I receive questions from authors and writers about using online newsletters for helping promote their writing and/or their book(s) on the blog or website.
I share some of the benefits for writers and authors to establish an online newsletter (aka ezine) as a marketing tool as part of their online promotional plan such as:
1) Offering articles about the genre of your writing
2) Sharing your writing process and systems you use while you are writing your book
3) Profiles of your characters
4) Articles about writing a 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.
The beginning of a new year creates a realm of emotions from excitement to anxiety to fear. As business owners and entrepreneurs (especially in this crazy ever changing worldly environment) now is the time to take note and focus on your target market and be sure to address their needs.
Give a Survey- Remind them of your service offers and ask them for honest and constructive feedback about your business. Your job will be to take in the feedback and update your services to match the changing needs of your target market.
Research your statistics and reports – Go back through your Google Analytics or in your cPanel and see where you are receiving the most exposure. You may not realize you have a potential target market really wanting more information on your services and offerings. Or perhaps, you could find you are focusing on a target market not responding well and you need to find new ways to gain back their attention.
Pump up the Creative – Find the positive (and not pushy or aggressive) ways to entice your target market to use your services again, such as a redeemable voucher. Or you could do a first time customer discount to encourage some new clients.
Go and Network- If you are new to your area or have not done any local networking, do some internet research on Free Networking International, orMeetups to connect with some great networking groups in your area. **And if you don’t find a networking group you like, you can always, create or start a local networking group yourself to cater to your ideal client aka your target market.
Check Internal Processes – You can take a few previous clients and some networking or mastermind buddies and ask them each to go through your processes (on your website, newsletter and documents) and give feedback. Sometimes just a little tweaking of wording or tightening of steps will take a potential client to customer.
Being part of the rejuvenation of a new year can stir up a bucket full of different emotions. Remember to focus on your target market by researching your statistics, checking your internal processes and being creative and you will be heading in the right direction for the new year and beyond.
Looking for another place to share your work, get more connections and gain more support. I would like to recommend an organization called eWomen Network.
I would like to tell you a bit of my experience with them. My friend Zizah told me about this organization and said the ladies in the group were so supportive and really care about each other.
Now, I have to tell you I did have my reservations about joining a local network.
Other networks I had taken the time to check out were disappointed. Most of the people were too pushy and I didn’t wish to be placed in the situation where people were only there to sell me something. (Now, as we all know we are in business to receive business, HOWEVER, networking is all about BUILDING relationships not selling).
When I went to the first meeting for eWomen, it was held at a bank in Tampa with only 12 other women. This meeting was called a “Round Table”. At first, I saw the normal snacks laid out on a table and the infamous circle.
Beforehand, Zizah informed me (more like insisted) to bring business cards—-well, I am not one to start flashing my business cards as soon as I meet someone either. I really like to get to know the person first and then if they inquire, I give them a card. However, because she insisted, I placed about 10 in my purse…just in case.
I have to tell you….it was NOTHING like I expected. First of all, the way the introductions are done very collaboratively and people come to you asking for your business card, if they have someone they can introduce/refer you to OR they are interested in your services/products.
I ran out of business cards. Now, like I said before, I didn’t bring many to begin with, however, I was giving my cards out because the other ladies were genuinely interested in my services OR they knew someone else who could possibly use my services.
And here is the bonus….the next day I had five ladies calling me to find out about me, my services, my business and how they could help me!
For me, I was convinced and became a member because to me eWomen Network recognized the right way to do networking. Give first and you will receive back in time.
Sometimes sooner than you think. For me, I received my return on investment within 2 months of signing up as a member and continue to make lasting relationships, create joint ventures and gain new clients each month.
If you are a member of eWomen Network, please come and comment to let us know what you like about the organization.
Also, it gives us a way to connect.
Online Promotion for anyone can be a overwhelming, tricky, complicated and unrewarding part of getting the word out to the masses about your writing or your latest book. However, it doesn’t have to end up that way.
First of all, nothing is a magic pill or an automatic selling machine. To me, those who fill authors and writers’ heads with the notion of instant or immediate sales are the one more likely to be scamming people than those of us who are offering assistance and help with online promotion services for writers, authors, coaches, speakers.
Online promotion takes time to be done effectively. I am sure you have heard, people buy from those they know. If you have just self published your book last week and then you join Facebook and Twitter and think just because you are a member and suddenly thousands of people are going to buy your book or hire you as their editor or writer, it is unlikely. The reasoning is because they don’t know you. Now, six months down the line it may be a different story. Since you have been on the social networking sites for awhile and if you are an author, you have talked about the subject of your book or you are a freelance writer and you have shared ways people can utilize a freelance writer in their business, perhaps you will start seeing some movement in the book sales or clients you receive.
