{"id":4815,"date":"2022-05-09T12:20:03","date_gmt":"2022-05-09T12:20:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/05\/09\/how-to-promote-your-blog-21-new-strategies\/"},"modified":"2022-05-09T12:20:03","modified_gmt":"2022-05-09T12:20:03","slug":"how-to-promote-your-blog-21-new-strategies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/05\/09\/how-to-promote-your-blog-21-new-strategies\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Promote Your Blog: 21 NEW Strategies"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In today\u2019s post, I\u2019m going to show you exactly how to promote your blog.<\/p>\n<p>In fact:<\/p>\n<p>These are the same strategies that I used to grow my blog to 449,058 monthly visitors:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Backlinko \u2013 Users \u2013 September 2021\" alt=\"Backlinko \u2013 Users \u2013 September 2021\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.465\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/10\/backlinko-users-september-2021.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>Let\u2019s dive right in.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/#guest-post-bonuses\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">1. Guest Post Bonuses<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/#publish-data-driven-content\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2. Publish Data-Driven Content<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/#update-and-upgrade-old-content\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">3. Update and Upgrade Old Content<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/#linkedin-syndication\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">4. LinkedIn Syndication<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/#facebook-boosted-posts-with-retargeting\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">5. Facebook Boosted Posts (With Retargeting)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/#the-super-simple-newsletter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">6. The Super Simple Newsletter<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/#cross-pollinate-your-audience\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">7. Cross-Pollinate Your Audience<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/#collab-with-other-blogs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">8. Collab With Other Blogs<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/#super-personalized-outreach\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">9. Super Personalized Outreach<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/#eye-catching-social-media-images\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">10. Eye-Catching Social Media Images<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/#turn-blog-content-into-youtube-videos\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">11. Turn Blog Content Into YouTube Videos<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/#reply-to-every-single-comment\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">12. Reply to Every Single Comment<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/#write-blog-posts-on-new-topics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">13. Write Blog Posts on NEW Topics<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/#podcast-bonuses\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">14. Podcast Bonuses<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/#speak-at-events\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">15. Speak at Events<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/#publish-posts-at-the-right-time\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">16. Publish Posts at The Right Time<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/#leave-super-helpful-comments-on-other-blogs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">17. Leave Super Helpful Comments on Other Blogs<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/#create-a-blog-alliance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">18. Create a Blog Alliance<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/#reader-case-studies\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">19. Reader Case Studies<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/#create-cool-visuals-charts-and-images\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">20. Create Cool Visuals, Charts, and Images<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/#double-down-on-list-posts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">21. Double Down On List Posts<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/#start-list-posts-with-your-most-unique-tip\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bonus #1: Start List Posts With Your Most Unique Tip<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/#add-tweetable-quotes-to-your-content\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bonus #2: Add Tweetable Quotes To Your Content<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_81 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/05\/09\/how-to-promote-your-blog-21-new-strategies\/#1_Guest_Post_Bonuses\" >1. Guest Post Bonuses<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/05\/09\/how-to-promote-your-blog-21-new-strategies\/#2_Publish_Data-Driven_Content\" >2. Publish Data-Driven Content<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/05\/09\/how-to-promote-your-blog-21-new-strategies\/#3_Update_and_Upgrade_Old_Content\" >3. Update and Upgrade Old Content<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/05\/09\/how-to-promote-your-blog-21-new-strategies\/#4_LinkedIn_Syndication\" >4. LinkedIn Syndication<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/05\/09\/how-to-promote-your-blog-21-new-strategies\/#5_Facebook_Boosted_Posts_With_Retargeting\" >5. Facebook Boosted Posts (With Retargeting)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/05\/09\/how-to-promote-your-blog-21-new-strategies\/#6_The_Super_Simple_Newsletter\" >6. The Super Simple Newsletter<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/05\/09\/how-to-promote-your-blog-21-new-strategies\/#7_Cross-Pollinate_Your_Audience\" >7. Cross-Pollinate Your Audience<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/05\/09\/how-to-promote-your-blog-21-new-strategies\/#8_Collab_With_Other_Blogs\" >8. Collab With Other Blogs<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/05\/09\/how-to-promote-your-blog-21-new-strategies\/#9_Super_Personalized_Outreach\" >9. Super Personalized Outreach<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/05\/09\/how-to-promote-your-blog-21-new-strategies\/#10_Eye-Catching_Social_Media_Images\" >10. Eye-Catching Social Media Images<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/05\/09\/how-to-promote-your-blog-21-new-strategies\/#11_Turn_Blog_Content_Into_YouTube_Videos\" >11. Turn Blog Content Into YouTube Videos<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/05\/09\/how-to-promote-your-blog-21-new-strategies\/#12_Reply_to_Every_Single_Comment\" >12. Reply to Every Single Comment<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/05\/09\/how-to-promote-your-blog-21-new-strategies\/#13_Write_Blog_Posts_on_NEW_Topics\" >13. Write Blog Posts on NEW Topics<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/05\/09\/how-to-promote-your-blog-21-new-strategies\/#14_Podcast_Bonuses\" >14. Podcast Bonuses<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/05\/09\/how-to-promote-your-blog-21-new-strategies\/#15_Speak_at_Events\" >15. Speak at Events<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/05\/09\/how-to-promote-your-blog-21-new-strategies\/#16_Publish_Posts_at_The_Right_Time\" >16. Publish Posts at The Right Time<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/05\/09\/how-to-promote-your-blog-21-new-strategies\/#17_Leave_Super_Helpful_Comments_on_Other_Blogs\" >17. Leave Super Helpful Comments on Other Blogs<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/05\/09\/how-to-promote-your-blog-21-new-strategies\/#18_Create_a_Blog_Alliance\" >18. Create a Blog Alliance<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-19\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/05\/09\/how-to-promote-your-blog-21-new-strategies\/#19_Reader_Case_Studies\" >19. Reader Case Studies<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-20\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/05\/09\/how-to-promote-your-blog-21-new-strategies\/#20_Create_Cool_Visuals_Charts_and_Images\" >20. Create Cool Visuals, Charts, and Images<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-21\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/05\/09\/how-to-promote-your-blog-21-new-strategies\/#21_Double_Down_On_List_Posts\" >21. Double Down On List Posts<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-22\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/05\/09\/how-to-promote-your-blog-21-new-strategies\/#Bonus_1_Start_List_Posts_With_Your_Most_Unique_Tip\" >Bonus #1: Start List Posts With Your Most Unique Tip<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-23\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/05\/09\/how-to-promote-your-blog-21-new-strategies\/#Bonus_2_Add_Tweetable_Quotes_To_Your_Content\" >Bonus #2: Add Tweetable Quotes To Your Content<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"text-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Guest_Post_Bonuses\"><\/span>1. Guest Post Bonuses<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If you\u2019re just starting out, <a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/the-definitive-guide-to-guest-blogging\" title=\"Guest Blogging\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">guest posting<\/a> is a GREAT way to grow your blog.