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The Art of Blog Promotion-37 Simple Effective Ways That Work

Thomas Oppong — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 08:57:07 +0000

There are 1001 blog promotion tips, guides, tools and resources out there to make you a professional blogger. Millions of people are searching globally on how to create effective blogs and most importantly how to promote their blogs. You may have come across a couple of them and even bookmarked them for reference. These are a few strategies I personally adopted when I started Alltopstartups. Some of them are ongoing. Blog promotion is a constant and daily activity if you ask me. Concentrate on a a few that work for you but tagging and keywords cannot be overemphasized. Happy blogging!

Content, Content, Content
Create tags and keywords for your posts-basic for every post
Submit posts to Top rank blog directories, at least it still works
Write at least two posts every week. Be consistent even if its once a week
Put keywords on post images
Become a guest post writer
Join popular blog communities
Use pinging services
Add important and tested social media buttons
Submit articles to top rank article directories
Comment on similar blog niches
Make use of webmaster tools
Get a Google sitemap installed
Submit your blog to rss directories-still useful
Develop a profile on online social networking sites
Write an eBook and offer it for free in exchange for email addresses
Offer branded downloadable articles or whitepapers for free with your blog brand
Use trackbacks when you reference other bloggers posts
Customize and improve your RSS Feed using Feedburner for free – include special offers,
sign up opportunities
Post answers on question and answer forums
Write on Controversial subjects
Contact bloggers in your niche , introduce yourself and send posts that might interest them
Use SEO plugin if you use WordPress
Write on content to solve problems
Write a good headline to help the post get spread more widely
Reply your post comments if necessary
Tweet your posts-encourage others to tweet as well
Follow bloggers in your niche on twitter
Register your blog on Technorati
Share your blog link in your email signature
Give users an easy way to share your posts
Make maximum use of your Facebook and twitter profiles
Join LinkedIn Answers
Invite your readers to share your top posts
Announce breaking news
Finally concentrate on quality posts
Like other pages in your niche on Facebook

Top Strategies To Make A Blog Popular

Thomas Oppong — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 23:29:04 +0000

There are countless strategies people employ to increase blog popularity, increase traffic, generate traffic or put those posts right in front of the people you expect to read them. I have comprehensively given out the tips and strategies you will need to start the process and get your blog noticed. I intend to add a lot more creative ways and strategies you could add to boost the process and make blog marketing a lot more fun and focused. Here is a list of some very creative ways which can help you make your blog popular. If not popular, at least it will give you some ideas of what to post on your blog if you are running out of topics to write about.

Give away free stuff. People love them. You will be amazed at the number of people who will download or make use of the free products or service you intend to provide. If it is an e-book you are writing or intend to write, just make sure it easy to download or easy to find. Put them at the strategic places on the web where your target audience can find it. Put the download link on your twitter account. Send copies to top bloggers in your niche to give it for free to their readers. If you intend to monetize your blog, you can use it as a bait to gather emails by allowing your readers to supply their emails in exchange for the free resource.

Write about other bloggers to attract their audience. If I am a fan of Darren Rose, I will most likely read a story about him if I come across it online. Make the story interesting and get the headline right. When the story is published, make sure it gets to his audience either through a link you leave when commenting on another blog or through social bookmarking. Just find his audience and get the post to their attention.

Interview other bloggers and post the interview. Interviews have proven to be an effective way to get the attention of popular bloggers. Once you get their attention, they are likely to talk about your blog in passing on their blogs once in a while. The interview should not necessarily be a call, push for a call though, it’s the best. If its proven to be difficult, drop them a mail and possibly with the interview questions.

Introduce a Reward System. Reward systems work in every aspect of human life and endeavors. Find ways to give away something for free to your top commenters. It could be a product or a copy of an e-book you are selling or an access to a product or service online. You could also introduce a contest and award the winner with the same package for the top commenter.

Write posts that need to be read right now. Some bloggers have cultivated the habit of writing about posts or articles that gets people’s attention and are very informative. The articles could be breaking news. Such articles do very well on Digg and can be shared or go viral in few hours. If you are capable of getting hold of info like that, your blog could be very popular in few hours. If you don’t have access to info you can break, focus on timeless articles that will still be useful in the coming month and year.

