If you publish a blog and no one reads it, is it still a blog or is it the ramblings of your inner mind, inner soul or inner child? Most bloggers who send their blogs into the wilds of cyber space want "pings" and readers and hey some feedback every once in awhile would be nice too.

What's a blogger to do? First step is to read Biz Stone's post on Blogger Knowledge. Biz has written a comprehensive how-to article on marketing blogs. Some of his ideas are common sense, some you may be doing and some you need to implement.

Biz's Blog Marketing Strategies

1.Set your blog to "ping" in your blog software program. [Note: A "ping" is a call to action for directories and sites to find and include your blog in their listings. See #9]
2. Make sure you are publishing every post as its very own web page. That makes your entries way more link-able and more attractive to search engines. Links to your blog means traffic to your blog.
3. Write quality content and do it well.
4. Publish regular updates..the more you blog the more traffic you attract.
5. Think of your audience...visualizing the people who might read your blog.
6. Keep search engines in mind. Use post titles and blog page title tags along with your post page archiving. This will automatically give each of your post pages an intelligent name based on the title of your post. Also, try to be descriptive when you blog. A well crafted post about something very specific can end up very near the top results of a search.
7. Keep your posts and paragraphs short. A longer piece every once in awhile is fine but according to Biz most people want to "pop in, read up, and click on."
8. Put your blog URL in your email signature - simple but often overlooked.
9. Submit your address to blog search sites and directories - Top 55 Dirctory and RSS Sites from Robin Good
10. Participate in meme games. A meme is an idea transmitted from person to person like a virus.
11. Advertise. - BlogSnob is a network of free, text-based blog advertisers
12. Link to other blogs.
13. Install a blogroll.
14. Be an active commenter. Try to leave comments on the blogs you read every day. This is in the same vein as linking. Leaving a comment on someone's post can make their day.
15. Pitch your posts via email to other bloggers.
16. Print your blog URL on your business cards, stickers, etc.

I'm adding one more to the list -
17. Write for other blogs like Blogcritics! Bonus hint: make sure that links to your own blog are included in the deal.

Hey Biz...thanks for missing the hot dogs - you've given us some great ideas!

If you have any other strategies add them to the list. Please and thank you!