The website is changing. The simple fact that individuals are wanting, craving, and needing updated content is generating a ton of traffic to one thing on your website : your blog. We know of multiple ways to promote your individual or company blog online but what about offline? The following is a list of 15 ways to promote your blog in a “traditional” sense. Some of the tips are a little outrageous but ya know what… we are all outrageous in some way… That is business, baby!
1. Put your blog address on your business card. If you have a personal bog (like mine: www.kylelacy.com) or even if you have a business blog off of your current website (example: getbrandswag.com/blog). Single out your blog on your business card.
2. Talk about you blog with every breath you take.. every move you make. This does not mean you overpower and drown people with your blog thought and opinions. This DOES mean that you talk about your blog when the time presents itself. If somebody is asking your opinion on a certain topic… give them your ideas and point them towards your blog.
3. Stick em up! Stickers for promotion. I have seen multiple bloggers and Internet-preneurs have stickers designed and printed that promoted their blog. If you have a catchy URL or tagline (example: Sometimes it is better to be socially creative) it might be a good idea to produce some stickers and hand them out.
4. Traditional Networking Rocks. Find a Chamber or a Rainmakers. If you are a small business owner, sales manager, or account manager… you are more than likely already involved in a traditional networking event. Hand out your business cards, pass out your stickers, and talk your blog up! People want to read content that helps them with a pain point in their lives. Help them out and they will be forever grateful!
5. Hire a Dominos or Liberty Tax Guy/Girl. We have all seen them holding a promotion sign and dancing on the side of the road. I have had my fair share of almost running them off the road by accident but out of all honesty, it could be a great way to promote your blog. There is one benefit to hiring a roadside promotional person… they are hardcore!
6. Ninja Attack on Display Computers. This idea comes from Future of Blog. If you find yourself in a Best Buy or any store that may have display computers… jump on the computer and surf to your blog and walk away. Now, this is not going to push any valuable traffic to your blog (who knows) but it was a funny idea.
7. Write an article for a magazine. There are plenty of local magazines around your area. Find the magazine that caters to your demographic and write articles for submission. This will help in your ability to gain traction with a knowledge hungry public.
8. Expensive Traditional Marketing. It pains me to write this portion of the tips but the ideas can still be used to promote a blog. Buy traditional marketing. Traditional marketing could be anything from radio, TV, billboard, or yellow page advertisements. I wouldn’t mind seeing my blog on a billboard but honestly, you have to REALLY justify the cost.
9. Sponsor a fund raising event. Find an event or not-for-profit that you can sponsor as a writer or blogger. This will help in your promotion to the community. One tip: Make sure you believe in the community based sponsorship before you buy.
10. Attend Conferences and Conventions. This idea could be delegated to an individual inside the company or yourself… it is all dependent on your time and ability to commit to different conferences. The same concept applies to offline networking groups applies to attending the conferences and conventions in your industry. Your online relationships are SO much stronger if you connect in the offline environment.
11. Get a vehicle wrap going on your car. We have all seen the massive car wraps. If you are wanting to REALLY promote your blog… get a car wrap but to be honest… I wouldn’t recommend it.
12. Write a Press Release and Include Your Blog. There are individuals better at writing about promotion through the use of public relation tactics but it is still a viable option to promoting your blog.
13. Attend a TweetUp. You are probably already using Twitter and if you are not… you probably should be. Twitter users usually have different networking events where different users can meet each other in a specific geographic location. Attend a TweetUP and give more face time with the people you communicate with online.
14. T-shirt It Up. This tip comes directly from @baldeagle on Twitter. Put quotes from your blog on a t-shirt. Make sure that you wear them around as much as possible. This may seem a little egotistical but come on… most of us are… at least a little bit.
15. Create a brochure with your top post. Many of us are in agreement when we talk about the power of an integrated marketing approach when it comes to promotion. Create a brochure that is catered directly to your blog. Take the best and top read post from your blog and transfer it to the print material. Be sure that you hand your blog-chure out whenever you have the chance. This could be extremely valuable at speaking engagement. I have printed blog posts out in order to hand them to event attendees.
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Actually, you could give out t-shirts to your best commenters and let them help you spread the word. No ego there. They know and love you, so why not honor them for their attention?
Nice post Kyle.
Great ideas Kyle! You're right..we HAVE to do whatever we can to tastefully promote our blogs because we spend valuable time producing them for a reason. Not promoting them means we've wasted our valuable marketing time. …and we all know there's nothing worse than Random Acts of Marketing!
very interesting ideas…What about putting up flyers all over campuses or passing them out in grocery stores? You could run some type of contest or giveaway in conjunction with it. Say I set up in Kroger and I know you shop at Kroger…If you go to my blog and leave a comment you will be entered into a drawing for $100 gift card to Kroger. Or I could just give away 10 MacBook Pros like Moonfruit.
great article! it's refreshing to read recommendations about offline world, because we spend so many time online that sometimes we forgot to promote our assets in real life.
cheers,
I have one that could be useful. Make a stricker for (the back of) your notebook screen with your blog domain. It's really usefull in meetings and events (even if you're not the speaker).
Good ideas Kyle. I've done some thinking about stickers/simple print promotion in local coffee shops, etc. 'Life Without Pants' is memorable and easy to brand, it's just about finding innovative ways to market in the offline world. Kudos for the words of wisdom.
This is a great list. There are so many ways to promote your blog and the offline ways are some of the best! One of my best was really cool coffee mugs and baseball caps with our web address that we gave away to everyone. If you can get people to buy your logo gear, it's even better, but giving away works too. And, in terms of marketing it ONLINE, here's one of the most simple and easiest things to do: Add your blog address to your email signature. So many people forget to do this.
Here are my top 6 FREE things anyone can do and better be doing.
1. Address in email footer
2. Address and contact info in footer of your website
3. TITLE tags!
4. Rework your content
5. BE the subject matter expert
6. Submit your site to Google
http://blog.freshcurrent.com/2009/06/24/six-simpl...
"15. Create a brochure with your top post. "
That's an excellent idea. Just to add to that, it's worth adding what your business does at the end/back of the brochure, so that people know who to come to and what you do.
Dan
In the early days of podcasting, it was suggested that podcasters burn their podcasts to a CD, label the CD "Supplemental Material From <example.com>" and insert them into books at your local bookstore. I'm not sure it's legal but was an interesting tactic.
That is a great idea! I might just do that.
or violence.
I have witnessed that a couple of times in our area. It is a great idea if you are going to keep your laptop for a considerable amount of time. Not such a great idea if you want to resell it but let's be honest… who actually resells their computer?
That's a good question.. is it legal? Great idea though.
6. Ninja Attack on Display Computers.
I do this all the time when I visit the cable company to pay my bill and at my credit union on the kiosk type computers that are in the lobby for customer use.
hahahahaha!!! i like in ur site the liberty tax very much great joke my blog is for all mobile lovers who want a amazing change i mobile yes check it out http://silvermobiles.blogspot.com
Hi,
Blog promotion is indeed most important topic in internet marketing.
Thanks nice review..what I generally use most to promote is my blog is article writing,social bookmarking and forums.
Getting more backlinks means you will get better ranking in google.
http://webmasterdailytips.com/2009/10/how-to-prom...
I think this kind of promoting offline is not bad at all. A lot would say, though, that owning a business website with an accessible and usable corporate website design is already enough for promotion purposes.