Why a Blog is a #Writers Most Important Marketing Tool

The Ugly Truth

Whether or not we like it, we live in an environment where writers need a marketing strategy. For us, the most important tool we have in standing out is our blog and it’s content.

So…check out this model (directly below) and then compare it to the model Dan Cristo from Triberr gives in the following post written by him, taking note of the common identifying principals.

1. I write romantic suspense novels
2. I share either my own personality, humor, and whatever makes me unique and interesting (or that of a guest) on my blog.
3. The “quality content” of information instills credibility and keeps people on the page.
4. News of me and my style will be shared (most likely through Triberr and the right tribe – but that’s another blog post) and trust is delivered to my readers and more sales are realized.

As mentioned, there is much to learn from the info Dan has written in the post below and I am grateful in sharing what was originally titled:

A Blueprint for Monetizing Influence by Dan Cristo

Lately I’ve been enamored with the idea of lifestyle design. For those who may be unfamiliar, lifestyle design is simply the idea of choosing what your ideal lifestyle would be, then going out and creating it.

For example, I’m not much of a traveler, but I believe most people would like to spend a year traveling around the world. Sadly, most people can’t do that, because of jobs, debt, kids, commitments, etc. They lack the freedom to live like they would like to.

Recently I’ve noticed a movement, particularly in my generation (Late Gen X/Early Gen Y). No less than 4 of my very close friends have decided to go into business for themselves, and another friend is traveling to France, then Africa for half a year.

I’m thoroughly convinced that anyone can create a great living through the Internet. There are a million ways to do that, but the one I prefer is monetizing trust.

Monetizing Influence

Would you believe that there are companies out there who are already monetizing your influence? The most obvious of these is Facebook. Facebook wants you to “like” things. Why? Because the things you like influence the buying behavior of your friends. Facebook has found a way to facilitate this communication of trust in a way that helps companies make money, and those companies pay Facebook for it?

How much has Facebook paid you for your time, effort and connections?

The Formula

What’s keeping you from doing what Facebook is doing? Why can’t you get paid to “like” the things you naturally like? I believe you can, and I think Gary Vaynerchuk is an excellent example with his Wine Library TV blog. The formula is simple…

1. He owns a wine business.
2. He shares his knowledge through wine tasting videos.
3. The videos create a brand and a tribe of people who trust him
4.  He monetizes his trust through his selling wine, books, speaking engagements and now a marketing agency.

He’s not selling wine directly through his videos, rather he’s earning trust which manifests itself as influence. The type of influence that makes people want to buy wine from his store without him having to say, “Go buy wine from me”.

Your Blueprint

You need a product to sell. Either your own, or somebody else’s. I think the biggest mistake bloggers make is thinking they can create a living selling ads on their blog. Remember, Google is already monetizing your content, you’ve lost that game. Your only hope is to convert your content to influence which you can use to sell a physical or digital product.

Once you have a product, you need to build trust.

Building Trust

Trust can be built in one of two ways: expertise or intimacy. Gary Vaynerchuk is an expert in the wine industry. He knows what he’s talking about, and that builds trust. On the other hand, if a friend gives a really strong recommendation for a wine, you’ll probably pick it up, because you know them well, and that intimacy creates trust.

Share your knowledge of what you know and love through your blog to create expertise. Connect and engage deeply with folks who are interested in what you have to say through social networks.

Use the above tactics to start building a tribe. A tribe is simply a group of people who you influence. I use Triberr to manage my tribe. But I’m also bias, because I built the site So you can use whatever tool works best for you.

Now you’ve got a tribe of people who trust you, a platform (your blog) to grow the tribe, and a product to sell. You’ve got everything you need to create a strong business online. Go convert that influence into money, and use that money to build a better, more liberating lifestyle.