We often read about how great content forms the foundation for linkbait which is spread when webmasters re-publish your content on their blogs.
The greatest SEOs tout the value of infographics, viral videos and top 100 articles…heck, I write about them too!
But, there is one missing link that is not always reported. Maybe it is understood, or maybe it is not emphasized nearly enough, but it needs to be shared.
Imagine you created an incredible infographic of award-winning proportions, yet you only receive about 50 visitors to your site a month. Do you think your infographic has a chance at going viral? I would say that the odds are definitely not in your favor.
Content creation is important, but without content promotion, you will never build links. Unless you are Wal-Mart or Mercedes-Benz, you will need to use a little elbow grease to get your content out there.
Don’t forget to start with great content, though. Once you promote, if the content is not shareable and valuable, you will waste the time and effort you put into promotion. Don’t create content just for links; create it for the benefit of your audience and make it a piece of which you can be proud.
OK, enough of that. Here are some tips on how to promote your award-winning content:
Make it Shareable
Beyond the actual content, the piece should be accompanied by many options to easily share. Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest (especially if it is an infographic), Digg, +1, Stumbleupon—give your readers every opportunity to share regardless of their favored social network.
Include an RSS button and sign up to sites like Feedburner so your readers can subscribe to your updates via email.
Guest Post
Locate heavily-trafficked, industry-related blogs and offer to guest post. This is how you can get some much-needed eyeballs on your great content. Consider this an opportunity to get your content in front of more readers.
For some tips on how to write a guest blog post, check out this article: Tips to Writing a Successful Blog Post
Social Media
This one is somewhat self-explanatory. Post your content on social media sites…yada, yada, yada. Easy enough, right? Not so fast. There is a trick to gaining some traction on your posts. Simply posting a link will do you no good.
Post your content in one of two ways:
- Ask a question – Leave the post open-ended. Ask a question that begs someone to answer and impart their genius. If you have potentially viral content that portrays the downfall of SEO, consider a question like, “The end of the world may be coming soon, but do you think the end of SEO is near?”
- Ask for advice – People love to offer advice and opinions when given the opportunity. Act like you need help solving a problem and request the advice of your fans/followers.
Talk Back
Continuing with our discussion on social media sharing, make sure you are actively engaging on the social sites. If someone comments on your blog, reply back to them. Re-tweet your followers’ content. Answer questions and talk back to your fans on Facebook instead of just posting your blog posts. Your audience will eventually value your level of engagement and be more apt to share your content when you post it. This will help your great content to build more traction and become viral.
Link to Influencers’ Content
One of the best ways to get your content to the masses is to attract influencers who have a widespread audience. Link to influencers’ content on your own blog since blog owners track pingbacks and will usually notice the link. Comment on industry leaders’ blogs, interact with them on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter and develop a relationship with them. Take an interest in their lives and what they post and you will form a connection.
Keep at It
Don’t give up after posting one blog on Twitter and Facebook. Sharing content is a lifetime effort and it builds over time. All of the great content and infographics we share on this blog came from someone who walked in your shoes. With a solid effort, over time, links will come and your community will grow. Just be patient and never give up.
Jenna Scaglione is a content writer, internet marketer, and a lover of family, friends and life. Jenna enjoys learning, growing and discovering the newest and latest trends on the internet. Known as "Lady Content", she lives in sunny Socal where she helps her clients around the world increase brand awareness on the internet through content writing and social media.
