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3 Ways Establishing a Writing Practice has Improved My Self Awareness

If you have ever thought about building a building a business around your ideas, then increasing your self awareness should be a top priority.

Part of what makes an effective thought leader is the opportunity for the leader to communicate how her ideas separate her from the norm. This requires digging deep into self reflection on what you believe about yourself and the world. That is why writing can be such a useful tool in increasing your self awareness.

I want to share 3 pivotal moments in my life when my skill as a writer unexpectedly led to deeper knowledge of self.

#1 Journaling helped me sort out my feelings.

Around the year 2009, I was going through a series of transitions in my life. I was grieving the death of my mother from breast cancer. I was dropped from a doctoral program. I hated my job in higher education — a career I had spent the last 10 years of my life preparing for. I was dealing with complications from uterine fibroids. And my marriage of 10 years was falling apart.

I wanted to wave a wand and fix it all in one fell swoop. But I quickly learned that adulthood didn’t work that way. I was going to have to crawl out from under the ashes of my own life and figure out a way to build something new.

But what would that new life look like?

I turned to journaling to help me figure it out. Rather than use a paper diary, I decided I would start a small blog to record my thoughts and feelings. I wasn’t new to blogging. At that point, I had been an education blogger since 2004. I was an early adopter of blogging technology. And truthfully, I didn’t expect for anyone to find it.

But I decided I needed a space for more personal expression. My education blog just wasn’t appropriate for that kind of content.

I decided to start a blog chronicling my journey to a healthier life. I was dedicated to learning how to make pancakes from scratch. I took pictures of vegetables I had never seen before during visits to local farmer’s markets. I was finally going to figure out what this whole vegan, vegetarian, and raw vegan movement was about.

But the first day I sat down to write a post, I had to take a pause. I opened up the WordPress content writing space intending to introduce myself to the internet and my new journey. But the only thing I could think to write in that moment was… “I don’t know who I am.”

I was in my early 30’s and I had to admit to myself that I didn’t know who I was, what I wanted, or how to spend the rest of my life. I had gone to school. I got the degrees and certificates. I worked too hard. I stayed out of trouble. I got married. But I was exhausted, about 100 pounds overweight, and angry because I felt like life owed me more than what I was getting.

So rather than continue to write, I surrendered to my feelings and folded my arms on my desk to cradle my forehead. And I cried.

Crying helped to get the raw emotion out of the way leaving room for me to turn back to my laptop and start writing. My first post was called, “I Quit.”

It was a manifesto, of sorts, of what I would and would not tolerate from life anymore. And for the first time I started to create a vision for the life I had been too afraid to ask for.

#2 The best way to use my voice as a writer was to be of service to others.

Living with fibroids as a fat black woman in the US healthcare system often felt like I was begging for someone to see me as human. I desperately wanted to understand why my body was betraying me. I was exhausted from having menstrual cycles that were so heavy that they left me unable to walk from the couch to the front door in my tiny one bedroom apartment. Most doctors I dealt with, no matter the gender or race, treated me like my fibroids were my fault. Their actions told me that if I just lost the weight, the fibroids would go away (not true…).

No one asked me about how my stressful life contributed to my weight. No one asked if I was happy. No one asked about the deep pain in my chest that had been there since my mother died. Just a lot of cold looks, aggravated sighs, and jokes about my lopsided, fibroid-filled belly.

I was expecting to be a quiet voice on my brand new health blog. What I quickly found out was that fibroids was a problem that women all over the world were seeking answers to. My willingness to be open about how my doctors didn’t care about my pain and feeling that my body was being invaded were experiences that my readers could relate to.

I received emails from women across the US, Kenya, Iran, the Caribbean, Nigeria, the Philippines, and more. All of them were hopeful that my willingness to delve into not just my worries, but the hope that I could find something worth teaching in my dedication to a healthy lifestyle. My blog had become a beacon of light for those who had even less information than I had about how fibroids was slowly ruining their lives.

At that point, I had become keenly aware that I had a responsibility to be honest in my communication about my experience. I had been shunned in the US healthcare system, but I created a community of women who trusted my voice. They let me know that I wasn’t crazy for asking for respect and human decency from my healthcare providers. They also affirmed that seeking out a more natural route to good health was an avenue worth exploring.

#3 Writing a book to be exchanged for money was proof that my ideas were valuable.

I had never viewed myself seriously as an entrepreneur until I wrote and sold copies of my first ebook.

