Book Marketing Makeover: How to Sell Books Using Facebook

Guest post by Steve Harrison

Leif Peterson has a unique claim to fame: He’s the author of Missing, the first novel written entirely on Facebook. Initially started as a short writing challenge from a friend, Peterson soon realized the story, about a man who sees his own face on a Missing Person poster, had greater potential.

“I started posting daily installments on Facebook pretty much on a whim, but right away I realized that there were a lot of people paying attention,” Peterson says. “The fact that people were following along and often leaving comments was very motivating.”

For four months, five days a week, he posted new installments to his story and attracted many eager readers. Some of his biggest fans frequently shared their opinions on his Facebook page, and expressed frustration at having to wait 24 hours for the next chapter. Peterson decided to reward some of those readers by naming new characters after them.

Though Peterson had previously published fiction commercially, he chose to self-publish Missing about a year after he completed it, after his agent declined the story. Because of the unusual nature of the story’s genesis, he ended up getting a lot of unexpected attention online.

According to Peterson, “Once the book was published I sent out a press release. Interestingly, the press release got repeated on hundreds of websites and blogs. It even showed up on the New Yorker’s website, and a guy in the Philippines did a podcast about it.”

As Peterson’s story shows, Facebook’s viral quality makes this giant of social networking sites an important tool for any author’s promotional strategy. Fortunately, you don’t have to write an entire novel on Facebook to take advantage of its marketing power.

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Karen Morss, the author of the self-published children’s book Flying Poodles: A Christmas Story, discovered another unique and fun way to promote her work — through profile matching.

“I had about 200 Facebook friends at the time, and I decided to post a new profile photo that was me and my standard poodle, Miss Lucy Ball,” Morss says. “All of a sudden, Facebook started suggesting friends that had poodles in their profiles. I also joined all the poodle pages on Facebook, and within six months I had over 1,800 friends, 1,600 of whom own poodles, or at least love them.” For Morss, the increase in Facebook friends led to an increase in book sales, as her story started being seen by the right audience.

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For fiction authors, a fun Facebook promotion idea is to create pages and profiles for your main characters. Seth Grahame-Smith has a page for his bestselling novel, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, and has created character profiles for Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth Bennett, and Corpse Bill, among others. The page for his book has nearly 13,000 “likes” and the characters remain active on Facebook, interacting with fans.

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With Facebook, the promotion possibilities are endless — but it’s important to understand how the site works, and what members want (or don’t want) to see in their friend feeds. Here are some tips for you on generating Facebook buzz without alienating your followers.

Tip No. 1: Do use Facebook’s tools to add friends.

Because Facebook is an interactive network, it will often suggest friends, events and groups for you to like. If you’ve always ignored these little prompts that appear on the side of the page, start checking them out. The more friends you have on Facebook, the greater opportunity you’ll have for people to find out more about you.

Make sure your profile includes easily accessible information about your book. You can fill out the About Me box under your profile picture with your book title and a brief description, so that visitors to your profile can immediately see you’re an author. Don’t forget to list your website under your personal information, too!

Tip No. 2: Don’t add friends or join groups blindly.

While it’s good to have a lot of Facebook friends, it’s better to have a lot of quality Facebook friends. There are still quite a few trolls out there looking to add people just for the sake of getting more page views to promote a website — usually an unsavory one. It only takes a second to view the profile for any friend or group request you receive, so make sure to check it out before you accept.

Tip No. 3: Do join groups that share interests related to your book’s subject.

Like Morss has done with her poodle book, joining relevant Facebook groups can give you a built-in audience that is interested in what you have to say. It’s easy to find groups on Facebook — simply enter a subject in the search box, and then click on the Groups tab of the results page.

Once you’ve joined a group, make sure you’re active and participatory. Being a static group member is not likely to help with your promotional efforts. Introduce yourself on the group’s wall, and participate in discussions and conversations that are going on within the group. This increases the chance that other group members will want to click through to your profile.

Tip No. 4: Don’t be a broken record.

If there’s one thing most people on Facebook don’t like, it’s friends who do nothing but ask them to buy something or join something every time they update their status. Don’t make every status update about your book. This is the fastest way to get people on Facebook to ignore you, or even unfriend you.

Instead, you can post links to interesting articles that are related to your book’s subject, share funny or inspirational quotes, add photos or videos, or offer valuable content for your friends or group members, such as free downloads or discounts.

The best way to promote on Facebook is to make your status updates interesting enough to get people to view your profile — which is where you should keep all the information about your book — and keep them coming back for future updates.



