4 Ways to Achieve Your Promotion and Publicity Goals Online

Whether you are promoting your book, building author platform to make yourself attractive to a traditional publisher (or to sell more copies of your self-published book) or trying to drive traffic to your blog or website, you can do this effectively online. Here are four tried and true methods for achieving your promotion and publicity goals with Internet-based activity—activity most writers can do pretty easily as well if they put their minds to it.

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. 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.

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. Contribute material to e-zine article directories.

Recycle parts of your book manuscript, blog posts or articles 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.