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s only one problem:<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s REALLY hard to get people <span class=\"strong\">from<\/span> your guest post <span class=\"strong\">to<\/span> your website.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, <a href=\"https:\/\/bloggerjet.com\/guest-post\/\" title=\"Guest post study\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">one industry study<\/a> found that the average guest post brings in only 50 visitors.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__visual-chart backlinko-image\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Average referral traffic from a guest article\" alt=\"Average referral traffic from a guest article\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.80857142857143\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/06\/average-referral-traffic-from-a-guest-article.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>The solution?<\/p>\n<p class=\"strong\">Guest Post Bonuses.<\/p>\n<p>With a Guest Post Bonus, you don\u2019t just toss in a link at the bottom of your post.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Guest post bonus offer\" alt=\"Guest post bonus offer\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.325\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/guest-post-bonus-offer.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>Instead, you offer people something that makes them WANT to visit your website.<\/p>\n<p>For example, a while back I published this guest post on The Buffer blog.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Buffer blog feature\" alt=\"Buffer blog feature\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.74833333333333\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/buffer-blog-feature.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>Yes, I had an author bio link.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Buffer guest post \u2013 Author link\" alt=\"Buffer guest post \u2013 Author link\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.70666666666667\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/05\/buffer-guest-post-author-link.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>But I also created a Guest Post Bonus just for readers of my guest post.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Buffer guest post bonus\" alt=\"Buffer guest post bonus\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.77833333333333\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/buffer-guest-post-bonus.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>And that single guest post brought in 471 visitors in the first month:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Single guest post traffic\" alt=\"Single guest post traffic\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.59666666666667\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/single-guest-post-traffic.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>And lots of those new visitors signed up for my newsletter.<\/p>\n<p>Nice.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"text-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Publish_Data-Driven_Content\"><\/span>2. Publish Data-Driven Content<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Data-driven content is BLOWING UP right now.<\/p>\n<p>And for a good reason:<\/p>\n<p>Content with data is a great way for your blog to stand out.<\/p>\n<p>For example, a few years ago we published this massive <a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/search-engine-ranking\" title=\"Search Engine Ranking\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">search engine ranking factors study<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Backlinko \u2013 Search engine ranking\" alt=\"Backlinko \u2013 Search engine ranking\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.84166666666667\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2020\/12\/backlinko-search-engine-ranking-2021.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>Overall, that post led to thousands of shares on social media.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Post shares on Twitter\" alt=\"Post shares on Twitter\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.7033333333333\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/post-shares-on-twitter.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>And a ton of <a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/backlinks-guide\" title=\"Backlinks Guide\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">backlinks<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Ahrefs \u2013 Search engine ranking \u2013 Backlinks\" alt=\"Ahrefs \u2013 Search engine ranking \u2013 Backlinks\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.4\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/10\/ahrefs-search-engine-ranking-backlinks.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>The only problem was:<\/p>\n<p>This study was insanely hard (and expensive) to pull off.<\/p>\n<p>There were servers. Crawlers. Data partners. Bugs. Problems. Millions of data points. And lots more.<\/p>\n<p>Yes, data-driven content takes more work than a list post.<\/p>\n<p>But it doesn\u2019t have to be THIS hard.<\/p>\n<p>For example, after the search engine ranking factors study, we published <a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/voice-search-seo-study\" title=\"Voice Search SEO Study\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this study on voice search<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Backlinko \u2013 Voice search SEO study\" alt=\"Backlinko \u2013 Voice search SEO study\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.87166666666667\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/01\/backlinko-voice-search-seo-study-2021.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>Make no mistake: this took a lot of work.<\/p>\n<p>First, our CTO had to manually ask his Google Home device 10,000 questions.<\/p>\n<p>Then, we transcribed the answers.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, we analyzed the data.<\/p>\n<p>So yeah, it wasn\u2019t easy. But this study was about 20x easier than our big Google study.<\/p>\n<p>And it still did GREAT.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, we got a huge spike in traffic on Day 1.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Day-one traffic spike\" alt=\"Day-one traffic spike\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.30333333333333\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/day-one-traffic-spike.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>And people still link to and cite our study all the time.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Voice search SEO study \u2013 Singlegrain backlink\" alt=\"Voice search SEO study \u2013 Singlegrain backlink\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.61333333333333\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/06\/voice-search-seo-study-singlegrain-backlink.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>All anyone really needed to pull this off was a Google Home device and someone willing to put in the work.<\/p>\n<p>We just happened to be the first to do it.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"text-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Update_and_Upgrade_Old_Content\"><\/span>3. Update and Upgrade Old Content<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>A few years ago, I started a Manhattan Project for the Backlinko blog:<\/p>\n<p class=\"strong\">Update every single post on our site.<\/p>\n<p>It wasn\u2019t easy.<\/p>\n<p>But this mega project helped boost Backlinko\u2019s overall traffic by 25.71% compared to the previous year:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Updating content can help boost traffic\" alt=\"Updating content can help boost traffic\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.45666666666667\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/updating-content-can-help-boost-traffic.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>Now, 25% may not sound like a lot.