The foundation of marketing includes having yearly, monthly, and weekly marketing goals - this is crucial to achieving success. With goals, you know where you’re heading and can work toward that end.
Marketing goals can be considered a marketing plan, and it will have a number of steps or objectives that must be set in motion and accomplished.
Whether you’re trying to sell a product or services, five of the basic marketing tips are:1. Create a presence and platformCreating an online presence and platform can be initiated by creating a website or blog. First though, you’ll need to be sure of your niche because the site name and content should reflect your area of expertise is.
Remember, plan first. Choose a site name that will grow with you. Using an author as an example, if you choose a site name, Picture Books with [Your Name], you’ve limited yourself. What if your next book is for young adults?
Some authors create sites with the name of their book. This is a good strategy for pure focus on that one book, but again, what happens when more books become available. Will you create a site for each of your books?
While you can do this, you will be stretching yourself thin and diluting your main focus: you as the author of multiple books.
Leave room to grow; it’s always advisable to use your name as the site’s name.
In addition, with today’s gone-in-a-second attention span, it’s a good idea to keep your site simple. Sites that take a few seconds or more to load may cause you to lose potential buyers.
2. Increase visibilityWriting content for your readers/visitors is the way to increase visibility. The word is: Content is King. Provide interesting, informative, and/or entertaining content that will prompt the reader to come back.
Also, be sure your content is pertinent to your site, and keep your site and content focused on your platform.
3 Draw traffic to your siteTo draw traffic to your site, promote your posts by using social media. You can also do article marketing which will increase your visibility reach.
Another strategy is to offer your readers free gifts, such as an e-book relevant to your niche. This will help to increase your usefulness to the reader.
This is considered organic marketing; it funnels traffic back to your site with valuable content and free offers.
4 Have effective call-to-actionsYour site must have call-to-action keywords that will motivate readers to visit and click on your links. Keywords to use include:
• Get your Free gift now for subscribing
• Subscribe to our Newsletter
• Free e-book to offer on your own site
• Buy Now
• Sign up
• Don’t hesitate, take advantage of our expert services
• Be sure to Bookmark this site
You get the idea, motivate the reader to want what you’re offering and give him/her a CLEAR and VISIBLE call-to-action. Make it as simple as possible for the visitor to buy what you’re offering.
5. Develop a relationship with your readersIt’s been noted that only 1% of first time visitors will buy a product. Usually, only after developing a relationship through your newsletter, information, and offer strategies will your potential customer or client click on the BUY NOW button.
While i
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| by lunarpersuasion (flickr.com) |
Earlier this month, Jodi wrote a great post titled, "Promotion Is More Than Just Bookmarks." If you missed it and the wonderful comments after it, you can
view it here. I've noticed authors doing a couple of what I like to call "thinking outside the box" marketing ideas lately, and so I thought I would share these with you. I don't know, maybe we should make March WOW! Women On Writing Share Your Marketing Ideas Month. With two books coming out sometime this year, I am always on the look out for what works. So, here's what I've noticed:
- Our very own WOW! blogger and columnist, Darcy Pattison, gave away a free e-copy of her new picture book, Wisdom: The Midway Albatross, for 48 hours in honor of the anniversary of the Japanese tsunami. Wisdom, one tough bird, survived that tsunami, and so Darcy tied a marketing promotion with the anniversary. Why give away e-copies of your book? Well, it's smart for picture book writers like Darcy because parents, teachers, and librarians can view the book on their e-readers and then purchase the hard copy for their kids, classes, students, etc. I blogged about Wisdom after reading it because I liked it so much. Sometimes, you have to give stuff away. . .And I found out about this free book because Darcy used the Events feature on Facebook to invite me (and all her contacts) to this book giveaway event. Another lesson learned here--use social networking!
- Currently, WOW! has a blog tour for The Smiley Book of Colors by Ruth Kaiser. Besides doing a blog tour, Ruth is also collecting photos of smiles readers find in nature. She gives money to Operation Smile for each photo, and one photographer (from WOW!) will win a book. (For more details, go here.) How does this help her market her book? She has people EXCITED about finding smiles. She is helping children, which everyone wants to do. She has people going to her website. She has kids and adults talking about her book. "Hey, I see a smile in your tree. Can I take a photo to upload to this author's website?" And imagine the conversation that will follow after that question. So, learn from Ruth. Do you have some way that fans can interact with you or your book on a website or blog or even Facebook page?