After about a year of writing on my health blog, my readers started to ask for a book. They wanted something they could take and apply to their own lives to help them start to relieve their fibroids.

I had always been a great writer, but asking me to write a book felt like a whole new level of writing that I wasn’t prepared to meet. However, as always, life circumstances met opportunity and I was forced into becoming an author.

I was living in New Jersey, at the time, and Hurricane Sandy had just done major damage to much of the east coast. My New York City consulting gig teaching healthy cooking in elementary schools was put on hold. I also had a part-time job as a cook at Whole Foods in Manhattan. But there was no telling when I would be able to get back to work. I experienced sleepless nights wondering how I was going to be able to cover the cost of rent with no income coming in.

I had read all the instant internet fame stories and wondered if I could profit from the audience I had groomed over the last year. My intention wasn’t to make millions. I just needed about $500 to cover my part of the rent.

I racked my brain for days thinking who was I to ask people for money. I didn’t believe I had anything valuable to offer anyone beyond what was already available for free on my blog. What would my readers think of me if I asked them for a few dollars to buy something that I ultimately felt wouldn’t be that good.

But I was desperate.

So I pulled up the courage to send an email to my readers. I laid out a plan for what the book would include and placed a PayPal link at the end of the email. I only asked for $5 for those interested in pre-ordering. I hit “send” and went to bed, fully expecting not to have sold any books.

The next morning I woke up, dressed, and made breakfast. I opened up my busted laptop that was on its last leg and checked my email. I saw a pile of emails from strangers who willingly parted with their hard-earned $5.

I was floored.

That first day I sold about $100 worth of books. Over the next few weeks I was able to pull in enough money to cover my rent plus a little more.

That moment proved to me that my thoughts, my ideas, my experiences all had value. After a lifetime of allowing myself to be pushed to the side and discounted, I had finally found a space where my work was considered revolutionary and a welcome contribution to the world. My readers were so excited, in fact, that they were willing to part with $5 to get the book before it had even been written.

I’ve had many epiphanies about my life and what I am here on earth to do since those early days of my writing career. I’ve learned that growing your self awareness is a deliberate activity that asks that you go out and live your life and make all the mistakes in order to get the biggest benefit. I no longer expect life to serve me. I take full responsibility for the life I create on this plane.

I’m no longer living in New Jersey blogging for free. Now I’m a full-time business book ghostwriter, journalist, and content marketer. I have a location-independent business in Vietnam and currently preparing to relocate to Rwanda in the coming months. I am planning to become a land investor so that I never have to worry about not having rent money ever again. I found spiritual healing while living in Thailand. I explored ancient Hindu and Buddhist temples in Cambodia. I’ve gone paragliding over emerald treetops in northern Vietnam. I’ve done 10-day silent meditation retreats in Thailand and ran from strangers tasked with dousing me with ice cold water during Songkran in Myanmar. I’ve even picked up watercolor painting to help me wind down before bed. I live a full life finding new ways to express my joy everyday.

Join my community of Rebel Thought Leaders!

If you’ve got ideas you want to share that go against the norm, then you are in the right place! Take your valuable knowledge and learn how to create opportunities that can help you live the life of your dreams.

Download my free gift… 7 Keys to Writing a Self-Help Book that Grows Your Business.

How to Write Client Attracting Blog Posts — The Easy Way…

I frequently walk business authors, consultants, experts, and other business owners through the process of writing blog content to help them grow their business. This often occurs after they’ve written a few blog posts and are left wondering why they are not getting the traffic they thought they would.

Blog content can be an effective way to get people to notice you, but it’s not necessarily quick — especially if you are new to the blogging space. Blogging is definitely a long-term game.

Many of your favorite brands took years to develop a following through blogging. The most effective brands are the ones that have a real strategy for blog content creation and are consistent with production. Allow me to walk you through the thinking process that will help you create blog posts that are both effective and quick to generate.

What’s your goal for creating blog content?

Blog content can help you accomplish any number of goals in business. Do you want to:

  • Obtain more customers
  • Increase brand awareness
  • Notify customers of a new product or service
  • Share your expertise
  • Book more speaking gigs

Knowing what you want as a result of other people reading your blog content will help you create content for a directed purpose.

What kind of blog topics can I generate that meet my goals?

I always say to start with what your audience asks for. What are the common questions that always come up when working with customers? Start by creating a list of frequently asked questions that you can point a potential customer to every time you get the same question.

