Buzz it!
![Annoying Noises Prohibitted [sic]](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3142/2898020303_635ed6118d_m.jpg)
Think of all the ways there are to promote your blog.
You have Twitter, Facebook, Friendfeed, Digg, and any other social media site. Then you have blogging networks like Blogged, Blog Engage, and Blog Catalog. Finally, there are the powers of word-of-mouth and then through any comment made on any other blog.
All of these are sure ways to make your blog known and promoting it even further. But, do not be annoying when promoting your blog throughout these different methods.
Social Media Sites
Social media sites are one of the easiest ways to promote your blog, but they are also one of the easiest ways to be annoying to your fellow followers and friends. Think about how many times you post a tweet or a status update. You do not want all of those updates to be about your new blog. Why?
Your followers and friends do like that you have a new blog, but they will not like how you keep promoting it. Then, after awhile your promotion will come to an end and you will have to think of other methods of promoting. If you overuse Twitter, especially, you will face the fear of declining followers and so you will theoretically lose the power Twitter offers.
When making a new tweet or status update, do not just promote your blog. Sure one or a few updates a day could promote your blog, but also think about retweeting or using your updates to promote yourself. “Promote” yourself and your thinking to not only connect with others but to prevent any annoyance.
Blogging Networks
Blogging networks such as Blogged, Blog Catalog, and Blog Engage are a great way to not be (too) annoying when promoting your blog. All you, the founder of your blog, have to do is setup a profile and submit your blog’s content. Then any posting or talking you do with the community within the blog network, will most likely not cause any annoyance since everyone comes there for the same reason. To blog.
Word-of-Mouth and Commenting
Personally, I have found this to be the best method for promoting your blog. Word-of-Mouth is a great way to get your friends and anyone that you feel would be interested in your blog, interested. But, when starting off you do not know very many people that would be of interest to your blog, so that is why not being annoying on social media will help solve this problem. If the people you connect through social media like your blog, without heavy promotion, they will refer the blog to others which is your word-of-mouth.
Along with word-of-mouth, commenting on other blogs that are either of interest to you or are of relation to your blog’s purpose or niche will be healthy promotion for your blog. One thing to stay away from is actually including just your blog’s url address within the comment. You can (when appropriate) include the url of a post, on your blog, related to the post you just commented on. But, most blogs today will ask for your website url, which is your blog url, whenever you make a comment. This is plenty for promoting your blog. It will become an annoyance to the owner of the blog, you are commenting on, when you are always promoting your blog within the comments and they just might mark you as spam. Then, you have just lost another area for promoting your blog.
Last Words of Thought
Blog promotion is very crucial to making your blog known to many, but if you over-promote to the point of annoying everyone, your ways of promoting will all dry up. Then, you might want to think about starting a new blog and not make the same mistakes again.
photo credit: BarelyFitz
Jean Sarauer
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James Tayo
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Mike Roosa
I agree with you on this Derek, especially on the point about Twitter. A few of the people I follow just dump 30 tweets containing links to posts on their site every few days, with with no explanation about what they are and no variety.
I’m certainly using Twitter for promoting my blog posts; however I try to keep it to one or two a day and mix up those ‘promotional’ tweets with links to other people’s sites, good retweets, and of course the odd personal comment – I think there’s a risk that people will stop following a Twitter feed that just feels inhuman and mechanical.
Mark Bell´s last blog ..Extracts Of Local Distance
Twitter is certainly an area that can make or break a blogger’s promotion.
Thanks for the comment Mark!
I’ve always found a healthy balance with my blog, I use twitter for posting new blog posts and then it’s the visitors to my blog that actually give me the promotion, if they find a post interesting they will often or not re-tweet the post or vote for it on BlogEngage.
I also find that visiting a commentators blog and returning a comment also helps.
Karen @ Blazing Minds´s last blog ..Do you know the true story of coffee?
You make a great point by visiting the commentator’s blog and returning a comment there. Then that commentator will more than likely keep returning comments on your blog.
Thanks for the comment Karen!
Derek Jensen´s last blog ..Twitter Lists To Gain Customer Interest
I let the auto tweet take care of tweeting my posts when they are published and then I cross my fingers and hope that the blogging community reciprocates when I RT their posts.
I think I rely on the good ole Golden Rule :)
Ms. Freeman´s last blog ..If You Ask Shall You Receive?
The golden rule is a good one. I also like “It is more blessed to give than to recieve,” which works well for social media.
I couldn’t agree more, especially on twitter. I promote my stuff on there too, but 18 out of 20 tweets are conversation or links to interesting stuff I DIDN’T write but wanted to share. Don’t be a bully on Twitter, I will usually unfollow after too much of it!
