No matter what your ultimate blogging goals are, one of the most important things to being a successful blogger is having an audience. That means you have to promote yourself and your writing. This can be counter-intuitive for lots of writers, who may feel uncomfortable pimping their stuff out. But it’s a necessary evil.
Many blogging advice posts will tell you:
Get on Twitter! Set up a Facebook page! Join a StumbleUpon group! Create a Pinterest board! Find a tribe! Get social sharing buttons on your site! and on and on and on.
It can truly be overwhelming to look at all of the possible options. Sometimes, it feels easier to do nothing at all.
My advice?
Don’t stress. Focus on promoting your work in a few select outlets.
I don’t stick to a niche, so I’ve written a LOT of different types of posts. That experience combined with my freelance editorial and social media work has helped me get some insight into what social media vehicles seem to work best for certain types of posts. That’s what I’m sharing with you today. These general guidelines might help you as you try to navigate the sea of options available to you.
If you write blog tips..
Consider promoting these posts primarily through Twitter and StumbleUpon. Remember that Facebook has a very mainstream audience. Most of the people who read me on Facebook are not bloggers, and they don’t care about blog tips. Twitter has a greater concentration of bloggers, so you’re likely to get more sharing there.
StumbleUpon is a tricky bird. I never quite know what is going to do well but some of my blog tip posts have really taken off. I often submit my blog tip posts to my weekly StumbleUpon group to give them a little extra boost.
If you write craft/DIY posts…
You are a very lucky person, because DIY and craft posts seem to do well in all social media outlets. Consider submitting your craft posts to StumbleUpon, Twitter, and Facebook. If you have really amazing visual images with your craft posts, by all means, add those posts to your Pinterest board as well. If you don’t have amazing images, think about being more judicious with Pinterest or creating a Pinterest-friendly graphical image in its place.
If you’re a smaller craft blogger just starting out, there are lots of other outlets for you to promote your writing, like submitting tips to Tip Junkie or writing guest posts for places like The SITS Girls.
If you write food posts…
You too are lucky! Everybody’s gotta eat, and everybody loves a good recipe post. Pinterest, StumbleUpon, Twitter, and Facebook are all great outlets for you. As with craft posts, make sure you’ve got visuals that pop if you’re submitting to Pinterest, and if you’re tweeting a food post on Twitter, don’t try to use a catchy or obscure phrase for your tweet. Use the recipe name; it’s much more effective.
If you write parenting posts…
Your best bets are to promote on Facebook and Twitter. Facebook allows you to reach the mainstream mom, and the #parenting hashtag on Twitter will enable you to scoop up some social sharing as well. I typically don’t waste my time promoting parenting posts on other outlets. People tend to not go to StumbleUpon or Pinterest for parenting advice!
Do check out sites like Mamapedia Voices, BlogHer’s submission process and Daily Buzz Moms as other ways to get wider exposure for parenting content.
If you write humor posts…
Twitter and Facebook are the way to go, with StumbleUpon being a close third. My best-trafficked StumbleUpon post was a humor post I did about picking wine by its label. People on Twitter and Facebook are always up for a laugh to get through the day, and if a post is truly well done, people will not only read it, but share it.
If you write personal reflection posts…
Again, Twitter and Facebook are your best bets. Also consider submitting to BlogHer syndication, or my friend Shell’s Pour Your Heart Out weekly linkup.
If you write style, fashion or beauty posts…
Pinterest, but you probably know that. Again, make sure your images are fantastic. Another resource to consider is Daily Buzz Style.
If you write posts about living frugally, couponing or deals…
Facebook seems to be the way to go with frugal living posts. When I worked at Juice in the City, I partnered with many fantastic deal and frugal bloggers. All of them had massive Facebook followings and seemed to get their best response from Facebook over any other outlet.
If you write fitness, wellness, or posts on green living…
I’d suggest going heavy on Twitter and Facebook. This type of content has appeal to a very wide audience. Keep your post titles relevant to the topic so people are enticed to read. Daily Buzz Healthy Living is a great way to expose your content to a wider audience.
I’m interested in hearing whether your experience has been with the posts you write. Is it the same as what I’ve observed?
While I’m an editor for several Daily Buzz sites, I was not obligated to mention them here – I just think it’s a great resource for bloggers!
