The internet is a crowded place. While your content might be amazing, without content promotion, it would be just another piece of content waiting to be discovered.
Most companies fail at content marketing because they think once the content is published or posted on social media channels, they now just have to wait for the traffic to roll in.
Heads up: This won’t happen unless you are incredibly lucky.
So you need to consider promoting your content from the day it’s published until it finds its right audience.
In this post, we’ll walk you through some of the ways how to promote your content with best strategies you can use to generate traffic to your website once your content is published. Let’s dive in!
Table of Contents
What is content promotion?
Content promotion can transform an ordinary blog into a thriving online presence.
Essentially, it’s the process of getting your blog posts, articles, videos, or any other content in front of as many eyes as possible in order to increase its visibility and reach a wider audience.
However, promoting content takes more than just shouting down your new post from a rooftop. It’s a multi-step process that involves using various channels and techniques to ensure your blog reaches its intended audience.
Content promotion requires strategic planning and consistent implementation. It’s about actively reaching out to your target audience, building a community around your content, and ensuring that your blog island becomes a bustling hub of activity in the vast digital ocean.
To put things in perspective, here’s what content promotion entails:
– Planning and strategy
Effective content promotion begins with establishing expectations and developing a blueprint for accomplishing them.
– Sharing your post
This is where the promotion proper begins. You spread the word using the techniques in your master plan. You touch on places like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn, or reach out to your existing followers and potentially new readers.
– Engaging with your audience
Just like a host interacts with party guests, you should respond to comments, answer questions, and engage with your audience’s feedback. This not only builds a sense of community but also shows that you value your readers.
– Networking and collaboration
Here, you take a less direct approach to promote your content, focusing on offering value and building rapport first. You can collaborate with other bloggers, influencers, or websites to promote each other’s content.
– Monitoring and analysis
It’s crucial to track your performance when promoting content. Analyzing your performance helps you understand what’s working and what needs improvement.
Why You Should Be Promoting Your Content
Now, you might be wondering, “Isn’t great content enough?” Well, yes, great content is essential, but it could end up sitting like a needle in a haystack, waiting for eternity to be discovered.
Here’s why content promotion is critical to your marketing goals:
– Increase visibility and attract more readers:
Promoting your content is like putting up a lighthouse on your island, guiding ships (readers) to your shore.
It helps you reach a wider audience, increasing your blog’s visibility. This ensures you don’t miss out on new readers who might not have found your blog otherwise.
– Improve SEO
When you promote content, you’re also sharing and backlinking it across the web. Search engines love this because it’s like leaving them a trail of breadcrumbs that lead directly to proof they need to validate your content.
The result is a boost in your ranking, making it easier for readers to find you.
– Increase engagement:
Interacting with your readers boosts engagement and builds a loyal following. Sharing and promoting your articles on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram encourages likes, shares, and comments.
This further fuels your content’s success.
– Build authority and credibility
When you consistently promote your content, it establishes your blog as an authoritative source in your niche.
People are more likely to trust and revisit a blog that’s well-promoted and consistent in delivering quality content.
– Secure long-term growth
In the grand scheme of things, blogging is a journey, not a destination. Consistent promotion isn’t a sprint; it’s a marathon.
With each step, you’re building a strong foundation for long-term growth and success in the blogging world.
Proven Ways to Promote Content
1. Send an Email Broadcast/Newsletter
Your email list has people who have willingly opted to receive your updates. Campaign Monitor says that you’re six times more likely to get a click from an email campaign than a tweet. That’s because the recipients of the email are an engaged lot and they are more likely to read and share your content.
ProTip: Follow up within five days after your first email. Check your analytics and make a list of people who didn’t open your email. Resend the email to this group with a different subject line.
2. Setup Push Notifications
Website push notification helps you stay in touch with your website visitors after they leave your website. The idea is to be able to bring them back. Use tools like PushEngage to send notifications to your visitors on mobile devices or desktops. Result: Higher engagement and more traffic to the website.
