Where to learn how best to promote content?

[yatesandcojewelers]

So now I created some really good content (with help of Egol and Peter here on moz.com) and now I need to promote it.  To get it in front of authoritative sites so they hopefully will write about and link to it.

I erroneously figured it would be fairly easy.  I contacted two writers of a high level industry blog/magazine that previously had mentioned us in press, sent them an email with an invitation to check it out and please let me know what they thought.  NO response.  They probably get deluged.

Anyway, I can't afford to pay a marketing company to promote it.  Where can I learn how to best do this myself?  The content isn't going to help anyone if no one sees it....

Thanks for any leads!

Ron

[EGOL]

Here's what I do with new content.

• Publish it on my website.

• Promote it on my homepage and on relevant pages on my website.

Usually, I do nothing beyond that.  The page initially ranks deep in the SERPs but starts climbing over time.  Slowly the traffic grows, a few of my visitors share it and that brings in more visitors.  In several months the page is visible in relevant SERPs and pulling in increasing amounts of traffic.

Rarely, I will contact a blogger or two who regularly point at interesting content.

Usually, I write additional articles that are closely related but compete for entirely different keywords.  These will start pulling in traffic and as the collection grows all of the pages rise in the SERPs.

Most people don't have the patience for that, but instead of spending time on promotion, I am preparing another page of content.  After doing this for a few years I have a lot of traffic and a site that ranks well for most pages that I publish within a few months.

[yatesandcojewelers]

Hi Egol

That's an interesting angle.  Seems putting these links where your retail shoppers see it on home page and click on the link would hinder product sales conversions. Since it could be distracting them from their shopping purpose.  Does your site sell a physical product?

[EGOL]

This site does sell physical product.

The homepage has three vertical columns.  The right column is entirely content.  How to use the products, how to select them, product comparisons, how to repair them, history, printable instructions, videos,   The first link in the top navigation goes to an huge page of free information.  The last link goes to a blog and the next to last link goes to a youtube channel.

Make your site the "go to place" for your product niche and you will get a lot of traffic, receive fewer questions by email and kill your competitors in the long tail.

I run adsense on every page too, but block my hard core competitors.

[yatesandcojewelers]

Thanks so much. You have a second career as a content marketing consultant! Heck I'd hire you!

[Gavo]

Hi Ron,

A good tactic can be to find out where people are talking about or asking questions that your created content answers. A good way to do this is to use google to find forums and online communities that are discussing the very area that your content is related to. Drawing people to your content in these forums and communities can be a good way to raise brand awareness or have people reading and sharing your content (providing it is v. good quality or answers their questions).

Another great way to promote it is through social media. Doing this well though through social media usually requires a strong following and regular quality content updates. If you do this well, this platform for content promotion is most effective.

All the best,

Gav.