If you follow me on Twitter (@wpdude) you will know that I promote my own blog posts there. I do this because of the large audience looking for and consuming blog posts on the topics I write about.

Twitter is a great place to promote your blog and the business behind it.  Here are the ways I promote my blog posts on Twitter.

As a Blog Post Is Written

When I publish a post to my blog, I also automatically publish a tweet which links back to my blog post,  to do this automatic integration I use Twitter tools, I wrote a blog post on the subject called Integrating WordPress and Twitter.   The tweet will look something like this:

New blog post: WordPress Membership Plugins http://bit.ly/Y1is8

I usually write and publish my blog posts mid morning UK time, the majority of my followers are not in this time zone, so I usually post a second announcement of my blog posts at my peak Twitter time which is about 19:00 UK time.  I am not always available at this time to do a manual update so I write and schedule a tweet using the Tweetlater service. This excellent tool allows you to write your tweet and to schedule it at a time of your choosing.

As I can craft my own tweets, I usually add more information than the “new blog post” title of the twitter tools integration, here is what I used for the same membership plugin post:

Thinking of starting a #wordpress membership site? Check out my post on what to look for in a membership plugin http://bit.ly/Y1is8

One From My Archives

Another technique I use is a “one from my archives” tweet.  When I do this, I pull up a post from my blog archives which has not seen the light of day for some time and promote it again on twitter.

I do this to breathe life into the post and to keep adding value to my followers with new (to them) content.  Not everyone has been reading your blog from day one and there may be a real wealth of blog posts to pass onto your Twitter followers.

I only do this with posts I am really happy with and feel adds real value.

In Reply to the Conversation

If you see a question in your twitter stream that you have addressed in a blog post, bring it to that twitterer’s attention.  For example I often see questions on how to integrate WordPress and twitter, so I @reply to that person with a link to my blog post on the subject.

This is excellent blog marketing, your site had an answer to their question as they asked it.  What is the bet that they will be crawling around your archive in the very near future.

Search.twitter.com

The next technique I use is far more proactive and may not be for everyone, but you can search for questions you already have the answer to.  This is an excellent tool for finding prospective clients without being too in their face.  The best type of marketing in my opinion.

From the twitter search page search.twitter.com type in a phrase you know you have an answer for.  Again back to my example I could be searching for “integrate wordpress and twitter”.  If someone is asking this of the twitterverse, and I can answer this with a link to my blog post I am immediately establishing my authority and expertise with this person.

I would ask you to be wary of pushing your affiliate link filled posts when proactively searching or replying to the conversation.  If all you do is push your money making links into people stream you will be marked as a spammer and unfollowed.

Measuring the results

Everyone’s blog is slightly different, so what works for me, might not work for you.  The answer to this is to test the results of your tweets and see what gets a click through.

To do this I use the URL shortening tool bit.ly. It records how many people have clicked on the link for more details and who actually clicks through to your site.  It also gives you a breakdown of the timing of the most clicks.  This can help you to find your optimum tweeting time.

Does This Replace RSS?

No, Twitter is too dynamic and people could easily miss your updates, if people really want to engage with your content they will still subscribe to your RSS feed.

Consider these techniques as a promotional activity not a content delivery system.

What Is The Key To Twitter?

The key to Twitter is adding value.  If you can bring your blog post to a persons attention when they have a problem you are providing excellent value.

You may feel a bit sleazy about marketing yourself like this, but don’t be. There is a saying where I come from “Shy bairns get nowt”  translation  “Shy babies get nothing.”  I am one of the most introverted people I know and self promotion does not come naturally, but if you are adding value and you are helping people I don’t see a problem with pushing your blog post across people twitter stream for their attention.

If you liked this post, please get in touch on twitter @wpdude to talk some more.

Further Reading

Why Bloggers Need Twitter by Hunter Nuttall – a free ebook and excellent resource