Source: http://bookmarketingmaven.typepad.com/free-book-marketing-tips/the-7-deadly-sins-of-online-networking-.html

by Dana Lynn Smith, The Savvy Book Marketer

Online networking is a wonderful way to meet people who share your interests, develop relationships with peers and potential customers, and ultimately increase book sales.

But there’s sometimes a fine line between letting your contacts know about your book and being overly promotional. If you’re too passive, you may not get much benefit from networking, but if you’re too aggressive you may turn people off.

Here are seven common mistakes that authors make in online networking, along with tips on how to avoid them:

1. No book information or website links on social network profiles.

I’m amazed at how many authors don’t even mention their books on their social profiles, or make it easy for people to find information about the book.

On your Facebook profile and fan page, include information about your book and a link to your book sales page and websites on the Info section. You can also list yourself as an author in the current employer section of your personal profile, which will make your author status show up at the very top of your profile.

On Twitter, be sure to mention your book in the description on your profile page. You only have 160 characters to work with, so if you have several books you could say something like “author of four romantic suspense novels.”

On LinkedIn, take full advantage of the Title field.  This space is designed for job titles, but you can use it to showcase your expertise and status as an author. For example: “Parenting expert and author of “Raising Happy Kids in a Crazy World.” Your title will appear along with your photo any place that you interact on LinkedIn. Be sure to include a link to your book’s sales page and your website in the Websites section of your profile, and also list your books in the Publications section.

2. Not mentioning your book in your status updates.

It’s fine to talk about your book in the status updates that you post on social networks, as long as that’s not your main focus and you’re not too pushy. Be sure to intersperse your book messages with other types of messages (personal notes, tips, links to helpful resources, thoughts on a new book you just read, etc.)

I recommend that no more than 10% to 20% of your status updates be promotional or self-serving. No one wants to read a constant stream of “buy my book” messages.

One way to talk about your book without seeming too promotional is to discuss your marketing activities. Here are some examples:

• I just received the preliminary cover designs for my new book – what do you think of these?

• Today I’m contacting bookstores about setting up signings for my new novel, BOOKTITLE. It’s available at www.booktitle.com.

• I’m so excited! Just received word that my book, BOOKTITLE, has received an award . . .

• I just scheduled a radio interview on KWTX to discuss tips from my book, BOOKTITLE. www.booktitle.com

• Today I launched the redesign of my website for BOOKTITLE – what do you think? www.booktitle.com

And you can always mention events and special promotions:

• If you’re in the Seattle area, please join me at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday at . . . for a free presentation based on my book, BOOKTITLE. www.booktitle.com

• The Kindle version of BOOKTITLE has just been released! You can find it at www.booktitle.com. If you don’t have a Kindle, remember you can download the Kindle app and read ebooks right from your computer.

• Monday Madness Sale! Spread the word — today only, all of my parenting books are on sale for 30% off. Go to www.booktitle.com to order.

3. Sending blank friend requests on social networks.

More than 90% of the network friend requests that I receive have no introduction at all, and most of the others have generic notes like “let’s be friends.” The trouble is, I don’t know who most of these people are.

Don’t make this mistake when you send friend invitations. Be sure to introduce yourself—tell the other person who you are and why you want to connect. What interests do you share in common? If you know something specific about the person, say so. On Facebook and many other networks, you can click the “add a personal message” button in the “add as a friend” box, and type in a personalized greeting.

4. Posting promotional messages on other people’s profiles or pages.

It’s just bad manners to post promotional messages on other people’s social network profiles or pages, especially those of your competitors. I delete any such posts from my own pages.

You usually have more leeway in posting messages on group pages. You can get a feel for the group’s etiquette by observing that others are doing, but usually it’s acceptable to make a wall post introducing yourself and your book, and also to share good news or resources with the group occasionally (see #2 above for ideas).

5. Getting too personal.

It’s great to tell your online friends something about your interests, but if you’re using social networks for business, you probably shouldn’t be discussing your health issues, your mother-in-law, or your kid’s problems. (Too much information!) It’s also a good idea to be cautious about posting things like the dates you are gone on vacation.

If you actively use your Facebook profile to network with family and friends, you might want to reserve your profile for personal use and use your fan page for business.

6. Sending sales pitches to new people that you meet.

It’s nice to do a wall post or send a message to new friends with a greeting (great to meet you, have a wonderful day), a compliment (your website is really terrific) or a note about something that you have in common. You can even invite them to visit your website, if you’re subtle about it and include other things in the message. Just be careful that your message doesn’t come across as a sales pitch – that’s not the way to make a good impression on a new contact.

