20 Unconventional but effective blog promotion strategies: The secret ingredients of success

If you run a blog, you probably want to make it successful. But just writing articles is not enough to make it popular, you need to use “blog marketing” promotion strategies. How do you plan to make your blog visible in search results and also constantly increase the number of new readers? There are many ways to promote a blog, but it can be challenging if you are doing the same thing as other bloggers.

When I started blogging, I was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of blog marketing advice available online. Most people rely on strategies like social media, SEO, and email marketing. While these methods work, I wanted something less traditional but just as powerful.

Over time, after learning and mastering lesser-known blog marketing techniques, I turned my blog into a six-figure business. Below, I share the top 20 strategies that have helped drive traffic and dramatically increase my blog’s revenue.

1. Quora marketing: Targeted traffic through expertise

One of the most underutilized sources for blog marketing is Quora, a Q&A platform where you can demonstrate your expertise by answering niche-related questions.

By sharing your knowledge and experience through well-written answers, you can attract targeted traffic to your blog. Answering questions that fit the niche of my blog has allowed me to attract a targeted audience that is looking for answers on the topic. I always put links to relevant blog posts that complement my answer, but only if the link actually has value. That way, my answers don’t look like spam.

Pro Tip: Identify popular questions in your niche and craft answers that demonstrate your authority. This way you will build trust with readers who are already interested in your topic.

2. Participate in niche forums: Build authority in specialized communities

In the blog marketing world, while social media tends to steal the spotlight, niche forums are where true enthusiasts gather.

By engaging in meaningful conversations on these forums, you can establish yourself as a leading expert in your field. I joined several forums related to my blog topic and gradually built a reputation for helping others by answering in relevant threats. When necessary, I published blog posts that provided additional information, which led to a steady flow of qualified traffic.

Pro Tip: Choose forums that are geared specifically to your niche. Constantly participating and providing useful information in these communities will increase your blog’s visibility and authority.

3. Pinterest group boards: Expanding your reach

Pinterest is often thought of as a platform for lifestyle or DIY content, but it’s a hidden gem for bloggers of all niches.

One of the most effective strategies I’ve used is joining Pinterest group boards. These collaborative boards open up my content to a much larger audience than the one I could reach using only my personal boards. I use group boards as a key part of my blog marketing strategy, which leads to thousands of new visitors each month.

Pro Tip: Use a tool like Tailwind to find relevant group boards and consistently share your best content. You can use PinFlux to automate the posting process. Bloggers like Pinch of Yum have grown a huge audience through the use of Pinterest.

4. Commenting on influencers: Meaningful interaction

A great blog marketing tactic is to leave meaningful comments on popular blogs in your niche.

Instead of leaving generic comments on popular blogs or social media, I make sure that my comments are thoughtful and valuable. By offering genuine ideas or solutions, I was able to capture the attention of both blog readers and the influencers themselves. Sometimes this has led to guest posting opportunities or collaborations, further expanding my reach.

Tip: Find influencers in your niche and actively engage with their content. Don’t just leave a link – become part of the conversation. It’s a long-term strategy that builds authority and increases traffic.

5. Podcast guesting: Reach new audiences without hosting your own

Although creating my own podcast seemed like an impossible task, I found a shortcut to mastering the world of podcasting: becoming a guest. By participating as a guest on reputable podcasts in my niche, I was attracting a new audience without taking the time to create my own show. Mentioning my blog in these interviews not only increased my credibility, but also generated a wave of new visitors.

Pro Tip: Send a clear proposal to podcast hosts, explaining how your expertise can benefit their audience. This is an effective way to extend your blog marketing efforts to new mediums.

6. LinkedIn Pulse publication: Reaching a professional audience

If your blog is geared towards professionals or business people, LinkedIn Pulse is a blog marketing goldmine. Publishing articles directly on LinkedIn allows me to share my content with a professional audience that is highly engaged. I cross-promote my articles on LinkedIn, which increases traffic to my blog and positions me as an expert in my field.

Pro Tip: Regularly post articles on LinkedIn that offer practical advice for professionals in your niche. This will help build your authority and attract traffic from a different audience than regular blog readers.

