Blogs
can be an author’s best friend, even if it seems like a time suck to read,
share, or post on blogs. But let’s take
a look at how many successful authors strategically use the world of blogging to
advance their brand and promote a book.
There
are lots of blogs out there of varying sizes and shapes. Some have millions of followers and others
have only a handful. One of the first
uses of blogs is to inform the author of what’s going on in the world of books
and publishing, as well as the subject area he or she writes on or the industry
he or she works in. You can easily
monitor what’s being said out there by connecting to popular blogs on a
targeted topic.
The
next thing authors should do is try to connect with these influential bloggers
and befriend them. Offer to write a
guest-post or provide comments to their blog.
They can help you build up your following by sharing your voice and
exposing it to their tribe.
Look
at who else comments on the blog. Try to
connect with them as well. They, too,
want to be active in the online community and perhaps you can help one another.
Of
course, one of the best ways to establish yourself is to write a blog and post
regularly. Share your posts with others
and invite your family, friends, and social media followers to sign up for the
blog.
Now
just because you have a blog, it doesn’t mean everyone’s reading it or even
knows it exists. You must promote the
blog just as you would a book. You may
ask: Why bother?
Well,
it depends on the pay-off that you seek – and that’s attainable. A blog can outlast a book. A blog could be a lifetime thing, where a
book comes and goes. The blog is your
epicenter, a reliable, consistent place where people can connect with you. As you build the blog up, it will be there for
you for your future book releases.
You’ll have built up a following that’s hungry for that next book.
There
are cons to blogging. For one, it
doesn’t earn you money until your following is large enough to attract advertisers
or requests from others to pay you as an influencer to mention their
product. Most blogs don’t earn money.
Blogging
is time consuming. You must write,
research, edit, post, and share your blog on a frequent basis. If you respond to comments, that’s even more
time used that could be applied to knock out a book.
One
way to keep a blog going is to write short posts, invite guest-posts, interview
others, or to use visuals that get a message across without having to labor
over a long post.
Blogging
is not for everyone but I think once you get into it and stick with it for a few
months, you will find it rewarding. To
take your book marketing to the next level, strongly consider being an active
blogger.
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