Apr 22 2009
How to build an audience for your blog
I’ve written before that blogging is a really useful marketing tool and is one of the only ways for a first-time author to establish an audience before he gets published. When you pitch your book to publishers, they will be really encouraged if you already have an audience. But how can you attract an audience to your website?
1. Pick a niche. If do a general writing blog, you’re competing against hundreds of thousands of similar sites. Try blogging about something more specific instead, like a blog about how to write a romance or a superhero story or a young adult fantasy, etc. If you’re planning on using this blog to market a book, the niche should be related to the book.
2. Pick a title that identifies your niche. For example, if you Google something like “writing a superhero comic book,” the first result will be a site that calls itself “Superhero Nation: how to write superhero novels and comic books.” Our name makes it really clear why you should click on us. We offer superhero writing advice. In contrast, if our name were something like “B. Mac’s Superhero Site,” that wouldn’t work at all. If readers aren’t sure what kind of information you provide, they will skip past you. Also, please do not use your name in the title unless you are a celebrity.
