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Calling All Bloggers Join Me Tonight (Apr 2) at 8 p.m. #bloggerweek


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This will be an interview that takes place on Tweeter, this evening at 8 p.m. EDT.

 

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Yeah, I know I said I'm not longer using social media.  But I'm more than happy to make an exception for instances like this. An instance where the social platform will be used to support AALBC.com's activities, rather than the other way around.

 

While I'm on the subject, not using social media is actually a lot harder than you would image, at least for someone like me.

 

First often when I'm researching and author, I'll discover that the authors best, if not only, presence is on Facebook.  I think this is a really scary trend.  Image a world where the only place you can learn about an author is on Facebook?  This is not as far fetched as it sounds.  When we reach that day, creative and really personalized author websites.

 

Second, many websites require, or make it much easier to create accounts on their website when you use you Twitter of Facebook account (including my own website).  Before I posted this I realized my own account is tied to Facebook.  I tried to create an account without using social media, and my first attempt failed (something I have to look into).

At any rate, I must have dozens of account across the web that use my Facebook credentials as a way to login.  Unwinding all of these will not be a trivial activity.

 

Finally, I'm contacted a lot through social media, especially Facebook.  Lately I've just been ignoring these communications, but that is obviously not good for business.  I do not have a good solution for that, other than updating my profile to say if you want to reach me use email.

 

At the rate things are going, if you are still using email instead of Facebook Instant messenger, or some other social platform to communicate with others you are looked at as if you are in the stone age.

 

Social media, at least for those running a web based business, is really an inextricable part of life.  But I like processed food I will do my best to minimize my interaction.

 

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Troy, I just don't think it will be possible to do minimize your usage. I think the end goal is to have people build their personal platforms as well as social media, but the honest truth is Facebook is not going to die like Myspace. I think it will be around so the goal is to figure out how to use it to your benefit. 

 

I share my articles from CBP to Twitter, Google + and Facebook. People go to the site momentarily but they don't spend much time on the site before they exit right back to Facebook. My job now is to create a related stories link in each article that will keep the person engaged (potentially) and will make them want to click to another article. I know the reality though, people just aren't interested in more than the one story they are linked to. 

 

I make it a point everyday to tell someone to install Disqus and stop posting such great content to Facebook. The problem is that immediate engagement is overwhelming and gives the people that instant gratification (instagram) they won't so badly. I know that I have to get people to my sites to sell something to them and I am pretty successful at it, but overall when it comes to the book business it is much harder than breaking a new tennis shoe. 

 

I have been placing more of an effort into being a serious writer since August 2014. I'm seeing the benefits of interacting here on AALBC and on Facebook and on Spreecast with the Mentor Monday group and by trying to share new content each day from CBP. The book sales since  are better than they have been in 15 years. Which isn't saying much considering I've never really given it an honest attempt until now. 

 

here are my Kindle numbers:

22343190 Jan 01 - Jan 31 2015 Amazon.com Paid Mar 29, 2015 EFT USD 8.26 USD 0.00 USD 0.00 USD 8.26 N/A USD 8.26 19747506

Oct 01 - Oct 31 2014 Amazon.com Paid Dec 28, 2014 EFT USD 3.08 USD 0.00 USD 0.00 USD 3.08 N/A USD 3.08 18751134

Sep 01 - Sep 30 2014 Amazon.com Paid Nov 28, 2014 EFT USD 3.50 USD 0.00 USD 0.00 USD 3.50 N/A USD 3.50 18058002

Aug 01 - Aug 31 2014 Amazon.com Paid Oct 28, 2014 EFT USD 1.90 USD 0.00 USD 0.00 USD 1.90 N/A USD 1.90 13931965

Feb 01 - Feb 28 2013 Amazon.co.uk Failed Jun 09, 2014 Check GBP 0.00 GBP 0.00 GBP 0.00 GBP 0.00 N/A GBP 1.29 19189229

Feb 01 - Feb 28 2013 Amazon.co.uk Paid Dec 02, 2014 EFT GBP 1.29 GBP 0.00 GBP 0.00 GBP 1.29 1.57 USD 2.02 17184795

Oct 01 - Jul 31 2014 Amazon.com Paid Sep 28, 2014 EFT USD 68.87 USD 0.00 USD 0.00 USD 68.87 N/A

USD 68.87

 

 

Here are my paperback numbers:

Total 6$27.00-- 

One Hour To Wealth

Book4$20.80--Details

Stages: a handbook on men and relationships

Book1$5.60--Details

Woman's Gotta Have It

MP3 Track1$0.60--Details

 
Now prior to August in paperback I had only earned about 20 dollars in a number of years.  Once again though, this is a direct reflection of my lack of interest and effort in regard to finding readers. I was teaching and running my business.  
 