Let’s look at an example…

Let’s say that you are a children’s mental health expert and your ultimate business goal is to book more speaking gigs. You will want to create blog posts that answer your client’s questions, but also center you as knowledgeable in the field of children’s mental health. Here are a few common questions that may come up as well as blog topics that meet your reader’s needs:

  • Problem or question: My first grader is not reading like other kids and it’s affecting his self-esteem. What can I do to help?
  • Blog Post: How to Develop a Love for Reading in Your Child Before They Start School
  • Client Problem: My sons have become so difficult to manage after my divorce. What should I do to get order back in my house?
  • Blog Post: How to Effectively Support Your Son’s Growth and Development as a Single Mom
  • Client Problem: My daughter and I were so close when she was in elementary school. Now that she’s in middle school, all she does is shut the door to her room. How can I get her to open up?
  • Blog Post: What to Do When Your Pre-Teen Won’t Talk to You
  • Client Problem: My kids are looking at inappropriate websites online. I thought they were too young to know about sex. What should I do?
  • Blog Post: When is the Best Age to Talk to Your Children About Sex?
  • Client Problem: My mother is in and out of the hospital and my children are having anxiety about losing their grandmother. How do I ease their fears?
  • Blog Post: How to Prepare Your Children for the Death of a Loved One

These are examples of evergreen content that will always be useful to your audience. These are questions parents will have today and ten years from now. Crafting your response to these questions is a great way to differentiate yourself from other child mental health experts.

Don’t have any clients yet to farm questions from? Do some online research and hang out where your audience hangs out. This can include Facebook and Linkedin groups, Reddit forums, parenting blogs, medical forums and more. You can also venture out into the real world and attend conferences, meet-ups, local and international events related to your area of interest, and more. Keep a notebook handy and write down the questions people ask again and again. What kind of blog content can you write to answer their questions?

How can you make the blog content easier to consume?

Now that you know what your audience wants to read, now is the time to figure out what kind of content will satisfy their needs. There are probably hundreds of ways to help your audience consume your blog content, however I will share five here.

  1. Tutorials: How-to lessons on how to do something
  2. Data-Driven Content: obtain and explain research from highly reputable sources in a way that helps your audience understand a problem
  3. Visual Content: Videos, infographics, slides, etc. that illustrate a point
  4. Interviews with Experts: Interview people who are highly esteemed in your field OR interview professionals who compliment what you do
  5. Newsjacking: Take stories from the news and make them relevant to your industry

These are just a few ways to make your blog content relevant to your readers. Take some time to determine what your audience needs and figure out what method will be most helpful.

What’s your plan for getting your blog content in front of the right readers?

Next is figuring out how to get your content in front of readers. Why? Because what’s the point of spending all this time and energy on planning out the right content and no one reads it?

There are literally thousands of ways to get your blog posts in front of more readers. However I want to share three that have made a difference for many of my clients.

Share your posts on social media and larger platforms.

Social media is a great place to start to share your work online. One thing you need to decide is what platforms make the best sense for you to distribute your content. Twitter, Linkedin, Facebook? Find out what platforms your audience is using and be sure to share your posts there. Increase your chances of being found by using hashtags.

Be a consistent blogger.

If you want to stay top of mind, then you need to ensure that you share content on a consistent basis — that could be daily or weekly. No matter what it is, make sure you stick to your schedule so that your audience will have a chance to get used to you being there. There is so much noise in the online space that people tend to forget who you are and what you do very easily. Make them remember you by offering helpful content on a consistent basis.

Utilize SEO.

SEO, or search engine optimization, is the process of utilizing internet search engines to help people find you, your service, or product. This is a fairly basic definition of it. However the “how-to” of SEO can be a bit complicated for those that are not familiar.

SEO, at its core, is about helping people find content that answers their questions. That’s why I begin the blog content creation process by figuring out what your clients or your audience needs first, THEN figuring out how you can meet those needs. Take note of keywords and phrases that read naturally to how your audience communicates.

Writing blog content that actually gets read is not always as easy as people may want to make it. To do it well means that you have a strong strategy in place that changes as your influence grows with it. The key here is to put in the work in the beginning, then the actual creation of the blog posts will seem much more effortless once you have a direction.

Are you interested in creating content that builds your brand? Download 7 Keys to Writing a Self-Help Book That Grows Your Business.

Will Writing a Book Help Me Build My Credibility as an Expert?

