Blogging is a big subject with most businesses and entrepreneurs (like writers and authors).
It is one of still ongoing confusion and questions arise around when should someone start blogging and why should a business or entrepreneur, such as a writer or author even blog?
Well, in this week’s Tuesday Book Marketing Minute Tip I answer both of these questions to help clear away the confusion.
For marketers the traditional holidays can provide an extra boost of recognition if a product or program aligns nicely with a specific holiday. Authors and writers have the same opportunity to use these holidays to create a jolt of exposure for their book.
But did you know there are special and unique holidays along with the traditional ones that writers and authors could use to gain more exposure for your book.
Below is my Tuesday Minute Tip to help you think about how to use these special holidays for your book marketing.
Be creative when putting your book marketing plan together and use these special holidays to put together a discussion, contest or event that will incorporate your book.
And there are two resources on the web to find more information about these special holidays—
Quirky Marketing Calendar (an ebook) by Heidi Richards Mooney
This ebook contains the full monthly calendar templates to use for your book marketing plan plus more great marketing tips, advice and ideas for any business, including writers and authors.
And Brownielocks – website that lists these special holidays by month, week, and daily holidays within each month.
In this technical advanced world, you, like most other authors and writers, use email on a daily basis. However, are you using it to its fullest potential in order to enhance your online book promotion efforts?
The email signature has become one of those places for promoting that still many people, especially authors and writers, don’t use to increase the exposure for their writing and/or book.
Here are 3 things authors and writers can add to their email signatures:
1) Link to your book-You are saying, “Teresa this is too obivious. Of course a link to the book is in my email signature.” However, I bet that some of you are shaking your heads right now and thinking to yourself, “Boy, that is a good idea. I need to do that.” Also, it is a good idea to place in a one sentence book description with the link to where you wish a person to go and purchase the book (i.e.your website, Amazon, Barnes & Noble).
Example:
Kindly,
Teresa Morrow
Key Business Partners
More than Just Love by author Teresa Morrow, a story inspired by real life events about a young woman who shares her incredible journey about life, family and love and learns things about herself and others she never realized. You can purchase More Than Just Love on Amazon.
2) Your Picture – Just like with a website or blog, people like to see whom they are corresponding with via email. By adding your picture to your email signature, you allow for a more personal experience for the recipient because they can see the person who sent the email.
Example: To add a picture in Outlook: (received these instructions from Microsoft)
You must use Microsoft Office Word 2003 as your e-mail editor when sending signatures with pictures or logos.
1. In the main Outlook window, on the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Mail Format tab.
2. Under Message format, in the Compose in this message format list, click the message format that you want to use the signature with.
3. Under Signature, click Signatures, and then click New.
4. In the Enter a name for your new signature box, type a name.
5. Under Choose how to create your signature, select the option you want.
6. Click Next.
7. Click Advanced Edit.
When the dialog box appears cautioning you that an editor not part of Microsoft Office Outlook will open, click Yes.
8. Design your signature. When you are ready to insert a picture or logo, on the Insert menu, point to Picture, and then click From File.
Note If you are designing your signature in Word, make sure that you press SHIFT+ENTER at the end of each line of text. If you press only ENTER, Outlook inserts your signature so that the recipient sees your signature in double-spaced format.
9. Close the advanced editor, making sure that you click Yes to save your changes.
10. When you finish editing the new signature, click OK.
After you create a signature, you can insert a signature in a message.
3) Social Media Links-With the massive and continuous growth of social media such as Twitter and/or Facebook, your email signature is a great place to share your links with others. It provides with instant access to make a connection with you and be able to stay in contact with you about your writing.
Here is an example:
With gratitude,
Teresa Morrow
Key Business Partners
Connect with me on:
Twitter
Facebook
Linked In
By using your email signature to increase your online exposure to potential connections, you have created a non invasive way for someone to connect with you and your work. Invest the time to utilize your email signature to its fullest potential and you may find more followers, readers and people interested in your book.
I have had some clients ask me this question. I answer with an absolute,”YES! if you want to be known for your writing and your book”. Now, there are always exceptions to the rule, however, that is not what I am talking about here.
And I am not sure if these days, this even holds true. I believe for 99% of business owners (and yes, as a writer or author you have a business), having a website is essential.
The follow up question from a writer may be, “Well, but I don’t have anything to sell (yet) so what would I have on the website?”
Here is my answer. “You can place information about your writing background. Your credentials. Examples of your writing. Of course, a picture of you is always nice. A page about you and your history. You can do an interview of questions for the media to pick up to discuss your book.
I would then follow up by saying, “Also, as a writer, you can add a blog to the site, where people can keep up on a consistent basis with your writing and about your upcoming book.”
Here is a statement that has been said many times and it is a very logical.
Most people don’t buy from people they don’t know. The only other time they may purchase from someone they don’t know, is when someone they DO know, recommends the other person’s product or service.
By setting up a website and a blog, you begin to establish an online presence which allows other people to get to know you during the time your are writing your book.