As bloggers, our work is not finished when we’re done writing our latest blog post. Believe it or not, but that’s usually the easy part. Getting your post out there so that others comment on it, share it, favorite it and talk about it is what makes the difference between a mediocre blog and a great blog.

Here’s a short list of some obvious and not-so-obvious things you and I must do for every blog post we write.

1. Optimize the headline

How you word your headline is more important than pretty much any other component of your post. Without a compelling, engaging and relevant headline that just screams “click me,” your potential readers will skip right over you.

Something that has always worked for me is to include numbers in the headline. For example, look at the headline for this post. You’ll notice that I’ve specifically listed a number. It gives your readers a quick overview of what to expect from the article.

This technique works for several reasons, but the biggest seems to be that it makes the post easier to be skimmed. Let’s face it, most folks won’t read your entire post. They just don’t have time. Therefore, many readers look for content that appears to be easy to skim. Lists work wonders for skimming. Putting a number in your headline also gives your readers a sense for how long the article is. Again, this all goes back to appealing to folks who want relevant information as quickly as possible.

2. Share it on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc.

This should go without saying, but I’ll mention it anyway, because of how important it is. If you want your content to be shared, you should start the process by sharing it first.

When it comes to how you share your blog post, don’t be boring and repetitive. Instead of tweeting the headline and the link again and again on Twitter, take small snippets from your post, quote them and add the link. This helps you give the appearance of having a variety of content while still linking back to the same post. It also allows you to hit on more keywords than those in the headline alone.

3. Search for and comment on related blog posts

Bloggers are very reciprocal. If you comment on their blogs, they’ll often comment on yours. That’s one reason to comment on related blog posts. In addition to this however, you want to attract the same kinds of readers as those blogs are attracting, so why not go to the source?

Of course, don’t be spammy, even in the slightest way. Make sure your comments are completely focused on the content of that blog post, not yours. If your comment is insightful, some folks will click on your name and find out about you and your blog.

4. Bookmark it on all the major sites

Social bookmarking sites aren’t what they used to be. But hey, it still helps to get your article out to as many people as possible. Therefore, make sure you’re submitting your article on Digg, StumbleUpon, Delicious, Reddit, etc. The traffic can’t hurt.

5. Respond to everything in the comments section

It amazes me every time I see a blog post with lots of comments and absolutely no replies from the original author or site owner. Why even bother having a comments system installed on a blog if you’re not going to engage with the folks who take the time to leave their thoughts?

On the flip side, if you do reply to each and every comment, you’re automatically reinforcing the behavior of commenting and potentially creating a fan for life.

6. Add a unique, relevant and interesting image

A blog post without an image just doesn’t look right to me. Social media is driven by its visual elements. The amazing success of Instagram and Pinterest should reinforce that claim. Take advantage of this by adding an awesome image to every post. This is what gets your blog post pinned on Pinterest boards and shared on Tumblr. Images create engagement, because we’re just tired of plain old text.

7. Talk about it in the real world

Every time I give a group presentation on social media marketing, I mention my blog and my most recent post. This helps people remember not only what I do, but what my blog is about.

Of the following two lines, which sounds better? “Hey, I have a blog and you should read it!” or “I just wrote an informative article on the 5 things you should be doing on LinkedIn and you can check it out here!” Obviously, the latter one is catchier.

Well, there you have it. 7 tips to help you get the most out of every blog post you write. I look forward to hearing how you’ve implemented these suggestions. Happy blogging!

About the Author: This is a guest post from Nicholas Scalice. He is the founder of FastBlink, a social media marketing agency based in Boca Raton, Florida. FastBlink helps brands leverage the power of social platforms through authentic engagement.

You may connect with him through their Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and company Blog.