Blogging for Authors—Connecting with Readers
Back in 1994, a personal site that included commentaries, with links, was started by a guy named Justin Hall. Through the years, his idea evolved and finally gained momentum in the mid-2000s. Millions of people write, read, and even earn money with blogging. It has become an informative way to share opinions, information, inspirational stories, etc. So, it is natural that authors not only have blogs on their websites, but use them to connect with their readers.
Think of blogging as if you are having a conversation with someone. You don’t want blogging to be “preachy”. Instead, you want it to be as if the person reading it feels like you are talking directly to them (the reader). Although you don’t have to stick to certain rules per se, there are some key characteristics of blogging to certainly take into consideration.
The first key characteristic is content. You want your blog to be cohesive with your website. For instance, an author’s blog, like mine, will write blogs that have content to do with writing books, sharing stories of what their process has been like, etc. I wouldn’t have content about making and producing a TV show. It wouldn’t fit. The content can include videos, photos, tips, and a person’s personal reflections on the main subject of their website.
Format is the second key characteristic. Format is how the blog within a post is seen. Usually, when the website is set up, the posts are arranged to appear newest first. This isn’t a set rule, but most blogs are set up this way. This also makes it nice for the reader, because he and/or she does not have to scroll down (hopefully each week) in order to read the newest blog.
The third key characteristic is voice. A blog isn’t a speech or another formal document that someone reads. It is informal and usually personal, reflecting the author’s personality. In my opinion, a blog should not only be informative, but there should be something that draws the reader in and wants to keep coming back to read more. If I think I am starting to get too serious, I like to add a little humor in my blogs here and there to lighten up the subject. And who doesn’t like a little humor?
Engagement is the fourth key characteristic. Think about things that you have read in the past, or think back to school (I know, for some of us that was a long time ago!), or maybe someone we heard speaking. The ones we remember the most are the ones that kept us engaged. If something isn’t engaging, we are not going to like it. As an author, you want your readers to be engaged so that they will continue to follow you, buy your books, and want more!
Lastly, the fifth key characteristic is purpose. What do you, as an author, want to convey to your reader? How do you want to connect to your reader? These are just a couple of questions you want to ask yourself when you are thinking about what your purpose is. Most authors would say their purpose is not only gain more followers through their blogs, but also to connect with their readers, whether it be other authors, people wanting to become authors, or people who just find the blogs interesting.
No matter what your blogs look like, as an author, your main goal should be to connect with the reader. Connecting with readers is important because it builds lasting relationships and trust. It makes the author more “real” and not just a person behind the books that they write. It also goes beyond the monetary aspect of selling your book and hopefully attracts new readers.
