You have to promote your blog if you want people to read it but there are so many different ways of doing so and it can be hard to decide which ways to go. Also sometimes you are faced with ways to advertise that cost money that you may not have. Whether you have a local specific blog or not, advertising locally has benefits. After all, you want people interested in your blog’s subject to visit your blog, whether they live half way around the world or right next door. If you do have a blog with local content, than there is even more of a benefit of course.

Promote Your Blog Locally and Gain New Readers

Have you considered any of these free or cheap ways to advertise your blog around where you live?

Many of the following ideas use business cards which would be free if you already have them but cost you if you don’t. I highly recommend having business cards made up though. In the meantime you can make your own flyers or print your own business cards (not as nice but would work.)

Use Business Cards or Flyers In New Ways

Business cards aren’t just for handing out at networking events. There are lots of other ways you can use your business cards or homemade flyers or bookmarks to advertise your blog.

• Use your business cards as a bookmark when you get a book from the library and conveniently leave it tucked in the book when you return it to the library for the next loaner to find.
• Ask local businesses and community locations if you can leave a stack of business cards on their window sill or at least on one of their bulletin boards. You will have better luck with smaller businesses. If they won’t do it for free, see if they will trade. You leave your cards there and take some of their cards and pass them out or do a business shout out on your social media if you have a high local readership.
• Do you get products for review or swag? If you get too much of something you might share with friends and family. If you have enough or your family/friends aren’t interested, consider giving it away to a local group with your business card attached. I bring kids DVDs to our local drop in center and we raffle them off. I get blog promo and the center gets people coming in because they know there are sometimes raffles.
• Leave flyers on car windshields (CAUTION: This is illegal in some areas. First check with your city bylaws and then even if it’s allowed, you will want to ask permission from the property you wish to distribute them on, for example the store that owns the parking lot. If the city AND the property say it’s okay, than go ahead but make sure you follow any stipulations.)
• Of course you can hand your cards out to family and friends but try giving them a handful and asking them to share or if they got something that was a result of your blog have them hand out a card if someone asks them about the item.
• Keep a keen eye out for other places you could advertise. Anytime you see business cards or flyers for other businesses, find out what someone has to do to get their cards there.

TIP: Target where you leave your cards – if you blog about parenting, try libraries or day care centers etc. If you blog about fashion, try store fronts. If you write about business, try a college or university or job office.

TIP: Make yourself memorable – don’t just leave another business card or flyer, leave a code for a free giveaway entry or a discount on an advertising fee if you are targeting businesses. Include a candy or something small but homemade with your note.

TIP: If you need help deciding what to include on your business cards, see the posts on my Business Cards Pinterest Board.

Follow Biannual Blogathon Bash’s board Blogging: Business Cards on Pinterest.

Other Ways to Advertise

• Advertise in a local newspaper or online website. This is especially good for a giveaway that is of interest to local viewers but could be good for just your blog in general if you feature local content from time to time. Most advertising cost money but you can often find cheap options if you look. Sites like Craiglist or Kijiji often have sections for businesses to advertise for a small fee. I once paid $5 to have a local forum advertise a local giveaway for me. I had a few people come over that mentioned being from the forum. Search for ‘Free Classified Ads City’ substituting the word City for your actual City.
• You should have a Facebook fan page set up for your blog/business. Did you know that you can comment as your page instead of with your regular account? Like some local pages and when you find something relevant to comment on, comment as your page instead of your name. If someone likes your comment and/or notices your interesting blog name, they may hover over your name and see your page. Hopefully from there they will like your page and ideally, click over to your blog.
• Speaking of Facebook, you can set your blog’s fan page as your occupation in your personal profile so when you connect with new people on Facebook and they view your profile, they can see your blog linked there.

Do you have any other ideas? I’d love to hear them in the comments!

For more tips for promotion and blogging, visit a few of my favorite bloggers:

• Food Blogger Tips for Promotion by Ellen Blogs
• Self-Promotion for the Incredibly Shy & Anxious by Pretty Opinionated
• Taking Yourself Offline by The Guavalicious Life
• How to Set up a Blog by This Mama Loves