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Archive for the ‘Branding’ Category

Why Target An Audience?

September 18, 2013

Sell to the Right Buyers
If I’ve mentioned this before, forgive me … I’m going to mention it again because it’s important enough to repeat.

One of the biggest mistakes new indie writers make is trying to make their book appeal to everyone. New to the idea of marketing their work, many believe the larger the potential market, the greater the chances the book will get noticed.

Sadly, this is generally not true.

The larger the market, the more competition your work is likely to face. Trying to appeal to the masses, instead of understanding the needs, wants and desires of the right few is a recipe for a book flop.

It’s finding and narrowing your niche that will help you to reach more of the people that will ultimately buy your book.

Don’t assume you already know your audience, or that they’re just like you. Do the work to confirm what your readers actually want; not what you think they need.

What’s Your Appeal?
It’s difficult to tempt people with what you have to offer unless you yourself know exactly what it is, and why they should care.

I know I’ve said this before … take the time to discover your author brand. What does your writing have to offer, who would be most interested in it and why?

Face it. Your book is not a ‘must read’ for every literate person on earth, so you need a way to narrow your focus.

Where Do You Find Answers?
The answer shouldn’t be just a guess. If you currently have a fan base, consider polling your readers or asking them to complete a survey to better understand how best to serve them.

Ask questions in your comments (on your own blog and others), and join forums and clubs that discuss your topic or genre to find out more about your audience.

Find comparable books and investigate the websites and blogs for the book and its author. Who is commenting? What types of content are they sharing and what platforms are they using to share it?

Next, check out the various social platforms the author is active on. Look at the profiles of their followers … many are very likely your target audience as well.

Reader Profile
Once you know exactly who your target audience is and have streamlined your brand to be ‘in tune’ with their interests and desires, the final step is to be where they are.

A technique I’ve used to make finding and engaging with my target audience easier, is to create a highly detailed and accurate reader profile that represents my target audience.

My target audience is young adult (male and female, 16 and older), so I pitch my books accordingly. I like to think it’s working.

My novel REICHOLD STREET was a 2012 Readers Favorite Young Adult Gold Medal Winner and my short-story collection ZEBULON was a 2013 Silver Medal Winner … in the Young Adult Fantasy genre.

You can do the same thing.

Create a character sketch of your ideal reader (like you might for a character in your novel). Give this individual a name. Connect with them, understand them. Once created, this profile is who you think of, speak to and write for when creating any marketing message.

Every email, social media post, design tweak, book trailer, book cover, blog entry, excerpt and comment must be crafted with your reader profile in mind.

Monitor mentions of your book/brand online (set up Google Alerts). Stay up-to-date on news and trends regarding your genre. What are other authors, bloggers and industry influencers talking about? (Some resources: Feedly, AllTop, Google Trends and NewsMap).

Your audience is out there.

What are you waiting for?

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New York Review of Books – A Reminder
Look for the mention of my novel Reichold Street in the September 26, 2013 Fall Books issue of The New York Review.

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Creating Believable Characters
Don’t forget to click on the link in the right-hand column to get your copy of “Creating Believable Characters.” It was written specifically to aid writers with their character development and the price shouldn’t be a deterrent … it’s FREE.

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Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Tags:award-winning writing, book marketing, indie writers, self-publishing, using social media
Posted in Award-Winning Fiction, Book Promotion, Branding, Free Stuff, Market Your Book, Storytelling | 1 Comment »

How Do You Build a Publicity Tsunami?

September 6, 2013

Creative Content
I’m old enough (sigh) to remember the early 1960’s, when Time magazine called David Ogilvy “the most sought-after wizard in today’s advertising industry.”

For those who are delightfully young enough not to remember the man or his work … in his years as an advertising executive, Ogilvy created some of the world’s most successful marketing campaigns, including the legendary “Man in the Hathaway Shirt” … which still influences today’s marketers.

In my formative years in advertising, I used to study Ogilvy’s advertising campaigns trying to learn how to persuade prospects, influence readers and create memorable content.

Now, as an indie writer trying to market my award-winning books of fiction, I still look back often at some things David Ogilvy had to say, to see what I can learn from him.

“In the modern world of business, it’s useless to be a creative, original thinker unless you can also sell what you create.”

Interesting … and still true. Cleverness alone doesn’t sell books. Original thinking in marketing is great, but not just for the sake of being witty.

When you sit down to write any marketing copy for your books, whether it’s a blog, a tweet, or a Facebook entry, if you aren’t thinking about connecting with your audience and building trust, as well as selling your product, you need to reexamine your efforts.

Don’t create content just to sell, or to get credit for being clever – create content that’s helpful, insightful, or interesting.

“Do not … address your readers as though they were gathered together in a stadium.”

Just like public speaking is usually far more intimidating than talking to someone one-on-one, as writers the idea of trying to connect with a large audience can be troubling. But Ogilvy’s advice is still true.

Don’t get caught up in it. Pretend you’re writing a personal letter to each reader. After all, when people read your blog, they’re alone with your words.

