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Promote Your Writing Using Web 2.0 – Step 2
By Deb Gallardo
In this 3rd article in a series on promoting your writing we’ll be discussing the importance of comments on your blog, and the necessity of building a list of subscribers. For previous posts in this series, click here and also here. (Links open in new windows.)
We already established in the articles mentioned above that a blog is essential to a writer, and that this blog should be on your own domain and hosted by an inexpensive webhost. One of the reasons a blog is considered a part of Web 2.0 is the interactivity of blog comments. Comments can become almost as important as your posts.
To stimulate comments, remember to ASK readers to comment at the close of your articles. Create a comment contest, ask their opinions or come up with another clever way to encourage people to leave their comments. Also, you should always respond to each comment to continue the dialogue. You want to engage your readers so that they become repeat visitors.
Now, what’s this about building a customer database? Well have you been to a business establishment where they have a basket on the counter where people can throw in their business cards for a drawing? Don’t think the business only uses the cards to pick someone at random.
If they’re smart, they will use those cards to create a customer mailing list from those business cards, hopefully with email addresses, but physical addresses are good too. They can then send out postcards, coupons, a newsletter, invitations to private sales, etc.
The same goes for you and your blog. Create a short report to give away as an incentive for people to give you their email addresses. Then create a series of emails, weekly or monthly (weekly is best) to send to all your subscribers. You could have a random drawing for one subscriber to receive a free copy of your latest book, perhaps quarterly. You’re a creative person. Put on your thinking cap and come up with brief content that your readers would want.
When in doubt, ASK them what they want to receive from you. Do they want tidbits from your life? This needn’t be ultra personal. Write about the naming of your cat or parakeet or pet bobcat. With online privacy an issue, you want to be prudent, but there is no reason to house yourself in an ivory tower.
Still, if you’re feeling ultra paranoid, you might take on the persona of one of your characters, or perhaps a pet, and write from that point of view as though this one were your personal spokesperson. Then you can add a few tidbits of your own at the end, perhaps contradicting your spokesperson, who may be totally wacky, for some humor.
The important thing is to get yourself out there among your readers in a way that suits your security level, but that also makes a personal connection. Please comment below with your thoughts on this subject.
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