Yes, writing books absolutely does build your credibility as an expert. However, you can’t just write the book, place it on Amazon and expect to become a world-renowned authority in your area of expertise overnight. Facebook and Linkedin are riddled with new authors who pepper their news feed with desperate “buy my book” pleas. Unfortunately, most people aren’t paying attention.

The key to building credibility is to also build an audience who needs what you have to offer. How do you do that?

#1 Know who you want to serve.

Who do you serve? What do they need? What is bothering them so bad that they are willing to pay for your support? For many of us, this takes some time to figure out, however it’s time well spent. If you write your book before having a good handle on who your audience is, then you waste a lot of time talking to any and everyone who will listen (which is usually nobody…).

#2 What book can you write to position yourself as a credible expert for this audience?

I always start with what your audience is asking you to write. What are the questions that come up often? Can you put together a book that will serve their needs and introduce you as the most logical solution?

Do some research on books that have already been written in your area of expertise. What made these books successful? Check out the reader comments on Amazon. Look for clues on how you can use the reader responses to guide your approach to writing your book.

#3 Look for ways to build a relationship with your audience.

The benefit of building an audience while you write your book is that you have an opportunity to test your materials out on real people who already like you. Ask questions on social media related to your topic and see what kind of responses you get. Share short articles about your topic on Linkedin and Medium. Close each article with a question to get people talking in the comments section.

Writing a book is a small part of the authority building equation. However, the time you put into it is well worth the effort. When done correctly, it will pay you back in the way of opportunities to touch lives. I know from experience that there is no greater feeling than connecting with a person who took the time to not just read your book, but also implemented your suggestions and shared it with their friends and colleagues.

Are you ready to write your book? Download this free gift: 7 Keys to Writing a Self-Help Book that Grows Your Business.

How to Make Your Self-Published Nonfiction Book Look Like a New York Times Best Seller

Independent publishing has become a more acceptable route for experts to publish books that meet the needs of their audiences. However, independent publishing, or self-publishing, does not equate to publishing books that look and read unprofessional.

So what does a coach, speaker, trainer, or consultant do when she wants to write and independently publish a nonfiction book that looks like it can compete with a New York Times Best Seller? You don’t have to search any further than the best selling books on your favorite book store shelves.

Start paying closer attention to a few details in your favorite nonfiction self-help book titles. This will help you learn what works with books that are commercially popular. Use these books to pick up clues that tell you what makes a good book in the eyes of the reader. There are certain details that you will see over and over again — but you have to pay attention.

Let’s take a look at a few of the details any active reader of nonfiction self-help books should be paying attention to the next time you visit your favorite book store or log on to Amazon.

#1. Examine the title. A good nonfiction title gives the reader the promise of the book. What is the author claiming to help the reader do? A good title may also mention WHO the targeted reader is. You may also find self-help book titles that give the reader a time frame by which they can expect change to take place.

Here are a few examples of winning self-help book titles:

  • How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie
  • The Success Principles: How to Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be by Jack Canfield
  • The Whole30: The 30 Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom by Urban and Hartwig

Action Step: Take some time to look at Amazon or visit your local book store at books in your area of expertise. What nonfiction titles stand out the most to you? Can you tell what the book is about just by reading the title? How long is the title? Does the author make use of the sub-title to give you a better idea of what to expect from the book?

#2. Read the back of the cover copy. Once a reader is hooked by the title of a self-help book, she often turns the book over to find out what the book is about. If you are looking the book up on Amazon, that means you turn your eyes to the book description.

Here, you will find the gist of the book boiled down to a few sentences. They may start off by asking the reader a question to help them qualify if this is the book for them.

You may also find a list of highly targeted, short bullet points that explain what the reader can expect to learn.

Action Step: Examine the book cover copy of a few books in your genre. Is there a headline? Is the copy easy to scan with your eyes so you don’t have to read every word? What emotions do you feel reading the copy?

#3. Pay attention to the table of contents to see what the book covers. The next thing a reader may do is crack open the book to go through the table of contents. This is where the reader can skim the chapter headings to find out whether there is specific information that may be relevant to the problem they are looking to solve.

Action Step: Take a look at the table of contents of the nonfiction books in your area of expertise. If you are using Amazon, you can use the “Look Inside” feature by clicking on the book cover. Notice how long the chapter headings are. What keywords are being used here? Does the author list sub-headings for content that is more complicated?

#4. What can you learn from looking at the book cover? The cover of your book matters (no matter what the cliche says…). What colors did the author use? Does the author use a picture of her face or full body picture on the cover? Or maybe the author chose to use an abstract picture of something that’s related to the topic as the cover? Is the font easy to read? How does the font make you feel when you look at it?