<\/p>\n<p>But that 25.71% increase = <span class=\"strong\">410,322 more yearly visitors<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>(Which <em>is<\/em> a lot.)<\/p>\n<p>With that, let\u2019s dive into the steps.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"strong\">First<\/span>, go to the last page of your blog feed.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"strong\">Then<\/span>, update and improve each post.<\/p>\n<p>For example, I hadn\u2019t done a big update to this post in YEARS.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Backlinko \u2013 The definitive guide to guest blogging\" alt=\"Backlinko \u2013 The definitive guide to guest blogging\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.79833333333333\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/06\/backlinko-the-definitive-guide-to-guest-blogging-2021.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>Most of the strategies in my post still worked.<\/p>\n<p>But a lot of the content was obsolete.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Obsolete content\" alt=\"Obsolete content\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.525\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/obsolete-content.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>So I went in and overhauled the post.<\/p>\n<p>For example, I replaced old visuals and images.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Replace old visuals and images\" alt=\"Replace old visuals and images\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.1483333333333\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/replace-old-visuals-and-images.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>Removed old strategies:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Remove old strategies\" alt=\"Remove old strategies\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.69\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/remove-old-strategies.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>And overall, made the post MUCH more up-to-date.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"The Definitive Guide to Guest Blogging \u2013 New version\" alt=\"The Definitive Guide to Guest Blogging \u2013 New version\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.81666666666667\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/the-definitive-guide-to-guest-blogging-new-version.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p><span class=\"strong\">Finally<\/span>, I pushed the changes live\u2026 and changed the \u201clast updated\u201d date on the post.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"The Definitive Guide to Guest Blogging \u2013 Last updated\" alt=\"The Definitive Guide to Guest Blogging \u2013 Last updated\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.63166666666667\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/the-definitive-guide-to-guest-blogging-last-updated.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>Which boosted the overall traffic to that page by 22.52%.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Guest blogging guide \u2013 Traffic after update\" alt=\"Guest blogging guide \u2013 Traffic after update\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.43833333333333\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/06\/guest-blogging-guide-traffic-after-update.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>Rinse and repeat for as many posts as you can handle.<\/p>\n<p>Depending on how many posts you have, this can take months (or even years).<\/p>\n<p>In fact, it took me 6 weeks to update all of our content.<\/p>\n<p>But, as you saw, it was totally worth it.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"text-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_LinkedIn_Syndication\"><\/span>4. LinkedIn Syndication<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>LinkedIn now has <a href=\"https:\/\/about.linkedin.com\/\" title=\"LinkedIn user base\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">756 million users<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"LinkedIn users \u2013 2021\" alt=\"LinkedIn users \u2013 2021\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.61636363636364\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/06\/linkedin-users-2021.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>Despite those crazy numbers, I don\u2019t see many people talking about LinkedIn.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s good news for you and me. Because it means LinkedIn is largely untapped.<\/p>\n<p>In fact:<\/p>\n<p>You can get some serious traction on LinkedIn simply by reposting your best stuff there.<\/p>\n<p>For example, a while ago, I reposted <a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/youtube-ranking-factors\" title=\"YouTube Ranking Factors\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this post<\/a> on LinkedIn.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"LinkedIn article share\" alt=\"LinkedIn article share\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.80666666666667\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/linkedin-article-share.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>I literally copied the exact post word-for-word.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"LinkedIn article\" alt=\"LinkedIn article\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.0133333333333\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/linkedin-article.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>And despite being an old post, it got 3,800+ views.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Old post article views\" alt=\"Old post article views\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.514\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/old-post-article-views.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>This works because NO ONE is posting anything interesting on LinkedIn.<\/p>\n<p>So when you publish something cool, you can instantly stand out.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"text-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_Facebook_Boosted_Posts_With_Retargeting\"><\/span>5. Facebook Boosted Posts (With Retargeting)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>It\u2019s no secret that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/tjmccue\/2018\/08\/16\/buffer-analyzes-43-million-facebook-posts-facebook-engagement-declines-50-percent\/#2b6d1ccc3d4c\" title=\"Facebook organic reach is basically 0%\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Facebook organic reach is basically 0%<\/a> for most pages right now.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Forbes Facebook article\" alt=\"Forbes Facebook article\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.72333333333333\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/forbes-facebook-article.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>This means that you NEED to boost your posts if you want them to get seen.<\/p>\n<p>That said:<\/p>\n<p>CPCs on Facebook are getting super expensive.<\/p>\n<p>(Especially if you\u2019re in a B2B space like I am.)<\/p>\n<p>Fortunately, you can decrease your CPC by 25-75% with retargeting.<\/p>\n<p>For example, I posted this on the Backlinko Facebook page a while ago:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"BuzzSumo Facebook post\" alt=\"BuzzSumo Facebook post\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.108\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/buzzsumo-facebook-post.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>And I decided to use some fancy targeting options.<\/p>\n<p>Which ended up costing $2.60 CPC per click.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Facebook Ads \u2013 High cost per click\" alt=\"Facebook Ads \u2013 High cost per click\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.21\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/facebook-ads-high-cost-per-click.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>Not crazy. But not a great ROI either.<\/p>\n<p>So a few months later when I boosted <a title=\"SEO Techniques\" href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/seo-techniques\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this post<\/a>, I decided to only boost it to people that visited Backlinko in the last 60 days.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"SEO Techniques Facebook post\" alt=\"SEO Techniques Facebook post\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.108\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/seo-techniques-facebook-post.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>And because I targeted people that I KNOW would be interested in our content, our CPC was only .67 cents a pop:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Facebook Ads low cost per click\" alt=\"Facebook Ads low cost per click\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.3\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/facebook-ads-low-cost-per-click.