A writing student asked if I’d post about blogging–as in attracting more readers/followers. While I’m hearing that author blogs are on the wane, (I know–just when you’d finally got yours up and running) social media is still the darling of promotion. Since I link my blog to Facebook and other sites, I still hope and pray someone reads these posts and isn’t convinced that this blog is a dinosaur.
Writing Tip for Today: So what are some things you can do to grow your following and get people to buzz your blog?

• Short, short, short. Keep your posts brief. If you compose in Word, try to limit a day’s post to 250 words. Today’s hurried reader needs nice little chunks, not lengthy tomes.
• Link. Learn to link your blog strategically to where your readers hang. If it’s not Facebook or Twitter, maybe it’s an online group of sci-fi readers. Go to a high traffic site and ask if you can place a widget on their page that links to your blog. They may say no, but if you don’t ask you’ll never be sure. Start with the most popular and work your way down.
• Content Counts. What are you posting? If your posts are limited to your own work or some kind of rant, it may be more difficult to grow your blog. Be sure you are giving the reader something to walk away with. Do book reviews on bestsellers or hold interviews with authors. Hold a contest now and then, and give away a prize related to your subject.* Caveat: you should call it a giveaway, not a contest. Whatever you blog, make sure it’s as fresh and original as you can make it. Buzz happens when you stand out from the crowd.