So you've published a post.
Great...now what?
It turns out your job isn't done once the post is up on your site. Not by a long shot.
Unfortunately, too many brands get a post published and then call it a day.
Then these brands also wonder why they don't see any increases in traffic or sales over time.
Do you see the correlation?
The fact of the matter is writing great content is only half the battle (to say the least). You also have to market your content and get it in front of the right eyeballs to make an impact.
So, in this post, you're going to learn what you should be doing after you publish content.
Don't worry; this isn't going to add hours to your day. These can all be done in a few minutes. But when it comes to getting more customers, they can make all the difference.
Ready to dive in?
1. Share on Social Media
This one feels pretty obvious. But you'd be shocked at how many brands forget to follow through with this simple step.
Always, always, always share your content on your social media channels. You can use a tool like Buffer to make it easy. And remember, don't just share once and call it a day, you can always re-share old content weeks and months down the road.
2. Share via Your Newsletter
No matter what you might have heard about the rise of all sorts of other types of digital marketing, the best bang for your buck still comes from your email list.
So, tap into that. Create a weekly or monthly newsletter and share your posts there. Check the stats to see what content gets more engagement and create more of that.
3. Add This New Link to Old Posts
As soon as you publish, find at least one (ideally 2+) related post on your site and insert our new link into it. This tactic, called interlinking, is one of the many ways to improve your Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
Doing this does a couple of things. First, it lets Google know that you've got more content on a particular topic. Second, it can help the reader stay on your site for longer.
4. Reply to Comments on Your Site
It's not easy getting customers to buy your products; it takes hard work. Today a big part of that is building trust and engaging with potential customers.
So start doing that right on your site. When people comment, be sure you jump in within a day or so and give a thoughtful response.
5. Reply to Comments on Other Sites
While you're in your commenting mode, jump on a handful of other sites in a related topic and comment there too. You can share the post you've just written.
One big caveat here. Don't just spam and drop your link. It's better to write 2-3 helpful and thoughtful comments than 50 junk responses. Do this enough, and you'll get a few clicks back to your site.
6. Republish
You don't have to do this part immediately, but probably a week or two later, so schedule that on your calendar. Go to sites like Medium and LinkedIn and republish your blog posts.
You can reach all sorts of potential new readers by doing this regularly. If you want to take it a step further, you don't even need to republish your post, give a 200 word teaser and link back to your site for people to read more.
7. Share on Aggregator Sites
There are tons and tons of sites out there you can use to post your content so other people can have discussions on it. Reddit is one of the most popular examples of this, so it's a good place to start.
Also look for these types of sites in your niche, Inbound and GrowthHackers are two great examples for those interested in marketing. Once again, don't just post and walk away, work on becoming a valued member of these communities.
8. Get on Quora
Quora has been growing in popularity over the last few years. In basic terms, it's mainly a giant question and answer site.
The great thing about Quora is it covers a ton of different topics, so you're likely going to find plenty of people talking about your particular niche or industry. Make a plan to hop in there once a week and answer a few questions (ideally those where you can share your content).
9. Repurpose Content
People aren't just looking for written content today; there is a ton of potential for everything from Instagram stories to YouTube videos to infographics and everything in between.
So, as you plan and create your content schedule be prepared. Look at ways you can repurpose and expand it to reach more people. You can often turn one blog post into at least 3-5 more pieces of content and share those too.
10. Reach Out to Sites/People Mentioned
It's probably rare today to see a high quality blog post without at least one link included to some other site. Not only does it help create a more informative piece of content for readers, but it's also just good SEO practice.
When you do mention another product, service, person, tool, study, etc., email them and share a link to your post. Worst case you hear nothing. Best case they'll be happy to share your content also amplifying your marketing power.
Final Thoughts
If you want to work on growth marketing, there are plenty more things you can do after you publish. But these can be helpful in getting you started.
Remember, test and track what you're doing. If you see extra traffic from one particular strategy, double down on it. Keep doing what works and moving on from what doesn't. You might find just the right perfect strategy for your needs.
Hopefully, that will lead to more traffic and clients along the way.
