It’s remarkable to think how much the online marketing arena has changed, even over the past couple of years. Not so very long ago, online marketing was almost single-mindedly focused on “link building”—because at the time, the more links you had for your content, the better your Google search rankings were going to be. As strategies have shifted and Google search algorithms have changed, link building has become less of a priority, while the focus, increasingly, is on solid content creation.

Does this mean that link building is dead? By no means! Links are still desirable, not least because the more links you’re getting, the more people are seeing and sharing what you wrote—which is a big part of why you’re marketing in the first place: To increase your brand’s exposure. Links don’t hurt your Google standings either—not if they’re from authoritative sources, respected bloggers, or simply social media followers.

The question is how can you boost the exposure of each piece of content you write—and maximize the odds of earning links from the people who read it?

Know Your Audience

To begin with, you’re really only going to get links from people who care about the article or blog in question—people who read it, are intrigued by it, and wish to share it with others. If you’re trying to get links from anyone outside that niche, you’re probably barking up the wrong tree.

As such, an important first step is defining your target audience. Who are the people you’re writing for? What are their goals, and how is your content going to help them? Keep these questions in mind as you write, and you’ll end up with a more focused and effective (read: linkable) piece of content.

Plan Your Promotion Strategy

This may seem like an obvious point to make, but it’s something many content marketers forget: If you want to boost your exposure, you need to put some strategy and some thought into the way you promote the content.

Remember that there are literally thousands of new articles posted to the Web every day, and far more Facebook status updates and tweets. If you want to get those links, you need to cut through the noise and reach your target audience. Part of this means thinking about which social networks your target audience members are most likely to use; part of it means timing your posts, ensuring that you’re promoting your content during peak social media usage. It might also mean allotting some “sponsored” Facebook and Twitter bucks to the pieces of content you’re most zealous to see linked to and promoted.

Know Your Industry’s Movers and Shakers

Who are the social media users within your target audience group who are truly influential—who exhibit the widest reach? Those are the people you most need to win over, because a link from them likely means links and shares from many other individuals.

Thankfully, both Facebook and Twitter make it easy to find folks like this, thanks to the trending topic and search functions. Use some keywords or hashtags related to your niche to find out who’s an influencer; follow that person, try to cultivate a relationship, and see if your content doesn’t get noticed and promoted.

Of course, all of these strategies hinge on you having content that is high quality and link-worthy in the first place. If that’s where your struggle lies, perhaps it’s time to call in the professionals at Grammar Chic, Inc. Visit www.grammarchic.net or call 803-831-7444 to learn more!