Why do people just like you and me write killer blog posts that never get shared? Writing is only the beginning. If you want exposure to a big audience, you need to find a way for your content to be discovered. This SlideShare outlines the four phases I went through to get over 1000 social media shares in 3 days. Apply what works best for you and start taking the guesswork out of getting your content shared, on a large scale.

1. HOW TO PROMOTE A
BLOG POST
Writing is only the beginning. If you want exposure to a big audience, you
need to find a way for your content to be discovered. This SlideShare will
outline the four phases I went through to get over 1000 social media
shares in 3 days. Apply what works best for you and start taking the
guesswork out of getting your content shared, on a large scale.
bloggersidekick.com
Created by @BloggerSidekick

2. PHASE 1
FINDING YOUR PLATFORM

3. ENGAGE AN
AUDIENCE
Writing great blog content is time consuming. Coming up with consistent ideas,
engaging an audience around them and regularly producing valuable content is
extremely difficult. What I’ve found is the best way to mitigate these challenges
and get the best bang for your buck is to find a platform with an already engaged
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audience.

4. GUEST BLOGGING
Guest blogging is a tactic that has skyrocketed many people to online stardom,
but one that has picked up a tainted reputation along the way. Keyword stuffing,
blogging for backlinks, duplicate content and Google penalties have tarnished the
once reputable practice known as guest blogging. But don’t give up hope. If
you’re smart about it, guest blogging can still spread your reach, accelerate your
development and help you build an online asset that will flourish over time.
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5. 3 PRINCIPLES FOR
GUEST BLOGGING
1. Don’t duplicate – Don’t write a blog and simply distribute it across as many
platforms as you can find. Google will penalize this. If you absolutely have to
syndicate content make sure you leave a grace period between posting it on
your blog before posting it elsewhere
2. Quality not quantity – Guest blog quality content that increases your
credibility, not just as a way to get backlinks
3. Choose wisely – Don’t just blog anywhere, make sure you are targeting a
specific audience who see value in your content
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6. PHASE 2
WRITING SHAREABLE CONTENT

7. FREE DOWNLOAD
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8. NAIL THE HEADLINE
Think about the last time you shared a blog on social media. The chances are the
blog you shared either had a fantastic headline, or you tailored it so that the link
to the blog was accompanied by a catchy one liner. As scary and in-authentic as it
is, most people share blogs without ever reading the content in them (Buffer
created an iPhone app on the back of this concept, called ‘Daily by Buffer’). So
the next time you are crafting the world’s best blog, spend a little bit of time on
the headline otherwise it may go unnoticed.
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9. SOLVE A PAIN POINT
If your reader makes it all the way through your blog, and implements something
you have suggested, they will share it with others. This is why you should come
from the mindset of being helpful. What is the biggest challenge your reader is
facing right now? Why have they found your content, and what can you offer that
will make their life easier?
Here are a couple of sources to discover the challenges your readers face;
• LinkedIn Groups
• Quora
• BuzzSumo or Topsy
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10. USE SUB-HEADINGS
AND DOT POINTS
Much like the headline of the blog, sub-headings and dot points throughout make
it much easy for people to skim read your content. For those that decide to go
beyond the headline of your blog before sharing it, there is a second group of
people who will browse over the sub-headings to see if the content underneath
them is worth reading.
Remember you are trying to help your reader solve a problem. If they can easily
digest the information you are trying to convey through dot points and sub-headings
they are much more likely to continue reading, digest the content,
implement your insights and inevitably share it on social media.
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11. WRITE IT LIKE AN
ASSIGNMENT
Think back to the last time you had to write an assignment (Perhaps in University
or High School). Remember how important everyone said first drafts were? If you
are anything like me, despite that advice you would still submit an assignment
after just one writing session.
On that odd occasion you actually took the time to write a draft, seek feedback
and re-write a better version of the assignment I guarantee you achieved better
results. The same goes for blogging. The harsh reality is that great blog posts
aren’t created by sheer luck, they are created using a clear process and
dedication.
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12. SHARE OTHER
CONTENT IN THE POST
If you go beyond writing your own thoughts and share the work of other bloggers
within your post, it adds a level of depth that your readers will value. All of a
sudden they have access to all of these other fantastic resources, and you were
the one to provide them. Another, quite deliberate, reason for including the
content of other influential people in your industry is a key reason you can
skyrocket social shares.
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13. PHASE 3
PROMOTING YOUR BLOG

14. CONNECT WITH
INFLUENCERS BEFORE
If you write a post, mention a bunch of other bloggers in that post and then spam
them asking for a re-tweet or share it’s unlikely you will get much traction. Build a
community by engaging on social media, and creating a genuine relationship with
people. Share their content first, comment on their blog, review their book… And
let them know about it! Once you’ve done that, maybe they’ll share your content.
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YOU POST

15. SCHEDULE SOCIAL SHARES
FOLLOWING THE POST
Use a tool such as Buffer or Hootsuite to schedule promotional content over the
week following your blog being published. I find a great approach to this is to
change the commentary you pair with the link, take some key points from the blog
and use them instead of the headline. Not everyone is looking for the same thing.
As well as Twitter and Facebook, make sure you post on LinkedIn and Google+.
These platforms allow for a much more targeted approach to promotion by posting
in ‘Groups’ on LinkedIn or ‘Communities’ as they are called on Google+. People are
already scanning these pages for valuable content they can share, arm them with
yours.
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16. SCHEDULE SOCIAL MEDIA
This is where you capitalize on sharing other people’s content in your post. Reach
out to thought leaders in your niche using their @handle on Twitter or +1 them
on Google+ thanking them for their great content and letting them know you
shared there’s.
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REACH OUTS

17. EMAIL YOUR NETWORK
E-mail marketing is a fantastic way to encourage social media shares of your best
content, but be careful not to over-promote. If someone has signed up to your e-mail
list it is because they think it will add value to their day, solve a problem they
face or help them do their job better than they do currently. My suggestion would
be to focus a minimum of 80% of your e-mail (make this the top half) on
improving your readers day. We do this in our newsletter by collating the top
blogging content we’ve found across the web, with easy-to-share links. By doing
this the reader really feels like you are there to help THEM, therefore when you
ask them to share your content they are willing to lend a hand.
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18. PHASE 4
RE-PURPOSE YOUR CONTENT

19. RE-PURPOSE YOUR
Re-purposing your content is an important part of the process, and many people
miss this opportunity. If you’ve put hours of effort into creating a great blog post
then why not get every last bit of value out of it.
Here are a couple of ways you can re-purpose your blog post;
• Mention it in future blog posts, or e-mail campaigns
• Create a template or E-Book
• Create something visual. Such as a presentation, infographic or video
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BLOG POST

20. HOW TO PROMOTE A
BLOG POST
bloggersidekick.com
Created by @BloggerSidekick