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"text-center mt-2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"6_The_Super_Simple_Newsletter\"><\/span>6. The Super Simple Newsletter<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>One of the first lessons I learned with Backlinko was:<\/p>\n<p>Newsletters are a GREAT way to promote new posts.<\/p>\n<p>Over the years, I\u2019ve tested 25+ different formats and layouts for our email newsletters.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Email newsletter formats and layouts\" alt=\"Email newsletter formats and layouts\" data-aspect-ratio=\"2.8266666666667\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/email-newsletter-formats-and-layouts.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>And all that testing had led to one big takeaway:<\/p>\n<p class=\"strong\">Super Simple Newsletters work best.<\/p>\n<p>For example, here\u2019s a newsletter we sent out to the Backlinko community about a new post:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Backlinko newsletter about new post\" alt=\"Backlinko newsletter about new post\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.71666666666667\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/backlinko-newsletter-about-new-post.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>No fancy graphics.<\/p>\n<p>No long intro.<\/p>\n<p>No images.<\/p>\n<p>Just a quick intro and a link to the post.<\/p>\n<p>And because our newsletters focus on the main message (that we just published a new post), our CTRs are 2-3x higher than the industry average for a list of our size.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Newsletter high click through rate\" alt=\"Newsletter high click through rate\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.53166666666667\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/newsletter-high-click-through-rate.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"text-center mt-2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"7_Cross-Pollinate_Your_Audience\"><\/span>7. Cross-Pollinate Your Audience<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>As you may know, I don\u2019t post very much on Twitter.<\/p>\n<p>(In fact, I average around 1-2 tweets per week.)<\/p>\n<p>And despite that, I have over 117k Twitter followers.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Backlinko Twitter followers\" alt=\"Backlinko Twitter followers\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.61833333333333\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/06\/backlinko-twitter-followers.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>My secret?<\/p>\n<p>I ask new email subscribers to follow me on Twitter.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Backlinko \u2013 Thanks page\" alt=\"Backlinko \u2013 Thanks page\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.86666666666667\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/06\/backlinko-thanks-page.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>In fact, I\u2019ve had that CTA in place since 2013.<\/p>\n<p>And that simple button has led to over 20k Twitter followers.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"text-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"8_Collab_With_Other_Blogs\"><\/span>8. Collab With Other Blogs<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Over the last few years, I\u2019ve worked with other blogs on infographics.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Collaborate with other blogs on infographics\" alt=\"Collaborate with other blogs on infographics\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.2383333333333\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/collaborate-with-other-blogs-on-infographics.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>Industry studies:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Backlinko \u2013 Content study\" alt=\"Backlinko \u2013 Content study\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.94333333333333\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2020\/12\/backlinko-content-study.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>And case studies for the blog.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Case study for the blog\" alt=\"Case study for the blog\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.81666666666667\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/case-study-for-the-blog.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>For example, some time ago, I teamed up with <a href=\"https:\/\/pitchbox.com\/\" title=\"Pitchbox\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Pitchbox<\/a> for <a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/email-outreach-study\" title=\"Email Outreach Study\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this industry study<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Backlinko \u2013 Email outreach study\" alt=\"Backlinko \u2013 Email outreach study\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.83166666666667\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2020\/12\/backlinko-email-outreach-study-2021.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>This collab was a win-win.<\/p>\n<p>I got awesome data that I could use for a data-driven post.<\/p>\n<p>And they got their product (and revamped blog) in front of thousands of people.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"text-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"9_Super_Personalized_Outreach\"><\/span>9. Super Personalized Outreach<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Have you ever received a generic outreach email like this?<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Generic outreach email\" alt=\"Generic outreach email\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.19\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/generic-outreach-email.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>You\u2019re not alone.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.orbitmedia.com\/blog\/blogging-statistics\/\" title=\"More and more people are using blogger outreach to promote their content\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">More and more people<\/a> are using <a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/blogger-outreach\" title=\"Blogger Outreach\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">blogger outreach<\/a> to promote their content.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__visual-chart backlinko-image\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Bloggers who report strong results based on type of promotion\" alt=\"Bloggers who report strong results based on type of promotion\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.74857142857143\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/06\/bloggers-who-report-strong-results-based-on-type-of-promotion.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>And as you\u2019ve probably noticed, <span class=\"strong\">they\u2019re doing it all wrong<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>Specifically, they blast out the same exact pitch to hundreds of people.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s the bad news.<\/p>\n<p>The good news is that you can EASILY stand out.<\/p>\n<p>How? Personalize every outreach email that you send.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, the outreach study I mentioned earlier found that personalized messages got 32% more replies than those that used the same exact template.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__visual-chart backlinko-image\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Personalized messages can significantly improve response rates\" alt=\"Personalized messages can significantly improve response rates\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.48857142857143\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/06\/personalized-messages-can-significantly-improve-response-rates.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>For example, I found this broken link:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Broken link example\" alt=\"Broken link example\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.76666666666667\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/broken-link-example.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>And realized that we had a guide that would make a PERFECT replacement.<\/p>\n<p>So I sent out this personalized message:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Outreach email\" alt=\"Outreach email\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.94833333333333\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/outreach-email.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>And because I didn\u2019t use a lame template or beg for a link, they happily added my link to their post.