If you have just joined in on the blogging series, you can go HERE to catch up.

I am sorry I took some time off from this blogging series during the holidays, but I want to finish the last 3 weeks. I hope that you have been blogging during the break and have gotten into a routine by now. Now is a great time to start getting your blog out there. One of the best ways to do this is through social media sites.

Social networking is a great way to promote your blog and also connect with your readers. It is a lot easier and quicker to establish relationships and conversations on social media sites then directly on your blog. The importance of establishing a relationship with your readers is that when they connect with you they are more likely to continue to visit your blog and follow it regularly.

I am far from being an expert when it comes to social media sites, but here are the top sites you will want to create an account for-

• Facebook Page- I am sure that you already have a Facebook account. Now you can create a page for your blog. It is fairly simple to set up. Make sure to share your blog posts on your page. Facebook will not let you add your RSS feed anymore but there are sites out there that will do this for you. However you can always add your links manually. Adding a comment with the link seems to be more effective then just posting the link.
• Twitter- You can also set up a Twitter account for your blog and automatically send your feed to it. Although I do not do much more on Twitter, it is more effective if you are tweeting more then just your blog posts. The more you can interact with your followers the better.
• Google +- This is the newest site that you will want to create an account for. G+ will be replacing Google Friend Connect, which will be removed from all WordPress blogs in March. You can set up an account in your name and then add a page for your blog. You are then able to create circles for your followers and can send things out to just certain people.
• StumbleUpon- This site helps you discover and share great websites. If you use this site properly it could bring you a lot of traffic. Basically, as you “Stumble” you will be matched to websites that meet your interests or that your friends have recommended. What you want to do is visit these sites and read the articles. If you like the article then give it a thumbs up. You also want to leave a comment on the blog. You can also share any great article that you find. Just do not only share your articles. If other users find your shares interesting then they can follow you. The more credible you are the more likely they will visit your site.

As you create accounts for these sites, make sure to add them to your sidebar so people can follow you. A great way to get a jump start on getting followers is holding a giveaway. If you do not have a giveaway of your own to hold then you can always join other blogs that are hosting a giveaway. You can add your Facebook, Twitter and/or G+ link as an entry for as little as $1.

The best advice I can give when it comes to social media sites is not to get too overwhelmed. Some times it feels like there is so much to do and not enough time. Just find what works for you. It can be visiting each site for a few minutes each a day or choose one site a day to focus on. It is also better to be great at one or two then bad at 5. So find which sites give you the best results and focus on them.

This Weeks Homework

~ Create at least one Social Media account for your blog.

~Leave me a comment below with a link to your site and new account so I can follow.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive compensation in the form of money or credit. By clicking the link you are helping to support Money Saving Secrets Blog.