This week we will be starting a new five part blog series on How to Use Social Media to Promote Your Book On-Line! Each week we will discuss a new and original way for you to use social media tools topublicize a new book, draw in a broader and more diverse audience and create a personal brand on-line. These tips will allow you to not only connect with your audience but they will help you bring in a new batch of fans that you may not have known existed!
We’ll start off with an easy tool this week … a blog! A blog is a type of website that allows a user to add regular content and publish it for viewers to read. A blog can contain thoughts and ideas from the writer, articles on specific subjects or even media like video or photographs. A blog is one of the easiest and most valuable tools you can have when trying to promote yourself, as well as previously released and newly published books, on-line.
There are several different ways to go about creating a blog. You can create an account on a website like Blogger.com or WordPress.com and have your blog hosted for free or you can create a blog on your current website by downloading code from WordPress.org and installing it on your site. The second option is a little bit techier than the first option but the result is a blog that is directly linked to your current website, making it easier to find for your reader. You can also download different themes and customize your blog to showcase a specific book release or novel series.
The sky is the limit when it comes to deciding on a theme for a blog. The most common theme is simply a journal where you could update readers on your new projects, upcoming events and personal experiences to help make the reader a part of your world. A simple blog about how a new book is coming along while you write it could be extremely popular especially if you include “Breaking News” and “Exclusive” content on your blog. This type of blog also has the advantage of being able to be written with the help of an assistant. You could write the articles or stories and then allow the assistant to update the events and new project blogs. This would be a great option for an author who is engaged in writing a book but would still love to create their presence on-line.
You could also choose a character from one of your books and write a blog through their eyes to drum up publicity for a new release or previous set of novels! This could be fun for both you and the reader and allows the reader and get a glimpse on how a storyline is coming along. This type of blog could also be a great way for you as an author to create new stories and test out new ideas.
Here is your summary for this week’s tip:
1. Research if you would like a hosted blog or a blog created on your existing website.
2. Decide on a theme for your blog.
3. Add exciting content and enjoy connecting with your reader!
Remember that creating your presence on-line doesn’t always have to be hard work, it can be fun! Have fun creating you blog and experiment with different blog styles until you find one that fits you. Next week we will discuss how using YouTube can help create great ad campaign for your new book release!
Have a Great Day!!