About the Author Gigi Ross
I'm a blogger, social media geek, mom and wife, foodie, reality TV addict and Jason Mraz fangirl. Not in that order. I write here about parenting, blogging, technology, social media and pop culture.
{ 37 comments }
I guess I should bite the bullet and get on twitter… I’ve been avoiding it because I don’t need another time suck, but it’s in the top two for all of my niches. Great advice!
I love getting featured on the Daily Buzz! Next to Google searches, the Buzz brings in the best traffic for me. I need to utilize Twitter and Facebook more but they are time consuming. As a stay at home mom, I’m lucky most days just to get a post published. I guess that’s why I keep blogging about my hair. Google searches for that topic have increased my traffic by about 30% recently. Crazy.
Barbara Davis´s last [type] ..My Big Bang Theory
This is such a great post Gigi, I think it is so important to promote in the right places and love how you detailed it out.
Jessica´s last [type] ..This Moment
thanks, Jessica!
I didn’t know about Daily Buzz until now! Are some of the segments of Daily Buzz more successful than others? For example Healthy Living vs Style vs Moms?
Courtney Baker´s last [type] ..Goodbye Flash: 5 Reasons the On-Camera Flash Kills Your Photo
Daily Buzz Moms has been around the longest – coming up on a year. Healthy Living just launched in January and Style launched in late 2011. So they’re all at different points in the life cycle. If you read the comment above from Barbara of The Bold Blend, she is a publisher for Healthy Living and is seeing a nice uptick in traffic from it!
Awesome advice – and great resources! The only one I might add is Leah’s (Bookieboo) – Mamavation group for health/weight loss. It is an amazing place for support for those that are in their weight loss journey.
Julie @DutchBeingMe´s last [type] ..#Mamavation: The power of shame…
yes, that is a terrific point, Julie!
Again, great advice. I joined SU, but I haven’t quite figured it out, but seems like it’s not really a necessity for the type of blog I have.
Debra´s last [type] ..Crock Pot Buddies – Recipe Blog Hop
There were some helpful tips here that I didn’t know about. Thanks for sharing!
I have the wonderfulness of only really being able to “pimp myself out” from work, which means Twitter, and little else.
I really need to start spending a few minutes each night, sending the appropriate posts to the appropriate social media outlets . . . and, you know, creating a Facebook presence for myself.
John´s last [type] ..Where, sometimes, a smile is enough
Awesome advice~ I’m definitely bookmarking this post!
I need to be checking out a few of the Daily Buzz sites & Mamapedia/BlogHer options, all might be a great fit for my blog. Thanks for the fantastic breakdown!
Amy @ Counting My Kisses´s last [type] ..Arts & Crafts
Great tips, Gigi! Another one for food/craft/DIY bloggers would be to join a link-up or two in order to not only gain exposure but to find other cool blogs. Good visuals help with this as well – some parties are visited by hundreds and hundreds of people. But it’s always fun.
Mrs. Jen B´s last [type] ..I’m Heading To Blissdom!
Great ideas. I didn’t know about DailyBuzz before, so I just signed up for it. Some link-ups also do well for food/crafts, but can be very hit or miss. Also, if you’re near the top of a popular link-up, you’ll get tons more traffic than being in the middle.
Laura Jane @ Recovering Chocoholic´s last [type] ..What to Do When the Going Gets Rough
This list will be prove much beneficial for all because you describe so well from where we should start and how we can get good response in blogging world in less time and i am also agreed from you we should try to get as much advantages form twitter and facebook because these are good sites also and as we all know much number of visitors comes on these sites in a day.
Thanks for this, Gigi.
I’ll admit to being overwhelmed by the Pinterest craze and Stumble Upon.
No matter how many “you can do it, too” posts I read, I can’t. And now I see that I probably shouldn’t.
If I’m going to focus on two social media outlets, Facebook and Twitter are my best bets, according to you.
Now. I set up a Facebook page…
(Crap.)
I’ve pretty much found everything you said pretty much spot-on in terms of sharing my posts. I’m mainly a Twitter and Facebook kind of girl since the majority of my posts are parenting, humor, or self-reflection. I’ve shared my food posts on Pinterest and SU, and my lone craft post about cute Christmas wrapping got pinned a few times on Pinterest. I was also pleased to see that my Valentine’s post today – a humor post – got stumbled.
Oddly enough, the post from which I received the highest amount of traffic from SU was a deeply personal one about my struggles with depression. That surprised me.
