Monday Morning Marketing Tip - October 24, 2011

Rob Eagar's Monday Morning Marketing Tip

is written to help authors, publishers, and organizations

spread their message like wildfire.

This week's focus:

This past weekend, college football fans were treated to an amazing game as Michigan State upset highly-ranked Wisconsin on the last play of regulation. As time expired, Michigan State's quarterback threw a last-ditch, 44-yard, "Hail Mary" pass that was bobbled by two players until receiver, Keith Nichol, caught the ball and crossed the goal line.

Some people called the desperate play a "lucky" win, and it was certainly a rare situation. However, Keith made an interesting comment in the post-game celebration interview. He said that Michigan State practiced that exact kind of last-second desperation play every week. In fact, they practice it so much that they have a name for the play called, "The Rocket."

What does a lucky, last-second catch in football have to do with marketing a book? There are times in life when you suddenly find yourself in a desperate "Hail Mary" situation. For example, you might randomly sit down next to an important person on the airplane. Someone may suddenly introduce you to a high-profile leader at a party. You may be asked to fill-in for a well-known speaker who cancels the day before. You might get asked to appear on a major radio or television show with little advance notice. Each of these situations has happened to several of my author clients.

The question is: are you prepared to handle those "Hail Mary" moment when they occur? Don't avoid the work and think you can just "wing it." Instead, do you practice reciting the value of your book? Do you have a powerful speech ready to give on short notice? Do you rehearse your sound bites so that you could give an effective interview if a TV producer called tomorrow?

Sometimes, the biggest marketing opportunities appear unannounced. If you're caught off guard, you won't be in a position to maximize those occasions. That's why it's important to continually prepare for those situations. For example, memorize the key value statements for your book. Rehearse answering media interview questions while driving in your car. Practice a new speech out loud by yourself until you own the material.

After the big win on Saturday, Michigan State's football coach, Mark Dantonio, said, "We always tell our players that they have to be ready, because you never know when your time will come." As an author, a major opportunity to market your book may be just around the corner. Will you be ready?

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© Rob Eagar 2011. All rights reserved.

Monday Morning Marketing Tip - October 17, 2011

Rob Eagar's Monday Morning Marketing Tip

is written to help authors, publishers, and organizations

spread their message like wildfire.

This week's focus:
Social media is luring a lot of people to believe that marketing shouldn't cost them anything. "Free" is becoming the new promotional budget. The danger with this mindset is that it can lead to a position of complacency. Most people need to feel invested in an important activity in order to see it through to completion.

For example, one of my friends has a Ph.D in counseling and runs his own private practice. He's spent hundreds of hours helping people work through their most difficult life issues. Yet, he recently told me that his experience has shown that people who come to him for counseling on someone else's dime rarely make progress. That's right, people who receive free counseling rarely heed the advice of the counselor and experience positive change. That's because they have no money invested in the process to keep them engaged and accountable. In contrast, counselees who pay his full fee on their own are much more likely to participate in the counseling process and experience positive results, because they are personally invested.

This same dynamic applies to marketing. There's a tendency to let promotional efforts slip when you don't have any financial "skin in the game." If you're tired, distracted, or lazy, then it's easy to think, "I'm too busy to blog, Twitter, or FaceBook today. Besides, they're free, so it doesn't cost me anything." Whereas, if you've spent time creating a database of targeted leaders and hired a graphic artist to design a nice-looking newsletter, you're more likely to feel invested and follow-through on that activity.

Try this litmus test. If Facebook and Twitter started charging $100 a month, would you still use them? In addition, are you getting enough return on investment via social media marketing to justify the amount of time you expend? If yes, go forth and prosper. If not, then it's time to make a change and focus your marketing on other tactics, even if they cost money. The goal isn't activity, the goal is success.

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click here.

© Rob Eagar 2011. All rights reserved.

Monday Morning Marketing Tip - October 10, 2011

Rob Eagar's Monday Morning Marketing Tip

is written to help authors, publishers, and organizations

spread their message like wildfire.

This week's focus:
One of the keys to selling books like wildfire is to get other people to act as a salesperson for you. Instead of marketing all by yourself, imagine hundreds of people singing your praises to the public. A great way to make this happen is by utilizing the power of success stories.

For example, Dave Ramsey, radio host and New York Times bestselling author of The Total Money Makeover, uses the power of success stories better than any author I know. Every Friday, Dave invites listeners to call his radio show, declare how much personal debt they use to carry, explain how Dave helped them get out of debt, and then scream with glee, "I'm debt free!" Dave congratulates them, plays a funny inspirational soundtrack, and you can't help but feel happy.

However, these joyful moments aren't just for the benefit of the caller. These emotional success stories also create a powerful marketing dynamic for Dave's books. Listeners are moved by hearing Dave's readers revel in their newfound financial freedom. If you're someone who happens to be in debt, these stories create a natural attraction to check out The Total Money Makeover.

You may not have a nationwide radio program like Dave Ramsey. Regardless, any author (fiction and non-fiction) can use the power of success stories as effective marketing tools. As you gather positive feedback from readers, share them regularly through your newsletter, website, blog, and social media pages. You could even create a regular focus on them like Dave does. You may not have people shouting, "I'm debt free!" Instead, your success stories can help people see your books and think, "I want to read!"

To receive Rob's Monday Morning Marketing Tips sent directly to your email inbox,

click here.

© Rob Eagar 2011. All rights reserved.

Monday Morning Marketing Tip - October 3, 2011

Rob Eagar's Monday Morning Marketing Tip

is written to help authors, publishers, and organizations

spread their message like wildfire.

This week's focus:
My wife loved reading the best-selling novel, "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Pie Society." The book's story is told through a compilation of letters between Londoners and residents of a British island once under German occupation during World War II. Random House, the book's publisher, setup a clever tool on the book's website called "Send a Letter." It's essentially an e-card service that enables fans of the book to embrace the romantic way of correspondence and spread interest about the book using vintage looking electronic stationary. I've always been a fan of e-cards and don't see enough authors taking advantage of this online marketing tool.

The "Potato Pie" website also offers other engaging word-of-mouth features, such as a detailed Google map of the real-life Guernsey island, recipes, a book club discussion guide, a video interview with the author, and a sweepstakes contest. Imagine how your author platform could grow if you place these types of tools in the hands of your readers.

New Workshop Opportunity:

Advanced Media Training for Authors

Saturday, November 5, 2011 - Atlanta, GA

Don't wait. Space is limited and registration closes Oct. 15th.

Click here for details.

To receive Rob's Monday Morning Marketing Tips sent directly to your email inbox,

click here.

© Rob Eagar 2011. All rights reserved.