5 Free Ways To Grow Your Author Platform | Web Design Relief
Ronnie L. Smith
Writer's Relief: Helping creative writers find literary agents or get published in literary journals
You’ve taken the time to cultivate your online?persona ?as a writer, and now it’s time to get more visitors clicking onto your author platform. The marketing experts at Web Design Relief know there are many effective ways to reach a wider audience and promote your work. And the good news is, for budget-conscious writers, some of the most effective ways to grow your author platform are absolutely free! Check out these 5 strategies that won’t cost you a penny:
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Free Ways To Grow Your Author Platform
Include your URL in your author bio:?Most editors or publishers will request an?author bio ?to include with your published works. While your publication history and educational or professional background will provide the bulk of the content in your bio, remember to plug your website too! This will encourage readers who enjoyed your writing to visit your webpage and read more. Simply add a sentence at the end of your bio that invites readers to learn more about you and include your website’s URL to score some free promotion.
Create author pages on social media:?You may already have personal social media accounts to connect with friends and family—and okay, because Fritz the baby hippo’s videos are adorable to watch. But you should also create separate, dedicated author pages or fan pages to promote your work and engage with the writing community. If you post on a consistent schedule and use appropriate hashtags, you’ll increase your online visibility.?Here ?are the best social media platforms for writers, and the best part—they’re all free to use!
Blog (or guest blog!):?Blogging is a surefire way to keep readers coming back to your author website—especially if much of your content is interesting and?evergreen . Content that is evergreen stays relevant long after you hit the publish button, so you can continue to get clicks year after year.
Need help starting a blog? Check out these resources:
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You should also consider guest blogging. This involves offering to write blog posts for other websites that are similar or complementary to your work. For example: You might approach a website that blogs about grammar or writing tips, or you could pitch an article about sonnets to a site that focuses on romance. When you guest blog on another site, you’ll gain exposure to a new audience and grow your own author platform.
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Expand your email marketing:?Mailing list sign-ups are one of the best ways to build a list of contacts you can communicate with regularly. You can offer your followers exclusives (poems, short stories, blog posts, or excerpts) that aren’t available to anyone except the fans on your mailing list.
Another effective use of your email list is to send out a?newsletter . Creating short and engaging content for your readers that isn’t overly saturated with ads will boost readership and keep subscribers. The next time you have work that you’d like to promote, you’ll already have a subscriber list ready and waiting to read your newest content!
Utilize analytics tools:?Some writers don’t feel tech-savvy enough to use?analytics tools ?to track online data. However, the latest websites and plugins dedicated to analytics are user-friendly—and most are totally free! With just a few clicks, you can track all traffic and referrals into and out of your website or social media pages. You’ll be able to collect a treasure trove of helpful information, such as which of your pages or posts are the most popular, so you can continue to create content your audience enjoys. You can also see which social media sites are driving the most traffic to your website, and then focus more of your marketing strategies on those platforms.
Here are a few of our website designers’ favorite free analytics tools:
Using these free ways to grow your author platform will make it easier for you to effectively reach more potential readers and fans, finesse your outreach, and become more searchable online—all without breaking the bank! And if you’d like help building an author website, our web design experts can create a professional, attractive website that suits your personal style and your budget. Schedule your?free consultation ?with Web Design Relief today!