- Shhh--don't tell anyone, but this next great idea is from a male author! Mike Pemberton wrote a novel about basketball and mental illness titled, Transcendental Basketball Blues . So, what did he do that was a great marketing idea? He sent his book to different coaches around where he lives. The women's basketball coach from a nearby university liked his book so much that she is going to recommend that all her players read it AND she will use it as a textbook in her coaching basketball class! Time to put on your thinking cap: Who could you send your book to that can get behind it 100 percent? A few free copies sent out strategically while thinking outside the box may create
Are you one of those people? You're in a book store, randomly grabbing hard covers and paperbacks off a shelf, based on the book cover, and then you either flip to the back cover or crack open the back of the book to sneak a peek at the author's photo?
Truth is, if you answered yes, you're probably not alone.
In today's publishing world, the author photo can be one of the most important pieces of the marketing equation. A 2009
NPR report claims a distinct relationship exists between an author and an author's photograph.
Whether you plan to use a photo on your book's cover, with a freelance piece, or as promotional material, writers have plenty to consider:
- Dress for success: Think about the type of material you write. If you're reading a book about investing in today's market, would you trust a photo of a woman in business attire or will the blue-jeans-and-T-shirt gal draw your attention. A photo tells a story in one frame. What story are you attempting to tell?
- Black and white vs. Color: Which is most effective? I pulled books off one bookshelf, and came to a split decision. Thirty books showed black and white photos; the other thirty displayed author's in full color.
- Professional photo session: More than likely, an author will end of covering the cost of author photos. Do you need a professional photo session? Can a friend or significant other point and shoot your digital camera? Most computers come with digital photo editing
software, which makes creating, cropping, and perfecting an author photo a click!
Let's dissect an author photo, pointing out the good - and bad - elements. Meet LuAnn. (That's me.)
Two positive elements of this photo exist. I chose to stand next to a noiseless background. It's an accentuating color and offers minimal distraction. Also, I selected to wear a solid color, which again, keeps the photo's noise level to a minimum.
Any negatives? If I could reselect a shirt, I'd choose something besides cream, especially since I'm fair-skinned and blonde. I'd also double check the room's lighting to make sure the shadow doesn't cause problems with the photo.
This was not a professional shoot. A friend snapped the picture with my digital camera and I sent the file to my editor, who worked her magic!
Once you've had your photos taken, ask for digital files in both low-res (72 DPI) and high-res (300 DPI). Low-res works best for online; high-res is used in printed formats.
Also think about updating your photo every few years. It will cut down on those awkward moments Crispin described. This photo is four years old and I've changed - just a bit - since then.
Do you use an author's photo? What tips can you offer?
by LuAnn Schindler
Writing, publishing, promoting, publicizing. It all seems quite daunting, doesn't it? Well, it doesn't have to be. First you need to start out by doing the right things and knowing what can help, or harm, your success. Keep in mind that while there is always a creative element, publishing is a business. It's important to know your business to be successful. Here are a dozen ideas that I hope will help you on your journey from writer to successful author. 1. Waiting too long to market. When it comes to marketing, some authors wait too long to get the word out there. If you're sitting on top of your publication date wondering where to start with your marketing, you're about six months behind the curve. Book marketing is what I call the long runway of promotion. A great campaign will consist not only of a focused marketing plan, but a plan that starts early enough to support the ramp up that a good book marketing campaign needs. And this isn't just for the self-published market, any book that's being released these days needs a minimum of a six-month ramp up. This doesn't mean that you are marketing during that time, but ideally you are getting ready for your launch by having a website designed, starting a newsletter, building your mailing list, building your media list, planning your events, etc.
2. Not having enough money. I see it all the time; authors spend all their money on the book process (book cover, editing, etc.) and then don't have enough for the marketing. That's like opening up a store and not having money to stock it with inventory. Before you jump headlong into publishing a book, make sure you have the funds to do so. So, how much is enough? It depends on what you want to accomplish. Be clear on your goals and market, then sit down with someone who can help you determine a budget.
3. Not getting to know others in their market. Who else is writing about your topic? If you're not sure, then you should do your research. Getting to know your fellow genre authors is not only important, but it can really help you with your marketing. How? Because most readers don't just buy one self-help book, or one dating book, they will generally buy in multiples. So getting to know others within your market can not only help you market your book, but it could also help you connect with fellow authors, and there is truth to the fact that there is power in numbers.
4. Ignoring social media. While social media may seem confusing to most of us, it's important to know that it can sometimes be a make or break situation when it comes to marketing your book. If you can't make heads or tails out of Twitter vs. Facebook, then hire someone who can help you or guide you through your choices.
