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How to avoid the Post and Hope Syndrome

Is it too late to talk about resolutions for 2010? I’m asking because my resolution was to get my blog more interactive. It’s been a busy start to the year for me at Global Copywriting. Being late with my first post of the year isn’t a great start to my resolution.

I know I’m not the only one to have blogging on their agenda for 2010. Most of my clients are implementing a blog feature on their websites or are becoming more active on the blog they already have. I haven’t met anyone who isn’t considering a blog for their business.

Blogs come with two problems. 1) You have to keep them regularly updated. (Yes, that’s a blush creeping up my face.) 2) You have to get people to read them. Let’s face it. Most of us aren’t full-time bloggers. Few blogs enjoy massive reading audiences. That’s okay with me as long as I’m reaching the people I want to.

Mike Stelzner, founder of the Social Media Examiner, addresses the second problem in his excellent book, Writing White Papers. He warns not to “Post and Hope”. It’s good advice. Just because you’ve written a post and put it on your website, doesn’t mean anyone is going to come looking for it.

What can you do to promote your blog and attract more readers?

    • Update your LinkedIn status telling your network you have a new post and including a link.
    • Send a tweet announcing your new post. Send the link 3 or 4 times throughout the day to ensure it gets to everyone in your network.
    • Add your post as a news article to your relevant LinkedIn groups. Better yet, start a discussion on LinkedIn using your blog post as a reference point.
    • Refer to your own post in comments you leave during the week.

(You’re following my advice from Spin Your SEO Web, right?)

    • Advertise your blog in your newsletter and update the links to recent posts.
    • Include a link to your new blog post in the signature line of your email account.

[*]Digg yourself.

Writing the blog isn’t enough. You also must think like a publisher and make sure people are showing up to read your content. With a little persistence, you can build a following without spending any money.

How do you promote your blog?