Once you’ve created an author website, you may be wondering what content to include and how to use it to gain more online traction. One of the best ways to do this is by starting your very own blog! A blog is a web page that is regularly updated with informally written articles, usually centered around a broad theme. Tellwell’s blog for example covers the publishing industry, with specific focus on self-publishing. Many blogs are in first-person and seem conversational.
You may be wondering how a blog will help to increase your book sales. Blogs are known to be one of the best tools to increase reader engagement and give readers a continuous reason to come revisit your site. Your blog is a preview of your writing style, so if readers enjoy the content you post online, they’re more likely to invest in your book. As with most online tools, blogs do have their own set of pros and cons. Keep reading to find out if blogging is a good option for you!
Pros:
As previously mentioned, blogging is a great way to increase your reader engagement. It can help your readership get to know you better, understand your book and its themes, and stay up to date on news and events. Reasons to consider blogging include:
- Curate more content to post on your social media platforms: Every time you write a blog post, you can share the link on your Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts. This will inform all of your followers that you have amazing new content for them to read.
- Improve your writing: Blog writing can be challenging as you always have to be coming up with new ideas. This will improve your creativity and challenge you to become a quicker writer. It also gives you the opportunity to explore new topics and styles, and collect feedback from your readers through their ability to comment on your content.
- Build your community: Your blog can become an interactive place for your readers to communicate with one another. Maybe your blog includes questions to readers about their thoughts about certain characters or plots twists. This allows your readers to feel included in your writing endeavours.
- Increase your SEO: The more you blog, the more online exposure you get. Search engines like Google use an algorithm to find your content and index it. So, your site will be ranked higher and appear more often in relevant searches if you’re posting frequently, using appropriate categories and tags, adding links to other online sites, and getting lots of comments from readers.
Cons:
While blogs can create wonderful content for your website, they also have some negative aspects. There are so many blogs on the internet that you may feel like yours is irrelevant or not gaining traction. Here are some reasons blogging might not be worth your while:
- Time: Creating content for blogs can be time consuming and exhausting! If you really want to optimize traction, you’ll need to be blogging weekly. You have to decide if the potential outcome of a greater online presence outweighs this. For most writers, the benefits outweigh the commitment, but as you know from writing a book, preparing fresh content does take time and energy.
- Competition: It seems like everyone has a blog these days. Standing out amidst the white noise requires fresh, engaging and unique content. Maybe you want to do something that is only yours and seems more creative. If you’re someone who likes to pave their own way and oppose trends, perhaps blogging seems too constrictive.
- It takes creativity and attention to detail. Make sure that your blog posts are not done haphazardly just for the sake of posting content. You still want your writing to be free of error. Amazing blogs must include captivating writing that is thoroughly edited and targeted to your readers.
Even though there are negative aspects to blogging, the pros generally outweigh the cons. There is a reason that blogging has become so popular. It is an extremely effective way to communicate and interact with your followers. It can also create a community amongst your readers, that you may not otherwise attain. Blogs are also a great way to show off your personality and allow your readers to experience a more personal connection with you – the author. This can foster a greater interest in your current and future books. If you’re still unsure, consider guest posting on someone else’s blog. Good practice for you, not to mention online exposure for your brand!
