10 Ways to Build an Audience for Your Books Online
1. LAUNCH AND OPTIMIZE YOUR WEBSITE: No matter where you are in the process, a website is essential to build an audience, share samples of your work, showcase your accomplishments, attract media and impress publishing professionals.
2. HOST A BLOG: A blog can be a creative outlet for a writer, not to mention a powerful promotion tool. Update it frequently (three times per week) and over time, your traffic is bound to increase. To start yours, check out www.Typepad.com or www.Wordpress.com.
3. UPDATE ONLINE PROFILES: Many sites allow you to post a bio with your public profile. Make sure you have several versions of your bio readily available in short, medium and long formats. Showcase your expertise in your subject matter, mention your book(s) and always include a link to your site and/or blog.
4. LEVERAGE E-MAIL MARKETING: Build loyal fans for life by publishing an interesting electronic newsletter with content related to your book(s) or by sharing periodic announcements. Include a sign-up box on every page of your site. Get started with www.ConstantContact.com or www.iContact.com.
5. FORM ONLINE PARTNERSHIPS: Find people who reach a similar target audience and look for ways to team up and promote each other. You can publish articles on each other’s websites or newsletters, host an event or contest together or cross promote with social media.
6. PROMOTE WITH ARTICLES: Write for industry publications and related websites to build your credibility. You can also make your articles available for reprint through sites like www.ezinearticles.com, www.ideamarketers.com, and www.goarticles.com.
7. CONTACT BLOGGERS: Search blog directories such as www.Technorati.com to locate blogs that cover subjects related to yours. Contact bloggers to inquire about book reviews, guest posts, interviews and other ways you can work together.
8. BE A GUEST ON INTERNET RADIO PROGRAMS: Unlike traditional radio where you might be interviewed for 10 minutes, online radio shows, podcasts and teleseminars typically have guests on for up to an hour. An added bonus: listeners are often at their computers ready to buy! To find relevant shows, search Google for keywords and investigate shows archived on iTunes. Also check out sites like www.blogtalkradio.com, www.alltalkradio.net, www.wsradio.com, and www.womensradio.com.
9. LEVERAGE SOCIAL MEDIA: Sites like LinkedIn.com, Facebook.com and Twitter.com are ripe for finding and building an audience. Create an interesting profile and get active in social networking communities. Invest a little time each day, be engaging, share great content and watch your fan base grow!
10. BE SEEN AND HEARD EVERYWHERE: Marketing is all about repeat exposure. Build your brand by getting known for your expertise. Participate in all of the above suggestions and more. Contact the media, go out and speak, write articles for trade publications and find new ways to reach your target audience.
*You are welcome to reprint this article provided the following bio is included:
Stephanie Chandler is an author of several business and marketing books including “The Author’s Guide to Building an Online Platform: Leverage the Internet to Sell More Books” and “From Entrepreneur to Infopreneur: Make Money with Books, eBooks and Information Products.” She is also CEO of http://AuthorityPublishing.com, a custom publisher specializing in nonfiction books.