Book Review | Influencer by Brittany Hennessy

Review by Iola Goulton @iolagoulton

Just to prove I occasionally read non-fiction ...

If the teen in your life (or even you) dreams of being the next big YouTube or Instagram sensation, then you need this book. It takes readers through the nitty-gritty of what it takes to be an influencer, and the basics of how to run your own influencer business.

And influencing is a business. 

Influencing isn't just taking a pretty photo and posting it on Instagram. It's also learning skills like design, photography, writing, social media, websites, modelling, and public speaking (because many of the successful influencers. The bigger influencers are mostly posting pictures of themselves, so it's also hiring the photographer to take those shots, and perhaps even the makeup artist and hairdresser so you look like Wow! not woah.

The focus of Influencer was on fashion, lifestyle, and travel influencers—the glamour end of the game. But many of the principles still hold true for us smaller-scale book bloggers. For example:

• Blog on WordPress.
• Be on social media, if only so people can tag or mention you.
• Secure your username on every platform so no one can steal it.
• Be honest.
• Have a balance between organic content and advertisements.
• Ask a question to build engagement (yes, I'm still working on this one).
• Plan and prepare your content in advance.

(If you've followed me for any length of time, you'll know I've been recommending all these things to writers since forever.)

Hennessy also says:

If you are in this business for the right reasons, creating create content, and engaging with your audience, the followers will come. This isn't a sprint; it's a marathon. Never forget that.

(Also remember that sprinters spend just as many hours a day training as marathon runners!).

The one weakness of Influencer was the chapter on building an audience—how to get people to follow you and engage. She makes some good points (don't buy followers. Or Likes. Ever. Use hashtags. Follow hashtags.) But the chapter is light on detail.

Key learning points:

• It takes time. The interviewed influencers worked on their blogs and Instagram profiles for two to six years before starting to make money.
• It takes a lot of time. Even when you've "made it", this is a full-time job because you're a business owner.
• It takes skill. You need to be able to write great content and sell products. And you need to be able to take direction.

The chapters on contracts and agents hit home the fact that being an influencer is a lot more than living an Instagram-ready life. It takes business savvy, hard work, and a determination to succeed. It takes knowing your "why"—why do you want to do this?

All in all, becoming a successful influencer sounds a lot like becoming a successful author.

A lot of hard work with no guarantees, so you need to learn to find joy and success in the process.

Recommended for anyone who wants to get into influencing on a small or larger scale, or anyone who is curious as to how and why anyone can justify paying some blogger thousands of dollars for posting a few photos on Instagram.

Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About Iola Goulton

Iola Goulton is a New Zealand book reviewer, freelance editor, and author, writing contemporary Christian romance with a Kiwi twist. She is a member of the Sisterhood of Unpronounceable Names (Iola is pronounced yo-la, not eye-ola and definitely not Lola).

Iola holds a degree in marketing, has a background in human resource consulting, and currently works as a freelance editor. When she’s not working, Iola is usually reading or writing her next book review. Iola lives in the beautiful Bay of Plenty in New Zealand (not far from Hobbiton) with her husband, two teenagers and one cat. She is currently working on her first novel.

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter

11 Tips for Writing a Great Blog Post

By Iola Goulton

Some authors love blogging. Some loathe it. But an author blog is often considered a necessary part of an author platform (especially for non-fiction authors).

If we're going to put time and effort into blogging, let's do it properly. Here are my 11 Tips for Writing a Great Blog Post:

1. Plan Ahead

Yes, I know this sounds boring. But it will cut down on your blogging stress in two ways because it means you won’t be scrambling to write and edit a blog post at the last minute. Planning ahead also means you can write when the urge hits you … even if that’s several weeks ahead of your scheduled post date. As an example, I’m drafting this post on 22 November. I know December is going to be busy, so I’m trying to get ahead while I can.

For those of us who contribute to group blogs, planning and scheduling ahead of time makes life a lot easier for the blog admins. 

A missed post can take an hour or more of admin time in checking the blog, checking the schedule, contacting the other admins, contacting the blogger, waiting for an answer, and trying to find a substitute post.