Action Step: Take a picture or a screenshot of some of your favorite book covers and lay them out, side-by-side. What are some of the elements you enjoy about these nonfiction book covers? How does the title of the book appear on the cover? How does the cover make you feel?

#5. What is the tone of the language used in the book? The tone is all about the manner in which the writer chooses to speak to the reader. Does the author use sarcasm to talk about a life threatening illness? Is the tone more formal like a textbook, or does the author prefer to write as if she is having a one-on-one conversation with the reader?

Here’s a great example of two different tones used in the title of a book.

  • The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson
  • The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle

The author of the first title is clearly a carefree spirit who doesn’t mind having a strong curse word thrown around for attention. I’m quite sure you won’t even find a curse word in Tolle’s book. However, both books are quite successful and have an audience of readers that gravitate to the style of writing that speaks to them.

Action Step: What tone do you prefer to write with? What new writers often do is copy the tone of another successful author in order to feel like they are “doing it right.” However, I like to guide my authors to use the tone they speak with when addressing their clients. If you use dry jokes in talking with clients, use dry jokes in the book. If you preface your lessons with stories from your childhood, feel free to do that in your book. Use this time to think about what your tone is the next time you talk to a client. Note what feels natural to you.

If you are going to be reading books for your own personal development (and I’m sure you do if you consider yourself to be an expert…), you may as well start paying attention to the elements that made you gravitate towards that title in the first place. Becoming a more active reader will help you to figure out what your readers enjoy in the books they read so you can replicate some of those same classic elements in your own self-help book.

Are you looking for guidance on how to write a professional nonfiction book? I am currently taking appointments with serious experts seeking ghostwriting and book coaching support. Email me at Hello@DigitalWellPublisher.com and tell me more about your project.

How Do I Know if My Book Idea Will Sell?

I find that a lot of the book writing advice is geared towards marketers who are interested in doing the least amount of work possible to sell a book fast. In short, they look for a topic on Amazon, see what’s selling like hotcakes, then hire someone in the Philippines to write a 75-page book for $42 USD (and I’m not even exaggerating…).

However, thought leaders think a bit differently about the ideas they want to share with the world, so those “get rich with no effort” publishing schemes don’t apply here.

Thought leaders think deeply about the ideas they want to share. You’ve spent a number of years in a particular industry so you’ve witnessed all the developments — for better or worse — and you have an idea that can potentially revolutionalize how people work with one another. Maybe you’ve had an experience and you sat back and said, “If only people knew what I knew, they wouldn’t have to go through such hard times…” Or maybe you’ve gotten really great at doing a “thing” and you’re tired of watching other people bump into the same wall over and over again trying to find success.

These are all legitimate reasons to write a book. But how do you know if your book is going to sell? Here are a few questions to ask yourself before you get started.

#1 Do you have an audience of people who want to hear what you have to say?

When I start talking about building a personal brand, some people get turned off. And it’s usually because they look at personal brand building as more of a narcissistic self-promotion campaign rather than the leadership building exercise it is.

Creating a powerful personal brand has attracted a number of opportunities to me that I wasn’t necessarily looking for. I’ve been invited to teach classes on blogging, speak at major events related to my expertise, train and consult, write books for others, and more. While other people were getting laid off from their jobs mostly due to no fault of their own, a powerful personal brand has always helped to keep my eyes on opportunity rather than wallow in fear.

When you have a powerful personal brand, you start to build up an audience of people who support your work. And here’s the most powerful point of a personal brand that a lot of people miss: Your audience will tell you what they want you to write about! When you thoughtfully create a personal brand that attracts the right audience, they will tell you the exact book they want you to write. You share your book writing process with them via email and social media to keep them in the loop and they’ll be able to celebrate on the date of your book release by buying a copy.

#2 Are people buying books in your area of expertise?

This is where Amazon comes in handy. Do a search to see what has already been written on your topic or industry. Have people left comments on these books? Make note of what they are saying. What did they enjoy most about reading this book? What do they wish was included in the book?

#3 How can you spin your book to serve a certain niche that is underserved?

Your success is in your niche. For example, I’m a ghostwriter who focuses specifically on thought leaders who want to write nonfiction self-help books to grow their coaching, consulting, or training business. I use my expertise as a freelance content marketer for Fortune 100 companies and tech startups to help thought leaders create content that builds an audience. My nonfiction self-help book niche is a lot more focused than a lot of other ghostwriters I see who market to any and everyone who needs a book. There’s nothing wrong with being multi-talented and being able to write in a number of genres. I’ve just homed in on where I can be most helpful.

