22 Ways a Blog Can Sell Books

POSTED ON Aug 3, 2015

Joel Friedlander

Written by Joel Friedlander

Home > Blog > Author Blogging 101, Marketing > 22 Ways a Blog Can Sell Books

I’ve been thinking a lot recently about the role a blog plays in the evolution of nonfiction authors. That’s one of the reasons I’ve been writing about entrepreneurship for authors, balancing risk and opportunity when it comes to investing in online training, and making the leap from blogging to authorship.

All these subjects have one thing in common: how authors can learn to get big results blogging, big enough to drive book sales and other ways to make money from your content.

Now I’ll admit that I started this blog late in 2009 as an extension of my book design and consulting business, so I always wanted to get those kinds of results. In other words, I wasn’t blogging as purely an artistic enterprise.

Maybe you’re the same, or maybe your blog is simply a way for you to let off steam, network with friends, or report on your personal activities. And that’s all fine.

But for nonfiction authors, there’s no disputing this fact:

Blogging is far and away the best marketing vehicle ever invented for nonfiction authors.

Why? Let’s count some of the things a blog can help you do:

  1. Establish and promote your author brand
  2. Build a foundations as an authority in your field
  3. Use your content to attract a targeted community
  4. Get direct market feedback from readers
  5. Refine your ability to write keyword-optimized copy
  6. Run surveys and polls to gauge your reader’s needs
  7. Create a way to grow your email list from your visitors
  8. Use a structured approach to create books from your blog
  9. Provide a mechanism for media who want to contact you
  10. Engage your readers in a dialogue through comments
  11. Forge a network with your blogging peers
  12. Use your blog site as the platform for launching new books, products, or services
  13. Generate income as an affiliate partner for others with products or services your readers need
  14. Develop and beta test your own products and services in partnership with your readers
  15. Create an active and engaged community that helps you get a contract with a traditional publisher
  16. Become a thought leader in your field
  17. Attract organizations looking for speakers for their events
  18. Promote events in which you will be participating
  19. Publish audio or video content through your blog or an associated podcast
  20. Create a hub that you can refer your social media outposts to
  21. Interest blog and magazine editors in running your content
  22. Syndicate your blog feed throughout the social universe

Well, I could go on and on, couldn’t I?

There’s only one problem: very, very few authors have any idea of how to:

  • start a blog that works,
  • build the traffic needed to succeed,
  • gain authority in their field, then
  • turn that work into the kind of results that can actually change your life.

I’ve been preaching this gospel here on my blog, in my books, and in live events for years, and while some authors seem to “get it” most others don’t. They continue to do the same things they’ve been doing for years, getting about the same results.

Something Special Coming For You

For those authors, and for anyone thinking about starting a blog, or anyone who wants to make more impact or get better results, I’ve got something very special coming for you next week.

I’m going to show you exactly how I got started in blogging and who taught me how to turn my blog into several six-figure businesses.

You’ll hear this “from the horse’s mouth.” I’m really excited about it, this isn’t like anything I’ve ever done before. It’s going to be awesome, so stay tuned.

Photo: Sebastian Wiertz

Joel Friedlander

Written by
Joel Friedlander

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