10 Things To Do After You Publish a Post
Simple Tactics to Enhance and Promote Your Blog Posts
Alright, you’ve published a nice, SEO-friendly blog post, but now you’re sitting there wondering what to do. Maybe you’re still riding the high from hitting that “post” button, and you want to jump right into another. That’s great! But there are some things to take care of before you start another article. Here are 10 of the most important…
10. Re-Read It
No matter your level of experience, nobody’s work is going to be perfect immediately. It doesn’t matter if you had already proofread your content right before posting it, as you should still give it another go one last time.
You never know what might need to be added or what tiny error you might have missed. Making sure your work is error-free makes it look more professional, which is worth any number of re-reads.
This, of course, is subjective in nature and generally depends on your blogging style and even your brand. I personally embrace a conversational, quirky tone and don’t really care about God-like grammar. Use your best judgment depending on your blogging needs and goals.
9. Ask Questions
There isn’t much point to a blog post if people read it and then forget about it. That’s why you need to grab their attention and keep them talking afterward.
You can accomplish this by posing a question at the end of your post. Write it as if you’re asking them directly. Doing so engages your readers and makes them more likely to comment.
Although questions are typically asked before publishing and within the body itself, I learned that posting the question within the actual comments section is a great way to engage some readers (I have fellow blogging wizard Ryan Biddulph to thank for that one). People are more likely to see the question, and others may be more inclined to “click” the post after seeing the comment count.
Pro tip: Want to go for that extra mile? Ask additional questions throughout the article, perhaps at the end of a detailed section to keep the subject going with the help of others.
8. Use Hashtags (Wisely)
Ah, #hashtags… You either love them or hate them. If you’re part of the latter group, though, you’d better get used to these Twitter staples because they seem to be here to stay.
Hashtags are admittedly catchy and make it easier to track who’s saying what about your posts. While you should ideally include them before publishing, it’s good practice to go back and add them to popular words in your article, then post a new social media update containing that specific piece.
Don’t overdo them, though, as flooding your content with these can annoy readers rather quickly.
7. Monitor the Discussion
This means a couple of different things. On one hand, reading the comments in your post and replying is very important; it keeps readers engaged and creates long-lasting relationships in the blogosphere.
On the other hand, you need to pay attention to the conversation happening across the internet. Google Alerts is a great way to do this by alerting you of any mentions of your blog (or topic of interest) that Google picks up.
6. Reach Out to Other Bloggers
Blogging isn’t always a career that you can succeed at solo. And while it’s important to engage with your commenters, it might actually be more important to form relationships with other bloggers — especially influencers in your field.
There are so many ways to accomplish this, with the most standard ones involving regular discussions on other bloggers’ posts and joining blogging groups online. Whatever you do, get out there and connect! Just make sure you have a genuine interest in the blogger/content in question, as you would simply look foolish otherwise and end up wasting everyone’s time.
Reaching out will also help you earn quality backlinks over time, so there’s quite a lot to gain from this simple habit.
5. Check Out Roundups
Roundups are basically websites that curate lists of content sites. The term may also apply to “post roundups” where a blogger creates a list pertaining to a particular subject, such as “The best social media posts of the month.” In promoting your blog, they’re simply indispensable…
Many roundups have dedicated reader bases that you can leverage to really boost your blog’s readership. They can usually be found through a quick Google search such as “weekly roundup” blogging (where blogging refers to your chosen niche).
Remember what I said about connecting with fellow bloggers? A great relationship will generally ensure he includes one of your posts as long as it meets the minimum requirements.
4. E-Mail Interested Parties
No matter how small your following may be, there’s always somebody interested in your content. Send that person, and anybody else who might be interested, an e-mail letting them know about your new post.
Create a simple, but effective template along with prominent links pointing back to the content in question, which will gradually help build a closer relationship with your subscribers.
3. Post to Forums
Blogs tend to be focused on specific topics. Guess what? So do forums, which means you probably have a built-in audience somewhere out there. So get on Google, start looking for a decent sized community focused on your topic, get involved, and start promoting.
Many forums have a dedicated section to promote your latest content, typically in the form of a “Sticky thread.” Usually just a link to your new post will do the trick.
I also suggest that your blog has at least 50 or so posts; you don’t want readers to get through your 20 posts and lose interest before you can write more content.
Lastly, don’t just sign up to places and treat them like a link yard. Read their guidelines carefully and abide by the rules if you want to avoid being labeled a spammer.
2. Post to Aggregators
Alright, so this is similar to forums, but not quite the same. Whether you realize it or not, you’re probably familiar with aggregator sites.
Think Reddit.com, or Alltop.com, which collect content and essentially function as gigantic forums or link farms. The difference is in scope.
While forums are more personal and therefore better at helping you form relationships with readers, aggregators cast a much, much wider net. Both are useful, and both have a specific function in promoting your new blog post.
1. Post to Social Media (More than Once)
I talked about #hashtags before, but I have to expand upon social media in general because this is such a big one.
These networks have blown up in the last decade, and it’s one of the best ways to promote your blog post due to the existence of groups, paid advertising and connecting with niche audiences.
Gather the most appropriate social networks for your niche and give updates whenever you make a new post. This keeps even your most casual readers in the know and promotes your blog like nothing else.
Of course, this is mostly pointless if your following is non-existent — but that’s where connecting with other bloggers gradually comes into play. Better connections (along with superb content) lead to a greater following.
I already talked about social media “groups” more extensively in this other blog post, mainly pertaining to LinkedIn. Give it a good read and start leveraging the true power of social media as soon as possible. Each day that passes can potentially cost you a new lead.
Lastly, it’s always a good idea to revisit older content and re-post it on social media more than once, considering your total reach will likely never be 100%.
But wait, there’s more: I’m only scratching the surface here. Fellow blogger Sherman Smith compiled an even more impressive list, primarily focusing on targeted post promotion. Don’t miss it.
Your Turn
What are you doing after publishing your latest blog post?