You can do the same thing with your book. Are you a finance expert? Instead of writing another general book on budgeting, how about creating a guide to making and saving money by starting your own business while still in college. Are you a life coach? Please don’t write another book on 5 steps to finding happiness. Your book will be a lot more attractive if you niche it down to helping newly divorced women easily transition into life as a single woman (as an example…).

#4 Do you have something more than just a book to sell?

Books sell better when you have a product or service to go with it. Are you a speaker? Ask the event organizer to buy 500 copies of your book as part of your speaking fee. Do you offer online classes? Give a signed copy of your book to everyone who enrolls. Are you a corporate consultant? Give away (as in for free) a copy of your book to companies who are serious about working with you. The fee they pay you to be a consultant will more than cover the cost of the book. Plus, giving away the book is an opportunity for you to share your genius with them in a way that most consultants don’t do — making you stand out from the rest of the pack!

Write Books Specifically for Your Audience

I write specifically for thought leaders who want to do more than just write a book and wait for the money to roll into your bank account. You’re a world-changer, a firestarter, a mold-breaker! You are more interested in creating a legacy while still being paid handsomely for the value you bring to the world.

That means that you thoughtfully write books and create content that is attached to marketing goals that attract real readers who want to hear what you have to say.

I’ve got more opportunities to work with me 1-on-1 and in groups coming up ahead in the coming months. I invite you to stay in touch to get more book writing and content marketing advice that is made specifically for thought leaders like you.

Download your free ebook, 7 Keys to Writing a Self-Help Book That Grows Your Business.

Teleclass Recap: Social Media Hacks for Authors with Sharvette Mitchell

Social Media Hacks for Authors with Sharvette Mitchell, Hosted by Halona Black

CLICK HERE TO GET THE REPLAY!

If you are an author, an emerging author, or even an entrepreneur with a great idea for a book, then you want to know how to harness the power of social media to grow your audience.

One of the biggest mistakes I see authors make when creating their author platform is that they wait until AFTER the book is written to start thinking about how to market and sell their book. Unfortunately, that is almost too late. Why? Because so much of the outcome of your book marketing is wrapped up in how you started your book writing process to begin with. It is important that you get crystal clear on your target audience for your book. Ask questions like, who is going to buy and read your book? What do you want as a result of writing this book? Are you looking for speaking engagements? Do you want people to rally around your cause or organization? Do you want people to make a purchase? These questions are essential to the success of your social media campaign for your book.

The outcome of your #bookmarketing is connected to how you start the book writing process. Click To Tweet

On the other hand, if you did not go through those steps from the very beginning, it is possible to create a strategy after the fact. And that is why I am so glad that my friend and colleague, Sharvette Mitchell, Web Designer and Social Media Coach, was able to join me and 20 others on a special teleclass tonight called Social Media Hacks for Authors.

Some of my favorite tips she shared this evening on the call include:

  • Add your website link to your social media bio. People want an opportunity to connect with you, not just your Twitter profile.
  • Connect with Facebook groups that are relevant to the topic of your book. Find authentic opportunities to share your book with people in these groups. If you want to be a super star, you can start your own Facebook group and build a community of people who are seeking your expertise.
  • You don’t have to go far to find relevant content to share multiple times a day on social media. Your content can include pictures of your book cover, your latest events, funny takeaways from your everyday life, or even positive book reviews from Amazon.

There is so much more that Sharvette was able to share in this call. Please take a moment to listen to this call, then IMPLEMENT 2 to 3 tips that most resonated with you. Remember, stop waiting until you have everything together before you start marketing your book and your business on social media. Each step you take forward will get you to your next client who is praying for the very thing you have to offer.

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Author Solution: Do you want to know if your social media presence is helping or hurting your book sales? Do you need guidance on how to create an author platform that will make your expertise shine? Then purchase an Author Platform Assessment, a one hour 1-on-1 consultation to help you attract readers that are ready to buy your products and services.

How to Create an Audience for Your Book Using Your Blog

 

How to create an audience for your book using your blog - Halona Black, DigitalWellPublisher.com

One of the biggest mistakes many emerging authors make when writing their first book is neglecting to build their audience. I don’t know if they think that the audience will just magically show up as a result of writing the book or what (it doesn’t…). However whether you choose to write your book as an independent publisher or via a traditional publishing outlet, building an audience is essential to the success of not just your book, but your career as an expert.