I’m an administrator for two group blogs (this and International Christian Fiction Writers) as well as having two blogs of my own (Iola Goulton and Christian Editing Services). It gives me a good feeling to check the calendar on Monday morning and find all the posts are scheduled for the week. All I have to do is promote them (see point 10 below).

2. Find the Perfect Topic

Sometimes you’re writing a blog post with a specific goal in mind: to share a cover reveal, a pre-order, a new release, or a specific time-sensitive promotion. These are easy posts to plan and write ahead of schedule, and should be part of your regular book launch marketing plan.

Sometimes you’re writing a post that has to fit a particular theme. For example, here on Australasian Christian Writers, Monday is a craft post and Thursday is a book review. We're introducing something new for Tuesday's next year, and I'll talk a little about that in my next post (yes, planning ahead).

But more often you’re faced with a blank slate. I find those blank slate posts harder to write than when I’ve got a topic in mind. So … plan ahead. Plan out what topics you’d like to cover and when. Then you can write to cover those topics, or (if the muse hits you) you can write to please the muse.

What makes a great blog post topic? I suggest:

• Something that interests you (so you’re going to enjoy writing it)
• Something that’s not going to date quickly (so you can continue to promote the post in the future).
• Something that’s relevant to your target audience. You do know your target audience, right? Do they ever ask questions? Yes? Then write an answer. You’re likely to get the same questions over and over, and having the answer in a blog post means you can direct future askers to the post.

(Kick Start Your Author Platform has more great tips on choosing the perfect post topic.)

3. Write at least 300 words

One of our objectives as writers is to be read. Which means writing words people want to read. But first people have to find what you’ve written. This means making your blog post as appealing to Google (and other search engines) as it is to your target reader.

Which means writing a blog post that’s at least 300 words long. More words are better, but only if they are good words. No padding!

(P.S. In a group blog, that's 300 or more words of content. Not 300 words including your bio.)

4. Make Your Post Scannable

As you write, make your post scannable. Many people read blog posts via a reader (such as Feedly), or on a mobile or tablet.

In an online world, scannable equals readable.

To make your blog post scannable:

• Use short paragraphs (no more than four lines).
• Use headings and subheadings.
• Use bullet points or lists where relevant. Like here.

5. Ask a Question

As bloggers, we need to engage our readers, to keep them coming back. A great way of doing this is to ask a question.

This could be like my Bookish Question, or like #FirstLineFriday posts (what’s the first line of the book nearest you?).

Or you could ask a question that’s relevant to theme of your post. If the post is sharing your favourite novels, ask your readers their favourite novels. If you’re about Christmas, ask your readers to share their favourite Christmas memory. You get the idea.

The blogs I enjoy reading most are generally conversations where the comments are as important as the blog itself. So work out how you can turn your blog post into a conversation.

6. Revise. Edit. Proofread

We’re writers. We can do this. (If you can’t, Christian Editing Services can help you!)

7. Add a Killer Title

Feedly delivers me over 100 blog posts every single day. I don’t have time to read 100 blog posts. No one does. So how do I decide which posts to read? Based on the title.

Some people don’t want to use clickbaity titles such as 11 Tips for Writing a Great Blog Post. However, it’s only clickbaity if the post doesn’t actually deliver on the promise (or makes you click through 32 screens to get the 11 points).

Also, I’m reliably informed (thanks, Margie Lawson) that people subconsciously like numbered posts, because the numbers show us how much longer until the end of the post (not long now, people).

8. Include a Relevant Image

People like images. Search engines like images. Social media likes images—experts will tell you posts with images get more attention.

Include images. (But make sure you are using them legally.)

Your main image should be centred at the very top of the post. This is the image Blogger will pick up for social media shares (if you use WordPress, you can select a Featured Image. WordPress will display that at the top of your post, and use it for social media shares).

Intersperse images throughout a longer post—it breaks up the text and makes it more readable. 

Use design software such as Canva to brand your images, so your images stand out to someone randomly scanning through Feedly. And include your killer title with your image—that will help when you’re sharing to visual sites like Instagram and Pinterest (see 10, below).

If you’re posting on a group blog like ACW, include your author photo, bio, and social media links at the bottom of the post.

