This blog post will provide tips on how to promote a book doing what you’ve already been doing – visiting blogs! When I released my first book back in 2009, I had a small Internet following from my entertainment blog. While social media was extremely helpful in garnering attention for my book, I needed to figure out how to promote a book, drive traffic to my website, and how to convert that traffic into sales. I visited websites of authors and entrepreneurs who’d successfully created a following and they consistently shared the sentiment of how to promote a book with blog comments.
Initially this logic made absolutely no sense to me. I asked how to promote a book? And their response was with blog comments?!? That made no sense! I’d been a lurker since I’d joined the Internet. I would visit blogs, websites, nings, and message boards and no matter how great I thought the content was I’d never leave a comment. And quite frankly I didn’t understand how leaving a comment would drive traffic to my blog or help sell books.
That is until I happened upon Gary Vaynerchuk’s website. He was a proponent of supporting other websites in order to gain traffic onto your own site. Based on the following he’d amassed, I knew it had to work. He warned it took time (a great deal of time), but I figured I had nothing to lose since I was visiting these other sites anyway. I took Gary’s advice on how to promote a book and started commenting on blogs. I tried to leave something of value, not just, “Great post!” but something relevant and useful.
For example, if I were on a site and someone discussed how they were having difficulties promoting a book; I would leave an insightful comment that would be beneficial to the blogger and their audience. Usually there is an option of including your website URL and when readers review the comments, if they find it helpful, they’ll click on the link and be directed back to your website. If your site has lots of relevant content, they’ll likely start visiting your site and possibly support you by purchasing your book or whatever product you sell. Once I started actually participating on other sites, I noticed that over time my stats increased and some of those visitors converted into book sales.
If you review your site statistics, you’ll likely see that you have many regular and unique visitors. However, in my experience only a small portion of these visitors actually comment. You’ll find this to be very common across most blogs, websites, and social media. However, I want to impress upon you, how commenting can generate more traffic to your own site and possibly sell books.
How To Promote A Book With Blog Comments!
Commenting will allow you to:
– Establish yourself as an authority on your book or websites subject matter.
– Create backlinks to your own site that will help you rank better in search engines.
– Support other bloggers with an extremely nice gesture that will eventually be reciprocated. *wink*
How To Promote A Book And Establish Yourself As An Authority!
If you don’t have a website or book to promote, I can understand how leaving a comment may not be that important to you. But, as an author, blogger or website owner, leaving comments can be a great way to drive traffic to your own website as well as sell your products and establish yourself as an authority on a subject.
For example, if your book is on parenting, you can visit parenting sites and leave comments that will be helpful to that sites readers and also drive traffic back to your own website and products.
Now keep in mind, this doesn’t mean spamming websites with links to your blog. Instead, leave comments that establishes that you understand the subject and if they find your comment helpful they will seek out your book and/or website.
As a blog owner here’s what I do once I receive a new comment to my site:
– I acknowledge that I’ve received the comment by responding.
– If they are a new visitor, I visit their website as their content may be useful for me to add to my blog roll.
– If possible, I leave a comment on their site as a return favor for them supporting my site and also as a way to promote my book yet again.
Let me also say that in no way am I implying that each person that visits your website will convert to a book sale. Not hardly! At the most it will convert to a book sale and at the least they may add you on Facebook, follow you on Twitter, join your mailing list, support your blog or subscribe to your YouTube page. Whatever the case, their support is valuable! By leaving comments on sites with already established audiences your traffic will increase and some of those visits will convert to book sales; provided you have a great book or product to sell.
I hope this post gave you an idea of how to promote a book. Do you comment on blogs? If so, why or why not? Have you found new readers as a result of commenting on other’s blogs and/or websites? As a blogger or website owner, how does commenting affect how you share content? Please share in the comment section below.
NEXT: Book Promotion – 3 Tips For Using Social Media To Drive Traffic To Your Author Page
This is great advice and similiar to what I have heard over and over from my own writing coach. I find myself not always following it though because then I get distracted from my own writing and it adds to my gift of procrastination. I agree that commenting is beneficial when promoting yourself as the author and expert in your field. Thanks for the reminder.
