Archive for platform building
5 Easy Ways Authors Can Use Audio to Promote Their Books
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Author, book promotion coach Lynn Serafinn shares her tips on building your list by giving away great audio to your social media network.
Authors are always looking for ways to promote their books online. However, many are under the mistaken impression that promoting your book means you need to put excerpts on your blog or give away free chapters for download. And while giving away parts of your book might seem to make a lot of sense, it’s not necessarily the most effective way to promote your book online. The Internet is flooded with information. Even free content has got to kick some serious butt to make an impression on readers these days, who probably have a backlog of things on their “to read” list.
So instead of running the risk of becoming yet another unread masterpiece, I’d like to suggest authors put down the pen (or their keyboard) for a little while and start recording their voice instead.
Yes, I’m talking about giving away audio instead of all your precious writing. Why audio? Well, for one thing, if you follow some of the tips below, you don’t have to do much to produce the content. Secondly, audio has a higher perceived value than simple text. And lastly, audio get your audience closer to you. Speaking to your audience directly, and letting them get to know the sound of your voice, is both powerful and intimate.
What kind of audio can authors give to their readers?
Here are some ideas:
- Get yourself booked on some Internet radio shows and then give away the recordings of some of your interviews (ask the host if it’s ok first, of course). Make sure the interviews are content-rich and interesting to the listener. If they are just “pitches” about your book, no one will be interested in them. In a future article, I’ll give you some tips about getting booked on shows.
- If you don’t have any interviews in the coffers, set up a webinar on your topic (or a series of them), use the recordings of those. Not only will it be a good promotional activity on the day, but you can reuse the audio as an ongoing give-away gift.
- You can also do a live reading of the most powerful part of your book in front of a small audience and record that, or record it directly into your PC if you don’t happen to have an audience on hand.
Use your imagination, but make sure you give away at least 15 minutes of audio as your free gift. Some of my giveaways have as many as 8 hours of audio, depending upon the subject matter.
How good must the quality be?
If you are recording at home, be sure your audio is recorded and mixed down to MP3 format at a sample rate of 44.1kHz at 16 bits. If your recording is from an Internet broadcast, it will be compressed and the audio quality will be much lower resolution, but for a free gift, that is usually acceptable. Some conference line recordings, however, are at set to such a low fidelity they are really not usable. Do a test run first and listen back to it. If there’s a lot of noise (indicating low bit rate) or it sounds like you have a lisp every time you say the letter “s” (indicating the sample rate it too low), it might not be a wise choice.
HOW do you deliver your free audio gift?
Be sure you have created a way for people to DOWNLOAD the audio, rather than use an online player (such as Audio Acrobat). Remember that people like to play MP3s on their iPod or other portable player while driving in their car or commuting on the train to and from work.
Secondly, don’t deliver your audios all at once. Spread them out over a few days or send one audio per week. There are two reasons for this. The first reason is to allow your audience to take their time “consuming” your content. People might be speed readers, but there is no such thing as a “speed listener.” An hour of audio takes an hour to listen to it. When you deliver too much audio all at once, people are LESS likely to listen to any of it (I still have a couple of my offers set up like this, and keep meaning to change them). But the other reason why it is a good idea to spread out your delivery of audios is this: when you deliver four audios over a period of four weeks, it allows you to build a stronger relationship with your audience.
Make your “squeeze page” (the page where they enter their name and email to get your audio) as MINIMAL as possible. Don’t confuse the reader with other offers or links on your page. Make the audio the-one-and-only offer on the page, and resist the urge to link out to other pages of your website.
On your download page (the page people go to after they sign up for your audio) make sure you have a “call to action”, which should comprise of a picture of your book, a quote from a great endorsement, and a link to buy your book online (don’t forget to use your affiliate link if you have one!). Also put this same call to action at the end of any follow-up emails you might send them. If you are delivering a new audio every week, your readers will see this call to action every time they go to retrieve their new audio.
WHERE do you offer these free audios?
