The last part in a four-part series on blogging for businesses, which will explain the benefits of having a blog, things to consider when getting started, how to blog using your toolset, and additional tips and tricks for an effective blog for your business.

We've already discussed the benefits of starting a business blog, what you need to do to get started, and tips for using the Cool Life CRM and CLS Suite blog tools effectively. If you've been following with us this far, then you're well on your way to having a professional blog presence. However, there is one more thing you need to know - how to promote your blog and gain increased traffic.

Here's 5 ways to promote your blog effectively.

1. Put your blog link wherever your audience will see it.

Let your audience know that you've started blogging by putting the link in places that they'll see it. Do you email your clients a lot? Put your blog link in your signature. Like to hand out business cards? Put it on there. Run a pizza delivery service? Why not put your URL on your pizza boxes? Be creative!

2. Share your blog on social media.

If you have a decent social media following, then why not let them know you've started a blog? Better yet, share the links directly on social media every time you publish a new post. Make sure you share them across all your social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.) in order to get the maximum amount of reach. Just make sure that before you do this, your blog post has three things: a compelling title, a proper meta description, and a high quality picture. These are the three things social media sites will include with the link once it's shared, so make sure all these factors are present before posting.

3. Allow people to subscribe to your blog and send updates via email.

Do you already have your loyal customers sign up for an email list to get coupons or discounts? Why not also include an option for them to subscribe to your blog while you're at it? Then you can send your subscribers emails to keep them updated on your new blog posts. You can easily use the Cool Life CRM and CLS Suite email marketing tool to do this.

4. Bring in guest bloggers.

Know and follow other bloggers in your industry? If you have a good relationship with them, you can ask them if they would like to guest blog on your site. If they agree, you can have them write blog post for your site, which will allow them to bring their own expertise and insight to your blog. Not only will this liven up your content, but it works to promote your own blog to those who follow your guest blogger.

5. Become a part of the conversation.

Lastly, the best way to promote your blog is to use it as a tool for engaging and conversing with your audience. This is the whole point of blogging - not talking at your audience, but talking with your audience. Give them valuable content that provokes a response. Give your audience ways to leave feedback and encourage their participation. Also, remember to pay it forward! If you enjoy content from someone else's blog, leave them a comment and let them know! Become a part of online conversations naturally, and don't try to shoehorn in the link to your blog in the process. If people on other blogs see that you have something important to say, they may find themselves looking for your blog. This is a great way to generate traffic naturally and to establish a strong base of followers.

So, there are 5 ways to promote your blog, which ends our series on Blogging for Businesses! Did we miss anything? Are there any additional questions you have about blogging? Let us know in the comments below!

Liz DeMeo is a writer for Cool Life CRM, a CRM system and marketing tool provider. We provide cloud-based solutions which help companies better manage their clients, data, marketing, and sales. We also provide CLS Suite, a toolset tailored specifically for small business owners. Both of our toolsets come with a blogging tool which allows our clients to post their blogs directly on their website, with no knowledge of HTML required.