About the Author

Steve Harrison of Bradley Communications is the editor-in-chief of Book Marketing Update, a paid print newsletter. The above article originally appeared in that newsletter which goes out to members of the Million Dollar Author Club. You can get more information at http://www.milliondollarauthorclub.com.

Book Marketing Makeover: Write a Tip Blog Post in 30 Minutes or Less

Guest post by Judy Cullins

Are you blog marketing with tips already? Do you fully realize the benefits of that?

As you look for tips to help you in your business, millions of others are looking as well. Your online audiences love tips because they don't want to spend a lot of time reading. They want the easy-to-read nuggets that pertain to their needs and interests so they can skim. Your potential buyers want solutions to their problems and concerns.

When you give solutions, you show yourself as a trusted authority in your niche and bring your target market to your website. Once your visitor signs up for your ongoing tips, you will develop trust that brings eventual clients and program sales.

If you don’t write excellent blog tips, you won’t stand out from the crowd and won’t get those visitors you want. You will stay unknown; business will stagnate. That’s sad, because you won’t make the sales you want either.

So, are you ready to discover a blog marketing strategy that always works?

Meet the 30-minute Tip Blog Post!

The tip blog post delivers. You can write one in 30 minutes. Leverage your writing time. Take information from a longer how-to blog post of about 1,200 words or take from your how-to or self-help book chapters. You have hundreds of these in your files and folders awaiting a transformation.

Even if you're not a professional writer, you can write a tip because you know your audience's challenges. With a tip blog post you can partially solve your audience’s concerns. They’ll know you can do even more for them when they visit your website.

Remember, not all tips are equal. They need to follow a format. Many professionals write sloppy tips that don’t deliver information clearly. But now, you can be a top resource with this strategy.

Four Steps to Writing Your Tip Blog Post

1. Create a tip blog post title that pulls your audience in.

Include a benefit and/or your specific audience in your title. Put appropriate key words in the blog title, so the search engines will rank you higher.

Blog Coaching Tip. Make your first sentence count. Use keywords in it.

2. Write a hook and thesis in the first paragraph.

Look at my first line and paragraph above. It engages with questions on where you are now, gives benefits so you keep reading, and invites you in with enthusiasm.

3. Use a command verb to start each tip.

For example, “Do this, using specifics.” When you mix noun phases, some using –ing words, know that they are passive and your reader may yawn. Command verbs show action. When your tips are not consistent, your reader may get confused. When consistent, they move your audience to action.

4. Share the benefits for doing the tip.

Or share the consequences from not doing it after each command verb tip in each paragraph.

Most of us want to use positive outcomes, and yet some of our audiences will react better to consequences as motivators to move.

5. Give your readers resources to find more solutions to their challenges in each tip.

“Where do I find great people and programs on this topic?” your blog reader asks. One way is to include one or two website URL’s as a resource to use where your reader can get more information. Mention a book and its URL where they can get deeper information beyond the tips.

Use Google keyword phrases in this anchor text that will take your readers to expanded information. And, mention mentors who specialize in this category. If you don’t share where to get this information, you leave your readers unsatisfied.

Blog Coaching Tip. Write 10 blog tips in one article if you want 1000 words or more. Some blog sites require longer guest blogs. Write 3, 5 or 7 tips for shorter blogs that you and other blog sites want.

When you apply these blog tip gems, you will put your business on a fast track, and you’ll be known as a trusted authority who will make good things happen with your clients.

What was the number one tip you learned from this blog that will make your blog marketing more successful? And, leave your burning question too! I will answer it.

Get more specific blog help in LinkedIn Marketing: 8 Best Tactics to Build Your Book and Business Sales at http://bookcoaching.com/linkedin-marketing.php.



About the Author

Book and Blog Coach Judy Cullins helps you transform your blog into an income stream for life. Author of 14 books for business people and authors including LinkedIn Marketing: 8 Best Tactics to Build Book and Business Sales and Write your eBook or Other Short Book Fast!, Judy offers free, weekly publications on writing and online marketing at http://www.bookcoaching.com/help-writing-a-book.php.

Book Marketing Makeover: Using Twitter to Promote Your Books

Guest post by Coleen Torres

Before the onslaught of social media promotions, book marketing was done through more traditional routes such as book tours, mailing book copies out to be reviewed, and radio or TV interviews.