Ok, so here’s where the magic comes in. Here are some of my favourite uses. And the nice thing about them is that once you have them set up, you just walk away from them and let them do their magic:
- As a ‘thank you’ gift when they subscribe to your ezine/ newsletter (this is probably the most common way people use them)
- As a ‘welcome gift’ when they “like” your fan page on Facebook
- As a ‘bonus gift’ on a JV campaign for another author’s book launch
- As a ‘Thanks for Following Me’ gift to new Twitter followers using Social Oomph
- As a ‘random gift’ on Twitter or Facebook. Every now and then when you tweet, just tell people you’ve got a free audio for them. You can use Twaitter to schedule them to go out 1x a day, 1x week, or whatever you like.
And here’s a Bonus Tip:
*** Give your audio as a totally ‘unexpected gift’ in your bio at the end of an article… like the one you see below. 
I myself have numerous audio offers going out on a regular basis throughout the year, which add hundreds of new names to my list without my even trying. I hope these ideas spark your creative juices and help you build your own list and social media following with lots and lots of wonderful new people.
I love to know whether or not you found this article to be helpful. Please DO leave a comment below to let me know, or to write to me at http://spiritauthors.com/contact ask any questions you may have about this information.
Happy recording!
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Did you know that a lot of nice people hate marketing?
Artists, authors and holistic business owners are some of the most common. Maybe YOU are one of these people? Find out about the relationship between marketing, business owners, and the future of our planet in this 10-page eBook and 18 minute audio book “Why Nice People HATE Marketing” at http://spiritauthors.com/pages/bonus/why-nice-people-hate-marketing-request.html which is a sneak peek at just a handful of the cutting-edge ideas presented in the upcoming book The 7 Graces of Marketing: how to heal humanity and the planet by changing the way we sell by Lynn Serafinn coming at September 2011. You can pre-order the book now on Amazon.
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What Makes a Good Bonus Gift for an Online Book Launch?
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Photo from 123RF
When authors have a book launch, they very often gather together a group of network partners to support the launch by offering a bonus gift. Offering a bonus gift for someone else’s launch can be a great way to find new targeted subscribers for your mailing list (see more information about why you might wish to join a campaign at the end of this article).
I manage many book launches every year, and every time I do it’s necessary for me to give some guidance to network partners about what makes a good, appropriate and effective bonus gift. If you are going to be offering a bonus gift for a book launch, it is essential you choose the right kind of bonus gift AND present it properly. Otherwise, you are likely to be very disappointed with the results of all your efforts.
I thought I’d share this information with my blog readers because it is not only relevant to bonus gifts for book launches, but pretty much to any kind of special offer you might use for leads generation. These guidelines are based upon years of experience in what works and doesn’t work in YOUR best interest, and hopefully increase the probability of opt ins for you.
What IS a good bonus gift?
- It must be 100% FREE
- It must be DOWNLOADABLE
- It should be something special that is NOT routinely and easily accessible via your website (especially your home page!).
- It must be in a format accessible to most (PDF, MP3, MP4 are all recommended formats).
- Suggested gifts include eBook, special report, audio course, eCourse, templates, video series, etc.
What is NOT a good bonus gift?
- An offer of a discount for something they must buy.
- An offer of free coaching or consulting (see more below).
- An offer of a free place on a live course on a specific date.
- Something you would have to send to people via snail mail.
- Something which would cost YOU money to give (such as a printed book).
- Something in a non-universal format (e.g., an eBook in MS Word doc format would not be acceptable).
- Something anyone could easily find by visting your website.
What is an “opt in page” and why do I need it?
Your opt in page is the place where people will come to REQUEST (not receive) your bonus gift. It should include a sign up form where they are required to enter their name and email (I suggest you do NOT ask for any other information).
How do I get a sign up form?
Any email delivery or autoresponder system such as AWeber, GetResponse, Constant Contact or Mail Chimp will allow you to create a sign up form. If you don’t have any of these services, I recommend you get one. Mail Chimp is free for the first few hundred subscribers.
What should my “opt in page” look like?
It should be VERY basic with no distractions, such as outbound links, adverts, etc. It should ONLY show your bonus gift and the opt in form. It should be on a special stand-alone page that is NOT on the home page of your website.