“On average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you’ve written your headline, you’ve spent eighty cents of your dollar.”

Simple headlines are best. Always remember … on average, 8 out of 10 people will read headline copy, but only 2 out of 10 will read the rest of the piece. If your headline is confusing, tricky, or awkward, they won’t continue reading.

“Don’t bunt. Aim out of the ball park. Aim for the company of immortals.”

This is my favorite Ogilvy quotation. What we do in our day-to-day lives might occasionally seem mundane, but remember this – every day we write, whether in our books, our blogs or other social media, we’re given the opportunity to make a difference … to teach, stimulate conversation, or persuade.

That’s pretty extraordinary.

So aim high. Make sure you’re always thinking, how can I make enough difference? Ogilvy’s work continues to inspire us, and his world-famous marketing campaigns live on.

But some of Ogilvy’s best lessons are about how he approached his creative life, and how he aimed for greatness instead of settling for second best.

Hmmm. Perhaps my headline should have read: “I Don’t Always Read Fiction, but When I Do, I Prefer Ron Herron.”

It has a catchy ring to it.

Tags:award-winning writing, book marketing, indie writers, self-publishing, using social media
Posted in Award-Winning Fiction, Book Promotion, Branding, Market Your Book | 5 Comments »

Six Indie Author Online Mistakes

April 24, 2013

Promoting Your Own Work Is Tough Duty.

I did some informal research about the way fellow indie-authors use their websites and blogs, and the results weren’t encouraging.

While there are many nicely done sites, like that of Joanna Penn, Thomas Rydder or M.S. Fowle, many indie authors seem to have a website or blog simply because they’ve been told they should.

Mistake #1: Not Building a Good Web Site or Blog
Not investing a little time and effort is a mistake, because an indie-author’s website or blog should be the base of their online effort. Unlike most social media, it’s the one place where they are in full control of the content, image and brand they project.

However, the sad truth is many indies don’t seem to consider the why of what they’re doing. If you build a site without really knowing why it’s necessary, your site might not be much good for anything but collecting virtual dust.

In fact, having a bad site can be worse than no site at all.

Mistake #2: Not Showcasing as a Professional
Looking professional with your website or blog doesn’t mean spending a lot of money on design (sorry, designer folks) because there are good templates on blog or web site hosts like WordPress or iPage that will take care of that for you.

The hard part comes when you add content. You’re free to put in whatever you want, of course, and I would never presume to tell you what to say, but for your own sake please, please, please try to avoid the blatantly unprofessional shouting of “buy my book”!

As an indie writer a simple, easy to navigate, professional-looking site with helpful information shows you take your writing seriously.

Mistake #3: Not Providing Media Info
I’ve mentioned this before, but it deserves repeating. Provide images of your book covers, your author bio and picture (a good one, not something cropped from your last family beach outing). Perhaps the best idea is one I’ve also talked about before … creating a dedicated page on your site just for media.

Bloggers, reviewers, and any other media folks who happen to stop by will love having your information already there for them to use; meaning they’ll be more likely to mention you.

Mistake #4: Not Building a Mailing List
Many indie-authors avoid collecting e-mail addresses because they think having readers and followers on their social media is enough, but not collecting e-mail addresses is one of the biggest mistakes an indie author can make. I confess to being guilty of avoiding this myself.

However, an email newsletter speaks directly to your readers, letting you announce a new title, or poll them about new cover ideas, without depending on the rather haphazard contact of social media.

Earlier, I mentioned e-mail newsletter management systems I’ve been considering. Well, I’m still looking at both Mailchimp and Constant Contact and I’m almost ready to let you know my decision.

Mistake #5: Failing to Engage and Interact
“Engagement” has already become a cliché in online marketing, and there are so many varying opinions on what works, it’s mind-boggling. But I’ve noticed people online I feel familiar with, even though I’ve never met them, are those who respond to my blogs and use social media to help me.

They’re very much like virtual friends.

Some folks are just like that, bless ’em, and I try to reciprocate. I appreciate people who do that for me. How do you get others to do it? It’s easier than you might think.

Try doing it for them first.

Be a friend, not a salesman. Mention them on social media. Use your blog or website or Twitter account to help promote them. Some critics call it schmoozing, but so what? Let ’em. If you want to know if it works, read up on indie author John Locke.

Mistake #6: Not Persuading Potential Readers
I’ve mentioned this before, too. When you describe your books, use powerful, action verbs and make the descriptions exciting. This is just as true for romance as for adventure, horror, mystery or sci-fi (who wants to read dull and boring?)

Showcase the best of any good reviews you have, add any awards you may have won and include a blog link (your own or someone else’s) your readers might enjoy.

Then, still without blatantly screaming “buy!” be sure to include links to your books in several visible places, and make it as easy as possible for readers to purchase them if they want to.

Is that enough? I really don’t know yet. My own efforts are still a work in progress. But I promise anyone who follows this blog I’ll let you know what happens.