5. Thinking bookstores don't matter. While it's nice to think that most of us do our shopping online and via Amazon, bookstores (especially local stores) can really help or hurt your marketing efforts. If your book isn't going into bookstores, then you'll want to get to know your local area stores to see if you can present your book to them for consideration and/or do an event in their store. Having a local presence in bookstores is important, especially if you are doing local events and local media. If the bookstore won't stock the book (and many of them won't if you're a first time author), then make sure at the very least that your book can be ordered. You don't want people walking into your neighborhood store and being told "Sorry, we can't get that book."
6. Printing too many copies. In order to get large printing discounts, authors will often print huge numbers of their books. I've seen ranges from 10,000 on up. Generally I recommend a run
Can you believe November is just about here – a new year is not far behind. Well, we have another great tour with writers and authors who collectively, have tons of writing and marketing experience and information to share.
So, look over the schedule below. Each day in November a different author and information will be presented.
Join in on the FUN and follow the schedule by clicking on the corresponding day.The November 2010 Author Tour Schedule:1st
Karen Cioffi is featuring Nancy Famolari
2nd
Debra Eckerling is featuring Janet Ann Collins
3rd
Nancy Famolari is featuring Mayra Calvani
4th
Margaret Fieland is featuring Virginia Grenier
5th
Dianne Sagan is featuring Robert Medak
6th
Janet Ann Collins is featuring Debra Eckerling
7th
Carolyn Howard-Johnson is featuring Mari Taylor
8th
Heather Paye is featuring Carolyn Howard-Johnson
9th
Marvin Wilson is featuring Margaret Fieland
10th
Stephen Tremp is featuring Kathy Stemke
11th
Darcia Helle is featuring Karen Cioffi
12th
Martha Swirzinski is featuring Marvin Wilson
13th
Heidi Thomas is featuring Maggie Ball
14th
Kathy Stemke is featuring Stephen Tremp
15th
Dallas Woodburn is featuring Donna McDine
16th
Maggie Ball is featuring Dianne Sagan
17th
Virginia Grenier is featuring Darcia Helle
18th
Kevin McNamee is featuring Shelby Patrick
19th
Elysabeth Eldering is featuring Heidi Thomas
20th
Marietta Taylor is featuring Dallas Woodburn
21st
Robert Medak is featuring Kevin McNamee
22nd
Donna McDine is featuring Elysabeth Eldering
23rd
Shelby Patrick is featuring Martha Swirzinski
24th
Mayra Calvani is featuring Heather Paye
Special note: We are taking a winter hiatus for December and January2011. We’ll be back fresh and rearing to go with a new schedule of tours for a brand new year. We’re hoping you stay with us.
And, don’t forget, we’ll still be offering regular posts on this site throughout our hiatus - they’ll be focused on what we do best: information about writing and marketing, as well as books.
So, stop by regularly!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2 Comments on November Will Bring a New Writers and Authors Tour, last added: 10/31/2010
By: Lauren,
on 9/27/2010
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By Dennis Meredith
Since Oxford published my book Explaining Research in February, I’ve learned a great deal about book marketing. And since the success of a book depends so critically on adept marketing, I’d like to share those lessons.
First of all, authors should always consider themselves critically important marketers of their own books. After all, it’s your book, so who else would know the most about it and care most about its success? Begin by assiduously filling out your publisher’s author questionnaire, supplying comprehensive information on the book description, unique features, newsworthy topics, audience, promotional targets, and sources for advance comment. Many departments, from marketing to sales, will use this information as a guide to their marketing efforts.
While your publisher will manage such marketing efforts as sales and distribution, sending review copies, and advertising, there are many marketing efforts you can make as well. The good news is that most of these are free or very inexpensive. Here are some marketing tips that I found most effective:
- Work with your publisher to notify your institution’s news office and professional associations about your book. The news office will likely do a news release and promote you to the media, while your associations may review on its website and in its publications. Also, notify internal publications such as the alumni magazine. They’ll likely review it.
- Offer to be a “media expert” on your topic. Volunteer to be listed on your institution’s list of people willing to talk to media, as well as in national experts directories such as Profnet, Help a Reporter Out, PitchRate and the AAAS Science Talk Experts Director & Speakers Service.
- Promote your book and drive sales at your publisher’s website by including your book’s information in your email signature, in talks and articles, and on your institutional web page.
