The other day, I got this message: “Hello Paul. I decided to start a gardening blog. But I really don’t know where to start to make myself known. Article ? Instagram? Facebook ? LinkedIn? all ? There are so many options! How to do ? ,
This is a big problem that many bloggers go through. Actually, when you start, you want to create accounts on all social networks.
And it’s normal: we were always told that we should be everywhere,
The problem is that we don’t necessarily Comfortable everywhere.
And if we are… it takes time!
So you have to solve this monstrous dilemma: be present everywhere (but less well, or by working 24 hours a day), or only in certain places (but without respecting the great instructions that were always given to us. Huh)?
Which communication and promotional strategy should be created?
That’s what we’re going to see today.
Always prioritize quality in your content creation
Your goal with your content creation is to attract prospects to your proposal. You have to show them that you have the real experience/skills to best support them.
So the best way to produce quality content is because:
- This will really help your prospects who will be more inclined to take a credit card later – we call it reciprocity which Robert Cialdini talks about in his famous book (you will find it at the bottom of this article)
- It will be more easily shared on social networks and will promote itself.
The qualitative approach is something I’ve (almost always) attempted to do. And besides, it is this material every time that remains the best in the long run and brings me worthy prospects, not tourists.
For example, my first video that did a great job on the workings of a hypersensitive brain quickly went viral because (1) it met the real need of my audience and (2) it provided quality information to fulfill it. gives.
Like everyone else (Beyoncé, Your Baker, and Elon Musk included), you only have 24 hours in a day. However, creating quality content takes time. So you have to choose.
Now the question is whether how to choose, There’s no exact answer, but here are a few things to guide you.
Bet on your profits to choose a social network
Each platform has its own format: image, story, text, video, etc. You can’t be good everywhere. In addition, you must necessarily have a format that you like / matches more. This is where you have to start.
Also think about the format you enjoy and consume. You are starting a marathon, not a sprint. We have to hold on to the length, so that you too can go there with pleasure.
For example, if you’re not comfortable doing stories, don’t even try Instagram. You will quickly become frustrated and not take full advantage of your skills.
When I started on my Connect the Dots blog, I knew I loved building websites and expressing myself in writing. So the “blog” format came naturally and that’s how I started.
On the contrary, I am not a fan of social networks and this was quickly realized. I haven’t been able to stay on my Facebook page (which has been inactive for +1 year) or my Instagram account (which has since been deleted). I forced myself to do something I didn’t like, and wasted my time on what I liked: blogs (and later videos).
In short, don’t try to be nice everywhere. Instead, aim for excellence in one place.
Or if you prefer animal analogies: It’s better to be the king-fish of a small pond than an average fish in the ocean.
Think of the Snowball Effect to Promote Your Blog
When you choose the platform to use, keep in mind that some will require you to time regularly, and others just to launch the machine initially.
This is related to the lifespan of the various content that you will be posting there. Here is the average age of posts across different platforms:
Imagine you start on a blog and keep a pace of 1 article/week. You will have 52 articles in a year. These 52 items will add value to each other. You will have 52 gateways to Google. Your site will gradually be seen as a great resource and you will be better and better referenced.
In fact, you are slowly building your palace. Each stone adds value to all the others.
Blogs, Youtube and Pinterest allow this leverage effect. This is not the case with other social networks.
After 24 hours (max), you become invisible again and have to start your acquisition again.
When I realized this, I only focused on Youtube, Blog and Pinterest for CTD. And I can guarantee you that it works.
I haven’t posted anything on Pinterest for over 1 year, but my old pins regularly get picked up by others and automatically spread.
I haven’t posted anything on Youtube since 4 months but my channel keeps growing automatically because my old videos are always recommended.
Exactly the same for that blog in which there is no new article for 6 months. Yet Google’s views and rankings are increasing every day.
In short, I worked a lot initially focusing on these 3 platforms. But today, thanks to the snowball effect, the blog runs on its own and continues to grow without asking me to create new content. This gives me a lot of time for other projects like business beckons.
Be unique in your editorial calendar
Set yourself apart from your competition.
This could be by moving to another platform (if all your competitors are on Instagram, don’t go there), or some other format (everyone doing infographics? Do interviews!).
Once again, you have to provide quality (see #1) and a variety of content to remember.
When I got into the HPI community, most of the material was putty, very light, and viewed from the outside (by “non-HPI”). I set myself apart by doing scientific popularization to bring back my experience. The view allowed me to be quickly recommended by many psychologists and retain my first readers.
what do you have to do now
In short, there is no miracle solution to opt for social network and promote your blog. At least, there is no one perfect solution that applies to everyone. So it is up to you to apply and test what we have seen in this article.
Don’t forget one thing: Social networks should help promote your blog. But they are not the ones who will bring you money. For this you need to create a separate monetization strategy.
To help you out, I’ve created a guide that explains the 3 main ways to monetize a blog and how to set them up step by step.
I want to reach the guide.
And if not, feel free to leave a comment. I would be happy to answer you.