It's a common question asked by new bloggers everywhere – My blog is up, now how do I get the word out? Here are really TONS of different ways to get your blog out there, and I am not about to write ALL of them here, lol. Here are the ones that I have tried and stuck with because they worked. There are other things that worked for others but not for me – so just because it's not on the list doesn't mean it's not worth trying. BUT – these are the things that work for ME.

Facebook Applications – Are you on Facebook? If you only have one blog to promote, you can add the RSS feed to your profile. Each time you post on your blog, it will be added as a note to your profile. This lets people know what you have been writing about. If you have more then one blog, like I do, there are applications you can use to read all your feeds. I use one called My Blogs. It shows the last five posts on my profile, and each time I add a post to any of my blogs it adds a link to my profile feed.

Twitter Tools – Twitter Tools is a WordPress plugin that lets you connect to your twitter account. I have it set up on this blog, and whenever I submit a post, it sends a tweet letting my followers now. This works for me because my twitter network is mainly other bloggers who do the same, they don't see it as “twit spam”.

Stumble Upon – I have a Stumble Upon account, and I have the toolbar installed. When I write a new post, I stumble it right away. Now, you have to be careful with this: you can't just stumble your own stuff. I stumble other people's posts and sites to frequently. Stumble upon is consistantly one of my top referrers of new traffic other then search engines. I also use stumble upon to find ideas and things to write about.

Commenting – Commenting is HUGE! Building and promoting a blog is all about community. You have something to say, but why should we listen? There are a lot of blogs out there, and I have found great ones just by chance, but the majority of the blogs that I frequent are ones who's writers left me a comment in the past. Find blogs you really like that are in the same target as you (other moms, other wahms, etc) – and add them to your feed reader. Pick as many as you have time for. Then, read them daily and comment often. Most bloggers will return the favor. For example – if you leave a comment here, I will visit your blog. I will probably comment, and I might even add you to my feed reader!

Share Some Link Love: This goes along with the commenting. It's building relationships with other bloggers. Occasionally, mention your favorite blogs in your posts and link to them, add them to your blogroll, etc. Perhaps, a list of your 5 favorite blogs to visit and why? Link Love is a great way to get a little attention and put yourself front and center in other blogger's memories. They may even return the favor!

So there you have it. I hope you find some of those helpful!