7. Abusing direct messages.

Many social networks let you send messages to your contacts or members of groups that you belong to. Unfortunately, some people abuse this feature.

On Facebook, the use of direct messages to send promotional pitches has become so prevalent that many people simply tune out their messages. On LinkedIn, someone in a group that I belong to sent me several sales pitches for her products by direct message. I’ve never heard of this woman and she’s not even on my list of connections.

If you use direct messages, do so sparingly and be cautious about annoying people – remember that they can “unfriend” you if they get tired of hearing from you. One way to use direct messages is to send a newsletter type of message that contains some helpful tips or resources, along with a link to your book at the end. You can also use direct messages occasionally to announce “news” such as your book launch.

Remember the golden rule of networking: treat others as you would like to be treated.

About the Author

Learn more about promoting through social networks in The Savvy Book Marketer’s Guide to Successful Social Marketing by Dana Lynn Smith. For more tips, follow @BookMarketer on Twitter, visit Dana’s blog at www.TheSavvyBookMarketer.com, and get a copy of the Top Book Marketing Tips ebook when you sign up for her free newsletter at www.BookMarketingNewsletter.com.

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Source: http://www.wheatmark.com/index.php?/blog/entry/using-your-book-to-keep-your-leads-hot/

Written by Sam Henrie

So you’ve got a thousand leads in your database. That’s a thousand people who’ve given you permission to communicate with them about your products or services. Guess what? The vast majority of them are not ready to buy from you right now, but will likely buy from you sometime in the future. If you don’t want these leads to go cold, you must have follow-up systems that keep you in front of them over time. Periodic and consistent follow-up via mail, email, phone, and/or text messaging is essential. For this you need content, and lots of it. That’s where your book comes in. It can provide content for your follow-up systems in two powerful ways: as a source of excerpts, and as a generator of announcement-worthy news.

In all likelihood most of the thousand leads in your database haven’t read your book and don’t own it. They aren’t familiar with the great expertise-confirming content it contains. Give it to them! If your book is about weightlifting, excerpt individual exercises each month and include them in your e-zine or printed newsletter. If your book is about codependency, excerpt a poignant story of overcoming it. Passages from your book are incredibly powerful in this context, because while you’re reminding your leads that you’re out there, you’re also providing them with proof of your competence and know-how.

Every author is, simply by virtue of having published a book, also an expert and a celebrity. As an author/expert/celebrity you are yourself an unending source of announcement-worthy news. You hold book events. You get book reviews. You do radio interviews. You win book awards. People blog and tweet about your book. One very successful client I work with sends email notifications to her entire leads database every time her book gets any kind of mention in the media or the blogosphere. She also sends them invitations to her book signings and events, and notifications of upcoming media appearances. This puts her in front of her leads month in and month out.

Whether you are using excerpts or your status as an author/expert/celebrity to follow up with your leads, having a book helps keep those leads HOT—and you might earn you some royalties too!

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Written by: Karen Cioffi

Source: http://karenandrobyn.blogspot.com/2010/12/5-marketing-reminders-for-2011-basic.html

1. Create a presence and platform

Creating an online presence and platform can be initiated by creating a website or blog. First though, you’ll need to be sure of your niche because the site name and content should reflect your area of expertise is.

Remember, plan first. Choose a site name that will grow with you. Using an children’s author as an example, if you choose a site name, Picture Books with [Your Name], you’ve limited yourself. What if your next book is for young adults?

Some authors create sites with the name of their book. This is a good strategy for pure focus on that one book, but again, what happens when more books become available. Will you create a site for each of your books?

While you can do this, you will be stretching yourself thin and diluting your main focus: you as the author of multiple books.

Leave room to grow; it’s always advisable to use your name as the site’s name.

In addition, with today’s gone-in-a-second attention span, it’s a good idea to keep your site simple. Sites that take a few seconds or more to load may cause you to lose potential buyers.

2. Increase visibility

Writing content for your readers/visitors is the way to increase visibility. The word is: Content is King. Provide interesting, informative, and/or entertaining content that will prompt the reader to come back.

Also, be sure your content is pertinent to your site, and keep your site and content focused on your platform.

3 Draw traffic to your site

To draw traffic to your site, promote your posts by using social media. You can also do article marketing which will increase your visibility reach.

Another strategy is to offer your readers free gifts, such as an e-book relevant to your niche. This will help to increase your usefulness to the reader.

This is considered organic marketing; it funnels traffic back to your site with valuable content and free offers.

