9 Ways To Get 100+ Views on Your Blog Posts...NOW!

Feeling Discouraged About Your Lack of Blog Hits?

Unless you are really serious or really lucky about your blogging or video efforts, your posts and videos normally get about 5 - 25 views in the first weeks, and then maybe 125 over time.  You might have a hit now and again, but that is the norm...How can you change the equation, and start getting 100 hits in the short term and thousands over time?  You need to tease your effort on social media.                         -Content Marketing for Google-

Content Marketing for Google  correctly addresses the question all bloggers ask themselves:  

Is Anyone Actually Reading My Posts? 

The article goes on to explain how often times, we spend hours crafting a relevant article that we know is helpful to the audience we have in mind; we take the time to find a catchy picture to go with it, hoping it has provided just the right finishing touch.  Then we push the "publish" button, and cross our fingers - hoping that this will finally be the post to grab people!  

We wake up the next morning with great anticipation that someone (anyone!) has discovered how brilliantly we covered the topic that they needed that day.  We click on the "stats" button to see how many actually flocked to our site, and realize that the 4 visitors reported are actually our own pageviews from the day before.  

Is Blogging Really Worth It?

The simple answer is YES.  It is absolutely worth it.  This article explains that the problem is not with the blog post in and of itself, but how you are getting the word out to draw people in! Content Marketing for Google  lists 9 Social Media Methods to increase your blog page views:

1. Post your new content to Google+ even if you have nobody in your circles.
2. Post your new content to Twitter even if you have nobody following you (same principle).
3. Build up at least 100 connections on LinkedIn.  This is super simple to do, and you should do it anyway. (Article lists how to add 100 relevant connections.)
4. Post your Title and URL, plus a relevant picture to LinkedIn.  Like Google+ and Twitter, this might be as simple as posting your URL and the rest happens automatically.  LinkedIn allows for an automatic post to Twitter at the same time.  Use it.  Total time so far - 3 minutes.
5. Post to your company Facebook Page.  You may want to take an extra 2 minutes to give a little longer intro here; a bit more of a tease.  Or not.
6. You may have other social media efforts that you can take the same headlines and/or pictures and promote the blog on these as well.
7. Don't go down any rabbit trails unless that is what your employer wants you to do, or that is what you want to use your time for, BUT do spend an extra couple of minutes on your news streams and be a little social here and there.  +1's and likes and such are good for your reputation.  Even add a comment when you have something good to say.
8. Don't hesitate to repeat the promotion of your older posts.  You can tweet the same headline 10 times a day and no one will notice.  You can do LinkedIn twice a day.  Google+ 3 or 4 times a day.
9. If you find this is working for you, automate the entire process using HootSuite or a similar product.  With these automated systems you can cut the 20 minutes above to 5 minutes and accomplish way more.

What is working for you?

Please share what social media efforts and venues are enhancing your online exposure! Social media marketing can only be enhanced by learning from each other, what is actually working and what should be avoided at all costs.

In Case You Missed It:  Best Business Books: How I Raised Myself From Failure To Success.

5 Ways to Promote Your Blog Through Attention Grabbing Images

We all see dozens of images every single day on the internet, on magazine stands, even just simple billboard advertisements while driving down the street.  Which ones have grabbed your attention?  There is one right now that keeps grabbing my attention as I drive along the freeway, and I can’t figure out why it appeals to me.  It’s a picture of a bride and groom on their wedding day, wearing the traditional outfits, but you can’t see their faces - only their necks down where your attention is immediately drawn to her yellow converse shoes and his green converse shoes.  It says something to the effect of going natural - being yourself - and I think it is an advertisement for a particular soft drink.

But it is the image that stands out.

We know this to be true in marketing.  There must be a dynamic image or series of images to accompany our great products.  The same is true for the blogging world.  It isn’t always the creative title of the blog post that pulls you in to click on the link and read the article; often, it is the image that first commands your attention, and then you look to see what information it is pointing to.

Content Marketing for Google is a great resource for bloggers like you and me to find valuable information on how to improve our status on Google.  They have compiled a helpful list of 5 ways to get visitors to come back to your blog posts through the using creative blog images.

1. Pinterest
2. Flickr
3. Linkwithin
4. Most Recent Posts
5. Most Popular Posts

You won’t want to miss this article - especially if you’re looking to bring more traffic to your blog!  In addition, you might also want to check out this additional blog post on why amazing pictures are the key to blog and website traffic.

Where do you find your most captivating images to put on your blog and/or website?  

Three Social Media Tools To Expand Your Business

Are You Missing These Social Media Tools?

One of the most frustrating aspects of social media networking, is that after you spend weeks and months making connections, sending follow-up connection emails, joining relevant groups, making regular posts in those groups, and not seeing any “real” results or leads, you start to wonder:  Is this really helping my business or is this just a complete waste of my time?  We all have a million things that we could and should be doing to help grow and expand our businesses.  

But it seems that the potential for finding new leads is there - but how do I find them?  

Social Media Examiner has done it again!  They continue to be one of the top leaders in researching and sharing the top marketing tools which aim to help you maximize the full benefits available through social media networking tools.

“3 Social Media Tools That Improve the Sales Cycle" is an article where they go above and beyond to describe the benefits of each tool, in addition to explaining in detail the steps you can take to get the best results.  Listed below are the three main tools as presented by Social Media Examiner, including Nimble, NeedTagger, and Virally App, along with a brief description of their intended functions, but you will want to check out the full article here for an in-depth look at the various ways you will want to use these applications.

Nimble—Nurture Your Relationships and Get Sales

On their website, Nimble says their job is to help you "easily manage all of your contacts, communications, activities, and sales in one single place."  Organizing your connections will help you to give better focus to those relationships that you most want to develop and grow.

NeedTagger—Find Potential Business Opportunities Through Twitter

This is a very advanced search tool that allows you to look for opportunities to sell your products for your business through Twitter, so that you can immediately reach out to potential customers and start engaging them.  It also allows you to track the results of your outreach, seeing which topics got the most clicks and shares, in order to further assist you in preparing future campaigns.

Virally App - Get Leads and Analytics Through Your Content

This site encourages users not only to leave their email address with you, but also for you the business owner, to limit the content you allow them to access on your site until they connect to their favorite social media networking site.  This allows you to have greater depth in profile information, allowing you to see which leads have the most potential for your business.  

Have you heard of these social media sites before?  

Which one of these tools will you incorporate into your business within the next two weeks?

In case you missed it, check out 8 Proven Ways To Experience Excellence in Business.