There are many different ways to market and publicize a book. One of the ways that still remains popular today is through conducting a Blog Book Tour. This is a strategy for promoting your book that will effectively connect you to your readers virtually.
The necessary steps for conducting a Blog Book Tour
Identify Relevant Blogs: Start by researching and identifying blogs that are relevant to your book’s genre, topic, or target audience. This may seem obvious, but the fundamentals need to be said. It’s also important to look for blogs that have an engaged readership and a good online presence. As you conduct your research, make a list of potential blogs to approach for your tour. Then…
Contact Bloggers: Reach out to the bloggers you’ve identified and pitch your idea to them for a blog book tour. Be sure to craft a personalized email introducing yourself, your book, and the purpose of the tour. This alone puts you head and shoulders above the rest as many authors simply do not take the time to customize each pitch. Explain how a guest post or interview featuring you and your book would be valuable to their readers. Be clear about what you can offer in return, such as free review copies, giveaways, or exclusive content for their blog.
Schedule Tour Stops: As bloggers begin to express interest in hosting you, it’s time to work out a schedule for the tour. It’s very helpful to determine the overall duration, which depends on the number of stops you plan to have and the timeframe you want to allocate for the tour. It can range from a few days to several weeks, depending on your preferences. You want to be sure that there is enough time for readers to engage with each post and for you to respond to comments.
Prepare Content: You will want to work on creating engaging and relevant content for each blog stop. This could include guest posts, author interviews, book excerpts, or even video content. Tailor your content to each blog’s audience and style, and make note of what the blogger says about their audience. Make sure to provide the bloggers with any necessary materials, such as author bios, book covers, and links to purchase the book.
Engage with the Bloggers and Readers: As the tour progresses, actively engage with the bloggers and their readers. It’s important to respond to comments, answer questions, and participate in discussions on each blog post in a timely fashion. This will help you connect with potential readers and build relationships with bloggers who may continue to support your work in the future.
Promote the Tour: Promote the blog book tour through your website, social media platforms, email newsletters, and any other relevant channels. Encourage your existing audience to follow the tour and participate in discussions. This will help generate more visibility and engagement. Tag the bloggers so they know you’re promoting the tour and their blogs to your networks.
Show Appreciation: After each blog stop, express your gratitude to the blogger for hosting you and helping promote your book. Share the blog post on your social media and website to further amplify their efforts. Building strong relationships with bloggers is essential for future collaborations.
While the landscape of book promotion has evolved with the rise of social media and other digital marketing strategies, blog tours remain an effective and popular method for authors to connect with readers, generate buzz around their books, and expand their online presence.
Bottom line
By partnering with relevant bloggers, authors can leverage the bloggers’ established readerships and engage directly with potential readers. The tour allows authors to showcase their work through guest posts, author interviews, book excerpts, or other engaging content, which helps create excitement and generates interest in their book. But most importantly, remember to have fun!
To your success!
Joanne
P.S. With a Book Blog Tour, you really can Tour the World!
#blogtours
#bookmarketing
#bookpublicity
If you’d like to receive juicy publicity secrets directly on a regular basis, join the Savvy Sunday Community at the bottom of this page.