What happens after people sign up?
The opt in form will have a function where you can tell it where to send people after they sign up. They should be taken DIRECTLY to a download page. THEN, you should also set up an automated follow up message that says something like, “Thanks for downloading my bonus gift (Title of Gift). Just in case you didn’t get the chance to download it, here’s the link to the download page again: (link to the page).
But I’m looking to get clients. Why can’t I offer free coaching (or whatever it is you do)?
Frankly, because you never will be able to fulfill the requests you will receive.What if you receive 100 requests? Are you prepared to give away 100 precious hours of your time? You shouldn’t be. If people are asking for free coaching and have no intention of hiring you, you are simply wasting both their time and yours.
Instead, give people a free downloadable gift (eBook, MP3, etc) that costs you no time to deliver, and then, if you want, put a message at the end of the eBook that you will offer a free consultation to the first 10 requests, or something along those lines.
But I want people to visit my website so they can check out my products and services. Why can’t the opt in page have info about these?
Please remember, on these launches people will be clicking to receive DOZENS of free gifts. They are not interested in checking out anyone’s site while they are doing this. It’s overwhelming enough for them (yes, it’s actually overwhelming for people to have so much choice). If you overwhelm them further with “information overload”, or it looks like you are trying to sell them something, they will CLICK AWAY from your page. Trust me, I have had many a JVP not follow my advice, and not receive but a handful of opt ins during a campaign.
Personally, I typically get hundreds of opt ins on my bonus gifts BECAUSE I make simple, not distracting pages that do not attempt to “sell” people anything. Remember: once people are on your list, you can send follow up messages with information on how to take the content further. You can also put this information IN the product itself (in fact, you should).
~ EXAMPLE ~
If you want to see an example of a bonus page that receives LOTS of downloads every week,
so you can try to model your page after it, have a look at this one:
http://spiritauthors.com/pages/bonus/why-nice-people-hate-marketing-request.html
~ JOIN A CAMPAIGN ~
If you would like to be a partner on a book launch, check out the latest campaign I am running HERE:
http://spiritauthors.com/latest-book-launches
~ NOT SURE WHY YOU WOULD WANT TO BE A PARTNER? ~
Find out 7 reasons why you would want to partner on someone else’s book launch NOW in an article I wrote:
http://spiritauthors.com/news/7-reasons-to-partner-on-someone-elses-book-launch-now/
I hope you have found this information helpful! And do check out my upcoming book launches, and come join us if you like.
Until next time, I send you warm wishes,
Lynn Serafinn
About Lynn Serafinn, Creator of Spirit Authors
Lynn Serafinn is a transformation coach, book promotion coach, radio host and bestselling author of the book The Garden of the Soul: lessons from four flowers that unearth the Self.
Her upcoming book, The 7 Graces of Marketing, is coming in June 2011.
She also works as a campaign manager for mind-body-spirit authors and has produced a long list of top-10 book campaigns, including many #1-sellers. She created Spirit Authors to offer training, coaching, business-building and inspiration for mind-body-spirit authors, whether established or aspiring. Contact Lynn about YOUR book project at at http://spiritauthors.com/contact.
Be sure to subscribe to this blog for regular book writing and promotion tips (just fill in form at right of your screen).
Sign up for Lynn’s bi-monthly newsletter Creative Spirit (fill in form below) packed with inspirational articles, self-promotion tips, broadcast guide to her radio show, and news about upcoming spiritual author book releases.
Throughout the year, Lynn also hosts large-scale telesummits with world-class speakers on a range of mind-body-spirit topics. Your subscription to Creative Spirit will ensure you’ll be the first to know how to attend these free events.
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Target audience – knowing, finding and reaching your readers
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Lynn Serafinn, promotion manager for #1 seller mind-body-spirit authors, on how to understand your relationship with marketing, identify your target audience and find your potential readers.
