My Blog

When I published my first book through Create Space my knowledge of marketing meant taking a grocery list to Walmart not promoting my book.  Even other writers didn’t prepare me for what needed to be done in order to get my book in the hands of readers. They floated in the same boat along with me. To make matters worse I still failed to set up a plan by the time I wrote my second book. I soon realized no one would beat down my doors to tell me how to grease the skids a bit so my name would become linked to my products, which in this case, was writing.  My first step into marketing was to create a blog.

Why a blog is important –

1. Drives traffic to your website
2. Converts traffic to winning fans & generating interest
3. Opportunity to be an expert
4. Promote your beliefs, charity, ideas, creativity
5. Creates an audience
6. Generates anticipation for your product or book
7. Research & interests help gather people into your fan base
8. This becomes part of your brand or who you are as a small business person or in my case a writer.
9. This is a great place to give readers a sample of your work, have a contest, offer interviews, showcase products that have something to do with your work https://www.tierneyjames.com/2017/04/damsel-in-defense-you-say/
10. More words help you practice your craft, maybe even write your next book.

How to start a blog –

At this point you might groan with yet one more thing to distract you from your writing. I look at this task as an opportunity to show off my writing in other ways. I write action-adventure thrillers that demand I do a lot of research. Some of that research goes into only a paragraph in my story even though it took me weeks to find solutions to a particular problem.  This is where I take that information to inform readers about places like Afghanistan.  https://www.tierneyjames.com/2016/05/1906/  When I had a cancer scare I blogged about it so other women would take steps to protect themselves. I got a chance to use my wit for  an uncomfortable topic. https://www.tierneyjames.com/2017/01/a-funny-thing-happened-on-my-way-to-get-a-mammogram-part-1/

I chose blogspot.com for my first try. It was easy to set up for a newbie. At some point I outgrew it and needed to change it up a bit. About that same time I started a website which required I use WordPress for my blog. I liked the security options and storage for all my posts.  These are some things to consider when you create a blog.

1. Platform – I used BlogSpot and WordPress
2. Choose a focus – What will you write about?
3. Schedule – How often to post? Jeff Goins of Tribe Writer suggests at least once a week.
4. Personal or Topical – This is part of finding your voice when you write.

Great Content

Several things to consider when you are writing your blog are titles. A snappy title for your blog definitely can catch the attention of readers.  Your content for your posts also requires a unique title to create curiosity and draw potential fans back to your sight over and over. Then make that first sentence or paragraph so compelling you’ve hooked the reader. Make some key points about the topic. You may want to add a contest, giveaway or call-to-action moment. Promise some tips next time on your post that continues the dialogue. Be consistent with your posts; both in how often you post and the subjects you cover.

Ready to start? Go!