However, while those are still great ways to get word out there, utilizing the different social media platforms is an even more effective way to promote your latest book venture because of the magnitude of people they allow you to reach all at once. And while most people turn to Facebook first for marketing purposes, Twitter is an equally efficient and easy way to spread the word.

1. Create your own hashtag.

Having a unique hashtag (e.g., #HarryPotter) makes it easy for people to find all of the conversations ensuing around one particular topic – in this case, your book. The hashtag should be something pertinent to the book, such as the title of the book (if it’s short enough) or a prominent and well-known character from the book (if it’s from a series).

2. Have a custom landing page.

Your Twitter homepage should be a custom created Twitter page and not one that is a basic, run-of-the-mill page. Having a custom page is more visually appealing to people and shows that you are a professional and not just some random person.

Your Twitter profile page is essentially your first impression, and you want it to be one that encourages people to stay and learn more, not something that gets lost in the crowd. Be sure to include a link to your blog or book website so that interested people can easily locate your book.

3. Make your tweets real.

Don’t only send out automated-sounding tweets that are designed to sell your book. Send out tweets that help personalize you as well. People thrive on feeling a connection with others through social media, so you have to straddle the line between promoting your book and still being a real person. When you can learn to balance the two, you will find yourself infinitely more successful.

4. Market everything.

If you’re doing a book tour, having a book signing, hosting a Twitter chat, writing a blog or anything else that relates to you and your book, then you should be tweeting about it! This will help your expand your exposure.

5. Network!

Follow authors within your genre, reporters, book reviewers, booksellers, literary agents, etc. Twitter allows you to follow anyone and everyone, so you can connect and form relationships with people who can help you move forward within your profession. Once you form a relationship with them, you can use that as a tool to help you in your book promotions.

Twitter allows you to form more intimate relationships with people than other traditional social media platforms because it allows you to create a professional and yet personal persona. Use this the right way and you can escalate your book promotions to a whole new level of exposure and success.



About the Author

Coleen Torres is an editor with http://www.phonetvinternet.com. You can find more about her at her profile for the home phone service.

Book Marketing Makeover: Creative Marketing Nets Real Results

Guest post by David A. Koop

I have tried many out of the box ideas for marketing my top 10 bestselling cancer memoir Cancer It's a Good Thing I Got It! What I would like to share with you now combines several of those ideas together, providing spectacular results for me. They can do the same for you.

While I was still in the middle of the writing process, I had business cards printed up. Yes, the full color cover of my book on the front and some very important information on the back.

I talked and talked with everyone about my book and always gave them a card. Every time I paid a bill I put two of my book cards in with the check. After paying for my meal at restaurants I always left a book card with the receipt. I still do these things today.

Part of the information on the back of the first book cards, those issued prior to publication, offered readers a chance to pre-purchase an autographed copy of my book at a discount. Yes, I did receive early orders with payment.

Those back orders were a strong incentive for me to finish writing the book. I had received readers’ hard-earned cash and even spent it, so I really needed to finish the book. If I could get people to pay that much money for the promise of a book, imagine how many I could sell with an actual book in hand.

One particular group of people who received a lot of those cards was Alaska Airlines employees: Ticket agents, gate agents, baggage handlers and flight attendants. It was great to see orders coming in online, the majority with one thing in common. jane@alaskaair.com, bob@alaskaair.com, francine@alaskaair.com, and on and on and on. WOW! It really works.

Many people who chose not to pre-order took advantage of another discount code "I Met Him." It gave them a 20% discount. They emailed us their interest in getting a copy of the book when it was published. With their names on our email list, a publication notice went out when the book was done and a wave of new orders came in.

It worked so well that with the help of all the pre-orders and pent up demand, my book was pushed onto the bestseller list!

I never go anywhere without my books in my briefcase, and I sell books every day that I can be out and about. The employees of Alaska Airlines are still top customers. I have yet to take a trip where I haven't sold a least one book per leg of the trip, usually more. Some employees have purchased one for themselves and extra copies for gifts.

I give the employee the card first and later, when the bulk of their duties on the plane are done, I ask them if they would like to see the book as I hand them a copy. The front and back cover usually seal the deal. Depending on the flight length, I sometimes suggest they check out the table of contents and maybe read a chapter or two. I make sure they know that they can get a copy autographed at a discount. I return to my seat and let them have as much time as they need.

One here, three or four there, no I’m not going to get rich at that rate. But at the end of the year it is an extra 300 to 400 books sold and lots of new readers spreading the word. Talk to everyone, everywhere, all the time and NEVER go out without some books.

