Guest Post from Judy Cullins

Are your book sales slow? For social media marketing, you may have tried Twitter and Facebook.. Maybe, you’ve even put up a book blog to stimulate and engage your book’s audience.   I too used Twitter and Facebook and dropped my blog over 2 years ago thinking not enough results. That is, until I got some coaching on social media, and discovered LinkedIn, that works so well for consultants, authors and other small businesses. 

Maybe you made these two big mistakes on social media..

Mistake 1. You collected followers and friends, but most of them weren’t your book’s best audience.

Until I got my 1000 friends and book group members to join my fan pages, I got low results at Facebook. So, for all three of my social media marketing (Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn) I shifted my marketing strategy from collecting numbers to concentrating my social media marketing only on my book’s best audiences, This may shock you, but this change makes all the difference in my results, which I check monthly with Google Analytics. Now, 25% more are coming from LinkedIn each month.

Results: Some visitors just read my blog articles. Some come for my free reports. Many in my target audience take my hands-on teleseminars.  The committed ones either read some of my  books or contact me for my famous half hour coaching sessions to get specific solutions for their specific needs.

I still tweet, but only 2 times a day. I interact at my Facebook (FB)  fan page with people who want book writing, self-publishing and social media marketing. I interact two times a week in Twitter for those who respond to my tips.

Mistake 2. Not getting active on LinkedIn.

You may have joined and put up a short profile, but this is not enough. You may complain it takes too much time. Yes, you don’t want to waste time on just any social media–that’s why I suggest you give LinkedIn a better chance. From my newest book "LinkedIn Marketing-8 Best Tactics to Build Book and Business Sales" I’ll recommend a few of the 8 Best Tactics now. (Tactics that are working well today)

LinkedIn Best Tactics that Bring Top Results

1. Do the most important thing first. Set up an engaging profile, where you give to your readers, and not start sentences with "I".
   In all content marketing as LinkedIn and blogging, start from the YOU point of view. What can you do for your audience? Include testimonials near the top because they sell books.
2. Join 5-10 groups that relate to your book or skills you need. Keep researching and adding groups weekly that fit your book or business. Find these through search words for help like "book writing" and "LinkedIn strategies." or search words of your audience who will want your book.

   Do you know your book’s top 5 benefits? You should before you attempt to comment on your book’s values in the LinkedIn groups.. Do you know your book’s target audience? If not, write a Dear audience" letter  saying " I wrote this book because I know you’re having this challenge and need xxxx xxxx, and xxxx. ( solutions or  benefits)."  Then, transfer this information to your site and other promotion pieces. Remember, benefits sell; features explain. 

3. Get active on ten or more groups you like. Once you join, you request weekly emails on what new discussions are going on. Then, when they show up in your email (how convenient) you can decide which ones to chime in with your useful comments.
   Each time you contribute, the whole group sees your face and who you are. That’s great exposure to brand you or your book. You can contact individuals privately by email too, which can eventually lead to a sale.
4. Know that getting to the sale takes at least 3-7 steps, so don’t make the big mistake and shout out your Website or link to buy your book. You don’t need to. Readers in groups will see your picture and what you do and contact you if they are interested. 

   Develop patience. Get people curious about your book. They will respond. Offer one comment at a time. Or offer a blog link to a piece that relates to the conversations. This is the one link that is not considered promotion. Remember these groups are for education and help–not to sell directly to.

5. Use content marketing on your site with articles, free reports or eBooks,  and blog posts to start.  Give content freely on your web site and in the LinkedIn groups. This showcases you as the expert of your book’s topic. Think of educating your audience, not selling them.
   LinkedIn offers many more ways to interact than other social media. That’s why I love it so much and have enjoyed its results  of 25% monthly web visitors, some of whom buy my books.  A book coach 24 years, I’m glad social media marketing is a great piece of the book marketing puzzle.

My mission is to assist you in getting more eyes on your book–the ones who really want or need it.  Check it all out at my site http://www.bookcoaching.com/  Ask me a question or leave me a comment on one of my blog posts.  I will answer your questions or send you a link where to get that information.