? If so, don’t forget to include links to your recent blog posts to encourage viewers to click, read and share your content with their own networks. Send out a monthly blast (or weekly if you have enough content) that includes a good balance of company news, helpful tips and tidbits, links to relevant articles on your blog and information about any coupons or special promotions you’re currently offering.

Make a Connection – When you’ve posted a particularly relevant article about something interesting or unique in your industry, consider reaching out to a few high profile bloggers in your niche to see if they’d consider sharing it with their own readers. This can give you instant brand exposure, a boost in ranking and can help you establish more authority in your field. Just don’t overdo it and hound the same bloggers too often or you may end up on their spam list.

Share Your Opinion – If there are other relevant blogs that you follow or industry forums that you are a member of, be sure to participate in the conversations going on there by commenting and providing thoughtful insight or other helpful advice. Include a link back to your website or, whenever possible, a specific blog post that is relevant to the topic being discussed. 

Give Yourself Some Recognition – Internal linking is an important part of successful SEO. Whenever possible, reference and link back to previous blog posts you’ve written (see the first paragraph of this blog post as an example). This drives traffic to your older content and increases your site’s authority with the search engines. It’s also a great way to establish a loyal readership and breathe new life into your old content.

It’s infinitely important to include an active blog as a part of your business website and overall online marketing strategy. But simply having a blog isn’t enough to truly get the results you want. You also have to take the initiative to promote those blog articles once they are live. By following these 5 simple tips you will be able to increase exposure for your brand, boost traffic to your blog and your website, and ultimately improve your online presence as a result.