Writing is not what it used to be.  You’ve heard this many times from many different sources.  Writing must include marketing, in one form or another, even if you’re a traditionally published author.

A good deal of “free” marketing is done on social media and it works – hmm, reasonably well for the cost.  So here’s a tip that may help you stay out in front of the crowd: Google Alerts.  Here are two ways I use them:

1. Visibility

I set Google Alerts for any topic or key words related to my books.  Example: Civil War photography, digital photography, lost art, stolen art, Triangle Factory fire, labor disputes, Salem witches, witchcraft, hunt for missing Van Gogh, WWII plunder, etc., etc.

Almost every day some article from around the country (world) comes in related to one or more of these topics.  Sometimes they’re far afield, for instance, for the Triangle Factory fire, I kept getting stories of a new musical created around the story of the fire.  Or for the Salem witch trials, a new trailer on a movie called The Witch, kept popping up.

I don’t ignore these simply because they’re not directly on topic.  In fact, I send them out to the social media groups that would find anything on the topic interesting.  Believe it or not, I get many comments and likes in response.  On The Witch trailer, I got close to 100 likes and/or comments within a few hours.

So what’s the point?  Whenever you send something out, there is the chance that one of the readers will click on your name and mosey over to your website.

Also, because the blog or alert is online, anyone out there in the universe may chance upon it by entering those keywords. In fact, try Googling: “Hunt for missing Van Gogh.”  You should find a link to my website.

2. Promotion

I also send out book promos to my FB, Linked-In, Google + and Twitter fans regularly.  Here’s one I sent yesterday: “A 1940’s photograph leads a digital photographer on a hunt for a missing Van Gogh.” I later Googled “missing Van Gogh” and the link to my website came right up.  If I Googled “Hunt for missing Van Gogh,” I’m even higher up in the search results.

Two days ago, I sent this out: “Were the Salem Witch Trials rooted in a deadly conspiracy of greed and malice?”  When I later Googled “Salem Witch Trials” my site popped right up.  Sometimes in a search, I use Google key words closer to those in my promo ie: “Salem witch trials conspiracy and greed.”  Then the link appears higher up in search results.

As time goes by, the link moves further down the list.  Still, it’s there for anyone seriously searching.  Pretty sweet, I say.

A caveat, however.  The key here is Google +.  My blogs and posts on Google + (not Facebook or Twitter) seem to lead directly to Google.  Duh.  Also, the same key words don’t come up as often or consistently on Bing or Firefox as they do on Google.  Double duh.

Writers, consider posting on Google +.

The bottom line is: Google Alerts can help in your marketing efforts.  Give them a try.

Ideas welcome as always.