- Blog about your subject by creating your own blog and by “guest blogging” on others’ blogs about your topic. For example, I’ve created the blog Research Explainer, in which I offer tips on communicating research. I’ve also found the blog useful in updating and expanding on the information in my book.
- Write articles and op eds about your book topic for professional and popular publications and Web sites. Make sure the author identification mentions your book.
Market on Amazon. Ask readers who like your book to write a positive review. Create an author page. See Amazon’s Author Central for information. Have your blog posts automatically feed to your author page. Ask Amazon top reviewers to review your book. See this guide to getting your books reviewed on Amazon.
- Give public and professional talks about your book’s subject, in which you mention the book. Work with your publisher to organize book sales at public talks.
- Distribute your talk on the Web as a narrated “slidecast” via such services as SlideShare o
The Muffin readers, you're in for a treat today. We have an interview with Sarah McGinnis, who is vice president of creative services at Frenzy Marketing. So, what is Frenzy Marketing, and what can they do to help you with your writing career? Read on to find out!
WOW: Welcome, Sarah, thanks for stopping by today. So, what is Frenzy Marketing? Tell us about your position there.
Sarah: Frenzy Marketing is a newly re-launched, full-service marketing company specializing in work for authors, artists, and other creative professionals. We are all working artists ourselves, so we know how difficult it is to navigate the world of promotion and how awkward it can be to market yourself to others — we've been there. But we've also worked on the other side of the business--at publishers, art galleries, and even in the film business. So we know what "they" are looking for and where they're looking and how crucial it is for writers and artists to carve out a presence for themselves in the world and on the web.
I'm the vice president of creative services, so I get all the fun of overseeing our design projects, event planning, and other creative work, while the other partners in the company, Anthony Pizzuto and Anthony Cox, handle the numbers and all the really geeky behind-the-scenes stuff. We also have a fantastically talented group of freelancers in NY and beyond that we will be working with as well.
WOW: I love how the three of you understand the marketing aspect from both sides of the issue. So many authors struggle with marketing! So, how can Frenzy Marketing help an author promote her book?
Sarah: When we say full-service, we mean it! We offer everything from print and web design to event planning, web promotions, and ongoing representation. So, we can create an entire website; design bookmarks, postcards, or other promotional materials; plan author signings—the sky's the limit! Our goal is to offer plans of work that are completely flexible and customized for each individual author—plans that make use of the skills and resources an author already has, and that are totally in sync with her goals and priorities. So for example, very tech-savvy authors might just want help with the event planning side or pitching the media, or they might come to us for web hosting. Another author might be a pro at print design, but need our help making her creative vision work on the web. And others may be starting from the very beginning with their first book or even before they're published, and not quite know where to start—we can jump in and be of help at absolutely any stage.
WOW: Sounds great. I love the idea of customized services. What if an author has a low-budget? Do you have any packages for authors starting out that don't have much money? Can you give us a rough estimate of what you charge per hour or per service?
Sarah: Yes, absolutely--we can work with just about any budget. To start, we're offering three introductory packages at a great value:
Web Package $450
Website Design
1 Year of Free Hosting & Domain Registration Service ($129.00 Value)
Twitter Account Se
Spring is in the air and in line with the newness of this time of rejuvenation, I'm thrilled to announce the April "A Writer's Life tour."
What you'll find especially interesting about this tour is that it doesn't just promote books, it provides useful writing and marketing information to help you in your writing careers.
And, we, at VBT Writers on the Move, look forward to seeing your comments along the way! We'd love to know if our posts help you in some way, so don't be shy, take a moment and leave a comment.
Now for the APRIL 2010 SCHEDULE:
1st Dianne Sagan is featuring Liana Metal
2nd Karen Cioffi is featuring Brigitte Thompson
3rd Kathy Stemke is featuring Katie Hines
4th Lea Schizas is featuring Janet Ann Collins
5th Vivian Zabel is featuring Debra Eckerling
6th Nancy Famolari is featuring Dana Donovan
7th Margaret Fieland is featuring Heidi Thomas
8th Elysabeth Eldering is hosting Margaret Fieland
9th Helena Harper is featuring Heather Paye
10th Liana Metal is featuring Helena Harper
11th Carolyn Howard-Johnson is featuring Dallas Woodburn
12th Gayle Trent is featuring Vivian Zabel
13th Kari Wolfe is featuring Marietta Taylor
14th Marvin Wilson is featuring Karen Cioffi
15th Stephen Tremp is featuring Darcia Helle
16th Darcia Helle is featuring Dianne Sagan
17th Martha Swirzinski is featuring Elysabeth Eldering
18th Heidi Thomas is featuring Gayle Trent
19th Dana Donovan is featuring Mayra Calvani
20th Dallas Woodburn is featuring Kathy Stemke
21st Maggie Ball is featuring Martha Swirzinski
22nd Heather Paye is featuring Kevin McNamee
23rd Debra Eckerling is featuring Carolyn Howard-Johnson
24th Kevin McNamee is featuring Lea Schizas
25th Janet Ann Collins is featuring Marvin Wilson
26th Katie Hines is featuring Nancy Famolari
27th Brigitte Thompson is featuring Stephen Tremp
28th Marietta Taylor is featuring Kari Wolfe
29th Mayra Calvani is featuring Maggie Ball
So, you can see we have new, experienced, and even famous authors in our mix, Please be sure to stop by each day for a visit.