Many authors come to me for marketing advice just as their books are getting ready for publication. You will, however, note that I have placed this module BEFORE the module on preparing for publication. That is because, quite frankly, if you do not start your marketing long before your book is even finished being written, then you are apt to have a book come out and be extremely disappointed in the sales results. You might ask, “How can I market a book that isn’t even written yet.” The answer is simple. You aren’t. You are marketing YOU. That is what this lesson is about. It will really get you thinking about your personal relationship with all those wonderful people in the world who will be reading your book in the not-so-distant future. It will give you some strategies to identify them, know them, find them and reach them in an authentic, spirit-based way. If you find yourself resisting any of the material in the lesson (and I have had many a client and colleague for whom some of these ideas pushed them to their “edge”), slow down and take as much time as you need to understand why you are resisting. To understand this resistance fully, we will be exploring what I consider to be the key factors that influence how we approach the subject of self-promotion and online marketing
- Our relationship with money/selling
- Our relationship with technology
- Our relationship with other people
- Our relationship with ourselves (and I mean our TRUE Selves)
And after that self-examination, you’ll be ready to embark on a journey exploring how these factors will impact the success of your book, as you take the first step towards building your promotional platform — identifying, finding and reaching your targeted readers.
The above introduction is from Lesson 1 of Spirit Authors Module 2:
Pre-Publication Marketing Musts (aka “100 Days to Build Your Online Promotional Platform).
In that lesson, you will:
- Explore your relationship with money, marketing and selling
- Learn how to identify your target audience and why this is important
- Learn the two key goals of early marketing
- Outline the infrastructure you need for finding your audience online
- Create a plan for reaching your audience
For more information about the complete 10-week course, which includes audio downloads, full transcripts, weekly workbooks, access to member forum and monthly members-only calls, see http://spiritauthors.com/module-2/mod-2-overview. You can take the course for a 7-day “test drive” for only $1, and get some great free bonus gifts just for checking us out.
About Lynn Serafinn, Creator of Spirit Authors
Lynn Serafinn is a transformation coach, book promotion coach, radio host and bestselling author of the book The Garden of the Soul: lessons from four flowers that unearth the Self. She also works as a campaign manager for mind-body-spirit authors and has produced several top-10 book campaigns, including FOUR #1-sellers, in 2010 alone. She created Spirit Authors to offer training, coaching, business-building and inspiration for mind-body-spirit authors, whether established or aspiring. Contact Lynn about YOUR book project at at http://spiritauthors.com/contact.
Be sure to subscribe to this blog for regular book writing and promotion tips (just fill in form at right of your screen).
Sign up for Lynn’s bi-monthly newsletter Creative Spirit (fill in form below) packed with inspirational articles, self-promotion tips, broadcast guide to her radio show, and news about upcoming spiritual author book releases.
Throughout the year, Lynn also hosts large-scale telesummits with world-class speakers on a range of mind-body-spirit topics. Your subscription to Creative Spirit will ensure you’ll be the first to know how to attend these free events.
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Module 2 Week 10
Posted by: | CommentsModule 2: Pre-Publication Marketing Musts
Week 10: Tricks for Staying Sane, Saving Time and Keeping it Real
Subtitle of this newly revamped module: “100 Days to Build Your Online Promotional Platform”
LESSON SUMMARY
This module has taken us into the realms of some very challenging learning, especially for those who are less familiar with technology, blogs and/or social networking. As a result, it’s easy to imagine that some people might feel overwhelmed and will experience a very sharp ‘learning curve’ as they begin to apply everything we’ve covered in this module. Surely some people might wonder how they will be able to achieve all that they need to achieve, what to speak of writing their book. They might even suffer from a fear of losing their identity in the process, feeling as though they have been swallowed up by the great soup of technology into which they have fallen.
Thus, I felt it was highly important to close this module with a lesson on how to stay sane, save time and BE YOURSELF during this process of building your online platform. How can we get everything done, maintain our chosen lifestyle, and feel like ourselves as we enter the arena of serious online promotion?
OBJECTIVES FOR THE WEEK
In this lesson, you will learn:
- Lynn’s top 5 tips for staying sane while managing all the things needed to get done
- Lynn’s top 5 tips for saving time and being efficient in your promotional platform building
- Lynn’s top 3 tips for “keeping it real” as you build your promotional platform
Click “READ MORE” to view lesson content for the week.
