Getting to Know the Giants of Social Media

By 2012 more than 1 billion people are expected to be online through blogs, social networks or photo/video sharing services. Social media is a great equalizer. Ordinary people are talking to each other and the businesses they patronize about what is important to them. Every day new sites are launched to enable people to broaden their conversations. Still, many stick with the sites they know—the giants of the social networking scene.

MySpace started out as the exclusive domain of young people, and after tying to become a mainstream site, went back to its roots. MySpace was the first social network to make the word “friends” (meaning contacts) part of our everyday language. While MySpace members aren’t as old or sophisticated as Facebook users, they function seamlessly in their own piece of cyber space. If you are an adult who insists on being on MySpace, ask your teenager to help you.

Facebook is big—the biggest—social networking site. Forty percent of its members are over thirty-five. Facebook offers personal profiles, calendars, movie reviews, photos, groups for every conceivable interest, targeted advertising, demographic profiling, and multiple ways to keep in touch. Members use Facebook to keep up with friends and friends of friends. It now also provides “fan pages” for setting up professional and businesses profiles.

LinkedIn is the number one social network for businesspeople and professionals. The site works on the principle of six degrees of separation. Members find and connect to their existing business contacts and then to their contacts’ contacts. Members post resumes, form networks, write recommendations, and keep their contacts updated on changes in their professional lives. When members update their profiles their new information becomes immediately available to everyone in their networks.

Twitter is an innovative, free social network that restricts messages to 140 characters. “Tweets” range from “what I’m doing right this minute” to trends and important issues. More than 100 services have sprung up that mimic Twitter, and there are many sites that augment its services. Followers can tune in to messages from other members and send targeted messages to people they follow by simply putting @ in front of the other person’s Twitter name.

YouTube is the best-known and most popular video-sharing site. It was acquired by Google in 2006 and went mainstream in 2007, appealing to both individuals and businesses. Members upload more than 65,000 videos a day. Most social networks and Websites support video. As a social networking site, YouTube features personal spaces, playlists, friends, favorites, and conversations. To assess its value, think quality over quantity; positive comments mean more than the number of views.

Flickr is right up with Facebook in terms of size. It has 11 million regular members, 30 million monthly unique visitors, and more than 1 billion photos. There are Flickr groups for almost anything you can imagine ... anything. In addition to making it easy to upload photos and other images—with carefully chosen keywords, tags, file names, and image descriptions—Flickr has no trouble attracting search engines. Tags are descriptive labels photographers and viewers can apply to photographs.

These are the big kids on the block, but in each category, there are many other sites that are attracting members and offering an increasing number of features. Biggest is not always best. It pays to explore the less-well-known social media sites to find the right fit.

95 Ways to Market Your Nonfiction Book

1.Sell book on Web site and amazon.com.

2. Write arti­cles

a. Have copy edited.

b. Set up article page on Web site.

c. Submit articles to on-line sites.

3. Increase presence on Twitter, Facebook, and Linkedin.

4. Maximize presence on Amazon.

a. Post customer reviews on other people’s books.

b. End them with a blurb about your book.

c. Set up a reviewer’s profile.

d. Investigate Amazon Web 2.0 Interactivity.

e. Make friends on Amazon.

f. Sell products on Amazon’s WebStore.

g. Establish yourself as a true author presence.

5. Blogging

a. Visit blog di­rectories and check out the top-ranked blogs.

b. Check out blogs on writing.

c. Comment; let the blogger know you have done so.

d. Answer questions you have been asked in the past.

e. Give brief reviews and recommend competitive titles on your subject or books you are reading now.

6. Internet marketing

a. Build list of contacts, and keep in touch with them.

b. Keep adding to Web site.

c. Make contact information obvious.

d. Include name, e-mail address, and phone number.

e. Make sure content is high quality and provides a benefit to readers.

f. Inform, educate, inspire, motivate.

g. Include lots of ways to do things associated with topic.

h. Don’t lecture or proselytize.

i. Be generous. Give stuff away, particularly informa­tion.

j. Demonstrate expertise.

k. Show, don’t tell, that you know your subject.

l. Iden­tify your target market; if you have more than one, you need more than one Web site. Buy several domain names.

m. Hire a Web-marketing consultant.

n. Research and register with directories and search engines.

o. Create new links to your Web site by link building.

p. Use different delivery mechanisms for different audi­ences—blog, newsletter, e-zine, Podcasts.

q. Stay active in Twitter, Yahoo, Gath­er, Facebook, LinkedIn

r. Create name recognition by submitting articles on your subject to multiple article sites.

s. Be clear but subtle about having something to sell.

t. Make it easy for people to buy and pay for your book.

u. Set up a store through shopsite.com or some other shopping cart service; sign up for PayPal or get a merchant’s account.

v. Set up a media page. Include a press release that an­nounces your book in a copyable format (Word or a text file), links to previous interviews in print and on-line.