Online promotion and marketing your business, whether you are a freelance writer, blogger, musician or book author, is about relaying your message and getting in front of those people who most want to read or hear it. Yes, you can spend tons of time and expend energy being on, Twitter, Facebook, several internet radio shows, writing blog posts, doing article marketing, and in the end not see much results. So before you do these things you have to ask yourself why this would be happening? One thing to look at is, are you aligned with and in front of those people who will relate best to what you are writing and have written?
Know your target market, who is your writing and book for? Speak to those who will benefit and want to hire you or purchase your book. When you are fully aware of who will be receptive to your message, you can more easily align yourself online to those who audience will be eager to hear the message too. You can go online, do some research and make a list of networking groups (Yahoo or Ning) or internet radio shows you would like to be a member or guest. Then start making those connections.
Also, be involved or be gracious. If you go into your business (yes, writing and being an author is a business) and think it doesn’t require deliberate action on your part, don’t be upset when the results come out less then spectacular. Take the time to offer tips, suggestions, ideas to others when they ask. This is another way others can get to know you and you then build relationships. Offer to be on a brainstorming round table with others in your industry or better yet, begin a mastermind group with a few other people in your business community local and online. Blog about those things involving the subject of your book or related to your message.
The pieces of online promotion – branding, blogging, internet radio show interviews, media kits, article marketing, social media, networking, virtual blog tours, are all part of the bigger picture in getting your business and/or book out to the people who you want it to reach. And it isn’t instantaneous and there are alot of “moving parts”…the objective is to keep the online promotion moving and speak to those who will want to hear or read your message.
I wanted to share with you about some recent events that I went to in my local area…Tampa and St. Petersburg.
On Saturday, October 25th, my daughter, Amanda and I went to a local event called Festival of Reading in St. Petersburg.
Well, let me just say….we had a blast!
We were able to meet so many wonderful authors and get pics with some of them too!
I got to meet Roy Peter Clark, author of Writing Tools and got an autographed copy of his book. I even found out there is a writing club right here in my area called “City of Writers”. I signed up right away—and Amanda did too!
On October 26th, I attended with my friend Zee, a Breast Cancer Benefit called “Think Pink” Ladies’ Day Out! hosted by Serenbe Day Spa, 11103 N. 56th St., Temple Terrace, Tampa.
100% of proceeds and a percentage of all vendor sales went to the Comprehensive Breast Program at Moffitt Cancer Institute.
While we where there I had the opportunity to meet, Casey Wohl, author of Girls Getaway Guide *Note: Casey is running a fantastic 12 days of Christmas prizes giveaway…so sign up for your chance to get some wonderful prizes.
I also met another lovely lady named Suzanne Beville. She is a gifted photographer and I picked up a set of note cards and a bookmark for my mom.
Unique photography gift items by Bevilled Edge Photography (Suzanne Beville, photographer)- note cards, holiday cards, alphabet photography & word art prints.
Book signing by Casey Wohl – The Getaway Girl™ – featuring her fabulous Getaway Guides to Orlando and Key West (buy a book and be entered to win a Girls Getaway to Key West valued at $795) http://www.girlsgetawayguide.net/
So what did I learn by these local events:
1) You never know who you may see and be able to meet
2) You never know what great opportunities may occur from going
3) You never know who someone else may know….connections are everywhere!
It is another month and another Free for All Friday. Sorry for the delay in getting this out to you.
I hope you will enjoy and let me know what you think about these great blogs.
This week let’s begin with a humor ridden site/blog….Creative Slush. Creative Slush is the “brain child” of Chris Dunmire, a creativity coach whose passion is helping others find their creativity and use it in their lives. Chis is the publisher and creative director of Creativity Portal (loving this site too….great arts and craft projects for kids of all ages!). oooo-I just read where Creativity Portal was selected as one of the best 101 websites!
Ok, next let’s visit with Kathy Mallary of Coaching Biz Tips. Her newest post, Twitter Round Up got my attention right away since I too have recently joined the Twitter community (and I even wrote a post on Sparkplugging labeled, My 30 day Journey with Twitter
She talked about how she is utilizing Twitter to help with her Haiku poetry….how cool is that! Talk about using social media for other purposes…whoohoo!
Next, let’s explore Kristin Robertson’s blog The Everyday Mystic In her most current post, Take Nothing Personally, she discussed the situation where someone may say something you may not agree with however, they address their opinion to you. And then you hear, Don’t take it personally….easier said then done, right?
She brings up a great process to help with this type of situation.