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Module 2 Week 9
Posted by: | CommentsModule 2: Pre-Publication Marketing Musts
Week 9: Choosing and Using Forums and Niche Networks to Expand Your Influence
Subtitle of this newly revamped module: “100 Days to Build Your Online Promotional Platform”
LESSON SUMMARY
So far, we’ve talked a lot about the “big” social media like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, etc. But there are many other forms of social media that can help to build our online platform in ways the larger networks do not necessarily provide. The media we will be exploring in this lesson are forums and niche networks.
A forum is an online place where people who share a common interest or problem come together to discuss a special topic, share ideas and tips, and offer/ask for support, etc. A niche network is an online place where people who share a common interest come together to make friends, socialise, share personal and professional resources, etc. Typically every member would have their own profile, and the site might give people the opportunity to create blogs, post events, start or join special interest groups, send and receive private messages, and other features.
What do forums and niche networks offer us that may not be provided by larger social networks like Facebook, LinkedIn, etc? How do we choose the right forums/niche networks for our needs? How do we make the most of what they have to offer?
OBJECTIVES FOR THE WEEK
In this lesson, you will learn:
- The purpose of forums and niche networks within your promotional campaigns
- Considerations for choosing forums and networks
- Considerations for setting up your profile
- How to identify useful features
- Interaction and rules of engagement
- Using them for leads generation
- Staying current, weeding out the dead wood
Click “READ MORE” to view lesson content for the week.
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Module 2 Week 8
Posted by: | CommentsModule 2: Pre-Publication Marketing Musts
Week 8: Using Multi-Media Platforms (YouTube, BlogTalkRadio, etc)
Subtitle of this newly revamped module: “100 Days to Build Your Online Promotional Platform”
LESSON SUMMARY
Over the decades, I have learned both in my educational training and in my professional experience as a teacher that people learn best when their senses are fully engaged. And the same is true for reaching people in marketing. The more we can engage people’s senses through visual, auditory and kinesthetic experiences, the more engaged they will become with the subject matter which we are presenting to them.
And that is what this lesson is all about. It is an introduction to the world of online multimedia — video on YouTube, radio on BlogTalkRadio and podcasting/syndication. While this topic could be a complete course in its own right, this lesson will provide with the fundamental terminology and entry-level knowledge to help you get started in developing a multimedia presence as part of your online promotional platform
OBJECTIVES FOR THE WEEK
In this lesson, you will learn:
- The purpose of multimedia platforms within your promotional campaigns
- The mechanics of YouTube, BlogTalkRadio and podcasting
- Considerations for choosing which platforms are best for you
- Resources you will need to get started
- Technical tips for video, online radio and podcasting
- Considerations for setting up your channels/shows
- Integrating multimedia with your blog and other social media
- Syndicating and promoting your multimedia content
- Using YouTube and BTR as social media
Click “READ MORE” to view lesson content for the week.
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Module 2 Week 7
Posted by: | CommentsModule 2: Pre-Publication Marketing Musts
Week 7: Unlocking the Secret Powers of LinkedIn
Subtitle of this newly revamped module: “100 Days to Build Your Online Promotional Platform”
LESSON SUMMARY
LinkedIn is perhaps the most elusive online tools for many new social networkers. Many people first come to it and cannot understand how it can possible help them with business and network building, but that is simply because, on the surface, LinkedIn appears to be starkly formal with little opportunity for interaction compared to the colourful interface Facebook provides, and the face-paced exchanges found in Twitter.
But while LinkedIn is definitely more of a professional network than it is a social network, when you explore all it has to offer you will find it to be not only a place where you can thrive and establish your renown as a professional (including a professional author), but also where you can find a virtually endless supply of information and referrals, as well as have access to thousands of people in your target audience.
Much as in the previous lessons on Twitter and Facebook, LinkedIn also integrates the rest of your online platform, but the real keys to the secret powers of LinkedIn will like not only in mastering the rules of engagement, which a very different from other networks, and finding your way around some of the resources it has that no other networks offer.