Until next time,
Karen Cioffi
Author, Writer-for-Hire, Freelance Writer
http://karencioffi.comhttp://dkvwriting4u.comhttp://not
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Our Western Washington SCBWI conference is two weeks in the past now, and still some of the wonderful snippets of wisdom and tantalizing tips stick in my mind, and continue to to nourish me.
I'll not forget Nina Laden (ROMEOW AND DROOLIET) reminding us, "If you don't make mistakes, you may not make anything."
And Deb Lund (MONSTERS ON MACHINES) reading her unforgettable poem about that inner voice that harasses us as we write, and summing it up by telling us, "Sometimes we have to revise our own story, that story we tell ourselves."
Krista Marino, Senior Editor at Delacorte, reminded us to take cute out of our dictionary, when talking about children's books.
Nathan Bransford (Agent, Curtis Brown Ltd.) gave us his pet peeves for story beginnings: Don't start your book with
- the weather
- your character waking up
- looking in the mirror
- sarcastic characters (too flip and negative)
Steven Malk (Agent, Writer's House) says it's great to be
aware of trends, but don't
write to them.
He also advised us to be nice to everyone, not only because it's the right thing to do, but also because you never know when that editorial assistant may become the Senior Editor.
Kelly Sonnack (Agent, Andrea Brown Literary) told us to avoid
- forced pace-building (suddenly, quickly, at that moment)
- copious tears (only one tear per story)
- faces draining white or blushing
- exclamation points!
Justina Chen (NORTH OF BEAUTIFUL) encouraged us to "say yes to the emotional truths of your heart."
And Sundee Frazier (BRENDAN BUCKLEY'S UNIVERSE AND EVERYTHING IN IT) told us she has to write, that she cannot deny that creative part of her being. "I could not deny the One who created me."
I've offered just a few nibbles of that wonderful feast that was spread before us at our unforgettable
Feed Your Genius conference. Now fully fueled, it's back to work. Happy writing, everyone!
Picture above: Some of my favorite people in the whole world--Molly Blaisdell, Janet Lee Carey, me, Katherine Grace Bond, Holly Cupala, all members of our Diviner Writing Group, all of us enjoying the Conference Feast
Don't you just hate when this happens?
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Margo, thanks for the Shout Out on Wisdom, the Midway Albatross. The free giveaway of the book had 1776 downloads and generated over 100 sales. Sometimes, I am sad there were so many FREE downloads, but I doubt any of those would have bought the book. Hopefully, there will be more word-of-mouth from those giveaway, exactly like you just did! I'll repeat the promo around Earth Day, since this is a science/nature book for kids and hopefully do even better.
Darcy
Darcy, thanks for sharing how it all worked! :) All those downloads show a definite interest in the subject matter--it's a great addition to an Easter basket, if I do say so myself. :)
Great!
Thanks for sharing these great ideas. My book, HOSPICE TAILS, for which you arranged a blog tour last November, will be turning one year old in June, and I've been looking for some creative ways to market it.
Debra: I remember your book and your blog tour. The first thing that pops to my mind is something with veternarians and/or humane societies or even Love on a Leash. I'm not sure what you could do, but those are some people to consider giving a free or discounted book to--maybe for waiting rooms? We would love to hear what you come up with.
Debra,
To expand on Margo's thought...Maybe you could team up with some of the pet rescue organizations. Non-profit orgs often run donation drives, walk-a-thons, or contests and need prizes donated. As a sponsor, you/your business gets a lot of exposure. (and you hit the "animal-lover" market)
The other "up" side to this is...the more people realize that the retired race dog, the three-legged cat, etc... still have so much love to offer, and a purpose, the more people will think twice before euthanizing them.