Take your readers through a months-long education. You can also start an article series, a course or choose a how to and take your readers through it. . It could run for a week, a month or even months. You release a piece of the article every day of the week or particular day of the week. This way you build committed readers and faithful followers.

14 Ways To Get The Most of LinkedIn For Your Startup

Thomas Oppong — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 20:19:45 +0000

LinkedIn has consistently proven to be one of the best ways to market your business to prospective customers. Generally a lot of connections are made and leads are generated on LinkedIn. Your business should have a LinkedIn group by now. If you have created a group already, go ahead and implement these tips for your group to increase your connections and leads.

Use Linked In applications like Blog Link and SlideShare to provide greater depth and credibility to your page.
Use the recommendation to get to 2nd and 3rd level connections
Set up to receive LinkedIn messages in your inbox so you can respond right away.
Participate in groups of interest and respond directly to the person who posted the discussion
Look for connections related to a job of interest to you.
Request LinkedIn recommendation from happy customers willing to provide testimonials.
Constantly check for network updates and identify topics of interest to your business.
Ask a question on anything related to your business on the LinkedIn Answers platform
You could send potential clients to your LinkedIn profile to view testimonials directly from your existing clients
Start discussions focused around your business messages and use the wews posts to highlight your blog
Import all of your contacts. You will be able to quickly see who is aleady on LinkedIn to start connecting with them to introduce your business or services to them
Add your company website or blog to the group to drive traffic to your site.
Connect people in the group by making introductions to those who could potentially do business with one another.
Find tools to link your other business pages. Import your blog posts and tweets to your page to keep it updated constantly

[SURVEY] Top 7 Business Goals For Content Marketing

Thomas Oppong — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 19:27:19 +0000

A lot of businesses have different reasons for marketing their content. A survey of more than 1,100 B2B marketers conducted by MarketingProfs and Junta42 revealed that 78 percent of businesses want to increase brand awareness.

Zynga Has Launched CityVille on Google+

Thomas Oppong — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 17:53:13 +0000

Zynga has announced today that CityVille will be its first social building game on Google Plus. Last month Zynga partnered with Google to bring Zynga Poker to Google+, and today the company has announced in a blog post that they are adding CityVille+ to the new game platform.

CityVille is a casual social city-building simulation game developed by Zynga, and released in December 2010. The goal is to develop a city by farming, constructing buildings, and collecting rent. The game is a freemium game, meaning there is no cost to play but players have the option of purchasing premium content.

Zynga has over 146 million users of its social games. Check out CityVille on Google+ games directory.

Google Launches New iPhone App For Blogger

Thomas Oppong — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 22:11:40 +0000

Google has announced a new iPhone app for Blogger-the blogging platform(Start blogging on the go with the official Blogger app!)

With Blogger app for iPhone and iPod touch, you can easily publish posts with pictures, labels and location information. Also, you can view the list of posts and if you have multiple accounts or blogs, you can easily switch between them.

Blogger app will allow you to:
* Select account/blog if you have more than 1.
* Include pictures from the gallery or by taking a picture directly from the app
* Add labels
* Add location information
* Save as draft or immediately publish
* View list of saved/published posts

The user interface is only available in English at this time, the app supports blog posts written in all languages. If you’re using an Android-powered device, you can download the Blogger app for Android from the Android Market.

10 Ways to Make Your Startup Irresistible To Bloggers

Thomas Oppong — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 21:48:34 +0000

Before you make your list of bloggers to approach, think about the kind of publicity you want to get. Do you want to get your product reviewed? Do you want to be seen as an expert by others in your industry? Do you want to be mentioned in a blog that’s widely read by your target customers, by potential business colleagues or by influential people in your industry? You may want all, or just some of these things.

