5 Cross-Promotion Ideas That Still Work Like a Charm

What works for one business might not work for another, and what's popular today might be out of style tomorrow.

However, that's why cross-promotion is such a powerful marketing tool. Cross-promotion is when you promote your content on multiple channels, including social media, email, and your website.

By promoting your content on multiple channels, you're increasing the chances that people will see it and, more importantly, that they'll make the connection between your content and your brand.

There are a lot of different ways to cross-promote your content. But not all of them are created equal. Some methods are more effective than others. And some methods are more likely to result in long-term engagement with your audience.

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Here are five cross-promotion ideas that still work like a charm:

1. Share your content on social media
2. Use paid advertising
3. Submit your content to aggregators
4. Participate in online communities
5. Do a content swap with another blogger

Share Your Content on Social Media

Sharing on social media is probably the most obvious way to cross-promote your content. But it's also the most effective.

When you share your content on social media, you give people a reason to visit your website or blog. And you're giving them a way to share your content with their networks.

The key to making this method work is to share your content in a way that adds value to your audience. Don't just post a link and leave it at that.

Here are some ways to craft effective social media posts:

• Write a compelling headline
• Add a relevant image
• Include a call to action that tells people what you want them to do with your content

For example, you might want them to read your blog post on a specific product, watch your video about accomplishing a particular task, or download your PDF to improve their situation.

The more specific you can be, the better. And don't forget to use hashtags.

Hashtags are a great way to reach new audiences and get your content in front of people who might not otherwise see it.

An example of a company using social media to share content and gain new followers is food delivery service Grubhub.

Here's what they did:

They ran a social media campaign called "That Grubhub Feeling" which showed positive experiences of people receiving food that they were craving.

They included a call to action with every post, telling people to download the Grubhub app.

The campaign was a success because it was relevant, creative, and had a clear call to action.

Use Paid Advertising

Paid advertising is a great way to get your content in front of a larger audience. And it's a great way to target a specific audience. There are many different paid advertising platforms out there. But the two most popular ones are Google Ads and Facebook Ads.

Both platforms allow you to target your ads so that they're only seen by people who are likely to be interested in your content.

• Google Ads allow you to target people based on their search keywords.
• Facebook Ads allows you to target people based on their interests, demographics, and behavior.

For example, you can target people who have previously visited your website but haven't made a purchase. This is a great way to get your content in front of people who are already interested in what you have to say.

James Crawford, Co-Founder at DealDrop, says, "Paid advertising is one of the most efficient and effective ways to cross-promote content. It allows you to target a specific audience with laser precision and get your content in front of them when they're most likely to be interested in it."

You'll need to create a budget to get started with paid advertising. And you'll need to generate some ad copy and imagery designed to get people to click on your ad. If this is your first time running a paid advertising campaign, it's a good idea to hire a professional to help you get started.

But once you've set that up, paid advertising can be a great way to cross-promote your content.

An example of a company using paid advertising to cross-promote content is the home improvement company Lowe's.

Lowe's used paid advertising with Google Ads to guide internet users searching for a specific product.

Through their ads, they were able to direct users to an appropriate landing page on their website where they could learn more about the product and make a purchase.

This campaign was successful because it gave internet users exactly what they were looking for. And it did so in a way that was convenient and easy to use.

Read this: '2022 Small Business Advertising Report'

Submit Your Content to Aggregators

Content aggregators are websites that collect and curate content from various sources.
Some popular examples of content aggregators are the following:

• Digg: A social news website that allows users to submit and vote on content.
• Reddit: A social news website with a variety of different communities (subreddits) devoted to different topics.
• StumbleUpon: A social bookmarking website that allows users to "stumble" upon websites and content they might find interesting.

When you submit your content to an aggregator, you're giving people another way to find your content. And you're increasing the chances that a larger audience will see your content.

You'll need to find the submission page on their website to submit your content to an aggregator. Then, you'll need to fill out a short form with a link to your content.

Once you've done that, your content is reviewed by the website editors. If they like it, they'll add it to their collection. Your content needs to be high-quality and relevant to the website's audience.

But if you can get your content featured on a popular aggregator, it's a great way to cross-promote it.

For example, (now defunct) website ToobBox.com posted a funny blog post about auto-correct messages. After a few months, a StumbleUpon user with a low follower count stumbled it, which resulted in 7,000+ views in a single day, and over 40,000 views total!

Participate in Online Communities

Online communities are a great way to connect with people interested in the same things you are.

There are online communities for just about every topic imaginable. And there's a good chance that there's an online community for your topic of interest. For example, looking at Reddit, you'll find communities for all sorts of non-traditional issues, such as:

• maps and navigation
• bird watching
• home brewing

There are also online communities for more traditional topics, such as marketing, entrepreneurship, and personal finance.

To find an online community, you can do a simple Google search. For example, if you're interested in gardening, you might search for "gardening forums" or "gardening communities."

Being active and helpful is key to using online communities to cross-promote your content. Don't just drop a link to your content and run. That's a surefire way to get banned from most communities.

Instead, take the time to participate in the community—answer people's questions. Help people out. Be a valuable member of the community.

According to Brian Nagele, CEO of Restaurant Clicks, "The best way to use online communities for marketing purposes is to be genuinely helpful and engage with other members as much as possible. By providing valuable insights, you'll naturally attract attention to your business and drive traffic back to your website."

And when you do share your content, make sure it's relevant to the community and that you're not just spamming people.

If you can build a relationship with the members of an online community, you'll be in a great position to cross-promote your content.

For example, the following companies have all used online communities on Reddit to their advantage to attract customers and strengthen existing customer engagement:

• Audi
• Toyota
• Maker's Mark
• Spotify
• Nordstrom

By being active and helpful in online communities, you can attract attention to your business. And when you do share your content, make sure it's relevant to the community and that you're not just spamming people.

Do a Content Swap With Another Blogger

A content swap is when two bloggers agree to share each other's content with their audiences.
This is a great way to get your content in front of a new audience. And it's a great way to build a relationship with another blogger in your niche.

To do a content swap, you'll need to find another blogger who writes about a similar topic to you. Once you've found someone, you'll need to reach out to them and ask if they're interested in doing a content swap.

If they are, you'll need to agree on the details. For example, you'll need to decide how you will share each other's content. Will you write a post on your blog and include a link to their content? Or will you share their content on social media?

Once you've agreed on the details, you must create the content and share it with your audience.

One variation of this is to do a podcast swap, which is when you and another podcaster "swap" episodes, with podcast A airing an episode of podcast B and vice versa. This is a great way to get your content in front of a new audience.

For example, PodCraft did an episode swap with Evo Terra and his show, Podcast Pontifications, to help grow each other's user base.

How Do You Decide Which Cross-Promotion Method to Use?

Now that you know five methods for cross-promoting your content, you might be wondering how to decide which method to use.

The answer is that it depends on your goals.

If you're looking to reach a new audience, you might try submitting your content to an aggregator or participating in online communities.

But if you're looking for a more intimate relationship with your audience, you might want to try content swaps or guest posting. It all depends on what you're looking for. Experimenting and seeing what works best for you and your audience is essential.

Cross-promoting your content doesn't have to be complicated. Using some simple techniques, you can get your content in front of a whole new audience. And the more people see your content, the more traffic you're likely to get to your website.

Additional Reading:

• 12 PPC Budgeting Tips from Advertising Professionals
• How to Promote a Mobile App
• 4 Logical Fallacies in Advertising