3. Promote Content on Social Media the Right Way
- Publish at the right time
Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn all have some built-in analytics. Before you publish your content, find out the time and day your audience is likely to be active the most. You can use various social media management tools like Hootsuite or Sprout Social to get this information. And then use this information to your advantage by posting your content at the right time on the right day.
- Join relevant social media groups
There are social media groups such as Twitter chats, Google+ communities, LinkedIn groups, and Facebook groups – for every niche. These communities have people interested in the topic you blog about.
ProTip: Join groups with lots of members.
- Create content promotion networks
Increase your social media reach by building content promotion networks through platforms such as Viral Content Bee. Such platforms connect you with other people like you who want to promote their content. You can share their posts and receive credits that can be used to promote your posts. Another tool is Quuu, which automatically curates content to be shared. All you have to do is sign in and select the relevant category. Your posts then become part of the content queue.
ProTip: Use content optimization tool to ensure that your content is optimized, relevant and adds value.
- Participate in online communities
Online communities are great platforms for generating new traffic because they have a massive number of users who are already engaged. These platforms allow you to discuss niche topics, giving you the opportunity to present your content as an answer to people’s questions. Other smaller communities you can participate are LinkedIn groups, Reddit, YouTube communities, Facebook groups, and more.
ProTip: Don’t immediately post links to promote your content. The moderators will consider it spam and block you. Instead spend some time answering questions, joining discussions, and gradually building your reputation. Share your website link wherever appropriate.
- Use relevant hashtags
According to a study by Buffer, tweets with one or more hashtags are 55% more likely to be retweeted. And tweets with hashtags receive 2X as much engagement as tweets without them.
Using hashtags is a sure way to get new eyeballs on the content you are posting on social media. However, you need to take care that you don’t overdo it. Only use hashtags that are relevant to your industry.
- Promote content by using engaging images and videos
Today’s users gravitate towards visual content. A visually consistent social media feed is the way to connect to these users. Captivate your audience by incorporating images and videos in your content. Some statistics that prove visual content engages the audience and drives traffic to your website:
- According to Buzzsumo, video is the best Facebook post format. It gets 59% more engagement than other types of posts.
- Research by HubSpot states that video content is 50 times more likely to drive organic search results than text content. The same study reveals that videos in the post increase organic traffic by 157% from search results.
ProTip: Create a list of go-to websites to get beautiful, high resolution and free stock images. Also, make sure your images are shareworthy. People will be happy to share an image that deeply resonates and is readily shareable. This adds more steam to your promotion campaign.
4. Use Tools to Automatically Share Your Blog Post
It’s not enough building a social media following on all the important social platforms, and new niche platforms. However, you need to regularly post content on these platforms to keep your profiles active and drive traffic to your blog. Sharing content manually is a time-consuming process, you can consider using free tools like IFTTT that allows you to automatically share content on social media platforms.
5. Paid Promotion Through Ads
Promote your content through paid advertising. These advertising platforms target highly specific audience. The result is that you get qualified traffic and leads that eventually help you grow your customer base and your business. Use these platforms for paid promotion:
- YouTube
- Google Ads
- Facebook Advertising
ProTip: Before you venture into paid promotions, figure out your budget. Within any channel, there is as little or as much you can spend. So, if you know what budget you have for each channel, you can decide your paid promotion strategy.
Also Read: How to create high converting Facebook ads?
6. Optimize for SEO
We spoke earlier about how content promotion enhances SEO. Well, turns out it works the other way around, too. SEO can be a massive avenue for content promotion.
When your content ranks well, it’s more likely to be discovered by people searching for relevant information or topics.
Here’s a quick guide to help you promote content online using SEO:
- Keyword research:
Keyword research should be the foundation of your post. Just like you can’t build on a broken foundation, you might have a hard time getting a post off the ground if it’s about an unpopular topic.
- Keyword placement:
Where you place your keywords also matters a lot. You need to place them where they can be quickly found by readers and search engines. That includes your article’s title, headings, subheadings, meta descriptions, image texts, and naturally within the body of your content.