Connect on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, or in real life more than six months in advance of pitching a blogger
Be clear and engaging. Don’t use jargon. Get someone outside the business to read through your release to make sure it makes sense and it’s interesting.
At networking events, make an effort to build relationships with bloggers.
Follow up by calling them a couple of days later to see if they’re using it, but do it under the pretext of seeing if they need any additional information.
Understand your demographic and focus on getting press where they can be found.
Talk to the people in your space and use the industry vertical sites or blogs that only those folks read regularly.
Always, always, always keep your angle in mind. Always ask yourself: What is the story here and why would the reader of this publication want to hear about it?
Call ahead and pitch a story, if you’re showcasing your product at a local event or other major event typically covered by the news. Otherwise bloggers just walk the aisles and randomly choose businesses to speak with.
Answer the obvious questions: Who, What, Where, When, Why, How and So What
Bloggers are always eager for statistics, surveys and reports. Make them available

12 Things Your Startup Needs To Blog About

Thomas Oppong — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 14:52:22 +0000

As a startup, what you can do RIGHT NOW to improve your business is to start blogging. There’s no hiding the fact that blogging takes work, creative energy, consistency, and a high level of commitment. But when done right, the benefits far outweighs the cost. Every online business or a business with an online presence needs a blog. It’s a great way to maintain the integrity of your brand. The Real question to answer is: what do we have to blog about. This can serve as a guide for you.

Do not fail to realize that customers would like to engage with you.
Engagement creates an expectation of reflection and communication.
Blog about your industry.
Create a reason for your customers to aggregate on your site on regular basis
Become a thought leader in your space by engaging your employees to educate your clients on topics your product covers
Blog about a topic in which you’re knowledgeable, thoughtful and passionate about which your community can identify with.
General company news and updates
Blog about keywords you want to be identified with. Prospective Customers search for products on search engines. If you cover your topics well, chances are that you will be found via organic search.
Press Releases of your major milestones, development or progress.
Share with your customers on industry howtos
Product Releases. As time progress, your startup will release a new product, make changes to features or add a new feature. You would want to explain why your customers will find the new feature useful
37 signals does well. Copy their strategy and replicate for your industry

Are You Building A Startup? I Have Got 3 Words For You

Thomas Oppong — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 10:12:34 +0000

In Paul Graham’s words: “You need three things to create a successful startup: to start with good people, to make something customers actually want, and to spend as little money as possible.” There are tons of advice, guidance and best practices from around the web that you can act on for your startup success. Founders and entrepreneurs keep sharing their lessons and tips on how you can succeed. There are always tools for every entrepreneur. If you are bootstrapping, the resources are unlimited, if you intent to raise capital, there are always investment mistakes to avoid, its out there, find it make every dollar count. Build a great product and whatever happens don’t stop even if means crawling, you will get there.

This is a summary of startup advice gathered in 3 words for you.

Build something great
Innovate.Listen.Iterate.
Iterate.Iterate.Iterate.
Vision.Team.Execution
Speed! Speed! Speed!
Build. Listen. Fix.
Focus, focus, focus
Talent.Talent.Talent
Passion. Passion.Passion
Just Do It
Vision. Team. Traction.
Simple. Lean. Valuable.
Don’t be evil
Write a blog.
Invest in culture.
Spend less money
Don’t ignore users
Raise Whats Needed
Connect with Twitter
Revenues matter most.
Sell.Sell.Sell
Pursue multiple strategies
Stretch your imagination.
Never stop pushing
Never say never.
Connect with facebook

Three words wisdom continues @ OnStartups and @ HolyKaw

Highlighter Allows Readers To Link To Specific Sections of An Article

Thomas Oppong — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 15:48:36 +0000

Highlighter is web application that allows publishers and readers to engage in more contextually-relevant conversations. We empower bloggers to increase their traffic, visitor interaction, email collections, and ultimately, how much money they make.

The service is freely available for anyone who wants to add a new dimension to their blog. Signing up is easy: Simply link your Facebook or Twitter account to Highlighter to get started. Highlighter is compatible with the major blogging platforms Tumblr, Typepad, WordPress and Blogspot.

Once you’ve got Highlighter installed, visitors will be able to interact and share content from your blog in a variety of ways. If they want to share a specific passage or image from your blog post, all they have to do is highlight it, and the new options will pop up.