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"When it comes to building an audience and driving traffic, bloggers are turning to social media with record results. Instead of relying on organic search or (gasp) IRL friends, successful bloggers know they have to develop a following on key social networks as a way to promote their brands and ultimately get more clicks.\nTwitter, Facebook, StumbleUpon and now Pinterest provide the savvy blogger with plenty of opportunities to attract new readers and engage with regulars, but it can be overwhelming if you\u2019re new to social media or if you only use it for fun. \nHere are 10 tips to help bloggers navigate the increasingly complex world of social media \u2014 while still making time to write content.\n1. Display your social media icons prominently toward the top of your website.\nMake it as simple as possible for your blog readers to connect with you on various social media platforms. They shouldn\u2019t have to hunt around to find your Twitter handle, but should be able to click on a button and be taken right to your profile. Bonus points if your social media icons reflect the overall design or feel of your blog.\n2. Every blog should have its own Facebook Page.\nEven with Facebook\u2019s new subscription feature, there\u2019s still merit to giving your blog its own space on Facebook. It\u2019s nice to be able to post a link every time you publish something new, and not have to worry about annoying your friends. Plus, readers who don\u2019t your name but know the name of your blog can search for it on Facebook. Show your fans some love on your blog by using the Facebook social plugin, which makes it easy to convert readers to fans.\n3. Generate traffic with StumbleUpon.\nThis \u201Crecommendation engine\u201D serves as an alternate browser where users click through pages that their SU friends and SU itself have recommended. You can submit your own blog posts into the system, but it works best if you also share them with your SU friends and accept their shares back. Like most social platforms, you need to have a strong following to get good results. While people are still trying to figure out what makes SU content go viral, many bloggers have seen terrific, albeit fleeting, traffic spikes through the service. \n4. Import your RSS feed onto your LinkedIn profile using its Blog Link application.\nAs long as your blog somewhat pertains to your professional goals, you should be showcasing it on LinkedIn. List it as one of your three websites in your profile, where it will be labeled \u201CBlog.\u201D However, by using the Blog Link application, your most recent posts will display right on your profile. \n5. Pinterest is the hot new frontier for bloggers.\nPinterest is the cool new kid, and all of the bloggers are scrambling to establish a presence there. Pin your best photos onto themed boards with links to a relevant blog post. Blogs with strong visual content, like fashion, food, design, crafts and travel, are a natural fit. Infographics will also do quite well. Don\u2019t forget to add a Pinterest plugin (like the Pinterest \"Pin It\" Button for WordPress users) to make it easy for your readers to share your content on their Pinterest boards.\n6. Use link shorteners even when you don\u2019t have to.\nTwitter will now shorten your link for you, and the length of your link doesn\u2019t matter on Facebook and Google+. But by using a link shortener like bit.ly, you will gain access to metrics, so you'll know how many people clicked and at what time. With this essential data, you can experiment with different ways to tease your content and different times to post it.\n7. Use your blog name as your username whenever possible.\nPromote your personal brand by consistently using your blog\u2019s name for your Twitter handle, StumbleUpon name, Pinterest name and so on. Then, people don\u2019t have to wonder about your blog\u2019s name \u2014 it\u2019s right there. Also, people will remember you easily across platforms, which is key as you develop up your online community.\n8. Join blogger groups on Facebook.\nThere are some very active groups on Facebook that are terrific resources for any blogging issues you encounter. Look for groups like \u201CTravel Bloggers\u201D or \u201CGlobal Bloggers Network.\u201D WordPress geeks have \u201CAdvanced WordPress\u201D and Central Florida residents have \u201CCentral Florida Bloggers.\u201D Not only are blogger groups good for problem-solving, but it\u2019s well-known that bloggers like to read other blogs. Do some searching and find a bloggers group that\u2019s suited to you, or start your own!\n9. Be generous with other bloggers.\nPromote other bloggers' content, and hopefully they\u2019ll return the favor. You can\u2019t simply blast your own content anyway \u2014 you need some variety in every social media stream. So why not check out what your fellow bloggers are posting and give them a retweet, a share or a repin whenever you can. And don\u2019t forget to reciprocate and share content from bloggers who share yours.\n10. Be on social media \u2014 even when it's not driving traffic.\nIt can be frustrating when you feel that you\u2019re doing everything right (posting good content on the appropriate platforms in the best way possible) and you\u2019re still not getting many clicks. But console yourself by thinking about all of the links that you see throughout the day that you don\u2019t click on. Just spending time on social media platforms is great way to forge relationships, keep up on industry news and find inspiration for that next blog post.\nImages courtesy of iStockphoto, ardaguldogan."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2012/02/17/social-media-bloggers-tips/>