Note from John Kremer: David attended the Palm Springs seminar I did recently, and I know he sold copies to many of the attendees, including multiple copies in some cases. David has a great story to tell - and he sells it well.

About the Author

David A. Koop is a bestselling author, speaker, and world class speaking coach. You can check out his moving cancer memoir Cancer It's a Good Thing I Got It! at http://www.somedaygroup.com.

Yes, "I Met Him" will still get you (the reader of this blog) a 20% discount at checkout on his website. It’s as easy as ABC - Always Be Closing.

Book Marketing Makeover: Don't Trip When Opportunity Calls

Guest post by Nancy Juetten

Do you want to be a sought-after and well compensated consultant, speaker, and media expert?  And, when you read these words, is your head nodding YES in a big way?

Imagine what it would mean for your business if the following happened for you:

Make News - You are tired of seeing your competitors featured in the news instead of your own perspectives. Now, you are ready to take your place in the media spotlight and take the initiative to seek out the right opportunities. Finally you turn media envy into media triumph – and smile all the way to the bank.

Makeover Your Website - You want to makeover the copy on your home page or your About Us page so it lands with impact for people who can’t wait to engage you to work your magic. Your new message is one that gives your balance sheet cause for celebration because your ideal clients “get to YES” about the programs, products, and services you offer.

Get Paid to Speak - You’ve set a goal to welcome 10 paid speaking engagements in the new year. And your new and compelling speaker sheet is just the ticket to compel meeting planners to get to a fast YES about you and your signature topic. They gladly pay your four or five-figure speaking fee.

It all sounds rather intoxicating, doesn't it?

Free Broadcast Your Brilliance Webinar

Date: Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Time: 5 p.m. Pacific / 8 p.m. Eastern

Here is the link to register: http://www.mainstreetmediasavvy.com/nancy-juetten-and-john-kremer-say-bye-bye-boring-bio-and-get-ready-for-opportunity-in-the-new-year

During this live call:

I will guide you through a five-step system that you can apply immediately to prepare winning stories about your expertise. Whether you want to attract clients, speaking gigs, or media interviews.

You’ll learn the essential messages you need to convey to get booked now.

You’ll learn some of the most common mis-steps to avoid so you can pave your path to prosperity faster.

When you are ready, you can respond with speed, ease, and grace to every opportunity to broadcast your brilliance and accelerate your path to prosperity now.

You are in good position to:

Get selected over the competition.

Get known as someone who is on the ball and a joy to work with.

Welcome referrals to other influential decision makers, joint venture partners, and meeting planners, and leveraged media opportunities that can bring your message far and wide to more of the right people.

Over the last year, I have finely tuned a program that guides independent business professionals, speakers, authors, and mission-driven experts to get seen, heard, celebrated and compensated for their expert status. Scores of graduates are celebrating their successes as measured by their enhanced credibility, visibility, and prosperity. And they are making it happen under their own power!

Wait and See Rarely Delivers the Right Rewards

Many aspiring and emerging experts choose to get ready to stand out and shine so they can step into their full potential. Others take a wait and see approach. They say that they will get ready when opportunity calls. Or, they just haven’t yet gotten around to getting their act together.

Far too many people are scrambling, which means that they aren’t making winning first impressions. Chances are, they are dropping other important balls with high priority projects in order to pull together what is needed. And they are wishing they had gotten their act together yesterday.

The fact is, being ready for opportunity counts for a lot.

If you know in your gut that you aren’t quite ready and you are ready to take action to change that, help is as close as your telephone or computer. I am inviting you to a free webinar that I and John Kremer are hosting on Tuesday, January 24th at 5 p.m. Pacific / 8 p.m. Eastern.

This call will get you fast on the path to readiness to welcome the right oportunities with ease, grace, and impact.

Again, visit the link below to register now. And, of course, invite your friends!

http://www.mainstreetmediasavvy.com/nancy-juetten-and-john-kremer-say-bye-bye-boring-bio-and-get-ready-for-opportunity-in-the-new-year



About the Author

Nancy “Broadcast Your Brilliance” Juetten is a word wizard, workshop leader, and Bye-Bye Boring Bio author on a quest to guide mission-driven experts to spell out their greatness and broadcast their brilliance through the power of storytelling and publicity.

Whether clients seek to attract clients, speaking gigs, or media attention, they learn to welcome those results by acting on Nancy’s road-tested and proven advice to tell stories all their own. Best of all, they broadcast their brilliance with confidence, readiness, and ease so the right people can celebrate, invest, and benefit.