- E-E-A-T content:
High-quality, authoritative, and engaging content not only attracts readers but also keeps them on your page longer. This is an important metric that search engines consider when ranking content.
- Internal and external links:
Think of these links as bridges connecting your island (content) to other islands (websites). Internal links guide readers to other relevant content on your blog, while external links show that you’ve done your research and can be trusted. Both types of links can boost your SEO.
7. Generate More Backlinks
Backlinks are one of the most important factors that influence Google’s rankings.
But, getting backlinks from reputable websites and blogs is not easy not only for beginners but also for experienced bloggers. Here are some tips to get quality backlinks to your website:
- Add a link to your website on all your social media accounts – This is the easiest way to get a backlink
- Check-in with the influencers and reputable blogs in your industry, and let them know about your content that they might want to link
- Publish interviews of bloggers and influencers on your blog. Chances are they will share your post to urge their users to check the interview, thus giving you a backlink
- Write guest posts on other websites
- My favorite – If you are using a tool like Ahrefs, then you can identify, replicate and steal your competitors links
8. Tap Into Your Competitors’ Network of Referral Sites:
Your competitors can be your allies in the digital realm. Identify websites and blogs that refer traffic to your competitors and reach out to them.
Connect with them. Share their content, and they might return the favor.
Here’s a quick checklist to guide you through the process:
- Competitor analysis:
Start by identifying your competitors, and then use tools like Ahrefs, Moz, or SEMrush to analyze their backlink profiles.
- Quality Assessment:
Evaluate the quality of the websites linking to your competitors. Consider factors like domain authority, relevance to your niche, and the credibility of the referring site.
- Contact referral sites:
This step requires a strategy. You can start by reaching out to them and explaining why your content could be valuable to their audience. Highlight the similarities between your content and what they’ve linked to in the past, and point out some broken links that you could replace. Offer mutual benefits. However, avoid generic templates. Consider the peculiarities of each site.
- Follow up:
Sometimes, it takes a few rounds of conversation to secure a partnership.
- Track progress:
Use tools like Google Analytics or backlink tracking tools to monitor the impact of your efforts.
9. Leverage community engagement:
Comments, likes, retweets – these are the spices that add flavor to your content promotion. Your blog is like a cozy cafe. Engaging with your audience creates a sense of belonging, making them want to visit again.
Encourage people to chat at the tables (comments section), give thumbs up (likes), and even share a word about your cafe (retweets, shares). Respond to comments, acknowledge feedback, and participate in discussions. The more you engage, the more your content will resonate.
Don’t just post content and vanish; be an active part of the community. Engage with your audience on your blog, social media, and everywhere else.
10. Sign Up on Pinterest
According to Julia McCoy of Content Marketing Institute, using Pinterest to promote your content is a great strategy. However, she recommends a few tips:
- Keep a short username.
- Complete your bio, and ensure that you include keywords.
- Add a ‘Pin it’ button to your website content to enable people to easily pin images.
ProTip: Sign up on Pinterest as a business account to benefit from their marketing tools.
11. Participate in Q&A
Question and Answer websites such as Quora are one of the biggest online communities on the internet.
If you post your content on these sites, it remains live for a long time, thus making it s regular source of traffic to your website.
ProTip: Don’t go on link posting spree. Write your answers in detail with links to your blog posts only if they fit the context. If your content doesn’t provide the answer the audience is seeking, then there are high chances of your content disappearing from the site.
Also Read: Need Help With Quora Marketing? 12 Best Tips
12. Ask Influencers to Share Your Content
Influencer marketing is one of the hottest strategies today. Influencer marketing works on the concept of building mutually beneficial relationships.
If you have –
- Great content
- Built a relationship with the influencer
- Shared the influencer’s content
You can indirectly ask influencers to share your content.
- Send them an email telling them about your blog post.
- Include a short comment at the end of the email, asking them to share if they think their audience would enjoy it.
