September 10: the tenth day of InSeMaMo
Today's challenge is to review your blog. Do you have a clear purpose for your blog page and every individual post? What do you write posts about? How often do you post? How can you best use blogging as a marketing tool? We'll explore those questions today.
Do you have a clear purpose for your blog page and every individual post?
In my pre-challenge post I advised you to make sure your blog, if you have one, is on your website, so it can attract people to your website. (If you missed that post, read it here.)
Once they come, however, your blog page, like every page of your website, should have a goal for them. A call-to-action, on every page. What, exactly, do you want each page of your website to encourage visitors to do? To contact you, so you can start building a relationship with them? Then have a Contact Me button where they can't help but see it. To sign up for your newsletter? Have a Sign Up button. (More about that in a future challenge). To buy your books? Feature your books in the heading or sidebar of every page.
Yes, you want your blog posts to interest and entertain your site visitors, but you also want them to motivate anyone who reads them to --- (write your goal here)
Now check your blog page and your posts. Have you motivated your reader to do that? Have you made it easy for him/her to do it right now after reading the post, or does he/she have to hunt through your site to do so?
What do you write posts about?
Are you writing posts that attract readers? Posts on writing, even if you have a lot to say about the subject, attract writers, not readers. ( This is an I'm-not-following-my-own-advice-grin ;-) )
So what can you post about that will attract readers?
Here are a list of things to try:
How often do you post?
This is up to you; my only advice is to go for quality over quantity. Every autumn I have a challenge of some sort, and I post daily that month. The rest of the year, I post on average once a month. (More about that tomorrow.)
How can you best use blogging as a marketing tool?
8 Incredibly Simple Ways to Get More People to Read Your Content: http://www.copyblogger.com/scannable-content/
How to make your blogs go viral: http://www.authormedia.com/viral-blog-recipe/?utm_source=Author+Media&utm_campaign=18c482d996-Weekly_Newsletter_April_3rd4_2_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6b5a675fcf-18c482d996-410992093
How can you improve your blog posts?
(Don't forget to check out my birthday FB message: https://www.facebook.com/janeann.mclachlan
Today's challenge is to review your blog. Do you have a clear purpose for your blog page and every individual post? What do you write posts about? How often do you post? How can you best use blogging as a marketing tool? We'll explore those questions today.
Do you have a clear purpose for your blog page and every individual post?
In my pre-challenge post I advised you to make sure your blog, if you have one, is on your website, so it can attract people to your website. (If you missed that post, read it here.)
Once they come, however, your blog page, like every page of your website, should have a goal for them. A call-to-action, on every page. What, exactly, do you want each page of your website to encourage visitors to do? To contact you, so you can start building a relationship with them? Then have a Contact Me button where they can't help but see it. To sign up for your newsletter? Have a Sign Up button. (More about that in a future challenge). To buy your books? Feature your books in the heading or sidebar of every page.
Yes, you want your blog posts to interest and entertain your site visitors, but you also want them to motivate anyone who reads them to --- (write your goal here)
Now check your blog page and your posts. Have you motivated your reader to do that? Have you made it easy for him/her to do it right now after reading the post, or does he/she have to hunt through your site to do so?
What do you write posts about?
Are you writing posts that attract readers? Posts on writing, even if you have a lot to say about the subject, attract writers, not readers. ( This is an I'm-not-following-my-own-advice-grin ;-) )
So what can you post about that will attract readers?
Here are a list of things to try:
- stories of your own life, lessons you've learned,
- excerpts from your books,
- stories about your characters that aren't in your book,
- updates on your WIP,
- book and movie reviews.
- Get out that list you made on day one, of your target market's interests and hobbies. (Find the challenge that discusses that here.) Write about those.
How often do you post?
This is up to you; my only advice is to go for quality over quantity. Every autumn I have a challenge of some sort, and I post daily that month. The rest of the year, I post on average once a month. (More about that tomorrow.)
How can you best use blogging as a marketing tool?
- Make sure every post is so good readers want to come back for the next one, and
- Make sure every post motivates your reader to respond to your call-to-action
8 Incredibly Simple Ways to Get More People to Read Your Content: http://www.copyblogger.com/scannable-content/
How to make your blogs go viral: http://www.authormedia.com/viral-blog-recipe/?utm_source=Author+Media&utm_campaign=18c482d996-Weekly_Newsletter_April_3rd4_2_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6b5a675fcf-18c482d996-410992093
How can you improve your blog posts?
(Don't forget to check out my birthday FB message: https://www.facebook.com/janeann.mclachlan
RSS Feed
