12 Steps to Effectively Promoting Your Blog

I noticed today and over the last week that my Active Rain posts are capping out at about 100 views before the views start to trickle in.  Further, I'm ranging anywhere from 40 - 50 click through's to each post I write and roughly 4 - 5 comments on average per post.

So how does one break through the glass ceiling and succeed at getting 500 views and 100 - 200 clicks to each post?  Many people will want to say, "Quality & Catchy" content but I must say that some of my posts have taken a great deal of time and in some cases creativity so I am thinking that for the most part I have covered quality and occasionally catchy.

The answer comes in many different ways and several combinations of these methods.  Here are just a few ideas to jump start your views, clicks and comments.  I cannot possibly cover all potential ways to promote your AR blog but I'm sure that others will be able to provide other creative ways.

1. Add a very visible link to your blog on your websites main navigation.  Many major companies that have blogs make sure to announce the fact that they have a blog and so should we.
   
2. With every e-mail you send out, be sure to add your blog URL to the signature line.  This is what you should already be doing to promote your website so why not your blog?
   
3. Take the time to submit your blogs RSS feed to feed based directories.  About a week ago I wrote about 45 sites that you can submit your RSS feed tofor free.  After I wrote that article and submitted some of my own RSS feeds to these directories I did see my numbers jump a little and stay fairly stable at the new range.
   
4. Promote other posts you've written within new posts.  If something you wrote in the past is relevant to what you are writing about now then be sure to provide a link to it.  One perfect example is the link I included in item #3 on this list and in #5 below.
   
5. Get in the habit of ending all of your posts with something like a "Previous Post: The Professionals I know"
   
6. Take the time once a week to write a post titled something like, "End of the Week Round Up" where you briefly recap on the posts you've written during the week and maybe even some other posts you've commented on.
   
7. Take #6 as the basic principle and apply it to a monthly post titled something like, "Monthly Conclusion"
   
8. Get active on Twitter or Plurk and join hundreds if not thousands of other Realtors and even locals in your area.  When you write a new blog post simply announce the post if you think those following your profile would appreciate the information you have to provide.
   
9. Write posts that others might want to Reblog about.  A link back to the original post is provided each time a post is reblogged which means you'll get some foot traffic that way.
   
10. Ask other AR members that subscribe to your blog to ReBlog, Tweet, Plurk or otherwise pass on the post to others if they enjoyed the article.
11. Building consistency in the style of your writing and with the posts you write to keep people returning to see whats new. (Contributed by Ron Moore; a Florence South Carolina Realtor)
12. Reciprocation and participation in others blogs via commenting directly and even referencing can build up an interest base directly to your own blog but make sure your reciprocation is genuine and your contributions helpful.  (Contributed by Ron Moore; a Florence Realtor)

What other ways can you think of that will help promote your posts and help you reach your next level with your AR blog?  Share your strategies below with everyone so that we can each test different concepts out.

By the way, if you ReBlog I'd appreciate a Reblog of this article.  If you are on Twitter I'd appreciate if you would share this with your other Realtor connections that might be on AR but don't catch this article and of course if you have any other strategy to promote blogs I'd appreciate your help in helping me get to my next level.