Discreet Marketing in a Blog

 Hi everyone,

My name is Ula and I am a Polish girl living in France for 10 years now. Few weeks ago I was honored to be invited by the POLetsy team to join the blog. Of course, I said YES! I will be writing about handmade web-marketing, Social Media and blogging.

I am also the owner of the Etsy shop “Ula Bazaar”:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/UlaPhelep?ref=si_shop

If you want to know more about me visit my creative blog (in polish):
http://maiadream.blogspot.com/
or my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/BlogSenMai?ref=hl

You may read first article about ...

Discreet Marketing in a Blog

Someone asked me an important question regarding blogging and promoting a blog: "can you write a blog using marketing strategies (...) but in such a way as the reader wouldn't feel that this is a business venture?"

I'm sure many of you have sought an answer to this dilemma.

The word "marketing" often has negative associations, usually with overt pushing of customers to buy a product or service - personally - I can't stand this sort of promotion and I tend to run the other way - usually far! Marketing can, however, be pleasant, positive, "invisible" and very motivating. It's also indispensable to running a good blog, which will in turn be successful.

How then do we promote discreetly? Here are a few examples: 

 
1. Promotion through other blogs

• To be noticed, a good method is to publish on a different, larger and more known blog. Many blogs offer a "guest post" - an opportunity to write an article, which will be posted, on the blog with the authors name and a link to the author’s own page. The articles and topics vary and depend on the type of blog and what is presented.
•  If the blog you are interested in doesn't offer this opportunity, write a very polite e-mail to the author and ask to publish your article or a blurb about your product. State your idea clearly and concisely and explain why you'd like your post to be featured on that particular blog. Remember to make sure that your post is very relevant to the theme of the given blog. Send a worthy article and some very good photos to go along with it.

• Leave comments on blogs you like to visit. Everyday leave at least 5 comments, which shouldn't be hard work for you, but rather a pleasant way to pass time and get to know other bloggers.

2. Social Media

• Use Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or YouTube to promote your blog. You DO NOT HAVE TO use all these channels all at once! It's best to pick one that you feel the most comfortable with and which attracts your "ideal reader" (I love Facebook and Pintrest)

So how do you promote using Social Media?

• Write regularly (minimum once or twice per day).
• Remember that posting to Facebook is not only about conveying "dry" information, linking to blog posts and pictures - but also about fostering a rapport, a connection between you and the people who follow you. You should of course still post notes about your blog entries, but also inspire, ask and answer questions posted to you by the readers.

3. Other ways to discreetly promote through a blog:

• Encourage readers to write about your blog and link to it on their own pages.
• Get involved in internet forum discussions. Give advice and become an expert in your field.
• Create a newsletter (in it - cover the updates on your blog, techniques in your handiwork, advice, etc.)

4. THIS, however is most important! Promoting through relevant blog entries and regular postings.

• Articles which contain answers to questions readers are seeking, and which solve their problems (as an example a culinary blog "how to make a delicious broth", a scrapbooking blog "how to make a simple scrapbook page" etc.) are like magnets which will bring people to the blog over and over. That's not all, however - as valuable information they will be linked to from other blogs, or made available through Facebook or Twitter (marketing without being brazen) And remember - it's the quality that counts - not the quantity.
• When it comes to regular updates, I'll use my blog as an example: for the past nine months I have made a point to post 6-7 times per week. In November of 2011 there were about 70 visits to my blog daily. In August 2012 that figure is 700 per day and sometimes as high as a 1000. The number just keeps on growing!

And you, what do you think about it?
Do you know some more examples of discreet marketing in a blogging?

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by Ula