8 Cheap and Effective Ways to Promote Your Blog

One of the techniques that a lot of bloggers use when they first start out is playing out a scenario in which they have no money whatsoever. Here, they’re required to consider which marketing methods would still be available.

You would be surprised at just how much can be done this way. However, if it’s possible to achieve so much with no money, imagine all that you could achieve with a small-to-moderate marketing budget.

With that in mind, here are five cheap and effective ways to promote your blog in a frugal and efficient manner.

Best Ways to Promote Your Blog

1. Making your blog SEO-friendly

The first thing you need to focus on to promote your blog is generating qualified leads (people who are already involved in your industry).

The simplest way to achieve this is to improve the visibility of your blog by making it more SEO friendly.

This will allow all those who are already on the lookout for the type of content that you produce to find you spontaneously. This automatically increases the chance of conversions, seeing as how their defense mechanisms will be lowered.

That being said, a lot of new bloggers believe SEO to be so technical and complex that they absolutely have to outsource it. While a specialized SEO agency is bound to do a better job at this, there are some fixes that you can do on your own.

This is especially true when it comes to on-site optimization like improving your navigation, using internal links, adding meta titles and meta descriptions. The speed of the blog is an important metric as well.

To improve it, you need to A) find a reliable host and B) design a web page with performance as a priority.

2. Leverage your social media influence

Once you’re done optimizing your blog for search engines, you need to consider direct means of self-promotion.

Your first stop needs to be social media marketing.

First of all, while it’s true that you can promote your business for free across various social media platforms, your reach won’t be nearly as great as if you were to go for paid social network advertising.

Apart from this, you need to understand that your audience has certain expectations in terms of social media content.

If every post you share online is a piece of blatant self-promotion, you will soon get abandoned and ignored even by some of your most loyal brand followers.

What you need to do is offer some value in your content, even if it means posting five or six non-branded articles for every commercial post that you upload.

It’s all about finding balance if you want to make the most of this one of the best ways to promote your blog.

3. Traditional engagement

One of the most outside-of-the-box ways to promote your blog is with the help of traditional marketing. What we mean by that are methods such as television, radio and billboard advertising.

Still, in order to stay frugal, you might want to look for options that provide you with a better ROI. We’re of course talking about promotional products.

When printed in bulk, the cost of a single product is fairly low, while each item itself boosts your presence substantially.

This method works because the items themselves provide material value to your audience.

Cups, USB drives, Pens, t-shirts, hats and umbrellas or a prepaid visa card for your most loyal followers will have a real purpose and a real value, regardless if they have the logo of your product on them or not.

This means that they’re bound to see frequent use. Which, once again, means that your audience will frequently have your company’s name, logo, URL or social media handle in front of their eyes.

4. Expand your network of contacts

One of the most important things that everyone in the blogosphere eventually learns is the importance of a well-developed network of contacts.

By guest posting on other people’s blogs, you’re helping increase their audience but also drawing some attention to you as a content creator, as well.

In this way, you’ll also be exposed to the regular audience of the blog that you’re writing for, which, automatically boost your reach by a considerable amount.

Things go the other way around, as well, seeing as how by allowing others to post on your blog, you get to effortlessly increase the volume of your content output.

This is incredibly important seeing as how even the best blog is bound to be forgotten if the quantity of published post isn’t high enough.

Your audience needs a sense of continuity, which means posting at least once every week (although twice per week would be much better).

Keep in mind that according to the official statistic, it takes about 3 hours and 20 minutes to write an average blog post. With all your other tasks (especially if this is not your full-time job) a sufficient quantity might be hard to obtain, without some outside help.

5. Invest in yourself

At the end of the day, all ways to promote your blog all come down to you – your skill, your commitment, your prowess. Fortunately, by actively working on these traits, you can significantly improve them.

Learning skills from YouTube tutorials is possible but it is also slow and unreliable. Therefore, online courses seem to be your best course of action and your closest ally in this struggle.

Alternatively, if you know a person that’s knowledgeable in any of these skills or areas, you might want to ask for their help. This again is why networking is incredibly important both on- and offline.

Enlisting on a writing course or two might be a good idea. However, just by adopting a writing tactic, you’ll already be well on your way towards immediate self-improvement.

Moreover, getting a course in web design may help you diversify the formatting of your content by enabling you to make your own infographics. The benefits that come from learning a thing or two about digital marketing are more than self-explanatory.

6. Utilize email marketing

Email marketing is an underrated gem for blog promotion. Building an email list allows you to send updates directly to your readers. Use tools like Mailchimp or ConvertKit to manage your subscribers.

Make sure your emails provide value, not just promotions. Share exclusive content, tips, and updates about your blog. Encourage your readers to share your emails with others, expanding your reach.

Remember, a well-crafted email can drive traffic to your blog, boost engagement, and build a loyal audience over time.

Also read: Email Marketing for Bloggers: How to Start, Grow and Monetize Your Email List

7. Participate in online communities

Engaging in online communities related to your blog’s niche can be a powerful promotional tool. Platforms like Reddit, Quora, and niche forums are great places to share your expertise and subtly promote your blog.

Answer questions, provide insights, and share your blog posts when relevant. This not only drives traffic but also establishes you as an authority in your field.

Just ensure that your participation is genuine and not overly promotional to avoid backlash from the community.

8. Collaborate with influencers

Collaborating with influencers can significantly boost your blog’s visibility. Find influencers in your niche who have a substantial following and reach out to them for collaborations.

This could be in the form of guest posts, social media takeovers, or even co-hosting a webinar. Influencers can introduce your blog to a broader audience, and their endorsement can add credibility to your content.

Building these relationships can be a game-changer for your blog’s growth.

Conclusion

As you can see, the majority of the above-listed ways to promote your blog don’t require a significant resource investment. In fact, all they ask for is a bit more of your time and engagement.

Some other tips don’t require you to take action right away (what we’ve discussed in the self-improvement section) but allow you to consider them over the course of weeks and months.

One thing that all of them have in common, nonetheless, is the fact that all of them drive your brand forward.

About The Author

Keith Coppersmith is a business consultant with experience in numerous small businesses and startups. A regular contributor at Bizzmarkblog.com, he enjoys giving advice on both traditional and digital marketing