Establishing and Marketing Your Company – 1001 Ways #2

A mission statement is strategic in marketing your company. If someone asks, “What do you?” do you have a concise, powerful answer? #marketing

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“Any institution worth its salt, any service worth its salt…ought to have a mission that’s brief, that says it all, and that everybody knows.” – Robert Coles, The Ongoing Journey

I appreciate that my very name: Ruth Lucile, prompts me towards a mission statement. Ruth means compassionate and Lucile means bringer of light. My life mission statement is to be a compassionate bringer of light.

In Chapter 3 of 1001 Ways to Market Your Books, John Kremer covers the topic of establishing and marketing your company. Here are some ideas I’m going to try:

BUSINESS CARDS

Leave one behind with a tip every time you go to a restaurant
On the back of your card, offer a free sample of some kind that relates to your business

BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS (Join those you find helpful)

The Association of Publishers for Special Sales http://community.bookapss.org/
InScribe Christian Writers’ Association http://inscribe.org
Search for author and/or publisher associations on local, national, and international levels
Subscribe to industry magazines like Publishers Weekly and Book Marketing Update

MARKETING

Have your company listed in appropriate industry books
Sponsor local events as well as industry awards

…And here’s one last piece of advice from Sir Winston Churchill

What ideas have you been trying lately? I’d love to hear about them in the comments below.

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Try out my 10-Day Social Media Challenge to build networks and increase engagement.

Day 3 – Hashtags #10DaySMChallenge

Welcome to Day 3 of our 10-Day Social Media Challenge!

Please use #10DaySMChallenge when sharing on social media.

Here is an overview of what we will be doing during this challenge:

Day 1 – Get Ready!

Day 2 – Automate & Systematize

Day 3 – Hashtags Matter

Day 4 – Events & Promotions

Day 5 – Content Themes

Day 6 – Inform your followers (Let your followers know what’s happening right now)

Day 7 – Evergreen posts (Tell new fans about your best stuff from the past)

Day 8 – It’s not all about you

Day 9 – Images, quotes, and inspiration

Day 10 – Wrapping it all up

Hashtags

One way that content is organized on social media is with hashtags (a pound sign # followed by one or more words).

Whether you’re posting to Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or other platforms, including hashtags will help people find your content. #10DaySMChallenge

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You can think of them as the index of social media.

Including hashtags in your posts is easy. Simply find the hashtags you want to use, and add them at the end of each post with the hashtag symbol, like this: #business #socialmedia #virtualassistant.

Keep in mind that on most platforms, it’s a good idea to include no more than two or three hashtags. On Twitter especially, hashtags can quickly eat up your allotted 140 characters.

Aside from the most common hashtags, you might also consider creating your own unique hashtag. Business coach Carrie Wilkerson uses this technique to help brand herself with the hashtag #carrieon.

NOTE: If you want more detailed information about hashtags on Twitter, purchase Ruth’s e-book – Learn Twitter: 10 Intermediate Steps.

Other Helpful Information

Day 3 Assignment

Pick 3 content topics
Research potential hashtags to use in your posts. (Check out Hashtags.org, Tagboard.com, and Hashtagify.me)
Use this Hashtag worksheet to write down hashtags you will use
Share what you learned in the Facebook Group

10-Day Social Media Challenge

What’s more important than Google when it comes to driving traffic to your website, sales pages, and affiliate offers?

If you said social media, you’re right.

With billions of loyal users, social media sites like Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram are now credited with more than 30% of all website traffic, according to a study by Shareaholic.

Clearly, we all need to pay attention to social media marketing, but if you’ve ever tried to put the power of social media to work for your business you may not have seen the results you wanted. Without a plan, it’s easy to flounder around, waste a lot of time, and not really achieve anything.

A good social media plan incorporates a mix of all the following elements:

Interesting and compelling content you create (your blog, videos, podcasts, etc)

Older content that still has value to your visitors (and you)

Other people’s content

Inspirational messages and quotes

Funny quotes and images

Events and offers

Personal stories

Need help crafting your personalized social media plan? Join in on my free 10-Day Social Media Challenge, starting April 4th.

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I will provide information and an assignment or challenge, each day Monday through Friday, for two weeks. You will have the opportunity to share ideas, ask questions, and learn along with others in a private Facebook Group as well as here on my website.

Ready? Click here to join the challenge now!