OBJECTIVES FOR THE WEEK
In this lesson, you will learn:
- The purpose of LinkedInand how it is different from other social media
- Considerations for setting up your profile
- Integrating LinkedIn with your blog and other media
- LinkedIn Applications
- Interaction and rules of engagement
- Finding and utilising LinkedIn Groups
- How to use “Sharing” in LinkedIn
- Establishing yourself as an expert in LinkedIn Q&A
- LinkedIn Events
Click “READ MORE” to view lesson content for the week.
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Module 2 Week 6
Posted by: | CommentsModule 2: Pre-Publication Marketing Musts
Week 6: Unlocking the secret powers of Facebook
Subtitle of this newly revamped module: “100 Days to Build Your Online Promotional Platform”
To REGISTER for this Module, click HERE.
LESSON SUMMARY
Facebook has become a household word over the past few years. And small wonder. In a recent video for TED entitled “Pendulum”, marketing pro Michael Drew cited if Facebook were a nation, it would be the 4th largest on the planet.
There’s a lot to Facebook that is often misunderstood. Many people think it is a way to stay connected with personal friends and family. And that is surely something Facebook can provide. However, the value of Facebook as a means of locating and communicating directly with potentially millions of targeted clients and/or customers is something many people are now only just discovering. And while it is quite a different entity to Twitter, being more limited in some ways and more powerful than others, in terms of its ability to identify people in your target audience, it scores well above the potential by Twitter.
Much as in the previous lesson on Twitter, the key to unlock the secret powers of Facebook is not just in Facebook itself, but in how it integrates the rest of your online platform. And, of course, it is in knowing what, when and how to engage with others on Facebook.
OBJECTIVES FOR THE WEEK
In this lesson, you will learn:
- The purpose of Facebook and how it is different from other social media
- Considerations for setting up your profile
- Profile versus Fan page versus groups
- How to use Facebook for leads generation
- How to use “tagging” in Facebook and why you want to
- Finding, organising and communicating with Friends and Fans
- Interaction and rules of engagement – what not to do; how it is different from Twitter
- Strategies for driving traffic to your fan page
- Integration Facebook with your blog and other media
- Utilising contests and adverts for leads generation and interactivity
Click “READ MORE” to view lesson content for the week.
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Module 2 Week 5
Posted by: | CommentsModule 2: Pre-Publication Marketing Musts
Week 5: Unlocking the secret powers of Twitter
Subtitle of this newly revamped module: “100 Days to Build Your Online Promotional Platform”
To REGISTER for this Module, click HERE.
LESSON SUMMARY
Twitter is a phenomenon that has taken over our planet with such rapidity it almost leaves us breathless. And quite appropriately, too, because Twitter itself is arguably the most rapid format of social media we currently have (with the possible exception of Blip, which is a micro-blogging platform to share music and video).
Many people don’t “get” Twitter the first time they encounter it. They see endless streams of short “micro blogs” and don’t understand how this could be interesting our useful. Furthermore, they don’t understand how it could be very “social.” How do you make friends or useful business contacts on Twitter? How to do you gain followers? Who should YOU follow and why do you want to follow them? How in the world can this lead to business growth?
The key to unlock the secret powers of Twitter is not just in Twitter itself—it is in how it integrates with numerous other parts of your online platform, including your blog, your other social networks, and 3rd-party open source software that will make Twitter come ALIVE. And, of course, it is in knowing what, when and how to Tweet, and how to engage with others on Twitter.
OBJECTIVES FOR THE WEEK
In this lesson, you will learn:
- The purpose of Twitter and how it is different from other social media
- Considerations for setting up your profile
- How to set up auto follow and why you should
- How to use Twitter for leads generation
- Structuring Tweets
- Interaction and rules of engagement
- Finding followers and people to follow
- Integration Twitter with blog and other media
- Making the most of your material
- Overview a range of supplementary Twitter Applications (“Apps”)
Click “READ MORE” to view lesson content for the week.
