30 Strange ways to Promote Your Blog
Promoting your blog is the most difficult part of blogging. After spending hours writing a great post and putting links and images in it you push the publish button and wait… but nothing happens! Your post is live on the web and no one is going to read it! You can’t even get a comment!
1# Yard Sale – Sell items you no longer want and make sure to put up a sign in your yard with the words “Sponsored by ______.com”
2# Teach a Local Class – Go to your local community center, college, primary schools, etc. and offer to teach a free class about your blog’s niche. If you blog about cars, teach a class about how to change a tire. There are a lot of ways to build face-to-face relationships in your area.
3# Get on Your Local News – Find a way to get in your local newspaper to build some hype around your blog and what you are doing online. An easy way to do this is by writing an editorial or showing up to important local events.
4# Farmer’s Markets – Give away food at local events like farmer’s markets, conventions, fairs, car shows, or other local events. People will stop by your booth and will accept a handout with your product or blog on it for a small bit of food.
5# Go to the Beach – Enjoy yourself and while there etch your url into the sand. Just be sure to watch out for the tide. – Works in snow too!
6# Write on a Dirty Car Window – It only takes a second!
7# Host a Snowball Fight! – Unless it is illegal in your state. This is a fun way to get people to have fun and with a little hot chocolate sponsored by your blog it’s a quick way to get your name out as well.
8# Yard Sign – Campaigns do it all the time, just put a very nice sign in your window or yard, be sure to check the rules of your city or neighborhood though.
9# Post Flyers – Stick a poster about your website on your work or school’s notice-board. You probably want to wait until no-one is around before you try this one.
10# Public Browser Trick – Go to your local library, internet cafe or computer lab and set your blog’s domain name as the default browser homepage on all the computers you can easily access. Just make sure not to violate any terms of use.
11# Router Trick – This is an easy one to do and can get your neighbors interested in your blog. All you have to do is name your wireless router after your blog and try to get your neighbors interested. Who knows, you might have a fellow blogger next door.
12# Blank Business Cards – You can hand out a business card whenever your blog comes up or whenever you bring it up in conversation. Be sure to mention your blog to more people offline.
13# Local Meeting – Organize a meet-up for webmasters and bloggers in your area and use it as an opportunity to network.
14# Backpack Patch – Get yourself a custom patch to put on your bag or backpack and travel with it everywhere.
15# Niche Hot-Spots – Leave fliers or posters at hot spots for your niche. For example: If you have a music blog then post flyers at a local music shop, concert venue, etc.
16# Take Out a Local Ad – Local ads in newspapers are often pretty cheap and local papers have a circulation of thousands. One more way to be found.
17# Wear your URL – Create for yourself and friends custom t-shirts or hats with your URL on it. People will want to know more and you will be creating conversations about your blog.
18# Use a Talent – You Draw? Make Crafts? Sing Songs? Find a way to expand your visitors by showcasing a talent which exposes your blog.
19# Homeless Humor Approach – Why do your advertising approaches have to be boring? Try something funny and exciting
20# Hire a Consultant – Find out specifically how you can get your blog going and get help from an expert. I have consulted many clients and the key is for bloggers to be open and willing to listen. Many consultants are pretty inexpensive considering the time they save you from having to learn it on your own.
21# Hire a Publicist – Have them take care of your PR for you. They are expensive though so be aware.
22# Bumper stickers – There a millions of drivers so get a bumper sticker for your blog and mail them or sell them to your blog readers. Every time they drive anywhere they will be promoting you.
23# Have a Party – Tell local bloggers, friends, and family that your blog is sponsoring a party with food, drinks or whatever you want. Then when everyone comes in hand them a card with your blog on it. It will create some great buzz offline.
24# Invite Offline Friends – Often we forget that many of our friends and associates offline might be interested in our niche too. Just mention your blog the next time your offline friends ask you what you are up to.
25# Advertise on the Radio – It is generally pretty cheap and very easy to set up. If you have something non-web people would want get talking.
26# Advertise on TV – If you have product to sell and 30 second commercial might be a great way to get people online to check out your site.
27# Sell Your Product on an Infommercial – If people can sell inflatable kitchen knives and tons of other wacky stuff, you can sell your product too!
28# Put Your URL on Your Desktop – If you are like me you use your computer outside of your house at school, library or in public. People will see it and may visit your site.
29# Write a Guest Posts for Offline Productions – I’m talking about newsletters, magazines, books, newspapers, or any other offline production you can help people and do a little self-promoting at.
30# Marketing Apparel – Get a t-shirt made with your blog’s logo and URL on it. You can also offer the t-shirt as a prize in a contest on your blog. If the t-shirt’s design is pretty cool, the winner will advertise for you wherever they go!
