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The top six social media tips to know before you leave the office.

A few weeks ago, we highlighted six pioneers in the ever-changing and ever-growing world of corporate blogging. Whether that post inspired you to establish your own corporate blog, you already maintain a corporate blog, or you are considering one, you likely understand that the most challenging aspect of launching a blog can be building an initial visitor base – particularly for lesser-known brands. Promoting a new blog can be a daunting task, but doing so is essential to maximizing the opportunities blogs provide for reaching new customers, shaping traditional news stories, and engaging existing brand ambassadors.

This week’s Six @ Six looks at six strategies and tactics for promoting a corporate blog – strategies that apply no matter the existing size or popularity of your blog or your brand. What tools have you used to promote your own blog? Let me know on Twitter @pjkerley.

1. Register on Blog Directories

As simple as it may seem, the best way to ensure that those interested in your content can find your blog is to register on relevant blog directories and in relevant categories. This not only makes it easy for those searching blog directories to find your content; it also helps search engines better categorize and index your blog, in turn making it easier for general searchers as well. Regator and Best of the Web are two of the most exclusive blog directories, and if your blog is authoritative enough, getting listed on these directories can provide instant credibility. Other top blog directories include Technorati, AllTop, Bloggeries, Blog Catalog, and OnTopList, to name just a few – and don’t forget about traditional website directories such as DMOZ and Yahoo Directories.

2. Include the Blog in All Marketing Materials

Another basic but often overlooked technique for promoting a corporate blog is to include the URL in all marketing materials, ranging from your website to brochures to business cards to email signatures. After all, these materials are usually sent to those who already have a connection to your company and are likely to have an interest in your blog. Just as in sales, it’s far easier to cultivate and expand an existing relationship than to develop a new one from scratch. As you build an initial visitor base, focusing on informing those already familiar with your company can both boost traffic and encourage these folks to share your content with their networks of contacts.

3. Optimize Content for Search Engines

In today’s digital world, search engines are the modern-day gatekeepers of information, as Web users turn to them first to find the information they need. As such, one of the best methods for boosting traffic and site authority is to optimize your content specifically for search engines. This means focusing in on a particular niche, as it is far easier to rank among the top results for a term such as crisis communications blog than for business blog. Once you’ve identified your specializations, drill down on the top keywords your target audience is likely to search, and then incorporate these key terms throughout the content – particularly in the title, intro, and anchor text of hyperlinks. When executed correctly, these tactics can place your blog among the top search results for important key terms. That’s particularly important because 68 percent of searchers do not venture beyond the first page of results.

4. Integrate with Social Media

While Web users turn to search engines first to find new information, they also love to share interesting content with friends and colleagues via social media. This provides an ideal opportunity for companies to utilize these rapidly-expanding platforms to promote company blogs, not to mention the brand itself. Most social media platforms provide simple solutions to automatically update a company profile with new blog posts as well as opportunities to integrate options for your blog readers to share content via their own profiles. While choosing a particular outlet will depend upon your company’s goals and capabilities, social media sites – ranging from Facebook to Twitter to LinkedIn – provide unparalleled opportunities to share new blog content with fans and followers, engage with these supporters to foster relationships and readership, and spread awareness of both your blog and your brand.

5. Engage Readers and Invite Visitors

No matter how important or interesting your content may be, today’s Web users expect a conversation, not a corporate bullhorn. This doesn’t have to mean creating discussion forums on your blog where anybody can vent about any particular topic; but it does mean allowing comments or asking questions of your readers. While you may want to include a moderation process before comments go live on your site, it is important to avoid being too heavy-handed in approving or disapproving comments. Think of critical comments (at least when civil) as conversation-starters and don’t be afraid to respond. In addition, commenting on other related blog posts and including a link back to your own blog can help expand the reach of your blog. But be careful not to be too promotional or spam the same comment across the Web; each comment should be thoughtful and intended to begin or continue a conversation, and you should keep up with responses and follow-up when necessary.

6. Provide Regular and Valuable Content

Never overlook the importance of providing insightful content on a regular basis. No matter how extensively and how thoroughly you promote your blog both online and off, visitors simply won’t come back unless they find value and utility. The writing should be grammatically correct, and each post should offer something of significance to your readers. This can be in the form of industry thought leadership, exclusive product promotions, insights into new company developments, or anything else that will entice visitors to consistently return to your blog – and share the content with their friends. And don’t forget to update the site regularly; a minimum of three new posts each week is a good rule of thumb. Just because you’ve built the site does not guarantee traffic or interest – it is only by providing content of value to your readers that your blog can encourage loyalty and grow its reach.

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Patrick Kerley is a Senior Digital Strategist at Levick Strategic Communications, the world’s top crisis firm. He is also a contributing author to Bulletproof Blog™ and is on Twitter @pjkerley.