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Module 2 Week 4
Posted by: | CommentsModule 2: Pre-Publication Marketing Musts
Week 4: Using autoresponders, newsletters and giveaways
Subtitle of this newly revamped module: “100 Days to Build Your Online Promotional Platform”
To REGISTER for this Module, click HERE.
LESSON SUMMARY
Building your list is a topic of all internet marketers. This is often referred to as “leads generation” or bringing people into your “marketing funnel”.
But spiritual marketers are not merely interested in building a list, but in building a tribe. Your goal in the practice of leads generation should always be to build strong, long-lasting and congruent connections with people, and to give them lots of opportunities not only to know your work and your ideas, but also to know who you are as a human being. The combination of “freebies” (giveaways) and autoresponders will be at the foundation of how you will invite people to see if they want to come into your tribe, and the combination of your blog and newsletters will give readers reasons to stay.
OBJECTIVES FOR THE WEEK
In this lesson, you will learn:
- An overview of the “marketing funnel” and the process of leads generation
- Considerations for creating your leads generating offer
- The purpose and functions of an auto-responder system
- Suggested auto responder systems
- How to present your offer
- Strategies for where to place your offer
- Ideas for planning, repurposing and recycling your promotional offers
- The value of a newsletter and considerations when planning one
Click “READ MORE” to view lesson content for the week.
Using and Integrating Blogs and RSS for Book Promotion
Posted by: | CommentsLynn Serafinn, promotion manager for #1 seller mind-body-spirit authors, on blogs vs websites for book promotion, setting up feeds and social networks, basics of leads generation, and online interaction.
To REGISTER for this Module, click HERE.
Module 2: Pre-Publication Marketing Musts
Week 3: Integrating and leveraging blogs and RSS
Subtitle of this newly revamped module: “100 Days to Build Your Online Promotional Platform”
LESSON SUMMARY
When designing a blogsite for your book, it is essential that you are mindful of your target audience, and that you design the blog in such a way as to be attractive to potential readers. This attractiveness must extend into the character of your theme and colour scheme as well as the content of your posts.
Most of all, remember that while the purpose of your book blog is to get people interested in your book, you will not achieve this simply by creating a site that does nothing else but talk about your book. To build your promotional platform, your primary objective in making a blog should be to create an environment where readers can really get to know:
- Who you are as a person
- What your message is
- How you write
AND… if you do it right, your blog will also become a platform where you can get to know your readers too—both collectively and (in some cases) individually.
OBJECTIVES FOR THE WEEK
In this lesson, you will learn:
- The importance of having a dedicated book domain
- Purpose of a blog as opposed to a website
- Considerations for setting up your blog
- How to set up your feeds
- Integrating your feed to social networks
- Installing a sign-up box on your blog
- WordPress enhancements: Plugins and Widgets
- Building interaction into your blog
- How often and what to blog
- How to make the most use of your material
Click “Read More” to begin your lesson for the week.
Target audience – knowing, finding and reaching your readers
Posted by: | CommentsLynn Serafinn, promotion manager for #1 seller mind-body-spirit authors, on how to understand your relationship with marketing, identify your target audience and find your potential readers.
Module 2: Pre-Publication Marketing Musts
Week 1: Your readers: knowing, finding and reaching them
Click to listen to an overview of this week’s lesson:
To REGISTER for this Module, click HERE.
Subtitle of this newly revamped module: “100 Days to Build Your Online Promotional Platform”
LESSON SUMMARY
Many authors come to me for marketing advice just as their books are getting ready for publication. You will, however, note that I have placed this module BEFORE the module on preparing for publication. That is because, quite frankly, if you do not start your marketing long before your book is even finished being written, then you are apt to have a book come out and be extremely disappointed in the sales results. You might ask, “How can I market a book that isn’t even written yet.” The answer is simple. You aren’t. You are marketing YOU. That is what this lesson is about. It will really get you thinking about your personal relationship with all those wonderful people in the world who will be reading your book in the not-so-distant future. It will give you some strategies to identify them, know them, find them and reach them in an authentic, spirit-based way. If you find yourself resisting any of the material in the lesson (and I have had many a client and colleague for whom some of these ideas pushed them to their “edge”), slow down and take as much time as you need to understand why you are resisting. To understand this resistance fully, we will be exploring what I consider to be the key factors that influence how we approach the subject of self-promotion and online marketing
- Our relationship with money/selling
- Our relationship with technology
- Our relationship with other people
- Our relationship with ourselves
Get ready for a journey exploring these factors and how they impact the success of your book.
