In the last segment we talked about using the media to get more exposure for you as an author and your books. In this segment we are going to about gaining competitive edge to build a successful online presence for you and a more recognizable brand name for you as an author and your books.
Creating a competitive edge is another important aspect of branding. Today, the online world has many methods of branding. The most popular method of branding and gaining the competitive edge is through the use of blogs. Blogs allow a site to increase traffic, improve rank through search engine results, and even helps with credibility building also.
Just in case you aren't familiar with how a blog works here is a short introduction. Blogs are websites that use the new Web 2.0 technology which allows visitors to a site to post their own comments, articles, and more. Giving a user the access to post things to your site allows them to feel a sense of ownership in your career. They work in many ways which may include forums, discussion boards, or even look like a daily diary in a sense. They keep the visitors up to date on current events and allow for discussion to take place.
There are many reasons to use blogs as an author--first and foremost among these are accessibility to your target audience and the ability to build a personal connection with them.
Let's talk about how you can use a blog to your benefit.
If you do decide to add a blog then there are many things to consider so you get the most out of it. Before you begin, consider the importance of things like keywords and phrases, links, useful information, and even contact information, do your research and assemble the data necessary for your template.
The primary purpose of blog writing for branding is to gain more exposure and get the word out to people that you exist. Blogs are an excellent way to create hype and exposure because the web has billions of readers, and if you can turn just a tiny segment of those into loyal readers of your books you can have a successful career as an author.
When using a blog it is important to make sure that you use important keywords that are relevant to the books you write and the interests of your target audience. These keywords and phrases should be the words that will be typed into the search engines when a user is looking for what you offer. The keywords should be used naturally throughout the content of the blog. They will work by allowing your blog to be pulled up in the search engine results when users type in the specific keywords and phrases you used in the blog.
Adding links to blogs is a very important thing for two reasons. They provide an easy method to get back to your site and provide an inbound link. Users always appreciate an easy way to find you. If you are talking about your books and offered in a blog without links to where the customers can purchase them then it will do no good. Customers will only search for an author or book for a very short period if they search at all. You have a better chance of a customer when a link is right there in the blog so they can easily click and make their purchase.
URLs are also beneficial for a business because they provide inbound links. Search engines often rank a blog or website through popularity. Popularity can be built by inbound links from other sites, so it is a good idea to offer incentives for other blogs and websites to link to your blog. The more inbound links you have the more popularity a search engine thinks you have.
An important part of this is to post interesting and relevant comments on other people's blogs that will allow you to leave a link back to your own blog or website! Working together for the common good, the blog owner receives relevant comments and new content that they did not write themselves and you receive a high quality backlink to your own site.
A blog needs to provide beneficial information for the visitors and readers. When there is something useful or interesting to the reader they will come back for more. Blogs give you the opportunity to provide the free advice and useful information that will interest the users and cause you to gain credibility for being knowledgeable about the topic or genre that interest your target audience.
Smiles and Good Fortune,
Teresa Thomas Bohannon
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It is not wealth one asks for, but just enough to preserve one’s
dignity, to work unhampered, to be generous, frank and independent.
– W. Somerset Maugham (1874 - 1965) Of Human Bondage, 1915
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