Relating to WordPress versus blogger, I would keep both. I would cross-post if there is a platform that does this. If not just copy and paste in both and perhaps use different photos as your image. Blogger is a reputable platform to share information and has a great allegiance with bloggers where you can create strategic alliances. WordPress is (opinion) now the front runner as it relates to blogging. There was a point where HBO was the brand leader, until Netflix came along. The blogger/word press war is very similar. And speaking of strategic alliances…
Every brand “rides the tiger.” Determine who the tiger is in your industry and your genre and become the apprentice. If you’re starting from scratch and your Fanbase is small the best way to acquire new fans is to ride the tiger.
I’m going to tell you a quick story that you can use as a template: I have aligned myself with Starbucks coffee shops for over a decade. Granted, I write the books and I have achieved the same for that craft. But that merely speaks to mastering my craft and does not speak to the promotion of the same. While in Starbucks, I naturally aligned myself with other writers and other readers and inevitably sold books in those stores. Moreover I’ve made more money and I’ve earned more valued relationships from Starbucks clientele and customers then I could imagine. There’s a book being written so you’ll need to wait on that as I went very thorough into the details. Meanwhile, In getting to that point where I needed to market my work, assume I was once this hobbit that sat in the closet and wrote my ass off for years. (BTW that’s very close to my truth) How in the world will I share my content? Well when I came out of the closet I knew that I had to align myself with readers and I realized that readers were found in numerous places but most importantly in bookstores, libraries and coffee shops. The most popular of the three happens to be the coffee shops. In New York we happen to have coffee shops and cafés all over the place. So I master my craft then I create strategic alliances with high traffic venues and events. But I don’t subject myself to totally focusing on that, as I maintain my social networking as well as I build alliances with other tigers in my genre. Again, you need to identify the Tigers in your genre and you need to attach yourself to them. They will allow the attachment for the most verifiable and the most passionate of their fellowship. You begin as part of the fellowship, then you become one of their soldiers, until you become a lieutenant and eventually you will become a partner. This may seem time-consuming, but I assure you if your passion is in your pen and if your pen is in your purpose and if your purpose is practical you will create partnerships. You need to have partners in your circle. These are people that you can share ideas with and people who have like minds. Those strategic alliances will be with people like yourself and also people who have excelled in your field of expertise. Please do not discount my mention of expertise and mastery. There are many crabs in this barrel all scrambling to get out. They are climbing over in around one another. How will you get out? And how will your plan B more unique than all others? How do you find the market leaders in your industry? Research, research, research! If you’re passionate about what you’re doing you will love the time necessary to reach the top. Is the bullet list:
1) Master your craft
2) identify the Tigers in your industry and your genre
3) align yourself and be of value to those tigers
4) take the necessary steps to grow your brand and create valued relationships, not shortcuts.
5) do all of the above on and off-line.
SIDE NOTE:
if you are about that life-speaking of the writers/writing, etc life then also align yourself with other writers that you might want to partner with. See that they also have a burning desire and a nice fan base that equals yours. If so write a story together and go back and forth with chapters between the both of you. In doing so you’re not only inspiring one another but you’re also sharing one another’s Fanbase. You can begin the process online and if it becomes exciting and valuable to our readership in the blogs you may want to go to press with that writer. Now you have another book that you can add to your library and so does that other writer. That is a strategic alliance.
SECOND SIDE-NOTE:
Why Starbucks?
Let me start out by saying that I have made thousands upon thousands of dollars from my alliances at Starbucks. It’s not only because I’ve mastered my craft but it is because I am a good person. Be a good person. I know it’s difficult if you’re an introvert but reach out and touch someone. Stretch your boundaries and step outside of the box. Create a focus group in your community and have those meetings at Starbucks inside or outside on the patio. You can do the same at Panera bread or a number of other franchises around the world. Starbucks is a brand leader and they’ve created a large constituency of followers, follow where is that our readers and writers and publishers and marketers and theoreticians. If you are going to be successful in your field and your endeavor you need to be known and respected in those circles. I hope I am preaching to the choir her for many of you, but for others among you who asked the question “why Starbucks?” I don’t believe we are on the same page. You will need to go back to “marketing 101” in college. You will need to go back to “relationship building 101.” Okay now I’ll be less facetious and more specific: You will need to read the books @radical marketing” and “the tipping point” and “all marketers are liars” and “think and grow rich” “how to Win friends and influence people” and most importantly “the magic of thinking big.” I hate to say this but I will say this: if you have not read all of these books you are not ready to be a winner in this industry. Family, everybody wants to be a winner and get ahead of the rest, but the way to guarantee your position is to do the work.
