Blogging part 2
Apr 14th, 2008 | 
Further to the Writers Union of Canada AGM panel RAISING YOUR PUBLIC PROFILE
I got feedback from Penny Kome on my rhetorical question
“can it still be true that some authors don’t have their own web presence at all?”
She reminded me (so I’m reminding you) that Union members have access to their own member web pages on the Union website, although not all take advantage of this.
My last post said I’d address why blogging is better than a static web page.
Of course there are two sides to that and in one way a blog is worse than a static web page; it takes more work.
Your objective should be that people can find you on the internet. Beyond that your goal should be that once they’ve found you they feel some kind of attachment to you.
Blogs are better than static websites for these two reasons.
First of all Google gives your website more prominence in its results if your content is regularly being refreshed. That means you have a better chance of showing up on the first page of Google results.
My blog at podictionary.com is updated with new material 4 or 5 days a week. I just typed my name into Google and the first two results link to my websites. Out of ten results on that first page, six of them point to material by or about me.
Not bad when there is a film actor and a rugby player by the same name.
The second reason that blogs are better than static web pages is that it allows your audience to get to know you and your work in a more intimate way. They feel a more personal attachment to you because they hear from you regularly.
There’s a third reason why a blog is better. It both reinforces your Google ranking and audience attachment.
Most blogs allow for readers to comment. What’s been called “web 2.0″ is all about interactivity on the web. You write something, your audience writes back. There is more fresh content for Google and more of a feeling of involvement for your fans.
I said blogs were more work, that’s what I’ll touch on next time.
This blog post is a duplicate of one of a series of emails I’m sending to the Writers Union of Canada listserv in advance of the Writers Union AGM panel session RAISING YOUR PUBLIC PROFILE taking place at 1:15 on Friday May 23. The deadline for AGM registration is Wednesday April 16. I’ll be joining Cynthia Good and Rick Broadhead for that panel.
