How to Promote Your Business Blog Through Social Media

Looking for a couple ways to promote your business blog through social media? We're here to help whether you just started your blog or have one established.

1. Promote your blog posts to your existing audience through your social media accounts. Your clients or prospective clients are looking to you for your expertise on topics they're interested in, so capitalize on their attention, by sending out your blog posts. Encourage your existing audience members to share their thoughts on your posts and to send your posts along to friends who might be interested in the topics you're blogging about. Your existing audience is your best friend when it comes to promoting your blog. Give them good content and they'll be willing to spread your words. As we've said before, if they're on social networks, they're interested in being social, so take advantage!

2. To reach a new audience on social media, use hashtags and the search feature to see what people are talking about and how you can help them with the content you've produced. Reach out to people who might be looking for info on the topics you're blogging about - consider them warm leads! Promoting your blog content to people through the use of hashtags is a great way to reach a more broad, already interested audience.


Have any tips to add? Please add them in the comments below!

*Offer valid through 12/31/12

Tips for Maintaining your Blog

We know blogging can be hard and sometimes even a daunting task on your long to-do list. Here are some helpful tips for maintaining your blog that we use and can help you do the same!

1. Develop some high-level ideas for posts in advance - we do this, so we're not scrambling for content when we have the time to write. There are always going to be topics you know you want to blog about because they're relevant to your industry. It's effective to develop and add to a list some high-level ideas that you know will always be relevant to your blog whenever you think of them. Once you have these ideas written down you can do your keyword research and develop your titles, and then all you have to do is write out the thoughts you already have about the blog post's theme.

2.  Create a blog calendar - this is a great way to keep yourself on track to deliver on your blogging goals. Set up weekly, monthly, even yearly goals and content topics you know you want to blog about. Of course, you'll sometimes substitute if something comes up that's both timely and relevant to your industry, but setting up a schedule will help you stay on track to deliver content your audience wants to read. If you have a team of bloggers working for you, first off, lucky you, but also a blogging schedule is a good way to keep track of who from your team is blogging and when, so you can adjust the schedule and assignments accordingly.

3.If numbers two and three aren't working out as planned and you're stuck one day on developing some content, don't stress out! Just get up and walk away from your computer for a bit. When you return, try doing some research on news in your industry. That will help jump start your brain into thinking about relevant and timely content.

Have any tips to add? Please comment below. We'd love to hear from you.

*Offer valid through 12/31/12

How to Use Your Blog to Generate Leads

So you're a business owner who spends so much time on his blog, but you're hitting the same audience over and over, so you're wondering how you generate new leads. The Insights team is here to help. We have some great ways to generate exposure and leads.

First, use keywords that are specific to your industry and geo-location to make sure you're ranking in search results for keywords that people who are interested in your business are searching on. Google's keyword tool is a great source for keyword research and execution. Keyword use should be a main part of your blogging strategy.

Second, make sure you're creating relevant, timely and unique content that demonstrates your expertise. You want readers to think of you as the go-to source for information on your specific industry. You also want readers to find your posts through social media and search; when you're writing about timely and relevant information, you can use hashtags on Twitter and keywords that people are looking for more information about!

Lastly, spread the word about your blog posts. Link your Facebook and Twitter accounts to your blog posts, so you're reaching audiences on social platforms; hint: if they're on social platforms, they're interested in being social and spreading your word. Include Facebook and Twitter share buttons on your blog for easy sharing. Be social, be social, be social!

So to recap: make sure you have a sound keyword strategy, you're producing quality content, you're reaching a new and interested audience of potential customers, and you're allowing for social sharing!

Email us at insights@boston.com with any questions or comments as well as more great tips on how to use your blog to generate leads.

Introducing Insights from Boston.com!

On October 1st, Boston.com launched Insights. Insights is designed for businesses that blog. We recognize that businesses spend so much time demonstrating their expertise and building their brands through blogging, so we created Insights, which allows businesses to reach the Boston.com audience through targeted marketing.

With the combined power of the Boston.com audience and the quality content businesses are creating, businesses can generate leads, increase sales, generate exposure and retain customers. Insights allows for targeted marketing across Boston.com, the Boston.com mobile site and The Boston Globe.

Please be sure to watch our informational video posted above for more information on how the product works as well as packaging and pricing.

If you're a business owner who spends quality time blogging, please reach out to us! We'd love to chat and tell you how we can help you turn our readers into your customers. Our email address is Insights@boston.com.