To Blog, or NOT to Blog...

     A few weeks ago, I wrote about the importance of building up your social media presence as a writer. Time to move on...

Today's topic?

Blog. Blog. Blogging!

Are you a writer? Journal-er? Avid scribe? If so, then you're already ahead of the game. Here's some ideas to get you started:

The most important word of advice is to 

Drum roll please...

WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW! 

     Do you have a hobby or skill that you'd like to share? A topic that interests you? Something that you can offer to others who may want to hear your friendly words of advice and inspiration? If so, then that's what you need to write about! Make sure its something that makes your heart soar. Otherwise you'll find yourself as bored as your readers, and you'll have a stagnant blog to boot.

     Before you decide to hit the keyboards, you must choose a domain name - prepare a list of possible names for your blog site. (If you're a dedicated writer, I'd suggest getting a domain of your own name. You can also secure other website names that may resonate with you and reflect your hobbies and interests.)

     Do a Google search on the domain names that you've picked to see if there are others out there in the vast internet galaxy. You'll want your blog to stand out, so if you find similar ones, you may wish to choose something else.    

     Once you've made your mind up, you'll need to do research on who will host your blog. Here are some of the top contenders, but also plan on doing additional searches to decide which one is best for you:

Blogger

Word Press

GoDaddy.com

Thoughts

     
     After you've paid for your domain name, it's time to start blogging! I've heard countless writers complain about the following things to me when it comes to starting a blog:

I don't have time to blog!

Who is going to want to read my blog?

It's too much work!

Blogging is B.S.!

There's no need to blog because 
my book will sell itself!


Blah, blah, freakin', blah!

     Yes, I've heard it all, and this is only the condensed list of complaints. My answer is always this -- you know for a fact that whenever you're trying to learn a new task or skill, there will be a few quirky bumps in the road to overcome. But, once you get the hang of it, you'll look back and wonder what all your bitchin' was about to begin with! PROMISE!

     Does it take a commitment to maintain your blog? YES it does! 

     You need to decide if you'll contribute daily writings or one or two times per week (or month.) 

     When I first started my blog, Living La Vida Lymphoma, I kept the momentum up on a daily basis. The feedback I received made me realize that there were others out there who needed the daily bits of inspiration that I was dosing out to them. Two months later, I found myself wondering if I could keep up the pace. Then, my darlings, I discovered that I could pre-write my blog posts and schedule them to be published on a set date and time! Voila! That removed the stress aspect from wanting to continue blogging but, also not wanting to let my followers down. 

     Now I blog when I feel like it -- first thing in the morning. If I'm sapped for energy, I may wait until I have a creative burst and pop out a whole month's worth of blogs within a few hours. Then, my entire month's worth of blog posts are ready to go! EASY BREEZY!

     So, should you blog? 

     If you're a published author, it is imperative that you have your own author blog with links to your books and information about projects that you're working on. Links to interviews you've done -- anything to keep your faithful readers wanting to get inside your head! They love you and you should be thankful they want to follow your every move.

     And if you're a budding writer and want to share your message with others, then just DO IT! It'll take hard work and dedication, but your words will become immortalized, and, who knows? You may just inspire others along the way!

Tips for Writers on Boosting Your Presence in the World!

     I receive a lot of questions from other writers on how to market themselves and their work so I decided to share some pointers with you.
     A few years ago, I attended a writer's workshop that was facilitated by Author, Carol D. O'Dell. She urged us to start out by Googling ourselves to see how far back we had to go before our name appeared. The goal was to eventually build up our internet presence. When I went home, I tried it and I landed on page 25. What to do?

• Do a Google search.
• Sign up for all facets of social media...Facebook, Twitter, Tumblir, Pinterest, etc. If you are already published, you may wish to create other Facebook pages to suit your needs. (I have a personal page, an Author,Jodi Sykes page, and one devoted to my book - The House on Pancake Hill.) Try to keep the personal page strictly for family and friends. That gives you creative license on your other pages, if you so choose to go that route.

• By all means, B-L-O-G! (Oh, STOP IT! I can hear the groans already!) I was diagnosed with Lymphoma in 2009 and began blogging about my experiences. My followers started saying, "This needs to be turned into a book!" so, I shut down the blog and listened to them. My book, Living La Vida (Lymphoma) was published in 2013 and I restarted my daily blog which now has over 42,905+ hits. I know this may be too much for you to handle all at once, so I promise that I will dedicate another post on the "how-to's" of blogging for you...not to worry!
  
• Once you've joined the various social media venues, its time to start building up your network! Go to Twitter, Facebook  and Google -- do a search on anything that may pertain to your interests, goals, etc. For instance, I wrote another book, The House on Pancake Hill, which is my paranormal memoir. So, I used keywords such as "paranormal, ghosts, supernatural, ghost hunters" and started following and liking these Twitter and Facebook pages. Now they are following me. That's the beauty of social media marketing. Once you develop a friendship with like-minded people, they'll be willing to help you out, and you'll do the same for them with a re-tweet or to share their books or links on your pages. 
  
• If you have a skill or knack for public speaking, maybe someone will invite you to be interviewed online, in public, or on radio shows. All of the opportunities I've had as a guest blogger or interviewee have come through via my contacts. If no one asks you, then by all means, reach out to them! Don't be afraid! That's what marketing is all about, dear hearts...you MUST be your own advocate and toot your own horn because NO ONE, I repeat, NO ONE is going to do it for you. There's a misconception nowadays that, if you are published the traditional way, the publishing house will handle all of your P.R....that is a BIG misconception. With the advent of e-book and indie publications on the rise, many of these publishers are hurting and don't have the time to spend on writers. (unless they happen to make the New York Times Best Seller list.) So, go forth and find digital radio shows and ask them if they'd be interested in listening to your story...the worst that can happen is they say, "No!" Then keep moving forward until you find someone who WILL let you!

     The whole idea of boosting your presence on the internet may seem like a daunting task, but I promise you, there are tricks-to-the-trade that will make it easier for you in this quest. I'll share more tips in a future post.

Take the social media challenge...

YOU CAN DO IT!!!

     

GOOGLE like a boss...great tips!