When you publish a post of particular interest to your readers you will know immediately—or almost immediately. Typically they will let you know what they think about what you have written. This tends especially to be true if you write about something they strongly disagree with or agree with.
I have another blog called As the Spirit Moves Me. It has its home here on my other website. However, many of my posts are also published at VibrantNation.com. The other day I published a post in both places that generated quite a few comments at VibrantNation.com. Here’s one that generated a few at As the Spirit Moves Me.
Many blog programs allow you to decide if anyone can post a comment or if you will moderate all comments. (In WordPress this is in under Settings-Discussions.) This means you decide if the comment will appear on your blog. There are also plugins that help get rid of spam comments, such as Akismet. It’s a good idea to monitor the comments on your blog–another reason to stay on top of what’s going on even if you are scheduling posts.
It’s also a good idea to reply to comments if you can. This lets your readers know that you appreciate them and the time they have taken not only to read your blog but to tell you what they think of your posts. It also allows you to dialogue with them. Notice that I did reply to those people comment on those blog posts.
You reply to comments in much the same way you would to comments on any other blog, only you do so from within your blogging program.
In some cases, you can even begin asking commenter’s questions about your blog and its subject matter and getting even better or more targeted feedback in this manner.
If you aren’t getting comments, you might not have many readers yet or you might not be striking a chord with the readers you have. Sometimes readers are just shy. It takes a few people commenting before others speak up. At VibrantNation.com, readers comment often. On As the Spirit Moves Me, I get much fewer comments. I have another blog, though, My Son Can Dance, where I get quite a number of comments simply because of the nature of the blog and the readers.
In my next post we’ll begin talking about ways to drive more traffic—readers—to your blog. That will, as I said, increase the number of comments you receive.
Four Ways to Promote Your Blogged Book
As you write your blogged book, or as you try to drive traffic to your blog so you land a book deal (and can book your blog), the Internet provides you with many effective promotion tools. Here are four tried and true methods for achieving your promotion goals with online activity—activity most bloggers can do pretty easily if they put their minds to it since they like to write and hang out in cyberspace.
1. Start and maintain a blog.
Google loves fresh content, which is why blogs serve as the best tool for increasing online visibility. The more visible you, your book, your website, and your blog become, the more traffic (readers) your blog will attract. This means more buyers for your book now or when it is released. To create a successful blog, write about something you feel passionate about and do so often and consistently. That’s all it really takes. Of course, a topic other people have an interest in is an essential element of a successful blog as well.
2. Contribute material to e-zine article directories.
Recycle parts of your blogged book manuscript or blog posts into short articles you can post in e-zine article directories, such as Ezinearticles.com. Each time you do so you are asked to offer a resource box with a short bio and a link back to your website, book, blog, or subscription form. These articles are picked up by other bloggers, newsletter editors, e-zine editors, etc., and each time your resource box is featured. This means their readers get access to the links you have provided and may click through to find out more about you, purchase your book, or subscribe to your blog or newsletter. You can even use e-zine article distribution services, such as www.submityourarticle.com, and get your article distributed to hundreds of e-zine directories at once, making it available to thousands, if not millions, of new readers and possible fans.
3. Comment on other blogs.
Take the time to find bloggers who write about topics similar to those you write about. When they have something good to say or you can add something to what they have written, leave a comment on their blog. Each time you do so, you leave behind a link to yourself, your website, or your blog. If people who read your comment find what you have written interesting, they will click on the link to find out more about you. They may then decide to become regular blog readers or subscribers, book buyers, newsletter subscribers, or general fans.
4. Involve yourself in social networks.
Come out from behind your “computer” long enough to show your face on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin. If you can post status updates, share interesting links (and your blog posts), and offer great free information, you will quickly become a favorite in these social networks. Why bother? Because your followers, tweeple and connections will later buy your books, read and subscribe to your blog posts and newsletters, and basically become your fan base. That’s what every aspiring author or author wants and needs. Don’t forget to get involved in groups in these communities. By asking and answering questions, you get yourself known and develop more friends and followers. You also leave behind links to yourself, your website, your blog, your book, etc.