Darren Rowse is a professional blogger. He’s such a pro, the name of his blog is ProBlogger.com. How’s that for a calling card?
Darren’s one of the few blogging tip experts that I allow into my info stream. He’s realistic, practical and his posts usually never mention the words “SEO optimization” or “marketing genius.” I appreciate that. Nothing will make me hit the “close tab” button faster than someone who proclaims they’re an expert in SEO, social media or internet marketing. Ugh.
Bottom line, when Rowse speaks I usually listen. You should to. So imagine my surprise when he said that great content, a staple in any effective blog, will only get you so far.
Rowse states, in a nutshell, that great content is only great if people are actually reading it. It’s kind of like the tree-falling-in-the-woods question: “If a blogger posts great content but no one is around to read it, is it still considered great?” Rowse’s answer is no. I agree with him.
From ProBlogger.com:
Letting your content market itself DOES work IF you already have an audience to help with that process by spreading word of it through word of mouth – but if you’re just starting out and don’t yet have a readership the reality is that YOU are the only person who knows your great content exists.
Word of mouth can still play a part in your finding of readers – but as YOU are the only person that knows about your great content YOU need to be the one who starts the process and starts the process of getting the word out.
It’s time to hustle and get word out about your content.
I know that I believed the myth of great content doing all the work for me. But the bottom line is that you actually need to let people know that you’ve got some kickin’ stuff brewin’ in your boiler! I utilize a bunch of different tools to “seed” content as Rowse suggests:
- Twitter is the butter and bread of this blog.
- Facebook “Networked Blogs” application automatically feeds posts to my profile.
- Su.pr creates a powerful name brand URL-shortener that is absolutely free.
- Twitterfeed.com supplies the “Repost” function that gives later readers a chance to check out posts on Twitter.
These are some of the tricks we use to “seed” content around here. The key, as Rowse states, is to be subtle about it. You want to let people know what you’re up to, but you also don’t want to irritate them to the point where they won’t read just to spite you!
Do you agree with Rowse? What tricks and tips do you have for “seeding” your content? What sites that you enjoy do this well?
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Contributor: Justin Wise
A religious deviant who enjoys coffee, collared shirts, spending time with his wife and son, learning about quantum physics and creatively exploring the riches of the Spirit of Christ. Culture + Faith + Technology. Contact the author-
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