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By Judy Cullins
Still marketing your book through press releases, networking groups, and
talks to groups? If these methods have taken a great deal of effort and time and
brought you only a few clients or product sales, you may now be ready for your
virtual marketing machine, the Internet!
To get ready to market your book Online use these ten tips:
1. Buy an up-to-date computer with a 56k modem or more and Internet
capability.
2. Open an email account. Bypass the freebies, because you need an email
account from which you can send an attachment. You want to look professional.
For
you email address, don't use confusing letters and numbers. Use your name plus
business keyword such as Judy@b....
Since dial up connections are so slow, consider getting DSL or cable
high-speed Internet. Before you buy, ask about limitations on sending group
email
(no-spam, of course).
3. Educate yourself about email, the Internet, and your own computer program.
Take a community college or adult school computer and Internet program at
low cost or free. You'll notice many others like yourself there, eager to learn.
More advanced students will help you each step of the way.
4. Hire a one-on-one low-cost computer/internet coach, who can give you
individual lessons if you don't want to attend seminars. They can help you
proceed
successfully with your e-commerce. Call your local high schools, computer
schools or colleges for computer-savvy students who will be happy to receive
$8-10
an hour.
Connect with teachers, career centers, or student centers to start the ball
rolling. Tell them you want an assistant. Make an ad that lists the
capabilities you need. Be sure to follow up because schools are less business
oriented
and may not call you back.
5. Hire a computer assistant; because you are not only a coach, speaker or
author, you are a business! These assistants can make you look like a large
business.
Make them part of your virtual marketing machine at a low cost. Use your
assistant as much as you want to expand your success. You will look like a
successful professional by adding new part-time staff. Start with 6-9 hours a
week,
and watch your clients and product sales grow! Your coach is approached by
many big businesses wondering how she got to be #1 in Google and 35 other search
engines. In December 2004 she is listed on 13,100 Web sites with a URL back
to her site. This number increases every week by 500.
6. Offer more than just one product to your potential buyers. Part of the
plan is to allow automatic, ongoing sells for your lifetime, either on your Web
site or other seller sites. If you plan to write a book, write a short one
first. Then, expand as you can. Publishing a short book is savvy business
because
you start making money right away to fund your other projects. Divide and
conquer. Think of chapter excerpts, articles, tips, or how-to lists you can
email
free to prospective buyers.
Incorporate your action plan to sell other products that relate to your book.
Submit informational pieces to ePublishers and top Web masters so that your
word gets out to thousands, even hundreds of thousands of people daily on the
net. This untapped eager-to-buy audience awaits your service and product. For
more information on this, contact your book and Internet promotion coach.
7. Include your five-to-eight line signature at the end of every email you
send. Include your name, email address, Web site address and local and 800
number. Include your business practice, number one benefit, and be sure to offer
a
free special report or ezine so you can collect those email addresses for
future promotions. Include your email and web site hyperlinks to make it easy
for
your client to click through to where you are selling your products or
service. Separate each email's end and signature with graphics such as ==== or
#####.
8. Promote your book through writing short articles to submit to opt-in
ezines. Use a search engine to find Web site ezines in your category or genre or
send directly to the ezines. Your article must be compelling, concise and
useful, so take care and edit it until it shines. Most editors and publishers
want
articles from 500-800 words.
These people want and need your free information for their ezines web sites.
They publish with your Signature Box at the bottom. Web sites publish your
URL.
9. Submit your articles to top Web sites to multiply sales. To market your
books, boost your Web site popularity to the top ten through the search engines
by submitting how-to articles to sites with your category. Top site ezines get
from 15,000 to 500,000 readers daily. These sites need your daily content,
and they will pay you handsomely by including your key words that help your
search engine position. When you submit your articles, the site also includes
your URL in a hyperlink straight to your Web site or where ever you sell your
products or service. .
10. Create your own inexpensive book Web site. Coaches, speakers, and other
small business people can catapult their business with a short print or eBook.
While it's possible to sell books on other publishers' or book sellers'
sites, you need to eventually develop your own site. Authors without a site are
like business people without email. Make your home page sizzle with dazzling ad
copy, headlines, and a sales letter. You will sell books and make your coaching
practice a household word.
Be willing to do what it takes, such as hire an Internet or book coach, to
get Online savvy because this wonderful marketing machine is there for you and
your boosted, consistent business success.
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