As authorprenuers, we must market our products; Platform, Brand, and Website provide the way.
Today we’ll recap our discussions over the last several months because this topic is worth repeating.
1) What Does It Take To Promote Your Writing?
It takes Author Platform, Branding, Identifying your audience, an Author Website, and building Connection with your readers. Overwhelming? Yes, but, we must reach folks to read our stuff, so let’s get going.
A Platform, established and maintained, is the action you take to promote your writing. Kimberly Grabas founder of YourWriterPlatform.com defines Platform succinctly. It describes the ways you connect and engage with your ideal readership – the readers who are most receptive to your work. It also denotes your influence, visibility and authority.
Branding is who you are and how you are known. We market ourselves through our branding.
You have a book in you. Write it and get it out there.
More: https://www.writersonthemove.com/2019/04/what-does-it-take-to-promote-your.html
2) What Does It Take To Market Your Writing? Great Content
To market your writing it takes focused effort for Author Platform, Branding, and an Author Website. Let’s talk about Great Content today.
We use the internet to research concepts, compare topics and glean information for our work, discover fresh ideas, and to find the best, consistent resources without wasting time or money. We must deliver informative, strategic, and timely content in the same way.
Five Tips:
1. Since we are not entitled to our reader’s attention, deliver content that grabs their interest through text, imagery, podcasts and video, and make it snappy for the scanners
2. If it grabs, it’s likely to spread
3. Use proven structures such as:
*Headlines, and sub-headlines, that command attention
*Focused introductory sentences
*Information that solves a problem
*Limiting the message to one central point
More: https://www.writersonthemove.com/2019/05/market-with-content.htmll
3) Create a Strategy that Delivers Great Content
What does it take to promote your writing, be it articles, stories or books? The answer is much more than Sales Pitches and Events. How do you tell your readers or a prospective publisher what you are about? How does your promotional offer benefit the reader? The answers are: your Author Platform, your Branding, and your Website. It’s the way you inform and engage your audience. This week we’ll talk about Great Content, and developing a Strategic Plan.
Points for brainstorming your strategic plan to deliver great content:
1. The WHAT: Writing a series of five, six or ten articles focused on one theme
2. The HOW of delivery is via quality information in text, graphics, video and audio. We are not entitled to our reader’s attention. Deliver content that grabs their interest early, and make it good for the quick-look reader.
3. Change up the presentation by offering an article in text with audio as well.
4. Make it original, relevant and valuable while staying focused on your theme.
5. Also, make it substantial and in-depth even when it requires 1000 words or more.
6. The WHY: Connecting with your audience which leads to engagement and sharing
7. WHEN you build Connection, readers are more likely to follow by taking Action
More: https://www.writersonthemove.com/2019/06/create-strategy-that-delivers-great.html
4) Content Curation & Aggregation
You promote and inform readership of the benefits you offer through your Platform, Branding, and Website. Let’s talk about growing engagement by diving a bit deeper through Content Curation and Aggregation.
• Content Curation is not creating new content; it is the process of searching out, discovering, compiling and sharing existing content for your readership relevant to a specific topic or subject.
o Content Curation’s purpose is to add the value of a broader view and understanding.
o Introduce the content with your own perspective and ideas, then provide a link to the source article via “To read the original article go to: …”
• Content Aggregation is the collection of information for a particular topic with one or more related keywords. >>>
Adding value is the best path to growing your readership and promoting your work.
More: https://www.writersonthemove.com/2019/07/content-curation-aggregation.html
5) Platform, Brand and You
Your Platform and your brand, presented via your website, tells readers who you are and what you are about. These three, closely aligned will present a consistent message. Readers will return often to ask; “What do they have for me today?” “What more can I do to build my writing business?”
Your Platform is useful if you are a blogger writing essays, articles, or books. Our success requires visibility, thus we must communicate with our readers. Work to make your message clear and valuable, building trust. As for me, I want people to know where I am, what I offer in the way of writing craft, and the pieces I’m working on. How do they connect with me? My Website.
What’s Brand? You Are! You are your brand. We build brands through words, images and actions—your actions.
More: https://www.writersonthemove.com/2019/08/platform-brand-and-you.html
6) Market Your Product
As authorprenuers, we must market our products i.e., books, articles, and niche. Platform, Brand, and Website form the vehicle to make that happen. These, along with your mission statement tell your readers who you are and what you do. Closely aligned they present a consistent message.
Your Platform is a useful necessity for all authors whether you write essays, articles, blogs or books, fiction or nonfiction. Brand is who you are. You are your brand, built by words, images and delivering as promised. Success depends upon visibility. We communicate with clarity and offer valuable information through our websites because Content is King.
Start building your writer Platform now without delay and maintain it to keep connecting with your clients; building a Platform takes time…
More: https://www.writersonthemove.com/2019/09/market-your-product.html
7) What’s Different About an Author’s Website?
As authorprenuers, we must market our products. Platform, Brand, and Websites form the vehicle to make that happen. Writers’ need a dynamic website, update or start anew.
• Create a Clear Identity
• Create a vibrant headline with an image that is topic or niche focused and describes what you write and might include an image of your latest book cover, or another highlight of your work
Lots more: https://www.writersonthemove.com/2019/10/whats-different-about-authors-website.html
8) Social Media and Powerful Headlines
As authorprenuers, we market our work through our website and social media
Delivering great content value for our readers is the goal. So, show them where to find it. Enter—social media.
As you register for social network accounts, pay close attention to building your profile and the name you choose for your account. Using your brand is powerful. Is your name your brand or is your theme your brand? Consistency matters, use it throughout all the social media accounts you create.
Let’s select from the highest rated social networks to promote our writing. >>>
More: https://www.writersonthemove.com/2019/11/social-media-and-powerful-headlines.html
Helpful resources:
Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s “The Frugal Book Promoter”
https://howtodoitfrugally.com/the_frugal_book_promoter.htm
Kimberly Grabas founder of YourWriterPlatform.com defines platform succinctly. Platform describes the ways you connect and engage with your ideal readership – the readers that are most receptive to your work.
https://www.yourwriterplatform.com/
Joanna Penn and Marketing:
https://www.thecreativepenn.com/marketing/
Deborah Lyn Stanley is an author of Creative Non-Fiction. She writes articles, essays and stories. She is passionate about caring for the mentally impaired through creative arts.
Visit her writer’s website at:
https://deborahlynwriter.com/
And her caregiver’s website at:
https://deborahlyncaregiver.com/
Facebook: Deborah Lyn Stanley, Writer
https://www.facebook.com/deborahlynwriter/?modal=admin_todo_tour
