Is your mind muddy on book marketing? Do you wake up each day and say, "I'm not a social person and I hate to beat the drum for my book" or "I just wish someone else could market my book for me"? If you could market your book a pleasurable way, you may not think it a chore. Natural marketing refers to the action you take to get the word out about your service and product that rings true to your heart. It feels effortless without struggle, where ideas pop out, you lose track of time engaging in them, and you can't act on them fast enough! Natural marketing feels authentic and inspired. Unnatural marketing feels like your actions go against what feels true for you. It isn't what you like to do normally; it isn't what you can do easily. Using this tactic, you may feel bored, fearful, or ambivalent. You go through the motions, but a part of you resists. When resistances and doubts pop up you can be sure they affect every marketing decision that can lead to small gains or a large success. They also do not attract willing readers and customers. Examples of Natural Book Marketing and How to Expand Them 1. You like to share ideas, so networking with others in a business or writers' support group suits you. You get to hear a guest speaker, and meet other authors to get useful contacts from. You gather business cards with names and numbers. After you write your "Tell and Sell" (see below) use it orally as your elevator speech to stimulate emotions from your potential book buyer. This benefit sound bites gives your audience enough information to want to take out their credit card and buy. To expand this marketing, create different blurbs to share vial email with your email groups. Start to collect email addresses. Whenever you meet anyone and mention your book, ask for their email. This permission marketing can take the place of sending them an email magazine called an ezine. Or, you may send them a tip they can use. Put potential buyers into email files in your computer by group or need. Your list could include your ezine subscribers, people who are interested in your service or book such as professional speakers, coaches or business people. You can create a file of email addresses from your teleclasses or seminars if you give them. 2. You like to speak in front of an audience and offer yourself to groups for a short talk. If inexperienced or bashful, start with low-stress level talks at your local library. Contact them and ask if they offer free programs. Offer to speak on a topic related to your book. Since you are talking about what you have to benefit others, you naturally attract your targeted audience to check out your book. Here, you sell at the back of the room. To expand this marketing, offer your talks to other local organizations in your field. You can also offer a free teleclass on a skill you can deliver that your audience needs. 3. You are not much of a speaker, but you can write. You You wrote your book, didn't you? Write your 60-second "Tell and Sell." and offer it to other eNewsletters (ezines) as an ad. Or, just exchange a blurb with a fellow ezine publisher. Make sure you include only a few sentences on who your book is for, and the top benefit it brings its readers. Will they be entertained, educated, shown how to do something? Keep it all in a sound bite, 10-20 seconds for most media or up to a minute for group meetings. "Your Tell and Sell" is your book's billboard. Expand your "Tell and Sell" to an email post card. This mini-sales letter on your book gives enough information, benefits and feature plus some testimonials that your audience will buy through the toll-free number you put in your email signature file. Send one every month or so with a slightly different angle to the lists you have gathered. Expand your Tell and Sell to a short and long sales letter for your book. Apply those same benefits, add testimonials of satisfied readers, and your 100% guarantee. Send it by email or include one on your author Web site. To make sure you attract them, first make a list of 5-10 benefits of your book. Include the top benefits in every piece you email out. The biggest mistake authors make is that they don't give their prospective buyer enough information to make a decision to buy. It's unlikely you'll sell much without a sales letter for your book's particular audience. Remember you are already successful. You wrote a book that took your through many adventures. You accomplished a lot so far. Of course you may worry about a learning curve, but if you open your mind to experiencing a much expanded success through the Internet, you'll scratch your head and wonder, "Why didn't I do this sooner?" As a book promotion coach, what I want for you is to not only make 1/2 your monthly income selling your books Online, but to make a positive difference to your audience. Share your gifts--that's what natural marketing is. Success is natural, and if you use your natural resources, you too can create enough book sales to take that long, lost trip to the Caribbean, or buy a new car. Judy Cullins 2005 All Rights Reserved. |