Hi Terri. It took a while for me to be convinced as well. Its a slow process, but I have definitely seen the benefit! Thanks for stopping by.
Terrific article Stefanie. I "liked" and Facebooked it.
This will guide many author's promotional dreams to fruition.
Margot’s Magic Carpet
Kids Books With a WOW Factor!
Thanks Margot, I appreciate it!
Exactly Joshua. Its so simple, we can go a lot farther if we support each other.
Good advice, Stefanie. I've also written about the marketing value of leaving appropriate and valuable comments on sites. There are so many simple strategies to use to help promote you and your products. I "Liked" this and will share it.
Karen
Karen Cioffi Writing and Marketing
Thanks Karen, I appreciate it!
Thanks for clarifying how commenting helps drive traffic to our own blogs. I just got my first book published and like you must find ways to reach the right people. I tweeted, linked to facebook and like your post. How do I follow your blog?
kathy
Thanks so much Kathy! Glad you found this post useful. You can subscribe via the RSS feed and it will automatically send you an email every time I post. I will send you an email just in case you don't see this response.
Great post! Okay, I never usually say just that. This is very useful information and I'm happy to pass it along to my friends. Thanks!
Thanks Kai! I appreciate it!
Hi Stephanie,
Thanks for creating this post. The information was very helpful for me especially since I'm new to the book business. I really appreciate the information!
Again, thank you and I'll definitely add your blog to my favorites.
Demika Caldwell http://www.facebook.com/demikacaldwellbooks http://www.twitter.com/demikacaldwell http://www.demikacaldwell.wordpress.com
Thanks for dropping by Demika!
You have inspired me to start leaving a comment. I was trying to find out why is it necessary to have a blog to promote my FIRST book and you gave me a reason to believe in. I plan to setup my blog page soon, but if you can tell me, what is a host to use? My author page is on amazon.com but I am wondering if my blog will show up there if I use the wrong host.
Great! Well I'm glad that I've inspired you. I use Godaddy.com for hosting. Your author page on Amazon.com is separate from your blog.
Great post! Looking forward to putting these blog commenting strategies into play.
I don't normally comment on blogs, but what you say makes perfect sense. I guess this could be the start of a new strategy for me. Thanks for sharing
Thanks for the tips, Stef! It will also promote engagement and boost your website's online visibility.
Yes, you're absolutely right Liv!Sent from my iPad
Thanks so much for your you tube video and website. I have found it very helpful and educational. I learned that I was a "Lurker" 🙂 So you have inspired me to get out there and share information and promote my book.
Thanks again.
Awesome Onyx! Lurking is very common, but I appreciate you stopping by and leaving a comment. Good luck promoting!Sent from my iPad
Hello,
Wow, awesome site and information. You've answered so many of my questions, especially commenting on "lurking." I'm truly a lurker, but with my book being published in August, I can't afford to just do that anymore. Anyway, thanks for your energy and effort to be an advocate for publicizing manuscripts.
Cheers,
Burnita
How much is it to start your own publishing business from home?
Thank you for the great tip! I took action on it. 🙂
Interesting read, it was good to put a name to what describes me to a tee, Lurker, I never knew that's what I was. Interaction it is then, thanks Stefanie
I still lurk. LOL.
Interesting advice. I'll start by commenting on a blog about commenting on a blog and try not to imagine I'm a lurker looking into an infinity mirror. Seriously, this seems like a good tool to add to our book marketing arsenal. Thank you for sharing your experience.
LOL. Hilarious!
For me this is a very innovative idea. I'd have not of thought of this. In general there are just so many extra steps to leave a comment and I just hadn't ever considered the benefit before. But now, realizing getting these extra comments on my own website helps so much I can definitely understand why you would take the extra time. This doubles the benefits. Thank you! http://www.unhinderedarts.com