Kristin @ What She Said´s last [type] ..To My Husband on Valentine’s Day
Where does Google+ fit into all of this?
great question. I haven’t played around with Google+ to even have an idea of what works there or not. What are your thoughts?
I’m not sure yet. I have a Google + account that is mine and one for my blog and I share my blog posts there and other stuff but the interaction isn’t the same there as it is on Facebook.
I’m not sure that everyone is on board with it yet or they’re not sure how to use it for blogging or social media purposes.
You always give the most helpful blogging advice! I’ll have to check out the Daily Buzz. Thanks for this!
This is such a great, comprehensive post. I think it’s lovely for people who don’t write in a niche, because that seems like it would help to use a variety of social media outlets for different posts. I tend to stick to the same things, and this will help me change things around a little and tweak my process.
I really appreciate that your blogging posts can be applied to bloggers at any growth stage of their blogs.
Well, I just signed up for DailyBuzz – not sure how it works exactly but we’ll see what happens! Thank you for this post and the guidance.
Nice breakdown. Yeah, I know. I need to engage more on Facebook and Twitter instead of just doing the auto-post. Thanks for the tips about the parenting networks, I didn’t know about all of them!
Carol Ramsey´s last [type] ..How T. Rex Took a Train to a Tropical Island
What a great post- also love your clean layout!
Deirdre @ Ladies Holiday´s last [type] ..I "Heart" the Possibilities
You may have already talked about this in another post, and maybe you can just link me up to it, but, I have a question about what you mean when you say, ” I often submit my blog tip posts to my weekly StumbleUpon group to give them a little extra boost.”
What is a “weekly StumbleUpon group”? I am signed up with Stumble Upon, but am hesitant to submit my own posts, and so I basically do nothing with it, and hope SOMEONE will submit some of my more wonderful food posts. (Which hardly ever happens.) So.
Is there anything I can do to more effectively utilize Stumble Upon? How big of a time investment is it?
You have really classified these posts very well. I also use Stumbleupon to promote my blog posts.
Vineet Saxena´s last [type] ..5 Great Ideas For Your Next Blog Post
I love Daily Buzz! So grateful for the times I’ve been featured; they’ve been great for the blog. Will try out some of the other options here, too, and see where I fit in best. Thanks!
Thanks for the specific tips on promoting a craft blog. I just started blogging about a crochet challenge. I appreciate your suggestions.
Great post!
I classify my blog as personal journal though, there isn’t any specific content in it. Haha, just ramblings and random thoughts
Sya´s last [type] ..There She Says ‘I do’
Is there any reason I shouldn’t use The Daily Buzz or be skeptical? I’m so new at this and am figuring it out as I go.
Rebekah´s last [type] ..Some Updates on Granola, Yogurt, and Chickens
Thanks for this great post. Not too many bloggers give such specific advice for niches. It seems like there are alot of articles on blogs in general but sometimes that information is just too… general, to be applicable. So, thanks!
Seamama (aka Jess)´s last [type] ..Trip to the Zoo
This is a very useful post with lots of ideas to drive traffic to ones website. I visited the things i can’t say website you mentioned and i really like the concept. Thank you for the tips and the examples given.
Viano´s last [type] ..Photo of the Day: South Sudan Princess
Thanks so much for this post. I am a beginner who is slogging my way through the blogosphere trying to figure it all out and I get frustrated often feeling like I am reinventing the wheel every time I try to gain followers. I am all over Facebook and Twitter and I just can’t seem to gain readers. I am open to suggestions! Thanks again for the post!
It is a very long road to gain followers…and oftentimes, you will hit plateaus. Just keep on keepin’ on! Try new things like Google Plus, StumbleUpon or Pinterest also as ways to promote your content if you’re not active there already.
I enjoyed your post, and i’ve followed some of your advice, sometimes people share my posts, but maybe they just aren’t good enough. I just wish I could get more search engine traffic, right now I’m only getting a couple a day, sometimes i don’t get any. Mostly just my friends reading it right now, but great post, and thanks for the info.
Chelsea´s last [type] ..Should You Commit Suicide in Advance of The 12/21/2012 Apocalypse Since You’re Going to Die Anyway?
Good Article! Hope it would be useful to increase my traffic, thanks, Please let me know if you write a new post.
Agio´s last [type] ..Natasha Belle
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