Whether you’re looking for good exposure to build your brand or for just some good SEO (search engine optimization), advertising is essential for a lot of us.

Frankly, I have a zero advertising budget. From time to time I can be found purchasing a no-follow link from a ScratchBack widget but otherwise, I don’t spend a dime on advertising.

Am I saying this is smart? No, not really. But I have a lot of things to spend my money on and putting my name out there right now isn’t one of them.

So, due to the lack of advertising budget, I thought I’d share with you some of the ways that I get free exposure for I’m Blogging That (and my other blog, Katy In Las Vegas).

Let’s skip what’s been talked about 1,000 times. You know about pillar posts, link bait and social networking. These are all practices that a lot of bloggers have. But there’s more that you can do, even if you have heard of it, maybe you haven’t tried yet.

Exchange Blog Reviews

Sometimes even the best bloggers need someone to scour their blog with fresh eyes. Exchange blog reviews with another blogger that you know. Cover their entire site. Link to posts that you really enjoyed, pump up some of their own advertising that is free (like Entrecard). Talk about their design and what you do and do not like about.

Exchanging blog reviews can be fun, help gain some new readers, and give you some of those all too important back links.

I have heard, although because I’m not an SEO expert am unsure, that exchanging reviews should be done at different times to give back links at different times. How affective this, I’m not sure. But exchanging reviews is certainly worth-while.

Find a blogger in your niche and approach them. The worst that can happen is they check out your blog and say no. No worries, don’t take it personal!

Technorati Favorites Exchange

One of Technorati’s great features is to have the ability to become a fan of another blog. By having favorite blogs you’re helping other bloggers to gain exposure when your Technorati profile is viewed.

This has become such the marketing tool that a small program was created that will automatically make you a fan of any blogger that has become your fan. You can check this out over at Internet Duct Tape.

Head over to Technorati and become a fan of every single blog you love! Even if the other blogger does not return the favor, it’s still great exposure for your Technorati profile.

Banner Exchanges

The popularity of the 125×125 banner has more than tripled in the last few years! It seems as though every blog has a 125×125 banner… to use for Entrecard or any other advertising purchases.

Talk to your blogger friends and ask if they’d be interested in exchanging banners with you. Be sure however that the exchange is fair. Obviously someone like John Chow who commands a great deal for a banner on his site wouldn’t find it fair to place a banner on my site.

The blog should be equal to yours and the specifics on how long the banner will run should be laid out ahead of time.

In addition to the popular 125×125 banner, there’s many blogs who have “Recommended Links.” Ask for an exchange in this position. Generally most bloggers will be much more interested in this exchange than a banner exchange but it’ll never hurt to ask!

And never overlook the ever popular top sites. Getting a great deal of exposure from these type of sites can be difficult as your blog has to be voted up close to the front page for maximum exposure. Votes come from people who click from your site to the topsite (in most cases… each topsite’s voting structure works differently).

While I’m not someone to fill my blog with topsite links to have this work for me, it may be something you’re interested in doing. Just today Jenny emailed me to tell me about her new topsite Mini Me and Mini Me and Mindy and I have run WAHM Topsite for over a year now.

Guest Posts

Probably the ultimate in exposure if you’re guest posting on the right site, guest posting however is not for everyone.

I have heard many different reactions to an expected outcome of guest posting. Including Lori’s post about her guest post on ProBlogger.

My suggestion with guest posting to maximize your exposure is to ensure you’re guest posting on a site within your niche. You want the audience from the blog you guest post for to join you at your blog. To do this, you should be on similar subjects you already know the visitors will be interested in.

Ensure that your guest post is original and on topic. Be specific with the blogger you’re guest posting for to know what you can and cannot include… like affiliate links, links to other blog posts, and how long your author information should be.

Conclusion

There are many more ways than this to get effective free advertising. The key is to find which is right for you and work it all that you can. Ensure that through networking you have the connections you need to make these suggestions work for you and keep at them. No one can expect the maximum results the first time out of the gates, keep at it!

How do you maximize your blog’s exposure for free? Do you have a tried and true technique that works for you?