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Outreach email response\" alt=\"Outreach email response\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.57666666666667\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/outreach-email-response.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"text-center mt-2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"10_Eye-Catching_Social_Media_Images\"><\/span>10. Eye-Catching Social Media Images<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>From A LOT of testing, I can tell you that your social image makes a huge difference.<\/p>\n<p>For example, we used to slap our social media images together at the last minute. Or use a random image from the post.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Last-minute social post image\" alt=\"Last-minute social post image\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.754\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/last-minute-social-post-image.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>Today, we create social media images designed to stand out on someone\u2019s Twitter or Facebook feed.<\/p>\n<p>For example, when we publish something with data, we feature a compelling chart:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Compelling chart\" alt=\"Compelling chart\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.418\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/compelling-chart.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>(And we resize the chart so it\u2019s optimized for Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn image dimensions.)<\/p>\n<p>And if we\u2019re publishing a list post or step-by-step guide, we have our designer create something that will stand out.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Custom image for tweet\" alt=\"Custom image for tweet\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.29\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/05\/custom-image-for-tweet.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>This kind of thing takes a little bit of extra effort.<\/p>\n<p>But in my experience, the <a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/increase-website-traffic\" title=\"Increase Website Traffic\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">increase in traffic<\/a> that you get makes it totally worthwhile.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"text-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"11_Turn_Blog_Content_Into_YouTube_Videos\"><\/span>11. Turn Blog Content Into YouTube Videos<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>I used to start every YouTube video from scratch.<\/p>\n<p>And it took FOREVER.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, I used to spend 10 hours on a single 15-minute video.<\/p>\n<p>(And I\u2019d estimate that I spent 70% of that time on the video script.)<\/p>\n<p>Today, I base my videos on existing content from blog posts, newsletters and keynote speeches.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__visual-chart backlinko-image\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"YouTube video content based on existing content\" alt=\"YouTube video content based on existing content\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.77142857142857\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/06\/youtube-video-content-based-on-existing-content.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>And it makes this process MUCH easier.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"strong\">Note:<\/span> I\u2019m not straight-up recycling a blog post into a video. That\u2019s lame. Instead, I\u2019m using bits and pieces of high-quality content as the basis of my script.<\/p>\n<p>For example, this video from my channel is a mishmash of content from one of my ebooks, a newsletter, several different blog posts\u2026 plus some new stuff.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-embed-youtube embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9\"><\/div>\n<p>And because the video isn\u2019t just a rehash of an old blog post, it racked up 148,168 views.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"How to rank in Google \u2013 YouTube video \u2013 Views\" alt=\"How to rank in Google \u2013 YouTube video \u2013 Views\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.835\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/06\/how-to-rank-in-google-youtube-video-views.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"text-center mt-2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"12_Reply_to_Every_Single_Comment\"><\/span>12. Reply to Every Single Comment<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>You might have noticed that I get a fair amount of comments on every post.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Fair amount of comments on every post\" alt=\"Fair amount of comments on every post\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.76833333333333\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/fair-amount-of-comments-on-every-post.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>What\u2019s my secret?<\/p>\n<p>First, I ONLY publish world-class content.<\/p>\n<p>(In other words, content that\u2019s worth commenting on.)<\/p>\n<p>Second, I reply to pretty much every comment that someone leaves\u2026 especially in the first 48 hours after a post goes live.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, according to our WordPress data, we have 29,142 comments on the blog.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Total comments on blog\" alt=\"Total comments on blog\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.715\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/total-comments-on-blog.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>And about 40% of those comments are me replying to comments from Backlinko readers.<\/p>\n<p>So that means that I\u2019ve replied to <span class=\"strong\">11,656 comments<\/span> so far.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s kind of insane. And replying to 11,656 comments takes time and effort.<\/p>\n<p>But these replies show that I care about the people that take the time to leave comments. Even if it\u2019s just a simple \u201cThank you\u201d.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Simple comment reply\" alt=\"Simple comment reply\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.802\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/simple-comment-reply.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>It also gives me a chance to answer questions that people have.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Answer a question via a comment\" alt=\"Answer a question via a comment\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.028\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/answer-a-question-via-a-comment.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>And at the end of the day, replying to comments is one of the main reasons that we\u2019ve been able to build such an active community here on the Backlinko blog.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"text-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"13_Write_Blog_Posts_on_NEW_Topics\"><\/span>13. Write Blog Posts on NEW Topics<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Does your niche have a bunch of entrenched competitors?<\/p>\n<p>Trust me, I\u2019ve been there.<\/p>\n<p>When I first launched the Backlinko blog I was diving headfirst into the brutally competitive marketing space.<\/p>\n<p>And I was a one-man show going up against HUGE competitors with dozens of employees.<\/p>\n<p>So:<\/p>\n<p>How did I stand out and get traction?<\/p>\n<p>I published content on NEW topics that my competitors weren\u2019t covering.<\/p>\n<p>For example, one of the first posts I published on the blog was about <a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/how-to-rank-youtube-videos\" title=\"YouTube SEO\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">YouTube SEO<\/a>:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"How to Rank YouTube Videos post\" alt=\"How to Rank YouTube Videos post\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.665\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/how-to-rank-youtube-videos-post-2.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>And another early post was about <a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/list-building\" title=\"List Building\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">building an email list<\/a>:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"List Building post\" alt=\"List Building post\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.60833333333333\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/list-building-post-2.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>These were two topics that my competitors weren\u2019t writing about. Which helped my content stand out.