Not on Facebook? Send me an e-mail and I’ll get the information out to your inbox each day.

Questions or comments? Enter them in the comment section below.

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Summary – Booked by Josh Turner

As a self-published author, one of the topics that interests me is how people market their products. Last week I received a free copy of Josh Turner’s, Booked to preview. Inside the book there are links to a companion video series the reader can access free of charge.

Josh starts off the book by reminding us, “In order to get your next client, you must first get your next lead.”

Position yourself in front of your prospects.
Convert a percentage of these prospects into leads and appointments.
Turn at least one of them into a client.

Josh admits most people already know this information, but he claims the problem is people don’t spend enough time on steps one and two in order to be successful at step three.

After the introduction, Josh shares the story of how his father built up a remodelling business, which was successful for many years, bringing in up to $1 million. However, the business eventually shut down because of a lack of clients. Josh joined a construction company, which did about $5 million in revenue, but in 2008, that company also shut down because the income didn’t cover the expenses.

Josh discounts all the training programs that claim they have “the golden ticket to a life of passive income where you sit on the beach and magically make money all day.”

“The #1 thing that prevents business owners from achieving growth is ‘the cash flow roller coaster.'”

Josh says the answer is to have a system that “attracts your ideal clients, and works them through a process that culminates with them booking a time to speak with you.”

“Booked is a 5-step process that helps you quickly position yourself as an expert in your industry, directly connect you with an unlimited supply of prospects, and work them through processes that will generate a predictable number of leads and appointments.”

Obviously this process takes time to set up and maintain. Josh states that people who are willing to invest 30-60 minutes five days a week will find his system successful. Here is the process in a nutshell:

Laying the foundation (Identifying your ideal prospect, where to find him/her, what matters to him/her)
Establishing a leadership platform on Facebook or LinkedIn
Building a database of prospects
Developing a personalized messaging campaign with a request for a phone call follow-up
Using e-mail strategies

Click here for more information from Josh Turner and his Booked system.

I appreciate Josh Turner’s reminders that this system requires work. Obviously he is hoping to engage readers and have them purchase his system.

Have you tried the booked system or something similar? How effective did you find it?

What I Learned at Write Canada 2015 Part 3 – Marketing Tips from Mark Leslie Lefebvre

I decided to take advantage of two last-minute additions to the workshops offered at Write Canada. Mark Leslie Lefebvre describes himself as a Writer, Bookseller, Book Nerd, POD & eBook Keener. He is the Director of Kobo Writing Life & Author Relations. Here are some of the tips he shared:

Author involvement in marketing is required no matter which way you get your work published
The goal of traditionally published authors is to earn an advance whereas the goal of self-published authors is to cover their costs

Tip #1 – Know Your audience

What are your readers like?
What problem will your book solve for your readers?
Where are your readers hanging out?

Your goal should be to connect with your audience; to engage, not broadcast. Your focus should be on giving, providing value, sharing things that entertain, inform, and inspire.

Tip #2 – Think Long-term: Practice, Patience, Persistence

Rankings go up and down

Comparison-itis gets in the way; Follow your own path
“Define yourself as the big fish in a small pool.” (Quote from Robert J. Sawyer)
In the self-publishing “Gold Rush” most people don’t make #1, but many make a moderate living
Don’t forget you’re always “on stage”
Focus on the next title

Tip #3 – Build a Basic Website

Get your own URL
Have a professional photo
Share your bio
Add links to your books and booksellers
Blog on a regular basis
Encourage people to sign up for your newsletter

Make it easy for people to follow and connect with you

Tip #4 – Blog to Connect with your audience

Have fresh content available
Provide value
Embed your URL
Auto-feed your blog into Facebook and Twitter
Add a Twitter feed to your website
Share what interests and intrigues you
Use free tools like Youtube, Google, and podcasting

Check out the Kobo Writing Life Blog

Tip #5 – Send out an Author Newsletter

-Embed a signup form into your website

-Include your newsletter form link into the e-mail signature

-Share links to blog posts, podcasts, Youtube videos (any content you’ve created)

-Promise you’ll never spam anyone

-Be consistent (at least monthly)

Tip #6 – Social Media (e.g. Twitter)

-Make sure you have a current, professional headshot

-Check your bio and make sure it is interesting, informative, and up-to-date

-Less than 20% of your posts should be about your book

For more information:

Self Published Covers

Maximizing Your Sales at Kobo (Written by Mark)

Ebook Publishing on Kobo (Written by Joanna Penn)

WattPad is a great place to cultivate a team – it’s like Facebook for readers and writers.

