Should Authors Have Blogs?
Holly had the opportunity to be a guest on Learn with Lana speaking about how blogging can help authors give a foundation for growing their community and attracting new potential readers and book-buyers.
Helping Authors Build a Community
1. What blogging platform is best to get started?
Holly Homer recommends starting on a free or low cost platform when beginning a blog. The truth is that most people actually DO NOT keep up with blogging over the first 6 months and don’t really know what they want until they have been blogging for awhile.
Places to start free blogs:
- Blogger
- WordPress.org
- Medium
- Weebly
- Tumblr
Once you have some content under your belt and have a good feeling for the features, customization that you want for the future, it is easy to hire someone to “move” your blog onto the gold standard which is self-hosted WordPress.
2. How do you choose your niche or what to write about?
Start with what comes easily to you within the knowledge that you get to decide how much you share about your life online. Writing regularly will help you develop a good sense of not only what comes naturally, but over time it will likely head in a direction that might be a little unexpected! Let it roll.
Remember that a blog doesn’t have to look like anything specific. There are no set WAYS to blog. People are connecting with YOU through your writing so it doesn’t always have to be “on topic”.
3. WHY a blog in 2024?
A blog gives you a home base online that you control. You don’t have to worry about algorithms or feeds. It is a static online address that can give your readers a security that they can find you again and again.
4. Pagewheel helps build a community that keeps coming back
Using the simple tools in Pagewheel, you can create a simple lead magnet or freebie to give to your followers. When you make that lead magnet, Pagewheel will automatically create the sales page (or opt-in page in this case), delivery page, delivery email and suggested social media promotion of that lead magnet. All within minutes!
What that means is you can easily give free stuff to people online and then add them to your email list which gets them coming back over and over.
5. How to get people to your blog
Creating content that your readers identify with creates a relationship that grows over time. Letting people know that you have that content is the way to grow your blog readership (and email list). Pagewheel has many tools that can help you create a promotion schedule, content and ideas that uses AI to make your life easier and less stressful!