7. Blog commenting on authority sites: Target the right conversations

Blog commenting may seem outdated, but when done right, it’s still very effective for blog marketing. Instead of sending comments all over the web, I choose highly authoritative blogs in my niche. I leave thoughtful comments that contribute to the discussion, often referencing my own blog posts when appropriate in context. This not only attracts traffic, but also positions me as a credible expert in my field.

Pro Tip: Target blogs with active communities and high levels of engagement. Meaningful participation in the comments section can lead to a long-term increase in traffic.

8. Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything): Showcase your expertise

Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) is an unconventional but powerful marketing strategy for a blog.

Hosting a Reddit AMA allowed me to engage directly with a community of curious readers. I was transparent about my expertise and answered a variety of questions, many of which led naturally to my blog. While Redditors are skeptical of overt promotion, sharing valuable information and linking to blog posts only when relevant helped me build trust and credibility.

Pro Tip: Choose a subreddit that closely aligns with your niche. Be prepared to answer tough questions, and always prioritize being helpful over self-promotion.

9. Guest infographics: Visual content for broader reach

Guest infographics are a creative way to increase the effectiveness of your blog marketing efforts. It is a well-known strategy, but have you tried using guest infographics? Infographics are very easy to distribute and are ideal for people with a visual perception of information. I’ve created infographics based on my most popular blog posts and offered them to niche blogs. These infographics not only drive traffic to my blog, but also generate backlinks, improving SEO.

Pro Tip: Create simple and informative infographics using tools like Canva and offer them to blogs in your niche. Make sure the infographic includes your blog branding and a backlink.

10. YouTube comments: Engage the video audience

Even if you don’t create YouTube videos, engaging in the comments on popular videos related to your niche can be an effective blog marketing tactic. By offering valuable, insightful answers to questions in the comments, I’ve been able to direct viewers to my blog without having to create my own video content.

Pro Tip: Identify popular videos in your niche and monitor the comments for opportunities to offer helpful answers. When appropriate, mention a blog post that elaborates on the topic being discussed.

11. Using RSS feeds to get backlinks and grow your audience

You’ve probably heard of RSS feeds, but have you thought about using them to grow your blog’s audience? RSS feeds automatically distribute your content to various websites, apps, and feed readers. This can drive traffic to your blog and help you generate backlinks effortlessly.

Here’s how it worked for me: By allowing websites to syndicate my content through RSS feeds, I gained backlinks from authoritative sources and increased my blog’s visibility in niche-specific communities. One successful blogger I studied, Copyblogger, has used RSS feeds to grow an audience for years, making it a key resource for content marketers.

Pro Tip: Submit your blog’s RSS feed to content aggregators like Feedly or Flipboard. This can quickly grow your audience, especially among people who use these platforms to follow niche topics.

12. Content update: Turning visitors into subscribers

Content updates are a great way to increase engagement, but many bloggers overlook it. Instead of offering a generic lead magnet (like a single ebook), create specific content updates that are directly linked to individual blog posts.

For example, when I wrote an in-depth guide to SEO tools, I created a content update offering a free checklist of the 10 best tools for beginners. This simple and personalized supplement helped me increase my email subscribers by 25% in just a few months.

Successful blogs like Backlinko have built email lists numbering in the hundreds of thousands using content updates as a core strategy.

Pro Tip: For each blog post, think about what additional value you could offer. A checklist, worksheet, or mini-guide is often enough to entice readers to subscribe.

13. Comment marketing on high traffic blogs

Commenting on other blogs was a game changer for me, but not in the way you might think. Instead of leaving spammy comments with a link to my blog, I focused on providing really valuable insights in my comments. This has led to direct traffic, connections with influencers, and even invitations to write a guest post.

One of the keys here is to focus on high-traffic, niche-specific blogs where your target audience is already spending time. I learned this technique from the book “Smart Passive Income” by Pat Flynn, who famously used blog comments to connect with other influencers early in his career.

Tip: Instead of just linking to your blog, offer thoughtful comments that add value to the conversation. People will naturally become curious about who you are and visit your blog.

