How to Use Social Media to Grow Your Blog
Many of us complain about all the time we spend on social media. The truth is that without the use of social media our message would not have the ability as it does to reach a larger audience.
When social media networks are utilized effectively they provide massive opportunity for blog growth. Social media networks allow you to expand your reach to a larger audience and establish connections and friendships with other bloggers.
Through using social media to grow your blog/business you’ll over time build your own tribe of loyal readers and followers. Those who are interested in what you share with the world!
Sharing is caring!
The numbers don’t matter as much as you may think!
The numbers of fans and followers you have is not where your focus needs to be.
I know so many bloggers and writers who get caught in the snare of fixating too much on their number of followers.The point of social media is about connections. It is about being social with your readers and other bloggers.
Simply set up your networks and begin connecting with people and sharing your work and theirs.
Show up often and be interested in what others do there too. Comment on their posts.
Be a part of what others are doing. The numbers will take care of themselves.
Be consistent and
generously helpful.
To make an impact using social media networks you need to be consistent. If you show up once and a while people will not take you or your work seriously.
Facebook has a great feature where you can schedule your posts in advance. If you are tight on time you can batch up what you want to share and set the date and time you want them to publish.
Consistently connect and engage often with others in you niche. Remember that social media is about having social interactions.
Better to focus on a couple of social networks starting out. Otherwise you’ll struggle to be consistent on any of them. Facebook and Twitter are great places to start.
Be intentional about the frequency of your posts and shares.
A couple of times per day to Facebook is good enough. Share something of yours and content from someone else.
Twitter is faster moving so you can get away with more frequency there. The trick here is to spread out your shares throughout the day.
Be sure to retweet and share the work of others too. Always be helpful and thank those who retweet, share and follow you.
It’s important to not show yourself as being all about you. It can come off as too self promotional. Do provide your followers with a variety of shares.
Share and post content that is the same as what you blog/write about.
When we share a mix of everything it confuses people.You’ll want to leverage social media to eventually becoming known as an expert in your niche area.
Here I help writers and bloggers find their wings of confidence. The content I provide is about everything blogging, writing, and WordPress.
On my social networks I post about those topic areas and follow other bloggers and writers. While I’m interested in many other topics my social media accounts don’t reflect those other interests.
Set up a Facebook page
Set up a Facebook page separate from your personal account. Doing this enables you connect your page to your blog.
There are benefits of keeping your personal account separate from your blog/business page.
A few are;
- Keeps your personal and business/blogging separate from your personal life.
- With your personal account you decide who you let into your inner circle.
- Your page audience is most likely not comprised of close immediate friends and family.
- Your page is a place where you can point others back to your blog.
- You can embed your Facebook page to your blog but not your personal account..
You can easily connect with other bloggers and your readers. Overtime you will establish decent a following of fans and other bloggers.
Facebook is a powerful social media resource that helps grow your blog. Share the work of other bloggers in your niche to your page.
Consider doing Facebook Live Videos
While video can be intimidating at first using video has grown in popularity. Consider connecting with your audience via video.You’ll feel fear in the beginning and lack confidence. The more you do it the easier it gets.
There are those who lean more toward video, while others prefer podcasts, and those who enjoy reading blog posts.
Grow a following on Twitter
Twitter is a great place to share your work and of others.
You can grow a following and connect with your followers.
Some are on Twitter more than Facebook and vice versa.
In my case I established Twitter followers faster than Facebook followers.
I primarily use Facebook and Twitter and passively use Pinterest and Instagram.
For further reading check out ;
Neil Patel wrote a great article/guide on how to use Twitter to grow your business.
The Complete Guide to Using Twitter to Grow Your Business
10 Smart Ways to Promote Your Blog on Social Media by Ryan Biddulph
Conclusion
We were not meant to hide behind our blogs and using social media networks helps you to connect with others. Your work is in front of more eyes and you can expand your reach to a larger audience. Social media is a fun way to grow your blog.
It is not as complicated or time consuming as people think. It’s less about marketing and more about connecting and establishing relationships with your readers and other bloggers. Now go get social and grow your blog!
For further reading check out 10 Smart Ways to Promote Your Blog on Social Media by Ryan Biddulph
Let’s hear from you!
What are your favorite social media networks?
How has social media helped you grow your blog?