One of the things I struggle with every day is promoting my blog. I guess self-promotion can be a good thing if done right but if done in an intrusive and wrong way it can really hurt you.

There are different ways of approaching how to promote your blog. It all depends on the approach and type of audience you want to reach. I run  into people that focus a lot more on promoting their blog offline than online.

Just a few days ago I had someone indicate that they wanted people to look at their business card and when others went into the blog, they  wanted people to have the same experience. Although I understand what the person is trying to accomplish from a branding perspective, I don’t understand why  using a business card is a key factor in promoting a blog.

I  carry business cards, and yes I have my corporate cards, my personal cards which are to promote my blog, and then my all time favorite which go with my personality; Meet-Meme cards are a unique and fun way to  break the ice and connect.

I really think we should focus on making sure people can find our blog and yes printed materials do help but I can assure you that if  you are listening to your readers and finding interesting stuff for them to read the word will get around.

Pricey

My biggest concern with using printed materials is that the cost per person is a lot higher. I prefer to share an event online with those who might be interested instead of handing out a flyer. Many people like me receive a flyer or any other type of printed material and they discard (recycle) it the first chance they get (In my case they might live in my bag or car for weeks).

It might cost you more to print out business cards and hand them out than strategically place ads on google or Facebook.

Less Reach

By handing printed materials you are only able to reach those in close, physical proximity. With other methods, you can reach anyone with access to the internet, computer, tablet, and/or mobile phone.

People Discard or Lose Printed Materials

I personally lose or discard most of the printed material I receive. Or even worse, I bring it along to never touch it or use it for any other purpose. It ends up collecting dust until the next spring or fall cleaning at the house, which makes it end up in the recyclables.

Overall I think that it is ok to provide someone a link to your blog. If  someone asks questions and you have the answers in a post, then direct them to your blog. In this instance,  if you asked for their email and send them the direct article or post answering the question. It might  even bring the opportunity for you to follow up with asking permission to add them to your newsletter.

How do you promote your blog? What methods have worked for you and which ones have not?