Tip #1: Write posts that are relevant to your book.

Your blog can be used as a sounding board for your book or your book idea. For example, if you want to write a book on how to avoid financial disaster as an entrepreneur while building a business, then you can write posts on

  • How entrepreneurs can save money for retirement
  • How to plan for marriage and family as an entrepreneur
  • Top 5 most important financial documents for entrepreneurs

I can go on, but I think you get the point. Each of these blog post topics can very well be included as a chapter in the book. When you write the posts, be sure to monitor which get the most shares, likes, and comments. This feedback is essential to your success as it gives you an idea of what your readers are most interested in learning about.

Tip #2: Share photos and videos of people, places, and things that inspired you to write your book.

Photography and video are part of what make surfing the internet exciting. While written posts are still the foundation of your blog success, your photos and videos can bring more focused traffic to your blog in a shorter amount of time. Was it your trip to Brazil 5 years ago that spawned your interest in writing a book about traditional herbs and medicine? Why not showcase pictures of some of the more unusual plants and herbs and what they were used for. If you are a health coach, do you have before and after pictures of your transition into creating a more healthy body? Are you a family therapist who wants to write a book about how to create open lines of communication with your children? Do you have video of you and your children using gardening as a suggested activity to help families communicate with one another? There are a million ways to share photos and video from your own life that are relevant to your book or book idea. Bonus tip — Repurpose your photos and videos as content on Facebook, Instagram, and/or Pinterest to get even MORE traffic.

Tip #3: Create a relevant call to action that asks readers to join your email list.

While capturing people’s attention on social media is a great strategy to grow your business, you still want to direct your fans and followers to your email list. Why? Because your email list is the space you own and control. Instagram has been hinting at making changes in its algorithm making it more challenging for people with a big audience to get their photos seen on the platform. Facebook’s algorithm changes almost daily. The point here is that you cannot depend 100% on a platform you don’t own to grow your business. You have to be flexible while making sure to migrate everyone back to your home base.

So how do you get more people on your email list? First, create an irresistible lead magnet. What is one small thing that you can offer to your readers that will help them solve a problem. Is it a template, a short audio course, a webinar — whatever it is, make it good! Finally, be sure to remind them that only those on your email list will get exclusive updates on your book.

Tip #4: Share posts with related groups in social media.

Once you have the posts on your website, you have to incentivize people to go to your site and read it. There are a wealth of affinity groups on Facebook and Linkedin. Join a few of these groups with a spirit of connection and sharing. Once you join the group, be sure to introduce yourself and tell them about the book you are working on. Next, make nice and read other people’s posts and make helpful comments. Add even more value to the group by posting your own blog posts. However, just don’t drop a link and leave. Let people know why they should take the time to read your post by leaving a brief description of what you are posting. Tell them why reading your post will be worth their while.

Tip #5: Write guest posts for people with a larger audience than yours.

Yes, writing guest posts is still relevant.  In my e-course, Easy Publicity for Authorpreneurs: How to Grow Your Business with Interviews, I talk about how to use other people’s platforms to grow your visibility. The trick is to find blogs that have a larger audience than your own. It is also important to find blogs that connect with a similar audience as your own. If your business is all about teaching menopausal women how to move through this new stage in life with confidence, it doesn’t make sense to approach a blog on ice fishing in Canada about doing a guest post — even if it does have 100,000 readers. When writing your post, again, be sure to lead readers back to your site by offering your lead magnet in your bio.

The BIGGEST Key to Audience Growth for Authors

Growing your audience for your book using your blog requires a calculated content strategy. Doing so from the very beginning will help you to know exactly what you need to write and when. So many emerging authors miss out on the opportunity to grow their audience simply because they leave their content until the last minute.

If you are looking for support in creating your personalized content strategy that will help you create buzz for your book — or even just your book idea — email me at Hello (at) DigitalWellPublisher (dot) com and ask for a 1-hour consultation.

 

 

How to Create Blog Content When You are Short on Time

How to Create blog content when you are short on time, Halona Black

Every coach, speaker, author, and expert is short on time. We’ve got work, family, and community responsibilities that compete for our time and attention. However we all know that the very reason we entered this profession is because we wanted to touch lives. And we can’t touch lives if no one knows that we exist.

