This post is part of the monthly Author ToolBox Blog Hop, organised by Raimey Gallant. We now have over 40 blogs participating. To find more Blog Hop posts:
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Modern writers need to do more than write. They need to market as well. That means understanding the basics of marketing.
Platform
An author platform is any means by which you can connect with readers and sell books:
- What is an author platform?
- How to build an author brand
- How to Create Your Author Platform (a guest post at BadRedHead Media)
- A website (which can include a blog, but doesn’t have to).
- An email list (which we use to send a regular newsletter).
- Social media profiles.
Website
Do I need an author website? (Spoiler: yes).
I do not recommend building your website on a free site such as Blogger or WordPress.com. Both are limited in terms of their functionality e.g. you can’t use them to sell books.
Nor do I recommend using a proprietary platform such as SquareSpace, Weebly, or Wix. Yes, they produce a beautiful result, but you don’t own the platform in the same way as you don’t own your platform on social media.
Instead, I recommend building your own website with WordPress.org. (Yes, that’s different from WordPress.com).
WordPress powers around 30% of the internet, which means you’ll always be able to find help if you have a problem. It also means there are thousands of free and paid plugins (apps) that will enable you to do pretty much anything you can think of on your site.
- I buy and manage my domain names with Crazy Domains.*
- My sites are hosted with Bluehost*.
- If you want help building your website, check out WP-BFF free 5-Day Website Challenge*.
*Note: these are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission if you click my link and make a purchase. This doesn’t cost you anything.
Email Newsletters
Many authors forego building an email list, as they say they can connect with readers through social media on platforms such as Facebook. That’s true. It’s also not true.
Once upon a time, you could post about your new book on your author Page on Facebook, and everyone who followed your Page would see that post. Facebook is now monetised, and no longer give you that kind of free exposure. Instead, their algorithm only shows the post to 1% or 2% of your audience … unless you pay to Boost a post, or buy some other form of advertising.
If you don’t currently have an email list, then I recommend using MailerLite.
Blogging
Many authors have a blog attached to their website. Do Authors have to Blog? Maybe. It’s more important for nonfiction authors than fiction authors, but many fiction authors do blog because they enjoy it.
Do authors have to blog? Maybe. Find out the answers to this and other author platform questions in Marketing for Authors 101 | Your Author Platform #AuthorToolBoxBlogHop #BookMarketing Click To TweetBlogging is a great way of developing an online platform, and it’s great for SEO (search engine optimisation aka helping people find your site through Google or another search engine). Here’s how to make your blog SEO-friendly: 12 Steps to a Great Blog Post
Social Media
Do I have to be on social media? Probably. But social media should be about connecting rather than selling. We want to:
- Connect with readers
- Connect with other writers
Should I hire someone to build my social media presence? Maybe. However, we need to be authentic on social media, which is easier when it’s you. And we shouldn’t be tempted to take short-cuts like buying followers (which can get us kicked off the platform). Instead, we should play the long game, and build a group of engaged followers.
That’s my quick tour of building an author platform. What would you add?
This is GREAT advice. I need to get better about marketing. I have to be honest, I’ve done absolutely very little! But you’ve given me some insight as to how to start. Thank you!
I think we all need to get better about marketing. I’m pleased you found the post helpful!
Great advice Iola – I waited too long before creating my author website as I thought it would be time consuming and expensive. It proved to be neither, and is now a useful place for my readers to find my other books, audiobooks, and podcasts.
I agree – it’s neither time consuming or expensive (although you can spend as much time or money on it as you want). Thanks for visiting.
Thank you for sharing this. I keep putting off the newsletter. I do. Probably because I avoid newsletters, myself. But I know I should do it. I’ll be sure to check out Mailer Lite.
I’ve recently been told that just because I don’t like something isn’t a good enough reason not to do it – at least not when it comes to a marketing tactic.
This is all great advice. I’ve only just started on Twitter. I need to wrap my head around the newsletter part. I hate newsletters and wouldn’t feel right doing one myself. I might just have to get over that.
What do you hate about newsletters? That’s probably the wrong stuff to be doing anyway! Are there any newsletters you do like? What makes them different? Could you do that instead?
Wow! That’s a lot of info. Thanks for the post. 🙂
Anna from elements of emaginette
Man, those spoilers! I kept hoping the answer would be no, and then I could take some stuff off my plate. 😉 Great post, Iola. Will definitely add to my facebook schedule to share there, too. 🙂
Wow, what a great list and resources! I purchased Newsletter Ninja, but I haven’t gotten around to reading it yet. A newsletter is something I know is important to have, but I’ve been dragging my heels a bit, feeling overwhelmed. I think that’s going to be a goal of mine in 2020. Thanks for the thought-provoking post!