Tell them about it. Promoting your business blog.

If you’ve decided a blog is right for your business, you’ve invested time and money into planning, researching, and writing.  But once you hit the “Publish” button, your work’s not over.  There’s more to be done.

Blogs are passive. The theory is that the right blog will attract the right people.  But don’t just sit back and wait for something to happen.  Prime the pump by promoting your business blog in the right places.  If you don’t take this step, you run the risk of having your blog  join the ranks of unread and languishing publications.

Here are some ideas for business blog promotion:

1. Email marketing to customers and prospects.  It makes sense to let your biggest fans know what you’re writing about.  You can use email to let customers and prospects know you have a blog.  You can use an email marketing program  to send regular notices when you have a new post or two.
2. Put a notice about the blog on your LinkedIn status.  This is a must for business blogs since it will alert your LinkedIn connections.
3. Add your blog as a discussion on your relevant LinkedIn groups. Since LinkedIn is a business-oriented social network, this is another must that will extend your reach to group members.  You can add your blog, or better, start a discussion to which you can post your blog as good advice.
4. Find relevant industry discussion groups, and post there.  The first step is to find the venues.  Then monitor discussions over time to see what topics are of interest and how you might fit in.  Often, the technique of starting a discussion to which you can later post your blog works well.
5. Post on Twitter, Google + and Facebook.  Even if your audience doesn’t use these social networks, posting here doesn’t hurt.  If nothing else, there’s SEO value.
6. Comment on relevant blogs.  This first requires researching relevant blogs.  Then post comments now and then when you have something of value to say.  Other readers may check you out and find your blog.
7. Guest posting.  If you find other, non-competing bloggers on your topic, invite them to write a post for your blog.  (Be very clear in your directions to them.)  They may return the favor, putting you in front of their readers.

The objective of all of these ideas is to get the right folks to read your blog, visit your website, think you’re a good company to do business with, and, hopefully, buy something.  That would make your investment of time and money worthwhile.

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