Your content marketing should always be a high priority on your list of things to do on a weekly basis. Why? Because when you stop marketing, the momentum stops. That’s why you feel like you have to start from scratch every other month. Trust me, I know of exactly what I speak of. That is why I wanted to share with you some tips to help you blog faster so that you can turn your attention to other income generating activities in your business.

  1. Write an editorial calendar. You can use a fancy WordPress plugin, or you can create a simple chart on a large piece of paper detailing what you plan to write every month. Creating a plan will help you to be much more thoughtful about what you are putting out into the world and be more strategic about bringing clients to your business.
  2. Write now, edit later. As a book coach, I advise my clients to get the words out on paper (or your laptop) first before getting into whether or not the grammar and spelling are correct. Focus on your ideas first, then worry about the technical writing details after you’ve said what you needed to say.
  3. Time your writing sprints. I can hear you saying, “What is that all about, Halona?” I know, hear me out… Try timing yourself to see how much writing you can get done in 15 to 30 minute writing increments — or sprints. Many of us seem to get our butts in gear when we know we are working against the clock. Think about all those papers you wrote at the last minute when you were in college. It was amazing the stuff you could pull out of your ass when you are forced to be focused, right? Same concept with the writing sprints.
  4. Keep an idea notebook. I have a document in my Evernote files that I use to keep brilliant business ideas. These ideas come from questions that clients ask me, things I have read online, lists of books I want to read, etc. I love Evernote because it allows me to keep a lot of the interesting stuff I find online in a neat place without having to go off the internet. However you may be more of a paper and pen kind of gal (or guy) — and that’s cool too. So long as you keep a log of whatever inspires you to create more content close to your writing workspace, all will be fine. Be sure to go back to it whenever you feel like you are running out of ideas.
  5. Write blog post outlines. I tell my book coach clients all the time that if you just start writing a book without an outline, you wind up lost in the wilderness. You start meandering off on topics that have nothing to do with your book. You can’t remember what the main topic of your book was. Finally, the book seems to get longer and longer every time you add a random chapter to the book. The same principle applies to writing blog posts. Know what it is you want to teach, create your 3 to 5 points, and fill in the rest. It’s that simple.

Creating content for your blog doesn’t have to feel like pulling teeth. With a little bit of planning and effort, you can get your blogging done in no time so that you can turn your attention to other areas of your business.

Which one of these tips can you implement immediately?

 

 

TWITTER CHAT RECAP: How to Build Your Online Platform

Build your online platform with Halona Black #coachingwithvette

One of the biggest mistakes I see coaches, speakers, and experts who write a book make is that they did very little to build their platform.

A platform is the foundation upon which you build your career. Very similar to a political platform, your author platform uses your message as the base upon which everything else in your business is built upon.

I was invited to do a Twitter Chat all about creating your own platform hosted by Sharvette Mitchell of Mitchell Productions, LLC. Sharvette is excellent at doing web and graphic design. You can check out the recap here.

 

Are You Using Linkedin to Grow Your Business?

Copy of How Much Money Are You Making on that Unpublished Book-

When it comes to book and business marketing on social media, the landscape is changing everyday. Facebook continues to be a favorite amongst coaches, speakers, and experts who want to build their network and even buy ads to get people on to their list.

However Facebook can also a very crowded space. I belong to more FB groups than I care to actually participate in — and to be quite honest, most of the groups I do look at are more about self promotion than they are about support and networking. Twitter can feel like you are shouting into a deep hole. And of course, there are several new contenders in the livestreaming space like Blab.im, Periscope, and Facebook Live.

But what about Linkedin? I am sure you have heard everyone talk about how Linkedin is such a great platform because it was built strictly for professional purposes. You may even have a Linkedin profile. But are you using Linkedin to its full capacity?

For example, did you know that you can publish your presentations, build your email list, as well as connect with meeting planners and other decision makers who book speakers on Linkedin? There is so much opportunity on Linkedin, however the average coach, speaker, or expert has no idea how to take advantage of it.

Now I’m on a quest to learn more about Linkedin and how you can use it to not just sell books, connect with professional organizations who are looking for speakers, and grow your business in every way you can imagine.

BUT I NEED YOUR HELP!

I need 500 coaches, speakers, authors, and experts to fill out this SUPER SHORT social media survey. Whether you use Linkedin or not, I want to hear from you. It will only take you 3 minutes to complete.

Everyone who completes the survey will be entered into a drawing to win a $25 gift certificate from Amazon. And yes, I will be sharing what I learn with you. The contest ends February 29th at 11:59pm PT.