Thread: Promoting your writing blog

Does anyone have any tips on promoting their writing blog?

Well, the first step is posting the link anywhere you can get away with it; putting it in your signature was a good start. I don't think it's against site rules that, if your post includes mention of your blog, you post the address as well. Heck, I'd hotlink the word "blog" every time I wrote it back to my site, even if it wasn't about my blog! ha ha

Are you looking to monetize your blog? I'm not sure what kind of advertising budget you're setting for yourself, if you have an intended ROI, or if you're really just looking to maximize your sweat equity. If you don't have a lot of cash dedicated to advertising, you can still certainly get the word out.

You're lucky in that your blog is specifically about writing, so you've already identified the key demographic(s) to target: writers and readers of your particular genres. Find other areas where writers and potential readers congregrate online (and even offline) and start to sell yourself to them.

A couple things for you to noodle on: when you build your blog and start advertising it, you are branding yourself and need to monitor that brand carefully. You should carefully monitor the tone and nature of all your interactions or it will affect your brand. Nothing ever vanishes from the Internet and, if all roads lead back to your blog, you will find the good and the bad will set up shop in your comments sections.

Two suggested reads, in order:

The New Rules of Marketing & PR: How to Use Social Media, Online Video, Mobile Applications, Blogs, News Releases, and Viral Marketing to Reach Buyers Directly: Amazon.ca: David Meerman Scott: Books

Content Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, Ebooks, Webinars and More That Engage Customers and Ignite Your Business: Amazon.ca: Ann Handley, C. C. Chapman: Books (This is the softcover coming out soon, the hardcover is already out)

These books will assist you in establishing your online presence, engaging your audiences online in a proper manner, and setting proper content regimens.

Once your core product (you/the blog) are where you want them to be, look at really pushing it out there. Focusing on valuable content will not only start the ball rolling, but help your site become sticky. The key isn't just to get someone in the door once, but to get them in, wow them, and bring them back over and over again.

Be aware that getting millions of readers/followers won't happen over night. Have a plan and have goals. For example. I decided I would become a member of five forums (almost there, I'm a member of three). A goal I set was to have three followers by Easter, and I've already done it, yay!
The most important thing with blogging, of course, is to write something interesting.

put your blogs on reddit, stumbleupon....twitter can also be helpful.

Finding a fanbase of certain interest might help, and keeping their attention with it. Should also have a memorable name that anyone looking for online could find without problems