The tools I use for Blog Promotion

For those of you attending What We Do: DIY Content Syndication and Promotion, here are the details on what tools I use to promote my blogs.

Social Bookmarking

There are numerous sites out there and new ones being added every day. Here are the ones I’ve found most success with, though that can change from week to week and with different types of posts:

• StumbleUpon – Great for a quick burst of traffic.
• Digg – Crowded but it works, especially for backlinks. (See Wendy Piersall’s post at Problogger, The Ultimate Guide to Getting Lots of Link Love for more info on why you want backlinks and how to get them.)
• Mixx – A new contender and getting popular.
• Reddit – Not a lot of features, but that’s its strength. May be giving Digg a run for its money according to Chris Garret (Why Reddit is Better than Digg).
• Propeller – Another popular site for bookmarking.

Niche Social Bookmarking

• Kirtsy – Best for posts and blogs with a women or mom focus. Once they get their Google ranking fixed (due to their recent name change) Kirsty will be good source for backlinks, too.
• HealthRanker – Good for promoting health, diet, fitness and exercise posts. No page rank yet, but I’m hoping that will change soon. Getting more popular, too.
• Care2 – A very popular “green” social networking site with passionate members, and a great place to bookmark your green, eco-friendly content.
• FoodBuzz – If you’re a foodie, you must set up a profile here. Not only is is good for networking, but you can automatically promote your posts via RSS feed.

Social Networking

• Facebook and MySpace – Yeah, yeah, I know. Still, it may be worth your time especially if you have a product, company or band to promote.
• YouTube – If you produce video, you are most likely already there. However, if you occasionally feature other’s videos on your blog, set up a profile.
• LinkedIn – If you’re a professional person (i.e., you want to get hired for your work, including blogging) you should have a profile.
• Twitter – Yes, it’s a time sucking device. But it’s also a great place to promote your content if you work on building a good following.
• BlogCatalog and MyBlogLog – Same sort of sites. MyBlogLog is a little more popular but why not do both?
• Entrecard – Good source for traffic and discovering new blogs. Yes, it takes time to drop cards, but you can purchase credits instead.

Other Tools and Blogs

• Lijit – Site search with social networking and analytical features. How cool is that!
• FeedBurner – Lots of great tools for promoting your RSS feed. My new favorite is to include my feed headline in my emails.
• Yahoo Groups – The only practical way to run a “buzz” group.
• Wickedly Evil Social Marketing and Social Networking Tactics – Chris Lang’s blog. Some of his theories are new to me, but interesting. Definitely advice to consider if you’re serious about social networking to promote a product or site.
• Friday Traffic Report – Jack Humphry’s blog. I’m a fan of his Web2submitter software. However, he and Chris Lang have opposing viewpoints on several aspects of social bookmarking. And that’s O.K. It’s good to be aware of both opinions, and take from each what works for you.

There’s much more out there, but this is what I’m using currently. Of course, nothing beats just getting out there and reading blogs in your niche, leaving quality comments, and offering to help bloggers in any way you can (writing guest posts, helping to promote their contests or giveaways on your blog, or buying them a drink at BlogHer!)

Feel free to add YOUR favorite social networking tool or site.