9. Add Your Byline

Tell your readers who wrote the post. This is especially important if you’re writing for a group blog with multiple contributors. Some people will choose to read the post because you wrote it. Make it easy for them to know they want to read this post.

10. Promote Promote Promote

Note: promote promote promote does not mean spam spam spam.

Promoting means sharing your post with your target audience using relevant social networks.

If your post is about your multi-author romance giveaway, share in places where romance readers congregate (hint: not LinkedIn).

I use Buffer to share to Facebook, Google+, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter—Buffer's Power Scheduler means I can even schedule multiple posts at once. A few clicks, and it’s done, with a unique message for each network (e.g. one or two #hashtags on Twitter, but more on Instagram).

Why these networks?

• For my reader-writer-reviewer posts, my target reader is on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Many are also on Twitter, and it takes only a few extra seconds to get Buffer to share to Twitter as well.
• For my writer-editor posts, my target audience is on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. The beauty of Pinterest is that people can follow specific Boards, so people who aren’t interested in writing can choose not to follow my writing-related Boards.

I share on Google+ because that is indexed for SEO purposes. Translated: sharing to Google+ means Google is more likely to show my blog post (or Google+ share) to someone who is searching for posts on my topic.

The other reason for sharing or promoting is that some blog posts get more traction on social media than on the actual blog. For example, my weekly Bookish Question often gets no comments on the actual blog post, but always gets Likes and Comments on Facebook and Instagram (especially Instagram).

One request: if you’re a member of a group blog like ACW or ICFW, consider using a programme like Buffer to share everyone’s posts, not just your own. Because this is a community. Let’s work together and help each other.

11. Engage

You finished your blog post with a question, right? Now it’s important to check back and make sure you respond to answers (and other comments). And don’t forget to check your social media networks and respond to comments there as well.

Readers want to connect, to engage. That means responding to comments in a timely manner.

That’s it. My top blogging tips. Is there anything you don’t understand or you’d like more information on? Or anything you’d like to add? Let me know in the comments.

If even the thought of establishing a blog or an author platform fills you with dread … I can help. Click here to sign up to be notified about my March Marketing Challenge: Kick Start Your Author Platform.

About Iola Goulton

Iola Goulton is a New Zealand book reviewer, freelance editor, and author, writing contemporary Christian romance with a Kiwi twist. She is a member of the Sisterhood of Unpronounceable Names (Iola is pronounced yo-la, not eye-ola and definitely not Lola).

Iola holds a degree in marketing, has a background in human resource consulting, and currently works as a freelance editor. When she’s not working, Iola is usually reading or writing her next book review. Iola lives in the beautiful Bay of Plenty in New Zealand (not far from Hobbiton) with her husband, two teenagers and one cat. She is currently working on her first novel.

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter

Why Instagram?

by Andrea Grigg with Belinda Pollard.

I’ve enjoyed Instagram for a while now. I like looking at photos and quotes and videos and find it’s not as time-consuming as Facebook. As some of you know, I’m using Instagram as my platform of choice for my Year of Gratitude project. Every day this year I’ve put up a photo of something I’m grateful for, and then linked my posts to Facebook and Twitter. I decided to do it not only because the idea intrigued and challenged me, but also as an experiment. And because  I’m still bumbling along, I thought I’d interview someone else who’s further along the Instagram track than I am, a lovely lady by the name of Belinda Pollard.

Belinda welcome to ACW. Before we get onto the questions, please tell us a little about your background and what you do.

Hi Andrea – thanks for inviting me to the blog.

I began with a journalism degree way-back-when, and worked in radio and television news. Later, I did a second degree in theology, and veered into book editing. Nowadays, I’m a publishing consultant, book editor, speaker and blogger at smallbluedog.com. I love books and book people.

Awesome! Could you please tell us about your writing journey so far?

It took me 20 years to complete my first novel, because I wouldn’t give myself permission to write it – too frivolous! I finally introduced deadlines into the equation by entering competitions, and the old journalist in me rose to the challenge. Poison Bay, Book 1 in the Wild Crimes series, was published in 2014. 

