Here are some free social media resources for promoting your blog. I don't believe there is a thick line between blogging and social media. I feel they go hand-in-hand and that its very hard to have one with out the other. Regardless of the format of the blog you are using, you still want a site to send people to who you meet through social networking.

1. Tweetdeck

This is the application that I use for 90% of my social media interaction. Recent upgrades have really pulled it ahead of the crowd as far as features. At first, Tweetdeck was a Twitter application that only ran twitter feeds, but organized all the people you were following into "decks" you could have celebrities in one, comedy in another, close friends in another, and then the rest all separated from each other. This added to the value of Twitter itself and thousands of people found it useful when Twitter started to really take off.

Now Tweetdeck pulls from more than just Twitter, including Facebook, Linkedin, and Foursquare so you can stay connected. Tweetdeck also has scheduling options that allow you to add a series of updates all at one time.

Tweetdeck also has a free iPad and iPhone app available.

Another service that is strictly web-based (I prefer desktop software for no real particular reason) is Hootsuite. It is also free, can also load multiple feeds, and has been able to schedule updates longer than tweetdeck. If you are more of a web-based kinda guy (or gal!) you might want to check this one out. I know plenty who are using it and loving it.

2. Tumblr

There is a bit of a debate over free blogs and self-hosted blogs. The average mommy blogger may choose a service like Blogger or Wordpress.com. There are many pros and cons of both. But of the stock of free blogs, I find the Tumblr offers a bit more. Tumblr has additional features than Wordpress.com and Blogger, such as the ability to re-blog content. This is similar to "retreating".

Tumblr also offers a variety of stunning themes that you can access the HTML to and edit as you wish. If you already have a blog, you might want to also blog on Tumblr and experience some of the social networking capabilities that they have to offer.

Are you enjoying the information? Sign up for more at Blog Writers Academy (dot com)

3. Blogtalkradio

Blogtalkradio is site that hosts the worlds most internet Talk Radio shows and stations. Getting started on BlogTalkRadio is as easy as creating an account and picking up a phone. You can create audio blogs, or audio versions of your blog from any phone or cell phone. A lot of shows I have listened to take place from the hosts own car, since audio is he perfect medium to consume or create while driving.

You will also receive the SEO benefits of having a format in audio and on this site particular. Few people know this, but Google indexes this site as news, so you have the added benefit of getting ranked as news by Google.

4. Dropbox

I love this resource and recommend it to anyone, with or without a blog. This is a great way to sync all the devices you may be writing on. I currently go between a laptop, desktop, smart phone and now tablet device and because of Dropbox it doesn't matter where I am or what I have, I can work on pieces I'm writing. They also have a site where all your saved work is available, so I don't even have to be on my own computer.

I got used to writing in a basic text editor to maintain compatibility across platforms.

Here are some good uses for Dropbox: If you work with clients, sign each client up for Dropbox. That way all forms they sign and need to refer to are constantly updated and available. Keep a folder of works in progress, so you can always go back and edit things that aren't quite done yet. And finally, if you're working on projects with multiple people, this is a perfect way to make sure everyone who needs access has it, and those who don't- can't view the document. You can add many folders and limit who sees what. So instead of having just one account everyone logs into or one central website, they each get their own account with limited access.

If you haven't signed up yet, you can receive extra space for free if you use my link (I will also get extra space for free!)

5. Mailchimp

This is a must for anyone who is looking to make money from their social media. Regardless of your monetizaton model, there will be an email campaign involved at some point. Mailchimp provides a free autoresponder that allows you to hold 1,000 contacts and make 6,000 sends a month- for free!

They have all the features of some of the more costly email senders, including custom forms, HTML templates and unlimited lists and groups.

This could be key for anyone looking to build their email list. They can devote their blog to content, and only send offers and promotions for products through email- to people who want to receive them. A blogger could also use Mailchimp to send posts via email, to people who would rather read blogs in their email inbox.

6. Blog Writers Academy Dot Com

If you are thinking about increasing your reach through a blog, you should check out our free 7 day ecourse. This will discuss what to consider when starting a blog and give great resources and free plugins for increasing the traffic of your blog.