What do you do when you need information quickly? You Google it. What do you do when you want to know the latest gossip about Snookie? You Google it. Need to know a neato fancy word for interloper? Google it. Or maybe ask Siri. Want to read a good book about Area 51? Google it. When I do so, I get a Wikipedia page, Images for Area 51, the website for Secret Headquarters for UFO, a “HowStuffWorks” webpage and then…drum roll please…Area 51/Bob Mayer’s Blog. YES! Then a little farther down, Area 51 eBook (book 1) linked to the Cool Gus website. Exactly what I want to happen. Area 51 and Bob Mayer to come up when you Google Area 51.
Granted, these webpages could have come up on the first page because my web browser is getting smart. Meaning, based on my history, what I “share” on the Internet, etc., Google finds things it thinks I want to know. Well, clear cookies, browsing history, and do it again. Go to a different computer. Open a different browser. Yes. I do all this just so I can see how the Bob Mayer banding techniques are holding up. You see, if you don’t “know” Bob Mayer, then you don’t know to “search” for him. However, there are lots of factual fiction books associated with his name in various genres with various words associated with the name Bob Mayer. These words are used as keywords and tags in posts and other places where they can be linked to Bob Mayer.
Everything you do on the Internet is part of your Internet Presence or Presence Marketing.
A few months ago I gave a workshop to CNYRWA (Central New York Romance Writers) on marketing and the writer. We spent a good portion of our time discussing social media and how to use it effectively. I mentioned during the talk how each day you should put your personal stamp on the Internet 7 unique times. That doesn’t mean 7 tweets on Twitter or 7 Facebook updates. It means 7 meaningful interactions. Yes, it could be a tweet with a link to your blog, or a blog you commented on. Hey, that’s two meaningful interactions. You did something on twitter with a link and you did something on either WordPress or Blogger with either a comment or your own blog post.
Maybe next on your list is uploading a new board filled with new pins on Pinterest. Make those pins part of your branding process, you’ve got another unique, meaningful stamp on the Internet. Participating in a twitter chat using #Hashtags is another meaningful stamp, partly because more than your followers are reading your tweets, but you are putting your image and brand into a conversation.
There are a variety of ways to leave an impression on the Internet. I say do it 7 times because “the experts” say our memory can only handle 7 things at a time. Other “experts” talk about the 7 habits of successful people. Bob talks about the “rule of 7”. 7 is a magical number. I also use the number 7 because you can break that up into time spots and manage your time more effectively. You do one or two meaningful interactions in the morning, a few more at lunch, a few more late afternoon, maybe after dinner and lastly before you go to bed. This number is not set in stone, but used as a guide to help you make sure you are consistent in your efforts.
The real key to all of this is to increase your “discoverability quotient” because if no one can find you, then essentially, you don’t exist. The great thing about digital footprints is that they tend to stick around for a long time. So remember, those 7 digital imprint or personal stamp needs to project your image and brand. First impressions are important and in today’s current marketplace, first impressions often happen on-line.
To increase your chances at discoverability you have to be on the Internet. In order to create discoverability you have to leave your digital footprint in places that will be meaningful and in such a way that is effective in time and money.
What have you done to increase your discoverability today?
Nice to know I’m doing something right – thanks for the insights!
~Nancy Jill Thames
Author of the Jillian Bradley Mysteries
“Queen of Afternoon Tea”
Jen,
Should we decide what our tags and keywords are as part of our brand? And then consistently use those tags and keywords when we blog?
I believe I’m now going to institute a rule of 7 when on the internet. Thanks for the great advice!!
~Ansha Kotyk
Middle Grade/YA Author – Look for Gangsterland- coming soon. <—-I'm assuming this helps too?
Keywords can be changed and I do recommend changing every so often as we grow and develop, but yes, its a good idea to build those keywords directly into your brand and use them when blogging etc.
I live 45 minutes away from the city. Last fall I saw an announcement in the newspaper about an author who was launching a book that I thought I might be interested in. However, I didn’t want to travel that distance on a day when I had to work at both ends (shift work with about 16 hours off in between) if the book wasn’t really one I’d buy. I googled the man’s name and the book title. I came up with nothing. I tried several ways to find additional information on the title and the author, but I always came up empty–the man was nowhere to be found on the Internet. To me, that was just crazy. If you have a published book, you should be found somewhere.
