January 3, 2016 / como / 0 Comments
At long last your book is finished. As a self-publisher poet it is up to you to market your anthology or chapbook. Self-publishing requires you to self-market successfully. Marketing your book can become a full time job and it isnt going to happen overnight. So you might be asking yourself, Where do I begin to market my book?
Website
Create a website to showcase your book. Did you know that blogging is a great way to advertise your book? Google bots crawl blogs more often, than other web sites. If you would like a professional website and know little about creating a website, I recommend hiring a web designer. http://invision-graphics.com offers writing templates and book covering design.
Reciprocal linking
Once you have a website, you can generate targeted traffic through reciprocal linking with related high traffic web sites.
Join a Community
Online communities and discussion groups are a great way to meet people. Most communities do not allow advertising. So if you jump right in advertising your book, you may find yourself removed. Instead join in a few discussions. Once people have gotten to know you, then you can advertise that you are having a book signing or a poetry reading.
Author Interviews
Sites like http://Todays-Woman.net that focus on literature also run author interviews. This is a great promotional tool and you can also link to the author interview. Many websites that offer interviews also offer to review your book. A Google search will pull up other sites that are willing to interview new authors.
Poetry Readings
Set up a poetry reading at your local public library, coffee shop, card shop or book store. You can get the word out about your reading via your local radio station, news paper and the Internet.
Reviews
Reviews are a great way to see if your poetry anthology has any merit. Reviews will help increase your book sales. Join an online writing forum like http://Todays-Woman.net. This is a great way to get reviews, offer to review other poets books in exchange for them reviewing yours. Hire a book reviewer. A Google search will pull up directories of book reviewers.
Library
Ask your local library to order a copy of your book.
Distribution
Visit your local book stores and try to set up a meeting with the manger. Most book stores will take your book on a consignment bases and while you are there you can discuss having a poetry reading and offer to do a book signing. Book stores love to have promotional events and poetry readings and book signings are an easy way for them to bring customers into their store.
Radio
Mail or fax your local radio station. Let them know that you are a new local author and you were wondering if they would like to interview you. Author interviews can be a powerful selling tool on your book.
Press Releases
Write a review of your book and see if your local paper won’t run the review. Dont be afraid to send a press release more than once. You can also submit a free press release to http://prweb.com or http://pr.com.
Advertising
Include a blurb about your book at the end of each email you send.
Market your book through articles you can submit to ezines.
Promote your book through flyers you can distribute.
Some websites are willing to add swamp. ( You place your book or banner on their site and you place theirs on your site)
Paid advertising (http://Todays-Woman.net offers affordable advertising and we will create a custom designed banner for you.)
Marketing a book isnt really as hard as it looks. These tips might help you with the challenges you face as a new author. Now that you know the steps, it is time to make a name for yourself. Get the word out, have fun and enjoy your journey.
November 30, 2015 / como / 0 Comments
Your advertising media are the communication vehicles you use to convey your marketing messages. That’s why, in addition to selecting ones that reach your targeted audience, you’ll want to make sure they provide you with the best possible results for the least amount of time and money.
In this article, I’ll go over the most commonly used direct response advertising vehicles/types for small to medium-sized businesses, such as:
Newspaper
Direct Mail
Magazine and Classified Ads
TV and Radio
Internet Ads
Outdoor Media Billboards, Transit Signs
Press Releases and PR
Yellow Pages
and more
Obviously, the trick is to match your message to your market using a suitable vehicle. For instance, it makes no sense to advertise your retirement community using a fast-paced, loud, radio spot on a hip-hop station no matter what the salesperson says! So before you buy, make sure you’ve correctly identified your target prospects; created messages that motivate them and selected the appropriate advertising.
Here are some general tips for choosing your advertising medium.
1. Unless your target audience is broad, it’s best to choose 2-3 primary advertising vehicles ones that you can afford to dominate. Never, ever rely solely on one form of communicating with the public this is simply too risky. Rather, choose media that complement each other and ensure that your prospects hear about you in multiple forms.
2. Choose methods according to cost, targeting and response Any campaign can be broken down into costs per thousand, and if you’re using direct response advertising (which you should) benchmark your success using costs per sale. Your expenses include cost of design (also known as creative), production (producing or printing your ad), and placement (radio, advertisement, list purchase and postage).
As a general rule, the more targeted the medium, the higher the cost. In return, however, you should expect a higher response rate, so the cost per response can be lower than cheaper methods.
Choose advertising and publicity methods that are suitable for your target audience. Companies that sell advertising can provide you with a lot of helpful information about their audience. Also, it’s a good idea to look at other types of businesses that continually use various media. Then make sure they’re targeting the same audience as you. Bottom line: avoid guesswork, by testing before committing to major purchases.
3. Make sure you know your total marketing budget less what’s already spent or “promised”. This assumes that you’ve already developed this and that it’s based on:
Industry norms
Needed profit margins
Available cash
Opportunity costs
Company’s risk tolerance
Average Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) – the value of a customer over their time with business with a company. Simply put:
CLV = Revenues Received Cost to Get and Keep
4. Find out what your competitors are spending on media in the same markets. For example, if you decide to run a radio ad in the Chicago market twice a day, on two stations for two weeks and a competitor is running a similar ad in the same market but running it 15 times a day, on 15 stations for 15 weeks you’d be foolish to waste your money by trying to compete no one is going to notice your spot. This is another reason it’s so important to use reputable advertising agency to buy this type of advertising (goes for TV as well).
5. Even though your budget will significantly dictate your medium selection, you must also be aware and sensitive to your own sales cycles. For instance, if you’re the owner of an air-conditioning equipment company you understand that consumers don’t purchase a unit every year. Therefore, your communication has to be consistent and ongoing so you’re “top of mind” when they’re ready to buy. Also, you should develop another communication, particularly in the heat of summer, for folks who have a “burning” (no pun intended) desire to buy now.
Moreover, if you’re a jeweler you may want to beef up on your advertising right before Mother’s Day, Christmas and Valentine’s Day and do little, or nothing, in August.
6. Track and measure your results Advertising is an intricate science. Therefore, the best way to be sure that something is, or is not, working is to measure it using predetermined indicators. Gauge the effectiveness of your advertising from the beginning by keeping detailed records on what you did; when; to whom; for how much; and what happened.
Admittedly, the results of certain advertising are difficult to gauge. However, if you don’t measure and record your results you may be wasting money and missing the opportunity to make your decisions much easier the next time around. Key indicators to be assessed are cost per thousand, cost per response and percentage response.
Remember also that advertising forms a part of your business plan which is aimed at being profitable. If your advertising does not produce an incremental gross profit (more than costs directly associated with the medium) you need to know why.
7. Understand and adhere to laws Before choosing your advertising methods, make sure that you are aware of all local, county, state, and federal laws about data protection, consumer rights, customer privacy and opt-out regulations. This is especially important if you are involved in maintaining and using mailing lists (e-mail and otherwise), personal customer data, telemarketing, direct mail, fax-marketing and e-mailing.
Hope these tips will serve you well. Happy Marketing!