OBJECTIVES FOR THE WEEK:
In this week’s lesson, you will:
- Examine your relationship with money and selling
- Learn how to identify your target audience and why this is important
- Learn the two key goals of early marketing
- Outline the infrastructure you need for finding your audience online
- Create a plan for reaching your audience
Click “Read More” to begin your lesson for the week.
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Pre-Publication Marketing Musts – 10 Week Course Overview
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Pre-Publication Marketing Musts (aka “100 Days to Build Your Online Promotional Platform”) – 10 Week Course from Lynn Serafinn, promotion manager for #1 seller mind-body-spirit authors, on how to build your social networking platform to promote your book.
In Module 1, I started by sharing my “Artist’s Manifesto” with you, which said that until we release our vision to the world, we are “not yet an artist, but a dreamer.” In Module 2 we begin to examine what it means to release our vision to the world, and the practical means by which we can do it. The material in this module will help you identify who your potential readers are, and give you a good working knowledge of how to use social networking, blogging and other Internet-based communication systems to identify and reach them.
NOTE: The work in this module is to be done well BEFORE your book is published—as much as a year before—depending upon how widely (and deeply) you are already known to your readers.
PRELIMINARY READING SUGGESTIONS
- Before we begin, to get an overview of the importance of early promotion, you might first wish to read this article I wrote called “Pre-Natal Care for Your Book” on Tony Eldridge’s “Marketing Tips for Authors”.
- To help dispel some of the myths you might have about going with a publisher versus self-publishing, read THIS article.
To REGISTER for this Module, click HERE.
To To download a PDF version of Module 2 Overview, click HERE.
Title Pre-Publication Marketing Musts
Who is it for? Anyone who has completed, or is nearing completion of their final draft, and has not yet developed a comprehensive strategy for using the Internet to reach their potential readers.
Duration: Training: 10 weeks
Access to site: 12 weeks
Aims To help you identify and understand your target audience, and help you develop a fan base of followers, long before your book is published using online promotion strategies.
Note If you are getting ready to publish but do not yet have your online promotional methods in place (see below), you SHOULD take this module now as you will not be able to move on to Module 4 without these things in place first.
Objectives By the end of this module, you will be able to:
Weekly Lesson Content
Download Content
Community
Calls* 1 live call per month (downloads available to members only)
Rewards* SPECIAL GIFT for those who demonstrate completion of all weekly challenges within 2 weeks of finishing the module.
Bonuses* Discounts and other unplanned special bonuses will be revealed as you go along.
Notes: Items marked with an asterisk (*) are NOT available during a Test Drive, but will be available if/when you register for the Module.
To REGISTER for this Module, click HERE.
To To download a PDF version of Module 2 Overview, click HERE.
I have known Lynn for a few years now. She has managed a book launch campaign for my book Awakened Wisdom: A Guide to Reclaiming Your Brilliance (which reached #1 bestseller in Spirituality) and I have also been a guest on some of her other campaigns. Bottom line - Lynn gets the job done!
Living life is often like navigating oneself around a hall of mirrors... Reflecting a myriad of our inner qualities. Some mirrors show us a distorted vision of ourselves, we are ugly, fat, unhealthy and unlovable and some mirrors reflect our beauty, wisdom, kindness and compassion. Lynn Serafinn offered me a picture of clarity, strength, commitment, deep knowledge and vast generosity. She literally showed me how to reach up out of my pit and grasp my own power. I've had so many ideas kicking about in my head, but never had the bottle to put them 'out there' before. The mirror Lynn reflects is one of pure self empowerment and I would recommend anyone to gaze into her reflection.