<\/p>\n<p>This is a strategy that I still follow to this day.<\/p>\n<p>Some time ago, I published <a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/google-rankbrain-seo\" title=\"Google RankBrain SEO\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this in-depth guide to Google RankBrain<\/a>:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Backlinko \u2013 Google RankBrain SEO guide\" alt=\"Backlinko \u2013 Google RankBrain SEO guide\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.68666666666667\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2020\/12\/backlinko-google-rankbrain-seo-guide-1.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>And because I was so early, this post didn\u2019t blend in with the 100 other posts about RankBrain.<\/p>\n<p>(Because there weren\u2019t any.)<\/p>\n<p>Which helped my content really stand out:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Content that stands out\" alt=\"Content that stands out\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.33\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/content-that-stands-out.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"text-center mt-2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"14_Podcast_Bonuses\"><\/span>14. Podcast Bonuses<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>This is like the Guest Post Bonus strategy I talked about earlier.<\/p>\n<p>But instead of creating a bonus for each guest post\u2026<\/p>\n<p>\u2026you create a set of bonuses for each podcast you go on as a guest.<\/p>\n<p>For example, when I went on Pat Flynn\u2019s podcast, I created this bonus section for his listeners:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Backlinko \u2013 Pat bonus section\" alt=\"Backlinko \u2013 Pat bonus section\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.99\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/06\/backlinko-pat-bonus-section.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>And at the end of the podcast, I specifically mentioned this bonus section.<\/p>\n<p>Which led to an influx of traffic\u2026<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Influx of traffic\" alt=\"Influx of traffic\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.27833333333333\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/influx-of-traffic.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>\u2026and more importantly, email subscribers.<\/p>\n<p>With that, here\u2019s the exact process.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"strong\">First<\/span>, create something that listeners of that podcast would want.<\/p>\n<p>Ideally, your bonuses should complement what you\u2019re going to talk about on the podcast.<\/p>\n<p>For example, before I went on Pat\u2019s podcast, I created a bonus section.<\/p>\n<p>This bonus section contained:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A quick case study<\/li>\n<li>An on-page SEO checklist<\/li>\n<li>And a swipe file of 25 high-quality link building videos and posts<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span class=\"strong\">Second<\/span>, run it by the podcast host. Because you\u2019re offering something super valuable to their audience, most won\u2019t have a problem with it. But it never hurts to check in beforehand.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"strong\">Finally<\/span>, host the bonus section landing page on a URL that\u2019s easy to remember and type.<\/p>\n<p>For example, for my Pat Flynn podcast appearance, I made the URL: backlinko.com\/pat.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Easy-to-remember URL\" alt=\"Easy-to-remember URL\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.54166666666667\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/easy-to-remember-url.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>Then you just have to set up your <a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/email-marketing-guide\" title=\"Email Marketing Guide\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">email marketing<\/a> platform to deliver the bonuses after they sign up.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s all there is to it.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"text-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"15_Speak_at_Events\"><\/span>15. Speak at Events<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Speaking at conferences is a GREAT way to promote your blog.<\/p>\n<p>But not for the reason you might think.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ll explain\u2026<\/p>\n<p>When I first launched Backlinko, I spoke at as many conferences as I could.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Brian speaking at conferences\" alt=\"Brian speaking at conferences\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.64\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/brian-speaking-at-conferences.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>In fact, I spoke at events in:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Dublin<\/li>\n<li>Boston<\/li>\n<li>Austin<\/li>\n<li>Istanbul<\/li>\n<li>Romania<\/li>\n<li>Berlin<\/li>\n<li>And lots more cities and countries<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Did getting on stage in front of 300 people skyrocket my blog\u2019s growth?<\/p>\n<p>Probably not.<\/p>\n<p>So how did these conferences help me?<\/p>\n<p class=\"strong\">Because I got to meet other speakers.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Meet the speakers\" alt=\"Meet the speakers\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.68166666666667\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/meet-the-speakers.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>(Speakers that are leaders in the SEO and marketing space.)<\/p>\n<p>In fact, speaking at these events helped me create partnerships, mastermind groups, and friendships with really smart people.<\/p>\n<p>It even gave me a chance to make an early angel investment in a startup.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Brian Dean early angel investment\" alt=\"Brian Dean early angel investment\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.71833333333333\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/brian-dean-early-angel-investment.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>And this wouldn\u2019t have happened if I randomly sent these folks an email with: \u201cHey, do you want to partner up on something?\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>To be clear:<\/p>\n<p>Now that my blog has traction, I pretty much stopped speaking at events. But that\u2019s another story for another post\u2026<\/p>\n<p>But when I was just starting out, speaking at events was SUPER helpful.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"text-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"16_Publish_Posts_at_The_Right_Time\"><\/span>16. Publish Posts at The Right Time<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>What\u2019s the BEST time to publish a new blog post?<\/p>\n<p>Well, BuzzSumo and I set out to answer this question.<\/p>\n<p>And we found that\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/content-study\" title=\"Content Study\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">there isn\u2019t really a big difference<\/a> between different days of the week.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__visual-chart backlinko-image\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Average social shares by day of week\" alt=\"Average social shares by day of week\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.70285714285714\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/06\/average-social-shares-by-day-of-week.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>That said:<\/p>\n<p>Every little bit helps.<\/p>\n<p>And if you want to get more traffic and social shares from every post, publishing at the right time is KEY.<\/p>\n<p>The thing is, the \u201cbest time\u201d is different for every blog.<\/p>\n<p>For us, we\u2019ve experimented with publishing on Sundays at 12pm, Fridays at 7am, and Mondays at 2pm\u2026<\/p>\n<p>And we eventually figured out that publishing on Tuesdays at 11am works best for us.<\/p>\n<p>But that\u2019s not something any industry study or \u201cbest time to publish a post\u201d article can tell you.<\/p>\n<p>You gotta experiment.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"text-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"17_Leave_Super_Helpful_Comments_on_Other_Blogs\"><\/span>17. Leave Super Helpful Comments on Other Blogs<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>This is something I did A LOT when I was first starting out.<\/p>\n<p>For example, I\u2019d leave comments that added to the discussion:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Comments that add to the discussion\" alt=\"Comments that add to the discussion\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.63333333333333\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/comments-that-add-to-the-discussion.