Two years ago, I began my arduous journey of Self-Publishing. I learned how to format my already edited Life at Loon Lake manuscript, and then upload that file onto Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). I did the same with the numerous Children’s Draw & Write journals that I have linked here.
It was a long and stressful process, mainly because technology of any kind does not come easy for me. I watched an endless amount of YouTube videos to learn how to do everything. During that process, I heard the presenters talk non-stop of the importance of Keywords and Keyword Research.
I’m going to tell you right away that I mainly ignored any advice talking about keywords and Search Engine Optimization (SEO). At the time, it was too much for me to take in. My main objective was to understand the process of uploading files to KDP so that my dream of becoming a published author could become a reality. I was wrong to ignore the advice.
Life After Publishing
The actual writing process involved in creating a book is enjoyable for me. I love it. To some extent, I don’t even mind the editing process. For me, it’s a way to pull everything together at the end of a project. The thing that I do not care for, and one of the biggest learning curves for me in this whole endeavor, is the process of marketing your book.
It has only been very recently that I learned about the power of Pinterest marketing. I can create ‘Pins’ now, using Canva, to market my books, as well as this blog. (It took more YouTube videos to get me to that point, but I’m super proud of my progress!)
I knew that it would be important to try and get the correct wording/keywords into my Pin titles and descriptions, but I was at a loss for how to achieve this. I was stumped until I watched a TikTok video by brodysartprints that explained how to utilize ChatGPT with finding correct keywords.
ChatGPT to the Rescue
When creating a blog post and/or pin, the ultimate goal is for that information to reach as many people as possible. You want to utilize keywords and phrases that are being searched the most at the moment. You want to place those keywords in descriptions, titles, basically everywhere. ChatGPT can be used as a tool to complete the work for you.
When I begin a search for a title about a Pin I create for Life at Loon Lake, I first ask ChatGPT something such as: please create a top 13 list of highly searchable keywords from Google and Pinterest about a children’s chapter book with 3 friends at a lake, having adventures. ChatGPT does it’s thing, and within seconds, a list is generated. I then type into the message section something like: use the above information to create a Pinterest Pin title and description on the same topic. Magic occurs and a title and description appears. I can use the information ChatGPT created, change it however I want, or simply ask the program to create another example.
It’s important to point out that the more specific you can be with your directions for ChatGPT, the better. The program works well when it knows precisely what you are looking for.
Experiencing Success with ChatGPT
Personally, my Pinterest impressions, engagement, and overall audience number has gone up significantly since I’ve started to use ChatGPT. It’s an absolute game changer for me as I navigate this whole marketing process. Now that I know how to use it, I can’t imagine struggling with keywords and SEO without it.
I understand about the hesitancy surrounding ChatGPT and it’s capabilities. I’m a teacher and a mom. I don’t want my teenage boys using the program to complete an essay about To Kill a Mockingbird. I want my children to know how to brainstorm and think for themselves. Saying that, however, I do believe AI is here to stay and we need to be able to embrace the program as a tool. We need to look at the endless possibilities surrounding ChatGPT and be open to what the program has to offer.
Goals for Today:
- Finish reading my current J.D. Robb novel
- Pick up limbs for this past weekend’s storm
- Get backpacks around for the first day of school tomorrow