Pricing Tips: Optimize your pricing for each country. (Round it up or down to the nearest dollar ninety-nine.) In the UK round the price down. In Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, round the price up.

What I Learned at Write Canada 2015 – Part 2: Indie Writer Continuing Class

The continuing class, Five Keys to Becoming a Successful Indie Author/Publisher with Linda Hall especially fascinated me since I began the process of publishing my own books this year. (My next book – Learn Twitter: 10 Intermediate Steps is launching July 15, 2015.)

Linda started out by describing different ways to get books published (Traditional, Independent, and Small Indie Presses) and shared a brief history of Indie publishing (e.g. Benjamin Franklin, 1732-1758, wrote and published Poor Richard’s Almanac). She also reviewed the reasons people decide to go the Indie publishing route:

Because I can’t get an agent or a traditional publishing deal
Because I want to be in control of my own business
Because I enjoy the challenge of being in business for myself
Because I want to write what I want to write
Traditional houses don’t publish my genre
My publisher closed its fiction line
I need flexible deadlines
As a speaker, I need books to sell at events (business card book)

“If you have 1,000 faithful fans, you can make a living as an Indie writer.” @WriterHall #Indies #quote #writer

Key #1 Pre-book Planning

Is pre-planning different for the Indie Author?

You have to do MORE pre-planning:

If fiction: Will it be a series? Length?
If nonfiction – Do you have a platform to share your work from? A blog or website?

TIPS:

Get involved with communities where your readers spend time
Make sure you have a website and blog

Key #2 Writing the book

Your book should be the absolute best book you can write

How many books should I publish in a year? As many as you can write well

Should I format as I write?

Only one space after a period
Don’t use tabs; use paragraph formatting
Use Times New Roman (Serif) (For overheads, use non-serif)
Paragraphs should be fairly short

Resources:

1. Why is everyone talking about Scrivener?

Trash doesn’t erase.
Character name generator
Snap Shot – copies your screen so that you can go back if you want.

2. Simple Note – an easy way to keep notes

3. How to format your novel for Kindle, Nook, the iBookstore, Smashwords, and CreateSpace…in One Afternoon (for Mac) by Ed Ditto

4. The ebook design and development guide by Paul Salvette

5. Gwen Hernandez – Scrivener course (NOTE: Registration is now open for classes in the fall of 2015.)

Key #3 – Editing

Read your piece out loud (Google Play Books reads out loud)
Find Beta readers – friends, family members, and readers who will give you honest feedback about your writing.
Get an outside editor!

The four types of editing:

1. Concept or Developmental

2. Substantive

3. Copy-editing

4. Proofreading

Key #4 – Covers and Finishing

Go to Amazon and search the genre to get ideas about the style of cover you want and what’s popular.

eBook covers are different than print book covers

3 step judging for covers:

Can you read it from 10 feet
Can your grandmother read it from 10 feet
Title should be in top 1/3 of cover

Formats:

Amazon – mobi
Nook, Kobo, Smashwords and others – epub
CreateSpace – PDF

Styles (eBooks)

Full (left/right) justified
Indent or space between paragraphs
Fonts (Times New Roman, Arial, Geneva) eReaders often use their own fonts
Copyright, TOC, end stuff, front stuff, graphics

TIP: Draft2digital – Use instead of Smashwords

Styles (Print Books)

Full (left/right) justified
Indent all but first paragraph of new chapters
First letter or each first paragraph of each new chapter – larger and bolder
Fonts your choice (serif)
Copyright, TOC, end stuff, front stuff
Any graphics must be at least 300 dpi
No header or footer on first page of each new chapter or in end stuff or front stuff
Start on right side (odd numbered page)
Headers – odd numbered page is the title, even number is the author

Publishing

ISBNs are free in Canada – go to CISS

Turn your book into audio – acx.com (Only available in the U.S.)

Key #5 – Marketing

The Indie Reviewers List (theindieview.com); DO NOT pay for reviews!

Do a Google search for the many sites which list bloggers and book reviewers.

More Information:

Linda gave me permission to share the link to a special page she set up for this class. Check it out at rikhall.com/Linda.

