Promote your blog with a little help from your friends

Promote your blog with a little help from your friends

I read a great blog post last week at the Wassup blog about word of mouth marketing that got me thinking a lot about the subject.  I sure you have wondered how some blogs get tons of traffic without much promoting.  It seems like their readers just grow and grow.  I am putting Mashable in this category, he has unbelievable traffic, loyalty and brand name awareness.

How is this done?

This is done through word of mouth advertising.  In short, the readers market the blogs.  This is done through linking to the post and of course through Twitter and other social networks.  This in turn produces a flood of targeted traffic.  Many of these new readers will turn into regulars and then recommend the blog to their friends and the cycle continues.

How can I do this?

There are two basic ways to achieve this type of viral marketing.

Build a bond with your readers

This is very important if you want other bloggers to recommend you.  You must develop a welcoming blog that fosters a sense of community.  It is important to respond to blog comments, especially first time commentors.  Make it easy for your readers to feel like part of the community.  Another way to strengthen your bond with your readers is to visit their blogs as well and become a part of their blog community.  The way I approach this is like making new friends.  The more blogging friends you have the better your chances of achieving viral marketing.

Content

We have all heard this before but content is still king and this will never change.  If you focus on writing posts that entertain, inspire, or educate, then you are in good shape.  If you have taken care of step one and built a strong bond, then you should have some insight into what your audience is interested in and what types of posts they like to read. Another factor that is related to content is consistency.  The more you update your blog the better chances you will have to connect with your audience and “wow” them with your content.  If you update your blog once a week or less, it is very difficult for you to engage with your readers.

If you have not yet achieved this type of word of mouth marketing, do not worry.  It takes a long time to gain an additional audience and a long time to build up a library of quality content.  For some this can take less than a year and for other bloggers it could take several years.  Just keep writing quality content and engaging with your readers and you are bound to go viral at some point.

20 Responses to “Promote your blog with a little help from your friends”

  1. cevin says:

    when you create a post, you need some viewers to view and give comments for your blog. So you really need some of it so that it has a great effects with the promotion of your blogs.

  2. Fazreen says:

    it’s all about building a good relationship between us and readers. We can’t just setup a blog and posting. We must engage with people, with readers. here the mouth to mouth marketing start..
    .-= Fazreen´s last blog ..What the Heck is RSS? =-.

  3. Jenn says:

    Thanks for the blog tips…have definitely struggled to figure out why some blogs go crazy and others just don’t get any traffic. I need to work on my blog bonding! :)
    .-= Jenn@quilling´s last blog ..Sign-up to receive a free quilling lesson right to your email address! =-.

  4. Nice article as well, one tip that I do to engage my readers is to ask questions and their opinion on topics or items. You will find that many people like to share opinion if asked and by being interactive and requesting responses specifically you invite readers to respond. If you respond back to them, you create a two way interaction that can make the reader keep coming back for future articles.
    .-= Dragon Blogger´s last blog ..SanYo Incognito: Great Mobile Phone and a Great Unlimited Plan =-.

  5. Dick says:

    Well Dan, I’m always glad to hear that content is still king. I have known that since the beginning and the words are still flowing out.

    Q: What does a blogger do when he or she runs out of things to say?
    A: Shoots himself!
    .-= Dick@paysonweb´s last blog ..The Evolution Of The Company Web Site =-.

  6. work at home says:

    I always try to bond with my blogger friend. When I make one new post I let my friend to know about my blog update. I also refer their blog post to other.
    .-= work at home´s last blog ..New announcement on google work at home affiliate network =-.

  7. job search says:

    This piece of advice is helpful but usually it takes more time and efforts to start your online business and internet marketing and sometimes may turn out as unsuccessful as traditional job search.

  8. SEO says:

    Really a great way to generate the revenue also if its possible then one should try for the organic traffic since its free and always its appoximently constant…
    .-= SEO@SEO Consultant´s last blog ..Link juice by KeywordLuv and CommentLuv Plug-In =-.

  9. saurabh says:

    mouth advertising is the one of the advertising technique.its also works.

  10. edward says:

    Yes you are right about on how to promote a blog but it is time consuming and to be honest most of us are busy with our regular job. But anyway thank you for reminding me because I almost forget these steps.
    Earn and Invest Money

  11. The Gooroo says:

    I think this concept is similar to that of Pay It Forward. You tell one person, that one person tells two, and so on. It keeps on growing until millions are reading your blog :D
    .-= The Gooroo @ Finance Advisory Stop´s last blog ..What Is Alexa Ranking And Should You Worry About It? =-.

  12. @John- Thanks for the Twittley and Stumble
    @Sandeep- Thanks and keep up the good work on your blog as well.
    @iWrite..- I agree that commenting on other blogs is critical. I try to hit at least 20 per day.
    @George- I also find great blogs for other bloggers comments and especially their top commentor section.
    @Bestlink..- Thanks for visiting my blog and taking time to comment. I look forward to seeing you around and I will checking out your blog shortly.
    @Stephen- great point and thanks for adding to the conversation.
    @Deneil- Thanks for the social marketing love ;-)
    .-= Tycoon Blogger@Make Money Blogging´s last blog ..Adgitize Review =-.

  13. Great article, I can’t add anything to this so I just twittley/twitter, facebook,and stumbled.
    .-= Deneil Merritt´s last blog ..Am I Really A B-list Blogger? =-.

  14. Stephen says:

    I think one way to get people talking about your blog is to get the readers involved in it. If they have some personal interest like as in writing an article then there is a good chance that they will start to tell their friends.

    Get them to feel like they made an impact on the outcome/direction of the site.

  15. bestlinkbuildingblog says:

    Bang on target man. You have created a content that your readers can not resist promoting. Stumbled :)
    .-= bestlinkbuildingblog´s last blog ..The goal of building links =-.

  16. iWrite2Know says:

    That’s right building upon a blog community helps. Thus commenting on other blogs is as important as replying on a comment.
    .-= iWrite2Know´s last blog ..Cultivate a Blog =-.

  17. Some nice and cool tips. I have started to visit more new websites from commentators from my site and others. Seeing what others are talking about.

    I like to word of mouth strategy, it can increase your traffic if someone posts about it or shares your posts with others.
    .-= George Serradinho´s last blog ..FREE eBook downloads 14/07 =-.

  18. True, Viral Marketing can bring in a load of traffic and the best part it is that it would be targetted as well..

    Good Post my Freind, Keep up the good work!

    Cheers
    Sandeep
    .-= Curious Little Person´s last blog ..The Importance of a Blogroll & How to Get Included in One! =-.

  19. Extreme John says:

    Twittley and Stumbled BTW
    .-= Extreme John@Extreme John Blogging and Business´s last blog ..Bonehead Bulldogs: Reagan vs Rain =-.

  20. Extreme John says:

    Excellent blogging tips as always bro, I hope every new blogger finds this article and puts it to use.
    .-= Extreme John@Extreme John Blogging and Business´s last blog ..Fighter Jet Too Close to Detroit Appartment Building =-.

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