TRY IT: Finding digital connections

Choose one or two of the sources we’ve discussed (link opens in a new window). Thinking of your publishing business or a recent book, find 10 new connections for a digital marketing campaign.

[note color=”#FFFBCC”]Hint: If you’re not sure how to get started, here are a couple of warm-up exercises you might want to try which will give you a quick feel for some ‘non-traditional’ book review activity.[/note]

#1 Blog search

1. Go to the blog search engine Technorati.com.
2. Try searching for relevant terms in their search box (set the search to ‘blogs’ not ‘posts’).
3. Investigate suitable blogs to see if they accept ebooks for review.

[label style=”info”]Tip:[/label] You might also start with one of Technorati’s lists: Here’s the book blogs list ordered by Technorati’s ranking algorithm.

#2 Identify influential Twitterers for a topic

1. Go to the social search engine Topsy.com.
2. Click on the Experts link above the search box.
3. Key in a topic and Search. The results will show Twitterers associated with that subject, and a brief description of them, ranked by the number of times they are mentioned.

#3 Reading community

1. Visit the reading community site Goodreads.
2. Sign up for a free account if you’re not already a member and look around the site.
3. Try Explore > People > Top Reviewers for the world or your country and find some relevant to your business or book.
4. You might want to Follow some to see their latest reviews and responses.