In 2015, I published a light memoir,  Dogged Optimism: Lessons in Joy from a Disaster-Prone Dog. That one started as a series of funny anecdotes about my daft dog, and became something much more personal along the way. Poison Bay won a Varuna fellowship and an IPPY silver medal, while Dogged Optimism is a finalist in both the Indiefab and Next Generation Indie Book Awards. I’m working on Wild Crimes Book 2, Venom Reef, which recently entailed an ARDUOUS research trip to the Great Barrier Reef (oh, the hardship). I’m also working on several books about writing.

 You are one busy person! Anything else you’d like us to know?

I’m that rare beastie: an extroverted writer; social media has helped keep me sane(ish). I am chief ball thrower for a beautiful, socially-awkward red and white dog named Rufus. My house never seems to be tidy, even though I clean it every six months.

Totally understand you J Perhaps we’d better get on with the questions.

1.    What do you think about Instagram as a promotional tool? How does it compare to Facebook and Twitter?

Everyone’s experience will be different. Personally, I see Facebook as a place to meet readers, Twitter as a place to meet other writers and editors, and Instagram as a place to meet people who think visually. The biggest benefit to my author platform from Instagram has been the ability to share original content direct to my Facebook page. Instagram and Facebook are BFFs – it’s simple to share to Instagram and Facebook simultaneously.

2.    Is it worthwhile for authors to use?

Yes and no. If you expect to follow a few people, share a few pics, and sell a thousand books, you’ll probably be disappointed! My suggestion would be that if you’re a visual person, it’s a nice place to hang out and meet people with similar interests. Be genuinely social. Comment on their images. Reply to their comments on your images. I wandered onto Instagram and experimented. (I’ve outlined some of my experiences in this post: http://www.smallbluedog.com/instagram-for-authors-my-first-6-months.html ) I’ve met bookstore owners and journalists on Instagram, and those connections have turned out to be strategic, but to be honest, I’m there to look at pictures and connect with like-minded people. Any “career” benefits are almost just side effects. If you’re not a visual thinker, you will probably find Instagram hard work, or annoying, or both. But I have found it enjoyable and valuable.

3.    Should I use my real name or a nickname like I see so many people doing?

I use my real name, and in the same format as on Twitter… @Belinda_Pollard. Everyone must make their own decision of course, but I don’t see the point of using a nickname, since the goal of all author marketing is surely to get name recognition. As people scroll down their feed, quickly double-tapping photos to “like” them, I want it to be my author name that is being gently reinforced in their memory, rather than a cute nickname.

4.    What kinds of photos do you suggest I use?

Work out what is visual about whatever it is that you write. I share nature photos, which harmonise with the wilderness themes in my novels. I also share pics of my dogs, since I write about dogs. And I share the occasional writing workshop or author milestone, such as when my book arrived from the printers. I do take some trouble with my pics, trying to be creative or artistic in the way that I frame the shots. I’m no expert, though. I just enjoy nice photos!

5.    How do I get followers? Should I follow someone if they follow me?

As with Twitter, if you follow people they will often follow you back. And there are also a lot of spammers, as on Twitter. If your goal is to get followers, try following people who are interested in the same things as you, and who have smaller followings. People with large followings may not notice that you’ve followed them. Personally, I decided only to follow those whose photos I genuinely want to look at. So there are people I follow who will never follow me back. I just like to look at their pics! And I don’t follow-back spammers. I suspect that a small, engaged following can be more rewarding than a huge following of people who aren’t really paying much attention…

6.    What’s the story with hashtags? How do they work?

Hashtags seem to be the heart and soul of Instagram. People really do use them to find pictures they like, and many people use lots of hashtags on each pic. For example, my dog is a red heeler mix, so I’ll use hashtags such as #heeler #heelergram #heelersofinstagram on my pics of the pooch. That way, owners of similar dogs will see my pics and “like” them, and some will leave comments or follow me. And by tapping on those hashtags, I’ll see pics of other people’s dogs, and comment on them and follow them. When you start typing in a hashtag after your image description, Instagram will offer you a list of similar hashtags, and a number after each hashtag showing how much it gets used. I tend to choose ones with larger numbers (but not always).

