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Written by: Emma McAnally
So, you have put in extra time, strained your mental faculties nearly to the breaking point, and you are finally finished with your blog post.
It’s an exhilarating, slightly terrifying, feeling often followed by a sense of relief. This blog writer knows. Not to be the bearer of bad news, but you aren’t finished yet. There is more work to be done.
Here are 10 things you need to do after hitting publish on your blog post.
1) READ IT AGAIN
I know. You’ve read it several times during the writing process, but you need to read it again. There may be a gap you didn’t notice before, or an unfortunate spelling error that sticks out once you see it published. This is also a good time to make sure you have plenty of keywords.
2) SHARE YOUR BLOG
Hopefully, you have used all the SEO prowess at your disposal to ensure your blog will be found, but you still need to share your blog when possible. Post a teaser on your site, add a link on Facebook, or supply your blog’s destination to your target audience.
3) SHORTEN THE URL OF YOUR POST
Many sites like Bit.ly are available that help you shorten the URL for your post. Do it, especially if you plan to share your blog on other channels. You want it to be short and simple.
4) REPLY TO COMMENTERS
Interacting with commenters is a great way to get return visitors to your blog. People like to be recognized for their contributions. The name of the game is engagement and replying to commenters shows that you care about your visitor’s thoughts on the topic at hand.
5) BE HELPFUL ON TWITTER
With Twitter’s restricted character limit, it is the perfect place to plug your blog without seeming overly self-serving. Do a quick search for people who have tweeted about the topic of your blogpost. If it seems natural or applicable, supply the link to your blogpost as a helpful gesture.
6) COMMENT ON OTHER BLOGS
Throw out some good karma into the blogosphere and comment on other blogs with similar topics. Don’t shamelessly plug yourself unless it seems natural. This can help you gain a more solid footing with other bloggers, which is always a good idea.
7) ADD YOUR BLOG TO YOUR EMAIL SIGNATURE
Add the link to your latest blog post in your email signature. You never know when an email recipient might be interested in your latest topic. There are even services like WiseStamp that will do this for you.
8) REPURPOSE YOUR CONTENT
Make note of any content in your blog post that can be repurposed for other channels. Don’t simply copy and paste. Each platform requires a different approach. Even so, immediately making note of content that can be reused is best when the content is fresh in your mind.
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9) ADD BLOG PROMOTION TO YOUR NEWSLETTER
Add a teaser for your latest blog to your newsletter. Luckily, you know that subscribers to your newsletter are already interested in what you have to say, so this is a good way to reach your target audience.
10) USE NETWORKING TO YOUR ADVANTAGE
Networking is a great resource in any field. You should use it to your advantage if possible. Ask other bloggers to mention your blog where they can and you will see a boost in traffic.