Cause and effect is something I learned in college, along with action/reaction, supply/demand--you know, all of those important business and science things that we deal with every day but don't usually take time to acknowledge. Confession: I'm am left-brained. You'll probably notice it, reading my books. Anyway, I think I'm addicted to Google URL Shortener Analytics. I just clicked on it one day with a "hmm, what's this?" attitude and fell in love with the fact that it can tell me how many people have clicked on my shortened URL link and what country they are from. Apparently Rift Watcher is more popular in Germany, than in the US. Who knew? Well, now I do.
And speaking of cause and effect, Analytics remind me that my small efforts to promote my book create small results. If I start to think no one is interested in my book, all I have to do is tweet that shortened URL and a couple of people click on it and suddenly I'm happy again. (Maybe I'm just weird, but doesn't everyone love a little positive feedback?) When someone from a new country clicks on my Shortened URL, filling a new part of my Analytic's world map, I am even happier.
Most important of all, it has kept me--a writer riddled with self doubt--tweeting.
Photo credit: Weebly Blog, May 28 2015.
