How do you promote your blog, and how often?

[Monkeyman09]

What specific ways do you find are the most effective when promoting your blog? And how often would you say you promote a day, or every other day?

(I haven't started doing that much promoting yet, but I'm looking for good ways to do it. I've got some ideas but I'm looking for others input.)

[pcsourcepoint]

I partcipate in forums and a few blog directories, where I leave signature and sometimes blog post links - mainly in PC World NZ, Yahoo Answers, Audio Forums, and others. Also submit articles relevant to my blogs, but lately applying SEO techniques - keyword optimization in posts title, description, and post body, keyword research for new posts/blogs, where I think less time/effort is involved, plus you don't have to keep a presence in forums (i.e. constantly working forums, social sites, etc). I Also add/modify html/javascript codes in my blogger templates, to customize/enhance them for visitors.

I list about 36 promotion ideas/techniques largely from my own experiences in How to Increase Visitors Traffic to Your Blog

[ishan]

Everytime! Whenever I am online, I keep my blog's archive page open and if I see a discussion which I have written about previously, I leave link(but do not spam!)

Another strategy I use is guest posting! Usually, I write 3-4 posts per month on other blogs.

[frogz_kero]

if you are so desperate, you can also add your link to random search engine.
That would help you to get some traffic to your blog

But yeah, don't spam

[flashgordon]

I've found a combination of promotion techniques works best:

articles
directories
forums
social bookmarking
press releases
social networking
blog commenting
etc.

Just do a little each and every day and soon traffic will pick up.

[alric]

yes, I have read many seo articles, and backlinking is one that really works.

[Maya]

Here is an article specifically about blog promotion you might find useful - Blog Promotion Tips

HTH

[craftyballerina]

Thanks Maya,
that's a nice, compact list. I was doing a google search earlier for "ways to promote website" and it seems like everyone says the same thing. Seo seo seo. I'm currently searching for forums in my niche or other topics I'm interested in - making a list of places where I can participate in frequently. Do any of you have good luck participating in forums? I know that participating in this one gives me my 3rd highest number of visitors to my site.

[bbrian017]

I promote my blog using a social network I started and it's worked pretty good for me so far!

[Monkeyman09]

Thanks for the tips!