6. Send Advance Readers Copies (uncorrected galley proofs) stamped “reader’s copy” to reviewers at trade magazines within the book industry.

7. See Literary Market Place in the reference room for magazine and newspaper book reviewers, book review syndicates, columnists, radio and television stations, book clubs.

8. Advertise in inexpensive newsletters and Writers’ Digest and The Writer.

9. Bookstores

a. Compile a list of local bookstores and visit them, book in hand.

b. Offer to do a workshop, a presentation, or a signing.

c. Help with promotion of the event,

d. Cooperate with the community relations person in any way you can.

10. Book clubs: Go to each Web site, and download guidelines for submission.

11. Elevator speech: be able to tell someone what your book is about between floors in an elevator: “My book is about (main point) in order to help the reader (main benefit).”

12. Articles

a. Make a list of print and Web publications that address writing.

b. Research writers’ guidelines.

c. Query the editors about writing free articles.

d. Learn what the editor is looking for to address the publication’s reader.

e. Use keywords so it will be found. Link to the appropriate page on your Web site.

13. Direct marketing

a. Consider hiring a knowledgeable professional to help you.

b. Develop a plan what you want to achieve, your target audience, the list, what you will offer, and designer; establish criteria for your target audience.

c. Build or buy a list of people who meet those criteria.

d. If possible, call those listed to determine if list is up to date.

e. Keep culling list; when a piece of mail comes back, remove the address from the list.

f. Track and measure results.

g. If necessary, mail to the same list several times.

h. Ask yourself: (1) what is the average order you will receive? (2) What will it cost you to mail each piece? (3) Can you generate enough money to pay for your mailing? (4) Will you make a profit? If the answers to questions (3) and (4) are no, rethink this as a method of reaching customers.

15. Networking

a. Join appropriate associa­tions for self-publishers, marketers, professional speakers, and those that cater to people interested in your topic.

b. Get involved in the organization, talk about your book.

c. Network on-line.

16. Nontraditional sales

a. Think beyond the bookstore. Other places are called “nontraditional sales.”

b. Consider spin-off products.

c. Sell not just your book, but your message as well.

d. Send free books as review copies, three-dimensional business cards, gifts, or marketing materials to asso­ciations, organizations, meetings of any kind, and li­braries.

e. Submit book for inclusion in catalogs.

f. Attend book fairs and special events (note prior caution).

g. Sell books in the back of the room when you give presentations or workshops.

17. Public relations

a. Prepare a professional-looking press kit. Paste the cover of book on the front of the pocket folder. Inside, put a press release, an information sheet about your book, an author’s bio and photo, talking points to be used in interviews, and contact and ordering information.

b. Give away premiums that display book’s cover.

c. Create your own audience.

18. Speaking engagements

a. Position yourself as an expert.

b. Line up speaking engage­ments at no charge.

19. Specialty retailers

a. Ask yourself how you will sell this kind of book? Where?

b. Research & visit stores and sites that sell special-interest books and related products.

c. Bring your own point-of-purchase displays.

20. Last thoughts

a. Go where the audience is. Network.

b. Be a walking/talking commercial for your book.

c. Remember, life is a marketing call.

Step #6: Promotion

Book Marketing Strategies & Tactics

I would like to believe that Words To Live By is close to publication. I have read so many proofs I'm dizzy, but I think I am just about there, at last. That brings me to Step #6: Promotion, which is the big one. I mapped out my marketing plan, but then decided to revisit How to Write a Nonfiction Book and review what I had written about promotion. (I know if I did everything I've suggested in my books, I'd probably be a fabulous success; but, unfortunately, I often fail to take my own advice.)

What follows are my three strategies for promoting Words To Live By and all of the relevant tactics from How to Write a Nonfiction Book. I don't think it's possible to do all of these things, but even doing some of them will be a great beginning.

Strategy #1: Increase my visibility and credibility on line

Tactics

1. Sell Words To Live By on Web site and amazon.com.

2. Write arti­cles on “epiphanies” and submit to on-line sites

3. Increase presence on Twitter, Facebook, and Linkedin.

4. Redesign ShopSite store; hire ShopSite designer (or do it myself).

5. Maximize presence on Amazon

a. Post customer reviews on other people’s books.

b. End them with a blurb about my book.

c. Set up a reviewer’s profile.

d. Investigate Amazon Web 2.0 Interactivity.

e. Make friends on Amazon.

f. Sell products on Amazon’s WebStore.

g. Establish myself as a true author presence.