4 Have effective call-to-actions

Your site must have call-to-action keywords that will motivate readers to visit and click on your links. Keywords to use include:

•    Get your Free gift now for subscribing
•    Subscribe to our Newsletter
•    Free e-book to offer on your own site
•    Buy Now
•    Sign up
•    Don’t hesitate, take advantage of our expert services
•    Be sure to Bookmark this site

You get the idea, motivate the reader to want what you’re offering and give him/her a CLEAR and VISIBLE call-to-action. Make it as simple as possible for the visitor to buy what you’re offering.

5. Develop a relationship with your readers

It’s been noted that only 1% of first time visitors will buy a product. Usually, only after developing a relationship through your newsletter, information, and offers will your potential customer or client click on the BUY NOW button.

While it will take some time and effort to implement and maintain these strategies, it will be worth it in the long run. Think of it as a long-term investment.

Happy marketing in 2011!

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By Tony Eldridge, creator of Marketing Tips For Authors

source: http://blog.marketingtipsforauthors.com/2010/12/create-unique-sound-for-your-brand.html

So, you’ve read a lot about creating an author platform, complete with your unique brand. You have chosen your website look, pics, and colors carefully and you have been consistent in using them across platforms. You have chosen your user names well as you created your presence on social networking sites.

Well done. You know how important it is for you to use your look consistently. Think about your favorite author who has written a series. Chances are, each cover has the same look and feel of other books in the series, at least books published by the same publisher.

So, what’s next for you to think about? I’d say we all need to start thinking about how we use video in our marketing. It’s becoming more and more mainstream and a whole lot easier for the non-techie marketer to utilize (see my BookBuzzr post entitled, Tools To Help You Create Videos For Your Blog/Website).

As you start to dip your toe into video marketing, you will have an opportunity to think about your unique sound. Whether it’s a jingle that sticks in a viewer’s mind, an instrumental lead-in to your videos or your audible sign-off, having the some sound can be yet another way people have to identify your brand.

Who would have thought a few years ago that an author, who deals with words, would even have to consider an audible branding tool? Things change and luckily for us, we don’t have to spend thousands to keep up with the changes.

So start paying attention to the sounds you like. What audio snippets say to you, “That’s me!” It doesn’t have to be a song; maybe it’s as simple as the three tone peacock sound that NBC plays when it shows its logo. Whatever it is, there’s something out there that can uniquely identify you and now is the time to start to give it some serious thought.

Tony Eldridge is the author of the award winning action/adventure novel, The Samson Effect, which Clive Cussler calls a “first rate thriller brimming with intrigue and adventure.” He is also the creator of Marketing Tips for Authors, a site that publishes free tips and videos to help authors learn marketing techniques for their books. You can read the serial release of The Samson Effect athttp://samsoneffect.marketingtipsforauthors.com/

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by Eric Gruber

source: http://www.sellingbooks.com/best-ways-to-overcome-writers-block-and-save-your-sanity-and-your-hair

Are you experiencing writer’s block?

Whether you are a new writer or an article writing and marketing expert like me, there comes a time when you just stare at the blank white screen with your hands ready at the keyboard – but they’re not typing. The dreadful writer’s block is stopping the words from flowing as they should.

It is frustrating to be stuck especially when you know when you write and submit articles online you will get more website traffic, prospects and profits. So, you start pulling your hair out and grinding your teeth.

See, I know exactly how you feel. There were many times that I wanted to throw my laptop and my desktop right out the window. I know what it is like to try to force yourself to “work through it”, and when you sit down to write you are numb and feel like your brain is composed of concrete.

I also know that the longer you stay in this state the more discouraged you get, which makes it even harder to write. That’s why I am going to help you get out of that dark, cold, gloomy corner and see the light so you can start writing articles faster.

7 Ways to Overcome Writer’s Block and Banish It Forever

1. Use instant article writing templates — You want to use article templates that literally guide you through the article writing process. For example, my 40+ Instant Article Writing Templates Kit, is filled with worksheets and ideas. All you have to do is enter the information that the template asks for – where it asks for it. Not only will you generate article ideas, but you’ll be able to organize your ideas in a way that gets your prospects to read your articles from top to bottom.

2. Host a teleseminar – Greg Ivers of Church Loan Services, an article marketing coaching client of mine, has the hardest time putting the information inside his head into words. No matter how much time I spent with him – he just wasn’t getting it like many small business owners. However, he has no problem speaking about his expertise. So, using Instant Teleseminars, I’m having him do a teleseminar recording that he can use as a lead generation device. He’s then going to use the recording to create a number of articles to promote his free audio program.

