June 7, 2017 · 6:45 am

#amblogging: How to use WordPress to Publicize your blog posts

Blogging is one thing writers need to do regularly, even if it is only once or twice a month. However, it’s hard to gain readers when you first begin to blog. After all, blogging requires writing, and many writers feel it takes them away from their ‘real’ work.

But what is our real work? We write, hoping people will read our work, and our blog is the way to connect with those readers. For the Indie Author, your blog is your store, and is where your books are sold.

However, if we have a limited audience, we feel defeated in our efforts to gain readers, and many authors let their blogs languish for that reason.

All blogs begin with a small readership. Because we all begin small and want to gain readers, it’s necessary to use every platform available to get the word out and WordPress offers us many opportunities to do just that.

I’m taking you through the WP Admin menu, because some WordPress.org users don’t have the universally dreaded “New and Better” way to post via the “improved editor” menu, but they still need to publicize their blogs. The options and steps are pretty much the same on the WordPress.com “improved editor” menus.

On the dropdown menu to the left of your Blog title, under the words “My Sites,” click the dropdown menu. Scroll all the way to the bottom and open the WP ADMIN menu.

Step One: In that menu, scroll down to “Settings” and open that menu.

Step Two: In the Settings menu, open “sharing” and click on it. that will take you to the “Sharing Settings” page. Click on the button that says, “Publicize Settings.”

That will open a list of what I think of as blog warehouses, places that collect blogs and offer them to their regular readers.

Step Three: You want to activate as many of them as you can.

Follow these Screenshots, in this order:

Step Four is an important step especially for those who use twitter to promote their posts to the world. Because I have my blog set to automatically post to twitter, I use a hashtag in the title of every blogpost. If you don’t make twitter your tool, you are missing out on an important and simple “publicizing” opportunity:

I highly recommend blogging regularly, at a minimum two posts a month. Writing blog posts develops your writing craft. Also, your blog is where you talk about your interests, your writing, and is where potential readers can find your books.

If you really want your work to be visible, use the options and tools WordPress offers you.

25 Comments

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25 responses to “#amblogging: How to use WordPress to Publicize your blog posts”

  1. Shannon Blood
    June 7, 2017 at 6:49 am

    Such a helpful colleague! 🙂

    Like

  3. Linda Mims
    June 8, 2017 at 12:15 pm

    Thanks Connie! I went to my dashboard and sure enough I had only connected Twitter and Facebook. Now, I will see which of the other social sites could benefit my blogging purposes. Thanks for this!

    Liked by 1 person

  4. Linda Mims
    June 8, 2017 at 12:17 pm

    Reblogged this on The Long and Short Stories of Life and commented:
    Are you bringing ultimate publicity to your WP blog posts?

    Liked by 1 person

  9. aurorajeanalexander
    June 12, 2017 at 8:06 pm

    Reblogged this on Writer's Treasure Chest and commented:
    Author Connie J. Jasperson provides us with a guide through the promotional possibilities of WordPress. Thanks so much for this post!

    Liked by 1 person

  10. claire plaisted
    June 12, 2017 at 11:54 pm

    Reblogged this on Plaisted Publishing and commented:
    Great Blog and a must read for those who are starting out on WordPress.. Meanwhile, do you know how to add more share buttons…Add to Service?

    Like

    • conniejjasperson
      June 13, 2017 at 5:40 am

      Hello Claire– I’m sorry, but if you are using the less expensive (or free) version of WordPress as I am (with the WP.com URL) then the only sharing options we have are those that are listed on the publicize page. Many more useful plugins are available for those of you who are paying for the more expensive options. Still, those of us on tight budget get a lot out of WP despite the occasional aggravations! Depending on your purchase plan with WP, you may be able to add “Press This” to your browser, which will help you reblog non WordPress blogs.

      Like

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