Why Social Media Is Key To Your Blog Success

If you are a current or aspiring blogger, one of the biggest ways to make your blog a success is to grow your reach and following by using social media. No matter the subject of your blog or the audience, there are many benefits a blogger can gain from using social media. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest are four of the most important platforms you can use to promote your blog. Below are explanations of the importance of each platform and tips for naming your pages, integrating them with your blog, interacting with the public and learning about the ROI of social media.

Getting Started

For starters, every site should have its own Facebook page, especially a blog. Facebook reaches almost everyone, from the aging baby boomer to the computer savvy millennial. Still the leader of all social media, this platform has over one billion users and is the biggest key to promoting your blog. Using Facebook can help you increase views and clicks to access your blog’s website and hopefully help you gain more followers. Using your blog’s Facebook page, you can also get free insight as to who is viewing your posts and what they’re viewing most. This helps you learn how to customize your content to your audience which is important for establishing a unique niche in the blogging world.

Twitter is another biggie with over 300 million users. You have to have a Twitter page if you are a blogger because it offers another way to connect with your audience (through 140 characters or less) and the potential to form bonds with businesses or even celebrities. Following people in your field of interest helps readers get a better sense of what you and your blog are about. Also, hashtags are probably the most useful thing about Twitter. Use a hashtag, or popular keyword or phrase, in your tweet and more people are likely to spot it and check out your blog. Twitter also provides analytics to help you measure your page’s reach.

With about 300 million users as well, Instagram is another way to establish your blog and create a brand through the use of photos. Let’s face it, the easiest way to draw in more readers, other than writing an enticing caption, is taking an attractive photo. With Instagram, you have the opportunity to curate what your content looks like to the public, in turn creating a brand for your blog. Having a planned and strategic aesthetic is effective because people like when a blog or even a business has a recognizable look and feel. The app also uses hashtags to categorize photos for those who are searching for a particular subject.

Pinterest is the newest of the top social media, and with over 70 million users, it’s continuing to grow. On this site, pins and boards are used to help users define and discover new ideas and interests. Pin your some of your top blog posts for exposure but mostly focus on pinning things that relate to the topic of your blog. Optimize your photos here as well to get more re-pins by users.

Tips

1. Whenever possible, make sure the handle or name of your social media page matches the name of your blog. This will make it easier for users to find.
2. Integration is key. You should display links for your social media prominently on the website for your blog. Also, it’s easy to set your blog posts be automatically shared via Facebook. At the very least, setting your Twitter account to update when you publish a post is a must.
3. Interaction is also important. It is not enough to simply have these pages. Think of social media as an online networking tool to market your blog. You have to start discussions and really converse with your audience. Interacting with other bloggers who are reaching or trying to reach your intended audience is another key to connecting with a broader audience.
4. If you are doing investing further into social media with paid campaigns, it is imperative to know how well your investments are doing. Understanding ROI of social media is imperative. ROI stands for return on investment and ROI of social media is what you investigate after you set goals for your blog and determine what media platforms are most appropriate for your use. Review the statistics and reset your blogging goals to achieve further.

So if your are looking to begin creating social media pages for your blog today, start with Facebook. Chances are you already have personal profile, and creating a page is no more difficult. The same goes for Instagram. Nowadays everyone is into posting photos. Just be sure what you’re posting is indicative of how you want your brand to be viewed. Short posts on Twitter are definitely helpful once your blog has picked up some speed. Lastly, using Pinterest allows you to help the public envision your brand as well through the use of this online vision board.

Remember, when it comes to blogging, finding success in your own hands. Marketing your brand is essential and easy to do by using social media effectively. This is the key to opening the door to the blogging success that you are looking for.