3. Keep a digital or analog notebook with you 24/7 — They say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Coming up with compelling ideas to write about is sometimes the hardest challenge of all. But, if you have an “idea pad” with you at all times, you can build a reserve of good topics to draw upon as you need them. You’re working proactively to prevent writer’s block.

4. Start writing without constraints– Consider this: Have you ever been blocked while playing Frisbee? Eating doughnuts? Dancing naked in your living room? Those are joyful things and there’s nothing at stake. If you fail, who cares? Nobody. If there are no rules, and no judgment, psychological blocks are impossible. So, start writing without constraints. Deliberately write badly, but write.

5. Write about how it feels not to be able to write. It’s sneaky, but, it works. The voices in our heads are always saying something, so get it down. Imagine yourself as a recording device, writing down the radio broadcast of some other person who happens to live in your head. Eventually your mind will hit thoughts on the topic itself and, presto, you’re on your way.

6. Make Lists – List making is never as threatening as “writing”, so go there first! As far as I know, there is no shopping list block, is there? For example, when I created this list article, I kicked my list around for awhile. I made changes. I did lots of moving and shuffling. Then once it reached critical mass, I put in a document and created my article.

7. Keep writer’s block away by writing daily — Just like someone who is out of shape could not run a mile in a respectable amount of time, someone who doesn’t write frequently will not be able to write high quality articles fast. You have to train your body to run, just like you must train your brain to write. And, you become a faster runner and writer through repeated practice and perseverance.

So, pick up my article writing templates at StartWritingArticlesFaster.com and put these ideas to use. You’ll be amazed how fast ideas will start racing to your mind.

Article marketing expert Eric Gruber created online marketplace opportunities for authors, small business owners, speakers and internet marketers who want more website traffic, prospects and profits. Now you can get started with writing and marketing your business with articles, by getting 3 free article templates that will help you write articles faster. Get it now at: http://www.trymyfreearticletemplates.com

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by: Tony Eldridge

source: http://blog.marketingtipsforauthors.com/2010/07/make-it-easy-for-readers-to-contact-you.html

After spending time on the Internet looking for the perfect product, something happens when you find it. The clouds roll back and harp music begins to play in the background. Well, maybe not the music, but it’s pretty close. Finding what you’re looking for is a great feeling.

But often, you may have questions that the FAQs just don’t answer. If you are really motivated, you will contact the company with more questions. But here’s a little secret that many people don’t think about. If a customer can not find a contact method quickly, they will move on to the next site, probably never to return.

The same is true with your site. You want to make sure that people can easily find a contact method for you or your company. Ideally, you will want to put it in a navigation button at the top or side of your page with the other navigation buttons; or at least add it to the bottom of your page. These are the areas that most people are trained to look for contact information.

A mistake that many web owners make is to bury the contact button in the site. Maybe they put in in the “About” page. Or worse, they put it in a page that has no logical reason to have the contact information.

Take a look are your site. Where do you have the contact information? Is it visible no matter where the visitor is on your page? Is it easy to get to? Is it a contact method that you actively monitor?

By taking a few moments to make sure the line of communication to you is clear and easy to find, you will increase the chances that people will hear the harps playing when they are on your site and not the wa-wa-wa of a site that does not deliver.

Bonus Point: The same is true of your “Buy” button. You want to make sure that people can always find your buy button when on your site. The iron is hot for precious few moments and without an easy way to purchase your book, product or service, your visitor will soon be off to a new site.

Ouch.

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source: http://websitemakeoverworkshop.com/2009/07/5-ways-to-improve-sales-through-your-website/

by C.F. Jackson

Almost everyone who has been marketing online knows that the lifeblood of book marketing and internet marketing is the traffic of a site. More visitors equal more sales. However, here are some ways that you can tweak your sites with to improve sales as you continue to strive to get more visitors.

The first method is to weave in your personal touch in your sales message. Nobody wants to be sold to by a total stranger, but many people will buy what their close friends recommend to them. If you can convince your audience that you are a personal friend who has their best interest at heart, they will be convinced to buy your books, products, or services. Remember to speak to an individual in your salesletter, not to your whole audience.

The second method is to publish testimonials and comments from your customers. A good idea would be to publish both good and bad comments; that way potential customers will be really convinced that these testimonials are real. When potential customers see testimonials on your website, they will have the confidence to buy from you because human beings follow the herd mentality; when others have bought and proven it authentic, they will jump on the bandwagon and buy too.

Use visual representations for the problems and solutions that your product offers. Not everyone will read your text copy from the head to the tail, but most people will pay attention to images, video and audio on your website.