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>Or just supported bloggers that I was rooting for:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Comment to support other bloggers\" alt=\"Comment to support other bloggers\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.9\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/comment-to-support-other-bloggers.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>And this helped me get on people\u2019s radar screens\u2026 without being a pushy jerkface.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, these helpful comments directly led to a handful of guest post and podcast interview invites.<\/p>\n<p>Sweet!<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"text-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"18_Create_a_Blog_Alliance\"><\/span>18. Create a Blog Alliance<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>A \u201cBlog Alliance\u201d is where you make friends with other bloggers.<\/p>\n<p>(And \u201cBlog Alliance\u201d sounds a lot cooler than \u201cmake friends\u201d. So I went with that. \ud83d\ude42 )<\/p>\n<p>For example, in the early days of Backlinko, I\u2019d go on weekly calls with <a href=\"https:\/\/growthtools.com\/\" title=\"Bryan Harris\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bryan Harris<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Call with Bryan Harris\" alt=\"Call with Bryan Harris\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.625\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/call-with-bryan-harris.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>And these calls were SUPER helpful.<\/p>\n<p>Sure, it was nice to have someone to talk to about writing, hiring, tools, products, and newsletters.<\/p>\n<p>But we also swapped specific tips and tactics that helped us both grow.<\/p>\n<p>So if there\u2019s another blogger that\u2019s at about the same level as you are, send them a quick message like this:<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-email-script\">\n<p>Hey <span class=\"orange\">[Name]<\/span>,<\/p>\n<p>I love what you\u2019re doing at <span class=\"orange\">[Blog Name]<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>Actually, <span class=\"orange\">[Something They Teach]<\/span> really inspired how I do <span class=\"orange\">[Blogging-Related Thing]<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re game, I\u2019d love to hop on Skype sometime and talk shop.<\/p>\n<p>Thanks,<br \/>\n<span class=\"orange\">[Your Name]<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"text-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"19_Reader_Case_Studies\"><\/span>19. Reader Case Studies<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>I LOVE reader case studies.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, reader case studies were one of the secret weapons I used to grow my blog in record time.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Old case study posts\" alt=\"Old case study posts\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.2\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/old-case-study-posts.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>With that, here\u2019s the step-by-step process.<\/p>\n<p>First, identify a strategy, technique or tip that you want to highlight.<\/p>\n<p>For example, back in the day I wanted to get the word out about <a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/skyscraper-technique\" title=\"The Skyscraper Technique\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Skyscraper Technique<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Backlinko \u2013 Skyscraper technique\" alt=\"Backlinko \u2013 Skyscraper technique\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.88666666666667\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2020\/12\/backlinko-skyscraper-technique-2021.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>Second, find a reader that got results from something you talked about.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, work with your reader on an in-depth case study.<\/p>\n<p>In other words: they send you the details. And you write up what happened.<\/p>\n<p>That way, it\u2019s not a guest post. And the writing is still in your own voice.<\/p>\n<p>For example, I worked with <a href=\"https:\/\/chrisgimmer.com\/\" title=\"Chris Gimmer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Chris Gimmer<\/a> on this Skyscraper Technique case study a few years back:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Viral Marketing Guide\" alt=\"Viral Marketing Guide\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.68333333333333\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/viral-marketing-guide-2.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>And that post did GREAT. It brought in 13,486 visitors in the first month alone.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Viral Marketing traffic\" alt=\"Viral Marketing traffic\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.586\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/viral-marketing-traffic.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>And people shared it on Twitter like crazy:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Viral marketing Twitter shares\" alt=\"Viral marketing Twitter shares\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.662\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/viral-marketing-twitter-shares.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"text-center mt-2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"20_Create_Cool_Visuals_Charts_and_Images\"><\/span>20. Create Cool Visuals, Charts, and Images<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>You might have noticed that I tend to sprinkle in a handful of custom visuals and charts in every post.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Visuals and charts in every post\" alt=\"Visuals and charts in every post\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.8183333333333\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/visuals-and-charts-in-every-post.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>That\u2019s no accident.<\/p>\n<p>I discovered that these custom visuals get shared around (and linked to) without me needing to hustle with outreach.<\/p>\n<p>For example, I asked our designer to create a visual of a page that\u2019s optimized for voice search SEO.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__visual-chart backlinko-image\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"How to optimize for Google Home\" alt=\"How to optimize for Google Home\" data-aspect-ratio=\"2.058\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/how-to-optimize-for-google-home.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>And because this visual helps people understand voice search SEO, lots of other bloggers have used it in their blog posts:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Backlinko visual used in other posts\" alt=\"Backlinko visual used in other posts\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.315\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/06\/backlinko-visual-used-in-other-posts.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p><span class=\"strong\">Bottom line?<\/span> Include 2-3 visuals, charts or mini-infographics in every post. If the post does well, other bloggers will see your visuals. And a small but significant percentage will use your visuals in their content.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"text-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"21_Double_Down_On_List_Posts\"><\/span>21. Double Down On List Posts<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>List posts are a blogging mainstay.<\/p>\n<p>And they\u2019re not going anywhere anytime soon.<\/p>\n<p>Our content study with BuzzSumo found that list posts got more social shares than any other content format:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__visual-chart backlinko-image\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Average social shares by post type\" alt=\"Average social shares by post type\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.63142857142857\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/06\/average-social-shares-by-post-type.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>This makes sense if you think about it\u2026<\/p>\n<p>People love super tactical tips and tactics that they can use right away.<\/p>\n<p>And a list post has a bunch of these tactics on a single page.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, when I analyzed which posts brought in the most traffic, <span class=\"strong\">4 out of the top 10 were list posts<\/span>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Four of the top-ten posts were list posts\" alt=\"Four of the top-ten posts were list posts\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.61833333333333\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/four-of-the-top-ten-posts-were-list-posts.