Why is starting an author blog recommended to writers as a way to market themselves to readers?
In short, blogging is the best way to build your author platform.
There is so much noise out there on how to market your books. One person says you need to get on Instagram. Another says YouTube is the way to go. Another swears you should do nothing but Amazon Ads. While these may be warranted in their own right, having a blog gives you control of a place you can call your own.
Check out these nine reasons why you should start an author blog to promote your writing and your brand.
1. A blog is a website
If you want to make a living as a writer, as many of us do, you have to treat your writing as a business. And one of the first things people look for to determine if the business is legitimate is a website.
A blog is an interactive website that you post to regularly. It is a place to drive traffic in order to sell more books.
Instead of a static website that never changes, a blog allows you to talk to your readers about important issues in between book releases.
Blogging on a regular basis also keeps your name at the top of your readers’ minds. Then, when your next book does come out, they are already aware of it and ready to buy!
2. SEO is important
One of the ways a blog can work for an author is through search engine optimization or SEO.
When a reader searches your name, your books and your website should be the first things to pop up. Keywords, paired with images and the readability of your post, all play into the SEO of your blog.
These are the things that Google and other search engines look for when someone types a question into the search bar.
If your blog posts are optimized for SEO, you have a much better chance of showing up in the Google search results, potentially gaining more readers.
Don’t let SEO intimidate you. It may seem complicated, but there are several tools to help you optimize your posts. I personally use Yoast SEO on both of my WordPress sites. You can get it here.
3. Develop your writing habit
As writers, blogging should come fairly naturally to us since it is, in itself, writing.
To get the best results and the most traffic to your blog, you need to post regularly.
Some people say once a month is fine. Others say you need to post no less than twice a week. Regardless of how often you decide to post, consistency is key. Every Monday or the first of every month. Every time.
I know a lot of writers cringe at the thought of spending valuable time writing for a blog when they can be writing their WIP. However, think of blogging as a way to practice your craft and help somebody in the meantime.
4. You own your own real estate
When you have a blog, you own your own little corner of the internet.
That means you control it. You can decide who can comment. You can decide what gets seen or if something needs to be deleted.
Building your author platform on your own website is kind of like building your house on your own piece of land. If you build your platform solely on social media, you might as well build your house on someone else’s land.
At any moment, Facebook or YouTube can decide they don’t like your content and shut down your page. If this were to happen, you would lose all of your followers. You would have to completely start over from the ground up. The thing is, these platforms have every right to do that, as unfair as it may seem.
When you own your own website and get people to subscribe to your email list, nobody can take that contact information from you. Those readers have willingly given YOU their email address for the intention of contacting them.
As important as it is to have your own website and email list, you should absolutely still be on social media. Go where your readers are. Promote your latest blog posts on social media, bringing readers back to your website.
5. Promote your writing
Not only can you sell your books directly to your readers through your blog, but you can also showcase your writing.
Through each blog post, you give the reader just a taste of what your writing is like.
If you are a nonfiction writer, you can dive deep into your chosen topic, lend support, and showcase your expertise. People are more likely to buy things from you if they see you as someone who really understands the topic.
If you are a fiction writer, you can write about your characters or what inspires you. You can write about your genre or give reviews on the books you read. Drumming up excitement about your books through your blog posts can be a great way to promote your books without being salesy.
6. Develop a loyal readership
By blogging regularly, you can gain a loyal readership.
Sharing the links to your new blog posts on social media will enable you to reach new people. It may take seeing your links on social media ten times before someone clicks through, but once they come to your site, they are going to look around. If they like what they see, they will keep coming back for more.
These readers will begin to expect your new blog posts every Monday (or however often you publish your posts) and, if you deliver, they will be sure to tell their friends.
Blogging can be a very effective form of content marketing and consistently publishing blog posts is a great way to establish your content marketing strategy. You can read more about creating a content marketing strategy in my blog post, here.
7. Create an additional revenue stream
One of the advantages of having an author blog is the ability to create additional revenue streams. There are several ways to do this. Of course, you can make money by selling only your books. Many authors do, but I would advise against putting all of your eggs in one basket.
That’s where your author blog can come in handy.
Your author blog is your central hub online. You are already directing traffic there with your blog posts, why not use that to your advantage? Why not use it to get more eyes on additional ways your readers can support your craft?
On your blog, you can offer speaking events or courses. You can create a membership site or sponsorship program. Throughout your blog posts, you can even include affiliate links for products you believe in and receive a commission for each purchase made through that affiliate link.
Creating these different income streams can, not only fund your writing, but it can also help protect your livelihood.
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8. Establish yourself as a professional
By continually writing about your chosen topic, you will become a go-to resource for information, inspiration, or entertainment.
If you present yourself as a professional, people will start to see you as a professional.
Now, I’m not saying to lie to your audience to make them think you have credentials if you don’t. I’m just saying that if you start writing what you know and write about things as you learn about them, you will be able to provide valuable information to your readers.
That’s what a professional does.
They build trust with their audience by providing valuable information or entertainment. This also often leads to more sales and repeat customers.
9. Control your brand
In addition to the security a blog provides by owning your own real estate, blogging also gives you the ability to control your brand.
You get to interact with your readers on your own turf.
You get to design the look and feel of your blog.
Your books and services can be purchased directly through you.
This is yours.
On your blog, you get to play by your rules.
Not Facebook’s rules.
Not YouTube’s rules
Your Rules.
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Over to You
Hopefully, you found this helpful!
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Writing regularly for a blog that doesn’t go into a book to be published can be frustrating. Your time is valuable. Trust me. It will be worth it. These nine reasons are just the beginning of the advantages of starting an author blog.
Do you have any advantages to add?
