It’s not a matter of “if you blog it, they will come,” but how to get noticed so readers can find you. The best way to market your blog is by being active in your online community. If you’re a gardening blogger, you should visit, read and comment at other gardening blogs. That takes time, of course, so are there other ways to promote your blog? Well, there are Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, assuming you’re on those social networking sites and have the time and knowledge to use them. Instead, here are two easy, time saving and inexpensive ways to promote your blog.
Most email programs let you set up a preformatted signature that appears on the bottom of every email you send or reply to. It should include your name, title, your contact email address, the title and URL of your blog(s). Include your Twitter ID and LinkedIn profile if you have those, too. If you don’t mind people calling you, give a cell phone or Skype number instead of your home phone number.
If you’re blogging for your business, include the company name, address, phone numbers, the URL for your company’s main website (if there is one), and so on.
Also, don’t assume that everyone’s email program lets them see HTML, so write out your URL. Here’s an example:
Your Name, Title
me@mycoolblog.com
My Cool Blog – www.mycoolblog.com
Twitter – www.twitter.com/mycoolblog
How many times have you gone to a gathering, started discussing your work, and didn’t have a business card on you? Or maybe you already have a business card, but don’t have your blog, LinkedIn profile or Twitter ID listed on it? Ooops!
Considering the cost of ink and paper these days, it’s very cost effective to use an online printer like VistaPrint, 123Print or Moo
I love the look of Moo’s Mini Moo Cards (123Print has their own mini version called Wee Bees). They’re incredibly cool and the quality can’t be beat. However, they’re problematic for people who like to keep the cards they’ve collected in a business card file since they’re much smaller than a standard business card.
For the eco-conscientious, 123Print cards printed on 100% recycled stock. I’ve ordered these and found the website hard to use since it was a challenge trying to get all my copy lined up and evenly spaced. I also felt that the recycled card stock they use is rather thin, and don’t like that their recycled cards cannot be ordered with a glossy finish. (In my opinion, a business card printed with several colors on thick stock with a glossy finish looks more professional.) Still if you’re a green blogger or believe in being earth friendly, they’re a good company to try.
Your best bet for cost, price, ease of use and design is VistaPrint. Often you can get their cards for free, though you may need to pick one of their standard designs. All you pay for is the shipping, and if you don’t need it rushed, it’s very inexpensive. (Hint: when ordering one of their standard designs, remember to take their website address off the back of your card.)
When designing business cards, make sure they have the look and feel of your blog – same colors, fonts, and graphics. Like in your email signature, include your name, title, your contact email address, the title and URL of your blog(s), your Twitter ID and a link to your LinkedIn profile if you have one. Again, unless you have a business address and phone number, you may want to leave off your home phone and address. Finally, if you offer consulting, editing or copywriting services, you may want to use the back of the card as a discount coupon or to promote other blogs and publications your write for.
Want to learn more about how to market or monetize your blog? Come see me at the Expert Sessions at the Boulder Writers Alliance Expo, to be held at the Hotel Boulderado from 6-9 p.m. on Tuesday, September 22.
(This originally appeared in the September issue of the Northern Colorado Writers newsletter.)