Keith @ Superior Fence Products´s last blog ..Vinyl Privacy Fence Products
Thanks for the comment Keith!
Twitter is definitely a really good resource, but if misused it can create destruction for your blog.
Derek,
Great thoughts. I’d like to second the notion that blog owners find people who add links to their blogs inside their comments annoying.
I have a couple commenters that consistently do this, yet they fail to put in their URL where they should. As a result, they miss the link from the top commenters list.
Unless I know the commenter, I have no problems stripping the link out of their comments. Any comment with a link automatically goes to moderation too.
Brad Harmon´s last blog ..How to Get Paid by the Church
Thanks for the comment Brad!
I just do not understand how they can keep making this mistake. Haha they should read this post and maybe they will think again.
Derek Jensen´s last blog ..Twitter Lists To Gain Customer Interest
Nice post Derek!
I agree with the annoyance of social media and promoting. There has to be a balance of giving value then every so often self promotion is fine. Find a good ratio of something like every 5 valuable/helpful tweets you can post 1 promotional tweet.
Just the other day I was really hesitant about promoting my RSS feed on twitter as I really wanted to reach my RSS goal before months end. I almost felt bad for doing it but it worked a treat and I guess because I try and post a lot of tips and helpful tweets that the odd promotion is accepted :)
If you really want to promote your site more often you could link to older blog posts that you’ve posted that are helping your readers as well as getting them to your site (thus helping you out).
I always try and live by the phrase ‘give more than you receive’ if you live life like this you’re a winner :)
Sarge @ beginnerblogger.com´s last blog ..Beginner Blogger Stats and Goals – Nov-Dec 09
Thanks Sarge! :D
Linking to older posts is a very good approach. It not only will provide great help for whatever you are discussing, but it will undigg your archives and show people that you have great content from the past.
Then, finding that ratio when using Twitter is something I am still trying to establish and can be hard when starting a blog and reaching / finding your audience.
Thanks again for the comment.
Derek Jensen´s last blog ..Twitter Lists To Gain Customer Interest
You forgot ‘You shall not pay spambot services to promote your blog!’ I recently begun to get plenty of spam comments linking to not-as-bad-as-you-could-think websites.
I shall agree with all you said though, it’s true and it’s annoying to see/read. I always unfollow people who are only talking about how awesome they/their blog is.
Eugen R.´s last blog ..The simpliest way of creating a widget in WordPress 2.8+
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This really caught my eye. About a month ago I wrote a post about being annoying on Twitter. Seeing the same face pushing everyone out can get annoying very quickly. Of course I use a group to avoid over-twitters. Even if someone has interesting things to say, I want to see what others are saying as well.
Excellent post. Thank you.
Thanks Hal! And thanks for the comment.
Best Regards,
Derek
Derek Jensen´s last blog ..Start a Blog to Find Your True Passion
I really enjoyed this post. I agree 100% with everything said. We have to use good common sense. Unfortunately many people forget basic notions of manners. It truly amazes me how some people spam and think that what they are doing is marketing – LOL.
All the best,
Eren
Eren Mckay´s last blog ..Yummy carrot and sweet potato soup recipe
LOL I know right! I feel writing this article they have been warned.
Thanks for the comment Eren.
Hi Brandon,
Couldn’t agree with you more about “Word of mouth” being the best form of promotion ( for those with a non-internet social circle anyway). It’s probably almost neglected as a marketing tool by most website owners in my opinion. And it’s so simple really. As long as you’re spreading something with quality people will be really glad to hear about what you’re doing – and spread the word much further. Everyone’s happy too – which is nice!
Cheers
Will
P.S BlogEngage (please see link below) definitely my second favourite marketing method now – a fantastic site and community
Will McCulloch´s last blog ..BlogEngage.com – Site Of The Month – October 2009
Derek,
There’a a science to blog promotion. Not too much, not too little. Don’t overdo but also don’t be afraid of annoying people. You’ll always annoy some person. You can’t please ‘em all!
I promote my blog aggressively because I believe in it as a content-rich portal. I used to fear what “people” might think but I could care less these days. People who worry about “people” don’t believe fully in themselves.
RB
Ryan´s last blog ..My Quotes: 12/11/09
Ryan,
Thanks for the comment.
I would have to say to some level you need to care about what people think since these people are the ones coming to read your blog or promote it, but you do make a great point in that many times bloggers get so controlled by the people. Their blog becomes not their blog, but the people’s blog.
Derek Jensen´s last blog ..Ready for Christmas?
I am not using twitter enough. I need to get on it. Thanks for the encouragement.
BestWicklessCandles´s last blog ..Finally! Scentsy Consultant Golfers
Not a problem. It’s probably one of the most underrated tool out there.
Derek Jensen´s last blog ..Know Your Blog Layout for a Redesign