Offer quality bonuses to accompany the product. When you offer bonuses that complement your product, your potential customers will feel it’s a very good deal and it would be stupid to miss it. Be sure to state the monetary value of your bonuses so that people will be even more compelled to grab your good bargain.

Lastly, ask for the sale! Many people entice their potential customers with the benefits of their product, sell to them with stories of how it has solved many problems, even offered killer bonuses but forget to ask for the sale. Give a clear instruction on how to buy your product (e.g. “click the button to buy now!”).

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About The Author
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And to help you improve sales through your website I’m inviting you to claim your free 30 seconds book trailer/product video when you visit http://www.Video.WebsiteMakeoverWorkshop.com. [Only 27 Available]

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source: http://www.articlesisland.com/writing-and-speaking/book-marketing/book-publishers-best-marketing-tips.html

Today more than ever, consumers are overwhelmed with choices, and distractions. The cost of attracting users to your website continues to increase and keeping them engaged is more important than ever.

Engagement doesn’t end with an individual browser reading content or clicking on an ad. Rather, engagement is an ongoing process that results in loyal customers who come back again and again, becoming more vested in your web site.

How can you make sure you’re engaging and keeping customers?

In order to create a loyal following, there are some basic principles you need to consider. From first impressions to life-long membership, put yourself in the shoes of your browsers and make their experience a valuable one.

1. Reduce Clutter. How many times have you visited a website only to be overwhelmed and confused? What is this site about you may have asked yourself. Or perhaps you found yourself asking, ‘Where is the information I’m looking for?’Don’t ask your browsers or potential customers to figure this out. Make your site clutter free and create a visual priority that emphasizes the information, resources, or actions your browsers want. By reducing obstacles you build trust among new web site visitors and allow for simple decision making – which benefits everyone.
2. Make Navigation Intuitive. There are many ways to navigate a web page but intuition rules the day. Don’t try to get fancy with your navigation or overuse java script. Basic navigation that follows current convention is the best way to lead individuals through your web site to the information they’re looking for.

1. Make The Initial Site Interaction Relevant. When a browser reaches your web site, you have less than seven seconds to get them engaged. Making your initial site interaction relevant to what individuals are looking for is essential for keeping them interacting long term.If you are promoting your web site with Google Adwords, or any pay per click advertising for that matter, be sure to create customer landing pages that are truly relevant to the individual who clicks-through your ad. Once you’ve established relevancy, you can move them deeper into your content, tools, and resources.
2. Ensure That Your Content Is Up-to-date. Web site content that isn’t up to date does not serve your audience and browsers are likely to move on. One way to ensure that information is timely is by providing a feed of relevant news or information. If including static text on your web pages, try not to include specific dates. However, if you must publish dates, be sure to update this information on a regular basis.
3. Start An Interaction With Your Users. Each time a browser views your web page, you have an opportunity to interact with them. Don’t let this opportunity pass you by. One great way to interact is to offer something of value at no cost. This can be a white paper, access to an exclusive list, or simply a 30 day free trial. Be sure to capture an individual’s valid email address and include them on your mailing list. An auto-responder is best if you wish to engage these individuals on an ongoing basis.
4. Provide Plenty Of Support. Don’t hesitate to offer support right from your home page. Prominently display your 800 number, support email address, and additional information for your prospects and customers such as mailing address. This information is viewed favorably by search engines and also creates a sense of legitimacy. Contact information builds trust among prospects and elicits interest in your company.
5. Make Sharing Easy. Once you’ve made your web site easy to use, don’t hesitate to offer browsers the ability to share your web site with others. This can be in the form of a simple widget that allows users to bookmark your page, subscribe to an Rss feed, or submit your content to popular news sites like Digg.com.Individuals are much more likely to visit a web site based on a friend’s recommendation versus some other type of marketing initiative. Leverage the power of viral marketing with easy sharing tools.

Your web site can be your greatest asset. Unfortunately, many marketers and website owners are so focused on increasing traffic that they lose site of the audience that’s already visiting their web pages but are simply not converting.

Don’t make the same mistake. Improve the quality of you site through relevant content that is up-to-date and easy to find. Once you’ve engaged users, encourage them to share. Doing so will make your site perform better, increase conversions, and deliver value for all involved.

Michael Fleischner is an Internet marketing expert and the President of MarketingScoop.com. He has more than 12 years of marketing experience and had appeared on The TODAY Show, Bloomberg Radio, and other major media. Visit MarketingScoop.com for further details and more marketing articles including tips on how to improve search engine rankings for your web site.

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