Tuesday 8 September 2015

WHY SOCIAL MEDIA IS A BLOG MUST HAVE

Years ago self promotion seemed like absolute internet suicide, if you promoted yourself in anyway online then everyone wanted to unfollow/unfriend/unlike/un-everything you because being self positive seemed like the ultimate no-no.

However, these days it's much more common, and rightly so, who doesn't want reasons to be proud of someone? Who doesn't want to share great things about themselves with their worldwide friends?

And if you have a blog? Self promotion is the only thing keeping viewers on your page.

Social media is the most incredible way to promote your blog and I'm still astounded that so many people still don't use this wonderful FREE tool that's at their disposal - yet they'll share cat videos and memes and things that make them look more crazy than achieving, go figure - it's bananas.

As soon a new blog post goes live, I'm posting a link on Twitter, uploading a sneak peak shot on Instagram (link in bio, guys) and hashtagging the life out of absolutely everything.

Sharing your posts, and other social media pages, is super easy with; blogger chats, retweet accounts, blog groups, pinned pictures etc. There's no need to not share yourself with others, even the odd piece. #noskin

For those still unsure how to make the most of social media, I've compiled a short list for you to get stuck into and start today!

TWITTER
- Blogger Chats 
These chats are held at various times of the day and week, bloggers participate by using the chat hashtag and it's a great way to communicate with others and there's always a tonne of users asking for your links! Some examples are #fblchat, #bdib, #crazybloggers #pabchat, #lbloggers etc.

- Hashtags
It's no secret that when we're searching for something on social media, we use hashtags, so make your tweet known by using a related hashtag. #simplestuff

- Retweet
Retweeting others users content is a great way for sharing & promotion, if you help someone, they're likely to retweet you in return to help you out. Using Please RT or Retweet at the end of your tweet (content filled) has been proven to highly increase your interaction rate (and some genuinely will help you out and RT!)

Also, if you are featuring another person in a blog post, tag that person on Twitter, it proves so useful and effective as often that person will retweet it for all of their followers to see. I tend to do this with my Trendsetter Tuesday posts, previously Daisy Lowe, Laura Whitmore, Liv Purvis, Sara Escudero have helped my blog views and retweet my link!

- Blog retweet accounts
Retweet accounts are absolute saviors to bloggers promoting on Twitter, these specialised accounts are likely to retweet your tweet if you @mention them within it. Ensure your content is related to the account before mentioning them. Ie; if you're sharing a fashion post use accounts such as '@FbloggersUK' or '@FemalebloggerRT', for beauty posts use '@BBloggersRT' or '@BblogRT' etc.

FACEBOOK
- Blog Groups
Whilst I personally don't use these, I have joined a few. You can share your links within multiple groups, you are constantly notified with new posts, and it's very interactive.

- Easily accessed by Facebook friends
Personally I have found that by posting my blog link, and individual posts, it has returned brilliant results and blog views when I've shared it just on my personal account, that's without my FB blog page. If you're comfortable with letting your friends and family see your blog, share those links endlessly! (Well don't annoy them, obviously!)

- Can share link with more info
Sharing links on FB is wonderful because you're not limited to just describing the content in 140 characters, you can chatter on just a little more! I like to give a brief post synopsis, perhaps tag the person I am talking about (if it's a Trendsetter Tuesday one) and it allows people to understand what they are about to read/view.

PINTEREST
- Images
Pinterest has become a very common blog promo tool, once your post has been published, you can pin your images for all other pinners to see. The site's format prefers you to use portrait images, so where possible pin those. Make sure they are informative or appealing, no one likes to pin unattractive images.

- Descriptions
You have a text box under every image so use it! Use keywords but don't make it look cluttered. Describe the pin in an informative but snappy sort of way, this won't bore the pinner but will make your pin more available in searches.

- Click through links to blog
One of the greatest Pinterest perks are the click through link the images allow, if you're pinning from your blog, ensure the image source is set as your website and every time the image is clicked, pinners are immediately taken to your website. Now thats some top promo.

- Very commonly used and searched
These days more internet users, at least the younger generation, would much rather turn to Pinterest than to Google for an image of a particular thing. The content is much richer and appealing compared to Google Images so it's a great way for your content to be seen and shared.

INSTAGRAM
- Share image related to blog post
Once your post has been published, share an image on Instagram, let their users see that you've been creating something you want them to see! Share a snap that's related to your post, I tend to use an image that I've used within the post itself.

- Link in bio
After you've shared your image, head to your profile settings and change the URL to that of your current blog post. Most users will say 'Link in bio' in the description of the image to direct the viewer to the blog link the picture corresponds to.

- Hashtags
Like every other social site, hashtags are the way forward. With many turning to Instagram for quick picks, using the hashtags is always guaranteed more likes. If you plan to use a large amount of hashtags, it's best to post them in a comment under the picture and not in the description to avoid filling everyone's feed and spamming your own post. Another major tip is don't hashtag an image with a completely unrelated one, your beauty flatlay does not belong in #food.

- Share with all followers
What's the use in having followers if you're not going to use it to it's maximum potential. SHARE YOUR CREATIVE MIND!

One final tip is;
Ensure your social media accounts aren't private, there's nothing more off putting to a potential follower/viewer/reader than having to request to see your content when they haven't even seen anything yet. Also, on Twitter your hashtags, @replies and blog links will not be seen if your account is private.

I hope some of this information helped and you're not absolutely bored to tears, I'm hoping my rambling provided some use.

Let me know if I missed anything off in the comments below or tell me if my tips have helped you!

SB xo
Follow me:  Bloglovin  |  Instagram  |  Twitter  |  Tumblr  |  Pinterest
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8 comments

  1. Replies
    1. Thanks Trudy, I'm so glad you found it useful xo

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  2. I loved this post - so helpful.
    I used Twitter, Instagram and pinterest but not Facebook - and I love being able to connect with fellow bloggers using them.

    Jenn | Jennifer Jayne

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    Replies
    1. They are definitely great tools, the perfect free promotion for your blog. Thank you for your comment Jennifer xo

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  3. Great post, and very helpful might I add :) I'll definitely be working on blog promo x

    www.sheintheknow.co.uk

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Rebecca! It's exciting to be focused and know how to start promoting your work xo

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  4. Great post, I agree with everything you said. Its the most powerful way to improve your traffic these days x

    http://thriftyvintagefashion.blogspot.co.uk/

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Nicole, it most certainly is. To be successful with your blog is hard if you don't really spread the word. xo

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