There’s no reason why an influencer would not be willing to share your content.
Unless – They are not interested in collaboration at all.
If that’s the case – You can then take your efforts to the next influencer who is more aligned with your interests.
13. Reach out to your sources
Remember those resources you used in your blog posts? Reach out to them! If you’ve cited experts or used data from other sources in your content, don’t hesitate to let them know.
Share your post and let them know you found their information valuable. This not only shows respect but can lead to more promotion from their end. They might reciprocate the gratitude by sharing your content or linking back to your blog.
14. Repurpose your content
Want to multiply your post views? Well, then publish it in multiple formats.
Don’t let your content sit idle after one use. Transform it into different formats like videos, infographics, or podcasts.
This gives your content a new lease on life and reaches different types of audiences. It’s like turning a favorite book into a blockbuster movie.
15. Double down on successful channels
Lastly, identify which content promotion tips or platforms are delivering the best results and focus your efforts on maximizing their potential.
Here’s a checklist to help you track progress and stay organized:
- Your goals list:
What are you trying to achieve with each channel? Is it increased website traffic, more email subscribers, or higher social media engagement? Define your goals so that you can measure success.
- Analytics and tracking tools:
Use tools like Google Analytics, social media insights, and email marketing analytics to gather data on how each promotion channel is performing. Pay attention to metrics like website traffic, conversion rates, click-through rates, and engagement levels.
- A/B testing:
Conduct A/B tests on various aspects of your content promotion, such as different headlines, visuals, or posting schedules. Analyze the results to determine which variations are most effective.
- Conversion tracking:
It’s essential to know which channels are not only bringing in visitors but also converting them into loyal readers or customers.
- Cost analysis:
Calculate the costs associated with each promotion channel and any tools or resources you use (even the free ones still cost you some time). Compare these costs to the returns you’re getting to determine which channels offer the best return on investment (ROI).
- Content calendar:
Organize your promotion efforts by creating a calendar that outlines the content to be shared on each channel, along with ways to promote content and timelines. This ensures consistency and helps you stay organized.
Common Mistakes to Avoid in Content Promotion
Now, let’s switch gears and talk about what NOT to do when promoting your content. These are the pitfalls you’ll want to avoid to ensure your promotion efforts pay off.
– Excessive self-promotion
Nobody likes a braggart. Don’t flood your channels with self-promotion; it can turn off your audience.
Balance is key. Share valuable content from others, engage in meaningful conversations, and occasionally sprinkle in your own work.
– Ignoring your audience
Your audience is your lifeline. Don’t disregard comments, messages, or feedback, even if it’s negative. Responding shows that you value their input and are committed to improving
– Spamming hashtags
People are often tempted to load their social media posts with hashtags. But while it’s true that more hashtags could mean more slots for your post on search results, be careful not to overdo it.
Stuffing your posts with irrelevant or excessive hashtags can make you look spammy. Keep it relevant, moderate, and meaningful.
– Overly long captions
True, you might want your caption to sound as loaded as possible. But be careful because long captions tend to overwhelm or bore readers.
Short and sweet is often more effective. Keep it concise and captivating.
– Misleading headlines:
Clickbait might attract initial attention, but it can damage your credibility in the long run. Don’t use misleading headlines.
Your headlines should be like a trusty guide, leading readers to what they expect. Make sure to deliver on the promise your headline makes.
– Ignoring different platforms:
Also, it’s true that you need to choose a few of the most productive platforms to focus on. But it’s also prudent to try out the outliers every once in a while. Who knows, on the next try, you might finally crack the code of engagement on the platform.
Also, avoid using a one-size-fits-all approach for all platforms. Don’t treat them all the same way. That just doesn’t work.
You need to tailor your content and promotion strategy to suit each platform’s audience and culture.
Conclusion
Make sure to boost your SEO strategy with great content and take your content promotion efforts a notch higher for better results. Use the above 9 tried and tested strategies to make your content get new visitors and loyal subscribers.