14. Diversify your content into different formats

While most bloggers stick to written posts, I’ve found that reworking my content into different formats helps me attract new audiences. For example, I turned some of my most effective posts into video tutorials that I shared on YouTube. This brought traffic from a whole new platform, and over time these videos started generating organic traffic back to my blog.

Blogs like The Minimalists have greatly increased their audience by turning blog posts into podcast episodes, videos, and even slide presentations.

Pro Tip: Identify your top-performing blog posts and turn them into videos, infographics, or podcasts. Share these formats on platforms like YouTube, Pinterest, and podcast directories.

15. Use HARO (Help a Reporter Out) to gain authority and traffic

HARO is a great platform where journalists seek expert opinions. By participating in these media queries, I was able to get featured on the pages of several high-traffic publications, which provided significant referral traffic to my blog. This not only increased credibility, but also provided high quality backlinks that boosted my blog’s SEO.

Many successful bloggers, including those behind GrowthHackers, use HARO to get media exposure and build authority in their niche.

Pro Tip: Sign up for HARO (it’s free) and respond to relevant queries in your niche. This can lead to media coverage that will position you as an authority and drive traffic to your blog.

16. Offer free webinars to build trust and attract traffic

When I started offering free webinars, I saw a significant increase in both blog traffic and conversions. Hosting webinars not only allows you to share valuable content, but also makes you an authority in your niche. It’s also a great way to turn visitors into subscribers or paying customers.

Webinars are especially effective for niche blogs like Blog Tyrant, who use them for in-depth training and to promote affiliate products and services.

Pro Tip: Create a free webinar based on your blog’s main topics. Promote it through your email list, social media, and blog. At the end of the webinar, direct attendees back to your blog or offer them a premium service or product.

17. Guest posting on less popular platforms

While most bloggers tend to guest post on high traffic sites like HuffPost or Forbes, I’ve found that guest posting on smaller niche blogs can be just as effective. These blogs often have a highly engaged audience, and they are more likely to accept guest contributions from new bloggers.

I’ve written guest posts for niche blogs that have attracted hundreds of targeted visitors who are genuinely interested in my content. As a result, my blog readership has steadily grown.

Pro Tip: Don’t target only the big name sites. Reach out to smaller, niche blogs that your target audience reads. They are often more open to guest contributions and can direct high-quality traffic to your blog.

18. Hold an online giveaway to attract readers

Online giveaways can create a buzz and increase traffic to your blog. I once ran a giveaway where I offered free access to an online course and in return, participants had to share the giveaway on social media and subscribe to my newsletter. This giveaway not only increased my email subscribers, but also helped my content go viral.

Successful bloggers like John Lee Dumas of Entrepreneurs on Fire have used giveaways to quickly grow their audience and increase engagement.

Pro Tip: Partner with other bloggers or brands and organize a giveaway together. This will help you attract new audiences and increase traffic faster.

19. Create viral quizzes: Engaging and shareable content

Quizzes have a natural tendency to go viral because people love to share their results. By including a quiz that is relevant to your niche, you can greatly increase engagement and attract traffic to your blog. I used the “What type of digital marketer are you?” quiz, which became one of the highest traffic drivers for my blog.

Pro Tip: Use tools like Interact or Outgrow to create simple, fun, and engaging quizzes. Make sure the quiz results can be shared on social media for maximum impact.

20. Offer free tools or resources

One of the most effective, but underrated methods I’ve seen for engaging readers is offering free tools or resources such as templates, checklists, or calculators. These free tools can attract a significant amount of traffic, especially if they solve a specific problem for your audience.

For example, Neil Patel offers free SEO tools on his blog that keep readers coming back and generate a ton of organic traffic.

Pro Tip: Create a free resource that directly helps your audience solve a problem. Promote it on your blog and social media to attract traffic and build your email list.

Conclusion: Focus on non-traditional blog marketing tactics for success

If you want to succeed in blog marketing, don’t just rely on the generic strategies that everyone uses. By learning non-traditional methods like marketing on Quora, Pinterest group boards, and guest infographics, you’ll set yourself apart from the crowd. These methods have helped me turn my blog into a six-figure business, and they can do the same for you. Be consistent, experiment with different blog marketing strategies, and watch your traffic grow!