I opted not to attend the launch, went to work, got busy, forgot the title of the book and went on with my life. That writer lost a potential sale (and possibly more) because he couldn’t be found on the Internet. Although he was selling paperbacks, he needed a web presence.
I’ve been on the Internet, leaving footprints, for more than a decade, so I’m easy to find. I make a habit of googling my name to see where I show up…sometimes, I’m on the strangest pages that have nothing to do with my writing.
Thanks for the great post. I really never thought to try to brand myself toward a specific subject area so that when someone does a search, say on the town my stories are based out of, my book might pop up. Duh! Thanks for opening my eyes to this one!
Exactly this, Jen:
“I mentioned during the talk how each day you should put your personal stamp on the Internet 7 unique times. That doesn’t mean 7 tweets on Twitter or 7 Facebook updates. It means 7 meaningful interactions.”
I refer to digital footprints as your Google Real Estate, which means the more spots (land) you have when you’re Google searched, the better. I also try to repeat the kinds of information about me and my brand so that I get more visibility on Page One of a Google Search.
Do you have any research on how many pages peeps will go on Google versus just taking what comes up on Page One of their search?
When I Google Search “dd scott,” I now get the first four pages of the search all to myself, except for one entry. Also, I’ve been trying to get my new website D. D. Scott-ville higher up than my old one – D. D. Scott (dot)com, and I’m getting there. The dot com is still first, but D. D. Scott-ville is now 3rd and a ton of the other “landings” are D. D. Scott-ville blog posts versus dot com posts.
I use consistent tagging on all of my key brand words as well as make sure the titles of my blog posts contain key search words for me too.
Thanks bunches for a terrific post on a terrific topic!!! U rock!!!
I think the key has more to do with searching keywords versus your name and see where you come up. Some times this is a good way to see how keywords actually work and why some are better than others. Most people won’t know to search your name, so they come to your site, book, blog or whatever by association.
Great point, Jen!
I get a ton of traffic from indie epublishing, The WG2E, RG2E, Ebook Gifting, Bitchy Signs, epublishing sales numbers, etc.
Thanks for the tip! Easy to remember the rule of 7 for internet discoverability. Going to start utilizing that immediately.
Great advice and the rule of 7 is easy to manage. I LOVE that! Thanks Jen!
Love it! Great post and easy to remember!!
Jen, love the “7″, a good rule of thumb to follow. Great start to the day…a comment here…that’s one down and six to go !
Jen,
More great information.
“…if no one can find you, then essentially, you don’t exist..”
That’s one reason why I decided to keep “Flyte” as in “Mitzi Flyte” for my writing life (that’s how people know me as a writer) instead of using my new married name “Reinbold”.
Mitzi (Flyte) Reinbold
Thanks, Jen. This is valuable information. I never thought about the rule of ’7′ but I will try to start using that whenever I’m on the internet.
Totally helpful and informative as always! I personally have found more books that I love based on a writer’s online profile, and know now how crucial that will be for me when I am ready to publish. So glad I decided to get on Twitter and start building my brand well before that time comes.
Thanks for the info!
I’m a little behind on my email (the following link was from 8/14/2012), but thought this might be interesting to everyone, particularly the recognition from Penguin that (the CEO of Penguin, said): “Self-publishing has moved into the mainstream of our industry over the past three years. It has provided new outlets for professional writers, a huge increase in the range of books available to readers and an exciting source of content for publishers such as Penguin.”
http://www.trafford.com/AuthorCenter/TraffordOracle/ASI-Acquired-by-Pearson.aspx?utm_campaign=
A positive note (even though one of self-interest) in a sea of naysaying.
This is a great idea, and as you say, the number 7 is easy to remember. So, for today, I’m getting in just under the wire for #7. I did a blog post and announced it on Facebook and Twitter, then I commented on three other blogs. (I also answered comments on Facebook about my blog post, but I’m not sure that would could as a separate one.) I love stuff like this. Thanks!