6. Blogging

a. Visit blog di­rectories and check out the top-ranked blogs.

b. Check out blogs on writing.

c. Comment; let the blogger know I have done so.

d. Answer questions I have been asked in the past.

e. Give brief reviews and recommend competitive titles on my subject or books I am reading now.

6. Internet marketing

a. Build list of contacts, and keep in touch with them.

b. Keep adding to website.

c. Make contact information obvious.

d. Include name, e-mail address, and phone number.

e. Make sure content is high quality and provides a benefit to readers.

f. Inform, educate, inspire, motivate.

g. Include lots of ways to do things associated with topic.

h. Don’t lecture or proselytize.

i. Be generous. Give stuff away, particularly informa­tion.

j. Demonstrate expertise.

k. Show, don’t tell, that I know my subject.

l. Iden­tify my target market; if I have more than one, I need more than one Web site. Buy several domain names.

m. Hire a Web-marketing consultant.

n. Research and register with directories and search engines.

o. Create new links to my Web site by link building.

p. Use different delivery mechanisms for different audi­ences—blog, newsletter, e-zine, Podcasts.

q. Stay active in Twitter, Yahoo, Gath­er, Facebook, LinkedIn

r. Create name recognition by submitting articles on my subject to multiple article sites.

s. Be clear but subtle about having something to sell.

t. Make it easy for people to buy and pay for my book.

u. Set up a store through shopsite.com or some other shopping cart service; sign up for PayPal or get a merchant’s account.

v. Set up a media page. Include a press release that an­nounces my book in a copyable format (Word or a text file), links to previous interviews in print and on-line.

Strategy #2: Increase my visibility and credibility off line

Tactics

1. Send ARCs are uncorrected galley proofs, stamped “reader’s copy” to reviewers at trade review magazines within the book industry.

2. See Literary Market Place in the reference room for magazine and newspaper book reviewers, book review syndicates, columnists, radio and television stations, book clubs.

3. Advertise in inexpensive newsletters and Writers’ Digest and The Writer.

4. Bookstores

a. Compile a list of local bookstores and visit them, book in hand.

b. Offer to do a workshop, a presentation, or a signing.

c. Help with promotion of the event,

d. Cooperate with the community relations person in any way you can

5. Book clubs: Go to each Web site, and download guidelines for submission.

6. Elevator speech: be able to tell someone what my book is about between floors in an elevator; my book is about (main point) and in order to help the reader (main benefit).

Strategy #3: Drive traffic to my original Web site, WriteANonfictionBook.com

Tactics

1. Articles

a. Make a list of print and Wed publications that address writing.

b. Research writers’ guidelines.

c. Query the editors about writing free articles.

d. Learn what the editor is looking for to address the publication’s reader.

e. Use keywords so it will be found. Link to the appropriate page on my Web site.

2. Direct marketing

a. Consider hiring a knowledgeable professional to help me.

b. Develop a plan what I want to achieve, my target audience, the list, what I will offer, and designer; establish criteria for my target audience

c. Build or buy a list of people who meet those criteria.

d. If possible, call those listed to determine if list is up-to-date.

e. Keep culling list. When a piece of mail comes back, remove the address from the list.

f. Track and measure results.

g. If necessary, mail to the same list several times.

h. Ask myself: (1) what is the average order I will receive? (2) What will it cost you to mail each piece? (3) Can you generate enough money to pay for my mailing? (4) Will you make a profit? If the answers to questions (3) and (4) are no, rethink this as a method of reaching customers.

15. Networking

a. Join appropriate associa­tions for self-publishers, marketers, professional speakers, and those that cater to people interested in my topic.

b. Get involved in the organization, talk about my book.

c. Network on-line.

16. Nontraditional sales

a. Think beyond the bookstore. Other places are called “nontraditional sales.”

b. Consider spin-off products.

c. Sell not just book, but message as well.

d. Send free books as review copies, three-dimensional business cards, gifts, or marketing materials to asso­ciations, organizations, meetings of any kind, and li­braries.

e. Submit book for inclusion in catalogs.

f. Attend book fairs and special events (note prior caution).

g. Sell books in the back of the room when I give presentations or workshops.

17. Public relations

a. Prepare a professional-looking press kit. Paste the cover of book on the front of the pocket folder. Inside, put a press release, an information sheet about my book, an author’s bio and photo, talking points to be used in interviews, and contact and ordering information.

b. Give away premiums that display book’s cover.

c. Create my own audience.

18. Speaking engagements

a. Position myself as an expert,

b. Line up speaking engage­ments at no charge

19. Specialty retailers

a. Ask myself, how do I sell this kind of book? Where?

b. Research & visit stores and sites that sell special-interest books and related products.

c. Bring my own point-of-purchase displays.

20. Last thoughts

a. Go where the audience is. Network.

b. Be a walking/talking commercial for my book.

c. Remember, life is a marketing call.