Keys to Promoting Content Online

Jen Miller, Blogger and Owner of NeedSomeoneToBlog.com, explains the why and how of content promotion and shares ideas on promoting website pages and posts, all in under 10 minutes.

Hi! It’s Jen Miller and on Today’s show, episode #4, we’re going to go over the Keys to Promoting Your Content. Every copywriter knows that no matter how amazing your content is, it will be in vain without an audience. One way to bring in traffic to your site is through social media.

I am often asked, Can social promotion really bring my website traffic? The answer is yes. However, you have to be promoting content that your audience cares about. Oftentimes your friends on social media are not your target audience, which can make it difficult to create engagement.

On Twitter and Google + for instance, #hashtags (which is the number sign followed by a word or phrase) to widen your sphere and find people who are interested in your topics. You can search to see which ones fit your topic and have the largest amount of followers. Adding hashtags that relate to your posts and pages can bring you followers who knew nothing about you previously. It is a great method of finding those who may be interested in your service and products and it is key to building connections online.

As you add your new social media friends, take the time to document how you met for 2 reasons. One is so you can recall the experience and share it and the second reason is that once you find something that works you need to give it some time and then try that method again. 🙂

I recommend that at the very least you promote your content on Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus and LinkedIn. Depending on your audience you can also venture into more visual mediums like Pinterest, Instagram and Snapchat. Schedule and interact with your posts through notification alerts or by using services like HootSuite, HubSpot or Buffer. These tools allow you to cultivate your audience no matter what stage of blogging you are in. Even a new website can gain traffic with these methods.

You HAVE GOT to be ready to share your post everywhere so that you can gain traction and become an expert in your field. If you can’t do that or FIND SOMEONE OR SOME COMPANY TO DO IT FOR YOU, your website could be a wasted effort. In all social media, consistency helps to engage with your reader.

Your readers are the people who will start conversations, like your posts, ask questions and spread the word about you and many of them will be found in social media. That is WHY it pays to be engaged. Too many companies forget this critical step and do not respond to comments and questions after a post has been published and this interaction can take place on your website as well as in social media, so be aware on watch for it. Readers want the connection so a lack of response is frustrating and may even result in the loss of your customers as they won’t feel taken care of.

Of course social media is not the only way to promote your content. I wrote a post on this that scratched the surface of where to start, entitled, “45 Ways to Amplify a Blog Post on my website NeedSomeoneToBlog.com.

As an overview, after pressing publish on your page or post, you can

• Create a series on the topic or search for other posts on the same topic and comment, sharing your own thoughts with a link to your post.
• You can offer to guest blog for someone as well or Publish a similar post on on LinkedIn Pulse or a photo based version on your personal Facebook or Facebook Business page.
• You could also share this in an industry related publication or send the original post via email to those you know in a newsletter format.
• You may even be able to send a related article mentioning your content to a local newspaper or industry magazine.
• Get creative! Quote yourself on a t-shirt and wear it at events.
• Make videos, podcasts, snaps, just focus on getting the word out.

When people are curious about what you do, your website traffic increases. That is what content promotion is all about.

I’m Jen Miller and I’ve enjoyed sharing with you today on Be Seen Blogging. Please give me feedback on Twitter at jenblogs4u or ask on NeedSomeoneToBlog.com or NeedSomeoneTo.com If you like the show, review it or give it a thumbs up.

Create a Newsletter That Gets You Noticed

Hi! It’s Jen Miller and on today’s episode, Episode #5, we are going to be talking about how to Create a Newsletter That Gets You Noticed!

As blogger and content marketer, I help people and companies BE SEEN all day long and one way we do this through newsletters. It’s an ideal way to communicate with a group and unlike snapchat, sticks around for a long time.

We’ve found that while clients may respond to emails immediately, many may take weeks or months before reaching out through an email they have saved.

So, first let’s talk about why you need to have a newsletter. Most companies choose to send out a monthly or quarterly newsletter and without understanding the “why” behind the strategy.

It may seem like overkill, yet, a regularly published newsletter puts you front and center. It prompts people to remember who you are, what your company represents and why they should consider your service or product.

If you don’t remind people you exist, then they may refer their business elsewhere out of ignorance or lack of understanding.

Even your closest friends may not realize you are a solution to their need.

Oftentimes that could be said as especially your closest friends may not realize you are a solution to their need. Why, you ask? Because they’ve forgotten about what you do. How often do you discuss business with your closest friends? I’d guess infrequently as these are the people you connect with for different reasons. However, they can also be your biggest supporters if you find a way to include them in your story.

A newsletter is all about telling your story and spreading awareness. As friends, clients and casual internet prospects feel more comfortable with you and your business, you start to build trust. As easy way to do so is with a newsletter..

Determining your audience is the first step to building a list that will really appreciate what you send out.

Are you reaching out to friends and family on a casual level or are you carefully cultivating new prospects?

Can you segment your contact list to direct message to each group?

Is your goal to increase lead quality or nurture the leads you have? Are you writing to existing customers?

Once you understand who you are writing to, then you need to decide the format you want to use. Will a set format that you can update on a regular basis work well in presenting your information?

Do you want to create a newsletter that is chock-ful of useful text or would the use of images be more accessible? How about a combination? Would it make more sense to provide a snapshot of information that links to your website or a blog post?

Do you have set topics you can address in each newsletter so that they have a cohesive feel? You also need to consider how you are writing your newsletter – should it be story based or informational?

Nobody wants to be sold, so promotional content should be keep at a minimum. The fact that you are emailing provides an easy way for you to be contacted (they only have to hit the reply button) so a flashing Contact Me button is not really necessary and can interrupt the flow of your message.

You can share “new” products or services without seeming promotional if you share your excitement. Including an insider’s coupon code or revealing genuine, unique ways it can be used is another way to promote a tool or service without seeming salesy.

Be sure to include a subscribe button in your newsletter as it will be shared. Add the same button to your website, too. Make sure it tells exactly how often your readers will hear from you and why they want to do so. I often suggest that my clients add an image that includes text and a subscribe button such as, “Get weekly updates on events in your community.”

Your newsletter design should be relatively simple. It needs to flow well and give valuable information, couched in white space, so it does not feel cluttered and stress your reader. Images should be linked to related content and contain alt tags so that your reader understands what they are even if they have images blocked. Think about how you sign off. Is it just a company name or can you personalize it more? Using a signature can be one more way to connect.

Occasionally use a P.S. in your newsletter as well. It can be an excellent call to action. You’ll be surprised by how many people actually click on it!

Choose an interesting subject line but keep it consistent in tone. Once you find a subject line that delivers great open rates, stick with the general feel, but add variance based on topic. I find that capitalizing special words used in the subject line results in a higher open rate, as does attaching words that indicate a sense of urgency but some content marketers I’ve worked with use emojis to raise open rates. Play around with it and do what works best for your readers.

Once you’ve gone through the steps already outlined, review your newsletter and then check these 7 items off your todo list before hitting the send button.

1. Does your newsletter have a clever subject line?
2. Did you include a captivating main image?
3. Does the newsletter lead to Your Website or social media or preferably both?
4. Is it interesting to someone besides you?
5. Does it take less that 47 seconds to read?
6. Does your newsletter “feel” personal?
7. Will the person who receives the newsletter recognize you as the sender?

If all of those check out, you are on your way to producing a newsletter that gets you noticed.

Thank you for listening to today’s episode of Be Seen Blogging, the podcast that gives you tips and tricks on how to rock your content, all in under 10 minutes. You can find me Jen Miller on Twitter @jenblogs4u or through my website at NeedSomeoneToBlog.com. Looking forward to chatting with you again soon!