My two previous posts about Write Canada were: 5 Things I appreciated about Write Canada and the Magazine Editor Panel.

Launch Day for Learn Twitter: 10 Beginning Steps

It’s here! My official launch day for Learn Twitter: 10 Beginning Steps. (Due to the number of links included in the book, I decided to launch it only on Kindle. My plan is to publish two more books in this series – Learn Twitter: 10 Intermediate Steps and Learn Twitter: 10 Advanced Steps. Once all three books are available on Kindle, I may combine all of them and publish a paperback version.)

I hope you will take advantage of the opportunity to download the book for free from April 27 – May 1, 2015. Please leave a review on Amazon if you like the book. Thanks 🙂

I’ve had very positive feedback from people who’ve already read the book:

-A great, quick read with TONS of resources. Marie Cole

-Well done! I can see how these techie help books may open doors to our ‘heart’ writing later on down the path. Melanie Fischer, Authorpreneur

-Learn Twitter: 10 Beginning Steps is an excellent how-to guide for Twitter newbies, or those who use Twitter but don’t quite “get” it. The book is to the point (like Twitter!), very practical and helpful. Beth Jones, International Speaker/Author of The Cinderella Story: The Power of Shoes http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VN77IXQ/

-Great stuff! Many people will benefit from this resource. Kimberley Payne

-Learn Twitter: 10 Beginning Steps is written in clear, concise language. Although it’s very basic, I discovered new concepts throughout the book. I recommend this helpful book. Elma Schemenauer, Author of many books including Consider the Sunflowers.

Download your copy from Amazon.ca or Amazon.com

Blog Hops in 2015: Come join the fun!

Thank you to those who gave input into the type of blog hop you would be interested in participating in. I’ve taken the feedback I received and compiled it, deciding to run several shorter blog hops in 2015. Look over the topics and let me know which one(s) you will participate in by sending me an e-mail. I also need to know which day works best for everyone to post – leave a comment below. (Most posts will be made the same day, but the link will be live for a week.)

General Writers’ Blog Hop
#1 Writing Goals – share what you’re planning to work on this year (Week of Jan 5th)
#2 Writing sample – share a sample from your current Work in Progress (Week of Jan 19)
#3 Favourite character – this can be a real person or a character from one of your fiction stories (Week of Feb 2)
#4 Lifelong learner – Writers need to be continuously learning. What did you learn in 2014 that helped make you a better writer? (Week of Feb 16)

Social Media Blog Hop
#1 Favourite Social Media Site – Tell us where you spend most of your time/energy and why (Week of Mar 2)
#2 Graphics for social media – Share your favourite source/app (Week of Mar 16)
#3 Scheduling posts – How often? Do you use a program like Hootsuite? Other tips? (Week of Mar 30)
#4 Content of posts – What do you share? Where do you find content? Ratio of promotional/other? (Week of April 13)

Parenting Blog Hop
#1 What do you find most challenging about parenting? What helps you get through the tough days?(Week of May 4)
#2 What parenting tip would you give to new parents? (Week of May 18)
#3 Share a family tradition with us (Week of June 8)
#4 Share your favourite holiday destination and/or how you make long family trips more enjoyable (Week of June 22)

Bloggers’ Blog Hop
#1 Share your goals/mission statement for your blog and why/when you started blogging (Week of July 6)
#2 How do you engage your readers? (Week of July 20)
#3 Where do you find your blog graphics? (Share your favourite sources/apps) (Week of Aug 3)
#4 Share some blogs you guest post on and why (Week of Aug 17)

Christian Writers’ Blog Hop
#1 Share your testimony with us (Week of Sept 7)
#2 Tell us about your favourite writing conference and how it improved your writing (Week of Sep 21)
#3 Share how your world view affects your writing (Week of Oct 5)
#4 Share a book which impacted your spiritual life and writing (Week of Oct 19)

Writers’ Marketing Blog Hop
#1 Share your most recent published book/article with us (Week of Nov 2)
#2 Share a marketing idea that has worked well for you (Week of Nov 16)
#3 What advice would you give to someone who is wanting to market a book or article? (Week of Nov 30)
#4 Which websites/groups/social media sites have you found helpful? In what ways? (Week of Dec 14)

If you have any concerns or questions, let me know. I’m looking forward to learning with you in 2015 🙂