Four Marketing Tips for Self-Publishers

Four Marketing Tips for Self-Publishers
You may have already noticed that self-publishing is very time consuming. Most of your time is spent on marketing and publicity and very little time on writing.

Smart Social Media Thinking
How to corral that free-wheeling user-generated content

Prevailing wisdom says you can't control the message anymore.  User-generated content has a life of it's own and any attempt to make it into a marketing or PR vehicle will backfire.

And have we not seen some spectaular examples of doing it wrong?

Pontiac's social media site created in tandem with Yahoo is a much smarter approach. Their new community hub on Yahoo is designed to tap into the "street-level" energy of fans from all its active and retired brands by uniting and introducing the hundreds of offline and online groups already in existence. No overt marketing will be present - the idea is for it to be found and spread organically. .

Now there's a thought - gather up all the consumer generated buzz already going on and offer it a home. Make it possible for all your evangelists to interact and find each other. Give them more social media tools so it's easier for them to  create and share content .

Underground allows users to share photos and videos of cars using Flickr and Yahoo Video. A Yahoo Answers zone enables knowledge sharing. An aggregated list of Pontiac clubs in the physical world and on Yahoo Groups allows users to connect offline and online. An opinion poll, Pontiac-hosted blog "Inside Track" and the "Pontiac Informer," an aggregation tool for blogs and news, round out the offering.

Now that's smart marketing and PR in the Web 2.0 world.

Publicity for Books


Disney's Content Strategy to Reach Moms Online
Entertainment Behemoth takes the needs of their online audience to heart.

Moms are increasingly turning to the Internet for answers to everything from problems with teething babies to financing college. Based on research into their online audience Disney is launching a new website aimed at providing these answers the AP reports. 

Web-savvy and 32-million strong, U.S. mothers spend almost as much time online as women as a group, according to eMarketer's new report, "Moms Online: Parenting With Web 2.0."

And they're not just on children and parenting sites. The biggest opportunity for marketers targeting moms online is social networking sites, says the report.

Disney has plunged right in to this space with their new website Family.com

Family intends to be a one-stop site for parents, especially mothers, providing everything from Internet search to user-generated articles on key topics such as education and food, and, eventually, a 'ParentPedia,' a compilation of information on 1,000 topics that can be expanded by users.

Parents have become a larger part of Disney's online audience, accounting for nearly half of the 25 million unique visits per month to the Disney.com site, the company said. Most of those are moms. 

Disney surveyed 30,000 mothers over the past year to find out what they are looking for online. The openness of the new site along with trusted content vouched for by Disney is what moms say they want..

The site will be in beta till the summer.

News vs Entertainment : a PR crisis?
Desperate days for traditional media are dangerous days for corporate and organizational reputations.

Gerald Baron, Founder and CEO, PIER System/AudienceCentral; Author, "Now Is Too Late: Survival in an Era of Instant News" made some pithy comments about the 'news as entertainment' trend and its effect on PR in today's Daily Dog.

What's wrong with this trend?

• Too little money is available for good reporting.
• Wall Street expectations destroying news organizations.
• Audiences switching rapidly to new media for which there is insufficient revenue to support real journalism.
• The line between amateurs and professional journalists is blurred and it is likely the public largely doesn't care.
• News is entertainment and needs to compete on the basis of what the audience wants—not what is good journalism or what should be covered.

"Public relations professionals need to understand that these desperate days for traditional media are dangerous days for corporate and organizational reputations," says Bacon. "They need to be able to respond fast, to be aggressive in attacking misinformation and bad reporting and most importantly, they need to grab onto the incredible opportunities they have to talk directly to the people whose opinion about the organization matters most to their future. Talk quick, talk with complete honestly and talk directly."

How does a web content strategy figure in all this?

"Today's Internet tools including virtual communication centers, blogs, and communicator-controlled websites all make that possible. The desperate media environment makes it essential," advises Bacon.  And he is 100% correct..

How do you do it?

If you do not yet have a section of your website that can be controlled by the communication department this should be a priority.  The tools available today make this a no-brainer.

RSS enable this section of the site, so that your content can be syndicated across the Net.  Feeds also allow you to reach subcribers fast...

Use RSS feeds and other tools to monitor the blogs and conversations so you have your finger on the pulse and can pick up and respond to any comments or issues right away.

Its Name is Zookoda
Zookoda is the new leader in professional email marketing for bloggers. It gives you better control on the look and feel of how your feed is sent to your subscribers. The program is similar to what you see in newsletter...

