internet marketing Archives - Page 3 of 14

Sep 22 2010

Giving Back Comes First

We talk about selling books, best seller lists, and making money with book marketing here, but I know this is not the best motivation to write a book and become an author.

Authors have valuable expertise and experience to share with readers. After speaking with thousands of authors, I’m convinced that most are writing with a passion to help others.

I did a strategy session with author Debi Silber and was impressed with her giving attitude

Debi is a Registered Dietitian, Personal Trainer, Whole Health Coach, Lifestyle Expert just for moms and the author of The Lifestyle Fitness Program: A Six Part Plan So Every Mom Can Look, Feel and Live Her Best (recommended by Parenting Magazine.)

Her web site has a ton of helpful content and video along with a report I liked call “10 Tips to Avoid Weight Gain From Mindless Munching”

The giving doesn’t stop there. Each month Debi chooses a “Mom-Of-the-Month” and let’s her choose what charity she give half her profits to.

When you visit Debi’s web site, you’ll see the passion. There’s the usual design of a small business entrepreneur, but once you get to know Debi, you’ll get the passion. Sure, she wants the book sales, leads and business success… It’s just necessary to fund the passion.

Do me a favor. Take a look a Debi’s site and comment below if you see the passion.

When you are building a business, you are likely to find a lot of talk of “killing it” “attracting eyeballs” and “return on investment” calculations. Don’t be turned off by the old school business strategies. Planning, testing and measuring what works is a big part of business success.

Just don’t let it override you passion. That the reason we are authors.

What do you do to show PASSION in all of your marketing?

Aug 30 2010

Best Selling Authors Add Instant Value

My friend Michael Port has been posting fascinating videos like the one below.

Here he talks to Bob Burg, best selling author of “Endless Referrals” and “The Go Giver” series about the similarities of these two authors books.

Selling books is not a competition. With webcam technology, you can put two authors on the screen and explain concepts from each others work with very little cost in time and effort.

If you’re not getting enough interview requests for you book, maybe it’s time you learned one of these systems and started asking other authors. I know dozens of authors, big name best sellers and up and coming smart experts who are anxious to share.

Got a video or radio interview program? Let me know. I’d like to feature best author interviews on this blog, especially topics that will help other authors. And by the way.. I’m available for interviews too 🙂

Michael Port and Bob Burg on Relationship Building, Book Shrinking, and More… from Michael Port on Vimeo.

Aug 25 2010

Seth Godin Learns that Publishing is Dead

Authors need to have a tribe to read what they write.

Publishers don’t build tribes, they print and distribute books. This business model has served them well in the past when there were limits on ways authors could reach readers. All authors and publishers would do well to study Tribes

Seth announced his intentions on his blog

Authors need publishers because they need a customer. Readers have been separated from authors by many levels–stores, distributors, media outlets, printers, publishers–there were lots of layers for many generations, and the editor with a checkbook made the process palatable to the writer. For ten years, I had a publisher as a client (with some fun self-published adventures along the way). Twelve bestsellers later, I’ve thought hard about what it means to have a traditional publisher.

Traditional book publishers use techniques perfected a hundred years ago to help authors reach unknown readers, using a stable technology (books) and an antique and expensive distribution system.

The thing is–now I know who my readers are. Adding layers or faux scarcity doesn’t help me or you. As the medium changes, publishers are on the defensive…. I honestly can’t think of a single traditional book publisher who has led the development of a successful marketplace/marketing innovation in the last decade. The question asked by the corporate suits always seems to be, “how is this change in the marketplace going to hurt our core business?” To be succinct: I’m not sure that I serve my audience (you) by worrying about how a new approach is going to help or hurt Barnes & Noble.

We know that publisher can still serve an author. If you have build a two way dialog with your tribe (say, you are on TV but have never blogged) then a large check from someone betting on your title to click with their distribution is a no-brainer.

Seth has been teaching us to build a tribe for years. Now he’s broke ties with the old model that used to serve him. No doubt he’ll do well.

What’s your strategy to build a two way dialog with your readers?

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