facebook twitter instagram bloglovin
 photo toppost.png

Mar 4, 2020

Utilizing Social Media to Grow Your Blog


we all know that social media is a hugely important tool for use in the blog world.  it's the main way to get your content (and name) out there and keep your followers up-to-date with what you're posting.  when i first started blogging, i wasn't the most confident.  i was ok if people stumbled upon my blog, but i definitely wasn't looking to advertise the fact that i had one.  to be honest, i still feel a little awkward sometimes when someone i know talks to me about my blog, but as it's grown, i have definitely become a more confident writer and i've found that social media plays a huge role in growing my blog.

so, as i'm sure you're aware, there are a number of different social media venues out there.  here are some of my faves:

twitter // twitter is probably my most-used social media site in terms of promoting my blog.  it's easy to post to and people typically don't mind you self-promoting on it (as long as that's not all you do).  you can utilize it to share posts, engage with readers and other bloggers, and even promote things like sales on advertising packages.  find some other bloggers to follow and help promote them by retweeting their posts.  if you use passionfruit to run your ad shop, be sure to follow @passionfruitads and @passionfruitluv on twitter to get tips, updates, and sales on blogs you might be interested in sponsoring.  

facebook // you can post links to your blog on your personal facebook, but i've found that it's more effective to create a page for your blog.  while it may take some time to gain a following on this page, it's worth it.  invite facebook friends who might enjoy your content or want to support you to like the page, and then be sure to post regularly.  facebook is one of the most personal social media sites, so this is a great venue to really engage with your readers.

instagram // for whatever reason, instagram really feels personal to me.  it's like giving people little snapshots of your day, and i use it to promote those posts that i really like.  instagram is also not the easiest for driving content to your blog.  there's no way to create a link right in the caption of your photo, so you're asking your followers to take extra steps (going to your profile) to get to your site.  on the other hand, instagram does offer a snapshot of your post, so if your content/photos are good, this can really drive followers to your blog.

pinterest // it's amazing to me what takes off on pinterest.  some of my most popular posts are popular because of pinterest (like the games i created for jen's bridal shower).  it's important to keep pinterest in mind when creating content.  make sure you include photos in your posts that will be attractive to users and that people will want to pin.  make pinning easy by including a "pin it" button that appears on your photos.

bloglovin // bloglovin is basically a content feed for blogs.  you create an account, link up your blog, and follow other bloggers.  they have a great app for your smartphone or tablet that allows you to see new content from all of the blogs you follow in one feed.  while i don't feel like i get a ton of traffic to my site from bloglovin, i do think this is a great tool that a lot of bloggers use and so it's worthwhile to invest the time into setting it up.

things you definitely should do:
1.  use social media to promote your blog…and other blogs you like!  bloggers appreciate when their content is shared by others, and the gesture may just be returned!
2.  make it easy for your followers to find you.  (all of my social media accounts can be found under @betsygettis, except for my facebook page, which is titled "heavens to betsy)
3.  include links to your social media accounts on your blog (in an obvious spot like at the top of your page or right under your profile section of your sidebar)
4.  generate followers through giveaways…allow extra entires into giveaways for following you on different social media sites.
5.  this one seems obvious, but if another blogger offers you the opportunity to get your social media sites out there, take it!

things you definitely should not do:
1.  don't spam your followers!  no one likes to see the same thing over and over again, fifty times a day in their feed.
2.  don't be fake…followers are more likely to engage with someone who really feels genuine and engages back!

what tips or tricks for utilizing social media would you add?  what are your favorite ways to promote your blog?

16 comments:

  1. These are great tips. I definitely need to get going on following passionfruit on twitter - I hadn't even thought of doing that!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Do! They are both great accounts…if you advertise your ad spaces on twitter, tag the @passionfruitluv account…they retweet everything! It's also a great place to find other blogs to advertise on!

      Delete
  2. Such great tips!! I use all of these platforms minus Facebook. I'm kind of over it anyways. My favorite is Twitter :) I love interacting with other bloggers- such fun! I'm not following passionfruit yet on twitter! I'm going to add them right after I push "publish" here! Thanks for posting!! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'd definitely say it's the most difficult to pick up followers on fb…I'm growing to love twitter for interacting with other bloggers more and more!

      Delete
  3. This is such a great post! Twitter is definitely my most used form of social media, but I get a ton of followers from Facebook too. I guess it really depends on the most + what the content is about.....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. yeah…what ways do you drive traffic to your Facebook page? i'm finding that that's the hardest account to build followers on…any tips?

      Delete
  4. this is such great advice! I am still trying to figure out the twitter thing but I do love the personal touch of instagram! it makes bloggers "real!"

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh I know…I feel like I have the bloggers that I follow on IG are more like friends. haha

      Delete
  5. “Don't be fake.” - I am with you in all your points, but I must say I really agree with this one. The most successful blogs are those that have authors who really know what they are talking about; therefore, enabling them to write in an engaging manner. You can fake your knowledge about a certain topic and write about it, but you won’t be able to engage your readers in a meaningful conversation, which will prevent them from returning and favoring your blog.

    Jean Bridges

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. it's so true! you want to really engage your readers? know your stuff! and i always try to respond to comments, because i feel like that helps create a relationship with my readers.

      Delete
  6. Thanks for sharing! I always love reading another blogger's take on how they use their social media for blogging.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'm so frustrated that my regular username (which is also my blog name) is taken on Instagram by an account with no posts! Any advice on what to do? I am using another nickname currently but I don't think it's at all clearly linked to my blog. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

    ReplyDelete

Hi! Thanks for reading! I read every comment posted here. Your thoughts are valuable to me! Thanks for taking the time to contribute!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
 photo envye.jpg
envye blogger theme