BEA Book Expo America: Smart Strategies for Independent Publishers


Telcos Fail to Capitalize on Mobile Web 2.0
Telecoms companies are failing to make the most of the growing popularity of the online information-sharing services of "Web 2.0", according to new research 'Web re-loaded: Driving convergence in the real world.' by global consultancy Arthur D. Little.

This new report places users and user generated content in the spotlight yet again.  Yet it seems US Telcos have not yet got the Web 2.0 message.

"In order to harness and monetize Web 2.0 the Telcos will have to rapidly address the needs of this community" says Martyn Roetter, Director of Arthur D. Little's US TIME. "Younger Europeans are already showing their readiness to interact on the move, with 38% of them accessing email from mobile devices, while Google launched Gmail for mobile in November last year. Telecommunications businesses now need to offer access to the established web 2.0 services, for both communication and for the fulfillment of their wider social needs while on the move."

The dilemma Telcos face is whether they should build their own Web 2.0 platforms or engage with established sites such as flickr etc, says the report.

One good example of collaboraiton is the Pontiac Underground site that partnered with Yahoo! and now offers access to all the Yahoo social media sites in one branded place.

Whatever they do, they should do it soon. the race goes to the swift and The Cluetrain is not waiting for the laggers.

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The Advantages of Creating Your Own E-Book
E-books have become more and more popular in the recent years. Although some people prefer a printed book in their hand, e-books are still in demand.

Publicity for Your Book


Getting in Newspapers . . . Easy for our clients


BEA Info


BEA Book Expo America: Good for Independent Publishers?


Video Success Online Depends on Content Strategy
Looking for viral online buzz? It's all about the content

Andrew Foote of Peppercom has some sage advoce for firms looking to success with viral video and social media as part of their internet marketing strategy.:

Content is king in this game. More often than not, the quality of viral content takes a backseat to the marketing mandate.

Foote gives examples of how to get it right and how to get it very wrong. Dove's Evolution video was a winner, but their recent Super Bowl Commercial effort sank like a stone under a deluge of negative comments.

The bottom line is that the message has to be exceptional, says Foote. I'd also add the importance of originality, authenticity and relevance. Don't force a viral marketing idea because it sounds cool—make sure it jives with the demographic you're trying to reach

For some reason when we are faced with a new medium we tend to throw all the PR basics out with the bathwater.  Social media is very much like live communication - it's not a one-way, top down 'push' medium. You have to understand your sudience and deliver content that works for them. 

Yes, it was much less threatening to deiver content in the 'old' ways - no-one was talking back.  Social media tools make it possible for your audience to give you instant feedback - they'll let you (and the rest of the world) know, in no uncertain terms, if you get it wrong.

Here are Foote's tips for successul viral video online:

Don't force viral marketing concepts if they don't fit the brand essence.

Do your homework on what flies and what dies. Live the video sharing space.

Content is everything. Bring on producers who can push the buttons of buzz.

Take risks. Beware of corporate filters that will dilute the quality of the content.

Test it. If eight out of 10 people aren't cracking up, memorized or amazed, head back to the drawing board.

Cast a wide net. YouTube is center stage, but don't forget the other sites: Revver, iFilm, Myspace, etc.

It's stll about content strategy and delivering the right message to the right audience, via the right channels.

Will E-Publishing Become the New Leader?
Let the truth be told I am not a big supporter of e-books even though I wrote an entry earlier with regards to the advantages of them. Though I am not a fan, e-books are good for one thing, and that is establishing yourself as an expert.

The Corporate Blogging Book
Stop what you are doing and run out to your local Barnes and Noble bookstore. Why? Because you need to have in your hand at this very moment The Corporate Blogging Book by Debbie Weil.

Why I haven't been blogging this week
I am in Cape Town visiting family

As I sit at a pavement cafe in Camps Bay drinking  red Africa tea and hanging out with my son and his family, blogging has been the last thing on my mind.

But tomorrow the nose goes back to the grindstone.  I am speaking at the WebPR conference here in Cape Town.  then I am off to Johannesburg to do another one March 2nd. I will be back in LA on March 8th..

Getting Your Book on National TV - 8 Tips


1-2-All Email Marketing by Active Campaign
One of the tools that a self-publishing author must have is good email marketing software. I highly recommend 1-2-All which was developed by Active Campaign.