7.    And a paragraph to sum up?

There’s a lot of buzz about Instagram being the fastest growing social platform, and a lot of pressure to join. The truth is, we can’t be on all the social platforms all the time. I suggest that people find two or three social networks that really work for them, and focus on those. And my motto for all social media applies just as well to Instagram: make friends, not sales. Experiment, and enjoy it! Form genuine connections with other human beings, and you’ll be surprised what might emerge.

Great advice, Belinda, and thank you so much for sharing your insights concerning the wonderful world of Instagram.

 Belinda Pollard is an award-winning Australian mystery author and former journalist. A specialist book editor since 1995, she has steered more than 60 books to publication for both traditional and independent publishers. Despite bad knees and a fear of heights, she trekked New Zealand’s Milford Track as research for her debut novel, Poison Bay. Her light memoir, Dogged Optimism: Lessons in Joy from a Disaster-Prone Dog, has been an Australian Amazon bestseller since its release in December 2015. She hates housework, but loves trees, dogs and chips.

She blogs writing and publishing topics at smallbluedog.com and Real Life on a Beautiful Planet at belindapollard.com Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Google+

Andrea Grigg is the author of two contemporary Christian romances, A Simple Mistake and Too Pretty. She loves hearing from readers and writers alike, and can be contacted via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and via email: andreagrigg(at)live(dot)com

Call Me Pollyanna ...

By Andrea Grigg

Image from freedigitalphotos.net
Credit: stockimages

I know not everyone will get the title but a lot of you will!

We had a family stay with us over New Year. I can’t remember how we got onto the subject, but it ended up with one of their teenage daughters telling me her last year’s Gratitude Challenge. Every day, she posted a photo on Instagram of something she was grateful for. Yep, that meant finding 365 things to be thankful for, and she did it.

The idea really appealed to me so I thought I’d give it a go. Some of you will have seen my efforts on Instagram itself, as well as on my personal Facebook page and Twitter. (Instagram has an option for you to set up your posts to go live on these platforms simultaneously.) By the time you read this, I will be up to Day 69.

It’s been harder than I thought. Not because I can’t find something to be grateful for, but because it’s not always easy to put a concept into a photograph! I’ve put up some funny ones, (Days 26 and 33) some environmental ones, (Days 28 and 36) and some quite personal ones (Days 5 and 45).

Overall though, the exercise is cementing something inside me, something which sounds obvious and simple but is actually quite profound.

In the Bible, there’s a verse I’ve always liked but it’s really hitting home for me now: “In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” I Thessalonians 5:18

 (Interesting to note that being thankful is an aspect of God’s will for our lives.)

I have so much to be thankful for:  My husband, my family, where I live, the fact I don’t have to worry where my next meal is coming from … the list is very, very long. And committing to this Gratitude Challenge has emphasised it.

Does this Challenge relate to my writing? It sure does.

Image from freedigitalphotos.net
credit: Stuart Miles

I’ve had a difficult eighteen months creatively speaking, with lots of roadblocks and obstacles – both mental and circumstantial – including the dreaded writers’ block. But I’ve learned something. So much of my problems are simply First World problems. And when I focus on what I do have rather than what I don’t, including in my writing life, it makes all the difference.

Even though I’m writing again, I still have my frustrations. And when they come, I choose to be thankful for the good stuff; for the books I’ve already written, for the lovely comments and encouragement I’ve been given, for the way the writing journey has shaped my life.

The Gratitude Challenge has taught me that even in the midst of uncertainty and self-doubt, I can choose to practise thankfulness and that leads to something very valuable.

Contentment.

In this crazy, messy, dysfunctional world of ours, I’m content. I have a lot to be thankful for. Absolutely loads. And when I’m grateful, even for the smallest thing, it takes the focus off myself, lifts my spirit, and strengthens my relationship with God. Just like that.

Image from freedigitalphotos.net
Credit: David Castillo Domenici

So if you like the sound of the Gratitude Challenge, come on over to Instagram and take a look for yourself.  You can find me there under my normal name, Andrea Grigg. (You’d be amazed at some of the names you find people under!)

I’d be very ‘grateful’ if you took a look J

Andrea Grigg is the author of two contemporary Christian romances, A Simple Mistake and Too Pretty. She loves hearing from readers and writers alike, and can be contacted via Twitter, her Facebook author page, and via email - andreagrigg@live.com