Friend Friday: Blogger Self Promotion: Shameless or Shameful

This week’s Friend Friday delves into the controversial topic of blog self promotion. I say controversial because there is always some drama going on regarding this in one way or another. And so here is my take on it.

1. How do you promote your blog?

I am very laid back when it comes to promoting my blog. To put it simply, more than anything, I tweet. Usually I tweet my posts once unless its something like a giveaway or related to a cause i love like heart disease, then I tweet it more.

I find it a but much when people tweet their blog posts back to back via numerous sources. For one, I believe in spreading things out, so its more beneficial to have something go out every couple of hours or so than five times back to back.

But I also just love connecting with folks and feel that by default it naturally increases the reach and spread of my blog.

It also doesn’t hurt to join orgs like IFB, etc and being genuine when I leave comments on other peoples blogs.

I read a lot of blogs and I don’t leave comments just to leave them. I only do so when I really have something that I want to say.

My blog entries also autopost to Facebook but I am really not much of a facebooker although I plan to become more active.

2. In your experience what has been the most effective form of self promotion?

Connecting with people is the most effective. I am a very social person I am always out and about and I have gotten to do more things with more people simply because I am very active on twitter. So for me twitter is king and the relationships that you can develop there and take off line have been the best form of self promotion ever.

3. Do you think there is a wrong way to promote yourself and your blog?

To each their own. I don’t allow anyone to tell me how to do much of anything, so I am the last person to tell someone what to do with their stuff. But what I would say is to not try to force feed your things to people. Let them get to know you and they will seek out what you bring to the picture.

4. When it comes to others pushing their product what annoys you?

Being obnoxious. One of the things I hate the most is when people tweet or DM me unsolicited links to their whatever. That’s like being a sleezy car dealer to me. Don’t ask me for something when you haven’t even tried to build a relationship of any type with me.

If someone is interested in supporting you or what you have to offer, they will seek it out because they feel a connection to you.


5. In Dressful’s post on this topic earlier in the week she said, “It’s impossible to respect someone who wants all the attention, but adds nothing worthwhile to the conversation.” Do you agree?

I agree to a degree. I think respect is not really the right word for me, as I think some people just don’t know all the “rules” of blogging, or the etiquette. So I wouldn’t be so extreme as to not respect them but it would make me think twice about them. But there is that blogger who knows the rules and yet still for whatever reason, doesn’t even attempt to follow them.

This also applies to people who do not even attempt to respond to the comments you leave on their blogs. For me I blog to connect, to share, so if I leave a comment and you never respond in any way, I assume you are not interested in connecting, so I usually won’t visit your blog again.

I tell people all the time that if folks like Chris Brogan who gets hundreds of comments can respond, we lil fashion and beauty bloggers have no excuse.

It’s the reason why I use disqus, because it will send me notice of comments and I can post a response via email, so that I can respond because that is important to me.

Til next time!

Friend Friday is the brainchild of Katy Rose of Modly Chic. Join in!