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>This is why I\u2019ve published several list posts (like this one) over the last few years.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Backlinko \u2013 List posts\" alt=\"Backlinko \u2013 List posts\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.6733333333333\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/06\/backlinko-list-posts.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>And I actually have a few more list posts in the works right now.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking of list posts\u2026<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"text-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Bonus_1_Start_List_Posts_With_Your_Most_Unique_Tip\"><\/span>Bonus #1: Start List Posts With Your Most Unique Tip<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Here\u2019s a mistake I see a lot of bloggers make with list posts:<\/p>\n<p class=\"strong\">They put the most important and helpful tip at the top of their list.<\/p>\n<p>Why is this a mistake?<\/p>\n<p>Well, when someone lands on your list post they\u2019re looking <span class=\"strong\">for something new<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>So you need to give them your most unique strategy right off the bat.<\/p>\n<p>So instead of organizing your list posts like this:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__visual-chart backlinko-image\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Normal list post layout\" alt=\"Normal list post layout\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.86428571428571\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/06\/normal-list-post-layout.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>Organize them like this:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__visual-chart backlinko-image\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Ideal list post layout\" alt=\"Ideal list post layout\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.86428571428571\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/06\/ideal-list-post-layout.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>In other words, begin and end your list with strategies that your reader probably hasn\u2019t seen before.<\/p>\n<p>For example:<\/p>\n<p>A few years ago I published <a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/get-youtube-views\" title=\"Get YouTube Views\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this list post on how to get more views on YouTube<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Backlinko \u2013 Get YouTube views\" alt=\"Backlinko \u2013 Get YouTube views\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.83166666666667\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2020\/12\/backlinko-get-youtube-views-2021.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>And my first tip was a new way to create more effective thumbnails.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Use BOGY thumbnails\" alt=\"Use BOGY thumbnails\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.94666666666667\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/use-bogy-thumbnails.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>Of all the things you could possibly do to get more views, is this the most important?<\/p>\n<p>Heck no!<\/p>\n<p>But it IS a strategy that most people haven\u2019t heard of before. Which means they\u2019ll keep reading.<\/p>\n<p>Then, later in my list, I outline strategies that make the biggest difference.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Strategies that make a big difference\" alt=\"Strategies that make a big difference\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.7883333333333\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/strategies-that-make-a-big-difference.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"text-center mt-2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Bonus_2_Add_Tweetable_Quotes_To_Your_Content\"><\/span>Bonus #2: Add Tweetable Quotes To Your Content<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>This is an EASY way to get more people to share your content on Twitter.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s how it works:<\/p>\n<p>First, find a quote from your post that\u2019s worth sharing.<\/p>\n<p>In other words: a Tweetable Quote.<\/p>\n<p>A Tweetable quote is a short, interesting quote that easily fits inside of Twitter\u2019s character limit.<\/p>\n<p>For example, this line in my \u201c8-Step Content Strategy\u201d post was a Tweetable quote.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Tweetable quote\" alt=\"Tweetable quote\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.64\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/tweetable-quote.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>It had a \u201cClick to Tweet This\u201d link underneath the quote.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Click to tweet this\" alt=\"Click to tweet this\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.64\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/10\/click-to-tweet-this.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>(BTW, I made this link using <a href=\"https:\/\/clicktotweet.com\/\" title=\"ClickToTweet.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ClickToTweet.com<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<p>When someone clicked on that link, they got a pre-written tweet with that quote.<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-wistia-embed  remove-click-to-play image-border\">\n<div><\/div>\n<p>                            <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wistia_thumbnail\" src=\"https:\/\/embed-ssl.wistia.com\/deliveries\/5acef3ca8ead4ba00812e5c657cbfd88a337a2bf.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"| Craig Hordlow\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"wistia_embed wistia_async_qic2ideuzz googleAnalytics=false\" data-embed=\"qic2ideuzz\" data-thumb=\"5acef3ca8ead4ba00812e5c657cbfd88a337a2bf\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>That\u2019s all there is to it.<\/p>\n<p>And if your quote hits a nerve, people WILL share it.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__screenshot backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Post quote \u2013 Twitter shares\" alt=\"Post quote \u2013 Twitter shares\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.3366666666667\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2021\/06\/post-quote-twitter-shares.png\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<p>(Including lots of people that wouldn\u2019t have otherwise shared your post.)<\/p>\n<p>And I can tell you from experience that these \u201cbonus shares\u201d really add up.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"d-block h2 text-center\">What Did You Think?<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Now I\u2019d like to hear from you:<\/p>\n<p>Which technique from today\u2019s post are you going to use first?<\/p>\n<p>Are you going to publish more list posts? Or leave comments on other blogs?<\/p>\n<p>Either way, let me know by leaving a comment below right now.<\/p>\n<p>The post <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/promote-your-blog\" target=\"_blank\">How to Promote Your Blog: 21 NEW Strategies<\/a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Backlinko<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In today\u2019s post, I\u2019m going to show you exactly how to promote your blog. In fact: These are the same strategies that I used to grow my blog to 449,058 monthly visitors: Let\u2019s dive right in. 1. Guest Post Bonuses 2. Publish Data-Driven Content 3. Update and Upgrade Old Content 4. LinkedIn Syndication 5. Facebook Boosted Posts (With Retargeting) 6. The Super Simple Newsletter 7. Cross-Pollinate Your Audience 8. Collab With Other Blogs 9. Super Personalized Outreach 10. Eye-Catching Social Media Images 11. Turn Blog Content [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"h5ap_radio_sources":[],"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4815","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-best-seo-blogs"],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":false,"author_link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/author\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4815","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4815"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4815\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4815"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4815"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4815"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}