I do know that my use of Facebook has garnered me some interaction as evidenced by this:
23 Hits
(No referring link)
7 Hits 7 Hits https://www.google.com/ (Keywords Unavailable)  3 Hits 2 Hits 1 Hit 1 Hit 1 Hit 1 Hit 1 Hit 1 Hit www.google.com/ (Keywords Unavailable)  1 Hit www.google.com/#2 (Keywords Unavailable)  1 Hit www.google.com/#2 (Keywords Unavailable)  1 Hit www.google.com/#4 (Keywords Unavailable)  1 Hit www.google.com/#9 (Keywords Unavailable)  1 Hit 1 Hit

1 Hit https://www.google.com.my/ (Keywords Unavailable)  1 Hit https://www.google.fr/ (Keywords Unavailable)  1 Hit https://www.google.ro/ (Keywords Unavailable) 

 

That's on CBP

 

This is on my Sneaker Site ARCH:

76 Hits https://www.google.com/ (Keywords Unavailable)  59 Hits

(No referring link)

17 Hits

11 Hits

7 Hits https://www.google.gr/ (Keywords Unavailable)  6 Hits https://www.google.it/ (Keywords Unavailable)  6 Hits https://www.google.pl/ (Keywords Unavailable)  5 Hits https://www.google.ca/ (Keywords Unavailable)  4 Hits https://www.google.fr/ (Keywords Unavailable)  3 Hits

3 Hits

3 Hits www.google.sk/ (Keywords Unavailable)  3 Hits https://www.google.com.hk/ (Keywords Unavailable)  3 Hits https://www.google.nl/ (Keywords Unavailable)  2 Hits

2 Hits

2 Hits r.search.yahoo.com/ (Keywords Unavailable)  2 Hits r.search.yahoo.com/ (Keywords Unavailable)  2 Hits

2 Hits

2 Hits www.google.com/ (Keywords Unavailable)  2 Hits

2 Hits

2 Hits

2 Hits www.google.com/#26 (Keywords Unavailable) 

 

 

What this kind of tells me is that with books, the traffic is dictated primarily by Social Media. With sneakers my traffic is dictated by Google search. Which is a very interesting analysis and I hope this information kind of helps you in what you're working on. I hate that I missed the twitter interview.

 

I just know now that if I am to build an artistic platform it will have to take place using social media since people aren't really searching for "literary topics". I guess the question is how do we drive interest in AALBC if the people aren't searching for that type of content and the people that are are also writers looking to advertise their work? It's like Poets & Writers writing and asking me to advertise in their upcoming release. Writers read those magazines, and those writers aren't really looking to read other writers, they are looking to be read. So why would I pay for advertising there? 

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Thanks man this is helpful too. On the first table that you posted.  What does do those large numbers like, 19747506, at the end of the first row mean?

 

If you are interested you can read some of the conversation on twitter by searching on #bloggerweek @aalbc

 

Of course Twitter does not lend itself to reviewing interviews, conversations, or anything historical.  

 

Someone mentioned that this conversation be better if it took place on one one of our platforms, rather than Twitter (I paraphrase), I said of course, but the belief is no one would participate and they may be right.  This I find very sad and discouraging.  

 

Of course their were others that said, properly used, social can be a very effectively way of driving traffic, without spending a lot f money.  I said I hear that a lot but I have never seen any data to prove that, all I hear from folks are complaints.  The only ones claiming how great it is is those selling social media marketing services.  Besides we have few active Black owned sites that generate enough revenue to support anyone.  The new sites that launch don't stick around very long.

 

​My goal is to gather our resources to drive our own traffic, many seemed to be open to the idea.  I don't see as we have much of a choice; we can give all of our money to the rich social media sites, for some short term, isolated gains, or we can build something together that will last and benefit all of us.

 

I'm thinking about adding Black owned Blogs to Huria Search.   I'll keep you posted on that idea.

 

Oh yeah there will be a conference in DC the first weekend in May called Blogger Week 2015http://bloggerweek.com/

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Those long numbers are payment numbers for direct deposit.

 

In regard to the twitter interview those people responding are going over the same information that we already know. The biggest issue is that they will never share the real stats and information about how much they are making. People simply aren't that transparent or honest. Everyone wants to look like they have it figured it when the truth is they are hoping to catch on. You kept aiming for the stats which was good. Show me the proof! and I bet no one ever did.

 

The Blogger week looks like it will be a good event, but just as in Black books, the event already appears to be dominated by Black women. That's not a bad thing, but it is a reality. Women read more, share more, and are really the foundation of every large social media site that has anything to do with reading and art. By default we are behind because we are men attempting to develop brands in women dominated markets. Which tells me the answer is in actually extending an offer to women bloggers who are willing to sacrifice their brand to build another brand. 

 

I think ultimately the reason why visitation if down is because the ease in which a feed of information is seen in Social media enables people to constantly participate in the lives of others.

 

A blog only brings you in for a moment. Then that blog has to have related posts and a comment section that actively engages the visitor to stay on the page longer than the time it takes to read the entry that was created. When people share through social media it's a target and opens in a new window, which leaves social media there in the background and that creates a place where people keep going back.

 

Once again, I notice that I don't have to work very hard to get people to my sneaker site. The traffic is consistent and there is very little traffic from social media.

 
23% Direct Traffic  71 Visits
 
17% Referring Websites 53 Visits
 
3% Social Networks 8 Visits
 
57% Search Engine Referrals 175 Visits

 

While on CBP

46% Direct Traffic  35 Visits
 
14% Referring Websites 11 Visits
 
14% Social Networks 11 Visits
 
25% Search Engine Referrals 19 Visits

 

On ARCH the referring websites are my own and other sneaker sites. Sneaker people share website information because they are looking for the best deal. On CBP the referring websites are all Facebook or twitter which means that the 28% of the traffic comes from links that I have to generate through social media.

 

I guess the major observation becomes what do you offer at the best price that will make people share the site like they will for purses, shoes, handbags and clothes?

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