Can You Blog to Sell Books

Blogs have popped up all over the internet and writers are getting in on the growing trend. The original idea behind blogs was to have a personal journaling space online. There were many sites online for people to post random thoughts about anything and everything. But, blogging has taken on a different tone.

There are still many people who post journals on these sites: http://www.diaryland.com/ and http://www.livejournal.com/. These are ones that I used several years ago. I used them to store chapters in my latest books, but most people used them for diary posting that they could share with others. Writers and other business people have discovered new uses for blogging and journaling space.

Pick a Name for Your Writer's Blog

Writers need to pick an appropriate and useful name and address for their blogs. Most blog programs allow you to choose your URL (address). This is like your website URL. Think carefully and pick a URL that will attract search engines and that’s easy to remember. Don’t worry about being cute, pick something that will attract visitors and reflect the content of your blog. Your author name, book title, setting or something related to the theme or content of your books would be good choices for the blog address and name.

Communicate With Readers on Your Blog

We now see many blogs for authors. Many business people have discovered that blogs are a good way to communicate with their customers. They can promote the services and products. It is also a good way to share business information with people who are interested in the company. An effective blog can work the same way for authors.
This is a great way to establish the business as an expert in their field. Being considered to be an expert can be a huge boost for the company. Can writers use this to their advantage? In many sections of this book we will discuss the importance of building your credibility and making yourself an expert. Blogging is a great way to do this and it’s inexpensive. It can work for businesses and it can work for you.

Blog vs Website Content - A Difference

A reason why many people prefer a blog instead of regular website content is because it’s more casual and personal. Website content can be very impersonal and this is especially true for businesses. Blogs are a casual way to actually communicate with potential customers. A writer’s blog and website should be informational, but never boring or tedious.

A benefit of using a blog to post is that many people don’t update or change their website content on a regular basis. A effective and interesting blog should have new entries on a regular basis. Your posts should be done daily or several times a week. Whatever timeframe you chose, stick to it and people will return to see what you have to say - if your posts are interesting and useful for them.

• When you decide to establish a blog, determine your objectives.
• What do you want to accomplish?
• Is it only to communicate with customers?
• Do you want to educate your visitors?
• Do you want to generate website visits and sales?

When you determine your objectives, you will know how to approach the promotion of your blog.


Nikki Leigh - Fiction and Non Fiction Author
Author of the Book Promo 101 Serieshttp://www.nikkileigh.com/book_promo_101.htm