Blogging has become a critical part of an author’s platform. It serves as a way for an author to connect with their fans and readership. It also serves as a way to announce new releases and upcoming events. Everyone says blogging is so important, but this piece of advice often doesn’t come with tips and hints on how to make blogging really work.
The importance of blogging is simple to explain. Creating a great blog that people love to visit is an entirely different story. Instead of explaining why blogs are important, I’m going to focus more on how to make a blog that is important to your fans.
That’s what is really important, right?
Focus your Blog on your Passions
People write at their best when they talk about the things they feel really passionate about. This can be love or hate. Some subjects (like politics) are a lot more volatile (ie: likely to blow up in your face) than writing about your writing and your books, but the key to a strong blog is to write about things you want to write about. Don’t force yourself. Let the words – and the posts – come as things inspire you.
Just don’t write one post and vanish for six months. When you’re inspired, write several posts. Get a buffer on your site. Ideally, you’d post something at least once a week or more frequently. People won’t return to visit a blog that isn’t updated on a semi-frequent basis.
Post Consistently
People are creatures of habit. Try to post somewhat frequently. While fans and readers totally will understand if you miss an update or don’t post for a while, the blogs that keep providing new, interesting content will develop a much stronger readership. If you’re someone who posts good content somewhat frequently, you’re much likely to be linked to or bookmarked than a blog that has very infrequent content.
Appearances Matter
You don’t need to have one of those overly designed websites, but you do need to have a blog that is easy for people to read. Go ahead and be yourself with whatever colors (and theme) you want to use, but make sure the colors are appealing to the general eye. Most importantly, make certain that your text is easy for people to read. Don’t worry about having a lot of fancy, pretty images. Worry more about the words you write. You (and your blog) will be okay.
Connect with Other Blogs
It might come as a bit of a surprise, but connecting with other blogs is a really great way to meet new people. Invite other bloggers to your website to talk about a favorite subject or host guest interviews. People are often interested by these types of posts, and it’s a great way for people to get to know you and your guest at the same time. When you host a guest post or interview, make sure you link back to the other person’s blog. It is an important part of blogging etiquette.
Moderate your Comments
Some people let all hell break loose on their blogs, but moderating your comments is important. There are a lot of spammers out there, and you want to make sure you don’t expose your regular readers to these spammers. Moderate your comments every day to make sure your bloggers are able to talk with you and other commenters on your site. On days you post a new entry, you will want to watch for new comments several times a day or have your blog notify you when there is a new comment needing moderation.
Most importantly, have fun! Blogging is an adventure. You have a chance to meet a lot of fun people who are interested in you and your writing. Enjoy the process, and you’ll find your readers and fans will respond to that.
Good luck!
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Genre - Fantasy
Rating – PG - 13
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