Social Media Is Meant To Be Social

Rob Eagar's Monday Morning Marketing Tip
is written to help authors, business owners, and non-profits
spread their message like wildfire.

This Memorial Day, join me in thanking and honoring

those who sacrificed to make our freedom in America possible.

This week's focus:

Social media was meant to be social, not commercial. That's why readers don't appreciate publishers attempting to infiltrate their social networks. Trying to advertise books to a social network group is like interrupting a meaningful church service with advertisements to sell Bibles. The pitch is in bad taste and out of context, which only makes the congregation mad and distrustful.

Likewise, I find it hard to believe that the average reader wants to spend much time on a publisher's FaceBook page or Twitter feed. That doesn't line up with the definition of social interaction. This truth is backed up by a survey of 21,000 book shoppers where the majority said they ignore big publisher websites in favor of visiting author websites. This preference is due to the desire that readers want to build relationships with their favorite authors, rather than a large impersonal company. Thus, publishers would get better return on investment by empowering their authors to maximize social networks, rather than wasting money and manpower building a corporate social media presence.

How can publishers assist their authors to maximize social networks? Help authors create value-laden, word-of-mouth tools that can quickly spread through the social networks, such as free resources, viral videos, contests, coupons, sample chapters, etc. Give authors the tools to be the life of the online party in their own social networks. Happy author, happy readers...happy publisher.

Reminders:

Rob's New Book Releases June 7th:

Sell Your Book Like Wildfire is the definitive guide for authors on book marketing and publicity. The official release date is June 7th. Pre-order today and get FREE shipping for only $16.99 at:

www.startawildfire.com/books.html

To receive Rob's "Monday Morning Marketing Tips" directly to your email Inbox, click here

Sneak Peek of Rob's New Book Video!

Rob Eagar's Monday Morning Marketing Tip
is written to help authors, business owners, and non-profits
spread their message like wildfire.

This week's focus:
I thought you'd enjoy starting off this week with a sneak peek at the book trailer for my new book, "Sell Your Book Like Wildfire." (No authors, publishers, literary agents, small animals, or trees were harmed in the making of this video.) Click on the picture or link below to play.

If you enjoyed this video, feel free to share the link (http://youtu.be/cdAQDWuZEOw) with any authors, editors, agents, and publishers whom you know.
  

Reminders:

Rob's New Book Releases June 7th:

Sell Your Book Like Wildfire is the definitive guide for authors on book marketing and publicity. The official release date is June 7th. Pre-order today and get FREE shipping for only $16.99 at:

www.startawildfire.com/books.html

To receive Rob's "Monday Morning Marketing Tips" directly to your email Inbox, click here

Don't "Do-Yourself-In" with a "Do-It-Yourself" Mentality

Rob Eagar's Monday Morning Marketing Tip
is written to help authors, business owners, and non-profits
spread their message like wildfire.

A younger Rob with his self-published book hot off the printing press.

This week's focus:

I am one of the few original self-publishing success stories. And, I did it way before the advent of e-books, Amazon, and social media. Over 10 years ago, I left corporate America as a sales executive to pursue what seemed like a ridiculous dream to write a book. I had no publishing contacts, no name recognition, and no desire to wait two years to get published. So, I chose the D-I-Y "do-it-yourself" approach. I worked tirelessly on my manuscript for a year. Then, I hired my own editor, page layout designer, graphic artist, and printing company. Long story short, I put my sales background to work and wound up selling over 13,000 copies, spoke to more than 35,000 people, generated a consistent six-figure income, and eventually signed a nice contract with a reputable publisher. Ten years later, that book is still selling in bookstores across America.

What was the key to my self-publishing success?  I took great pains to avoid appearing self-published. That's right, I did everything I could to make people think that I had been traditionally-published. My manuscript was continually edited until my wife, the VP of Quality Control, deemed it "a real book." My book cover looked amazing and received great feedback. My book was printed on high-quality paper. My first website was created by an experienced professional. My marketing materials all featured the same brand. I succeeded because didn't let a D-I-Y mentality give me excuses to cut corners on quality.

Today, I see too many self-published authors sacrificing quality to get a book done quickly and cheaply. Maybe that explains why the average self-published books only sells 150 copies...total. That's a lot of hard work flushed down the drain.

Anyone can be a maverick and write their own book. But, not everyone can be successful. I'm all for the entrepreneurial spirit, saving money, and enjoying the fruits of your labor. However, unless you're gifted in every area of publishing, spend the extra money to utilize professional freelance editors, graphic artists, and web designers. Don't D-Y-I (Do-Yourself-In) with a D-I-Y mentality. If you choose to self-publish, do it right from the beginning and create a book that becomes your own success story.

Reminders:

Marketing Teleconference for Authors - This Tuesday, May 15th:

"Sell Books While You Sleep - The Power of an Author Website"

Get top notch instruction from Rob - even if you can't be present for the live teleconference call. Everyone who registers gets a mp3 audio recording of the 60-minute call to listen on their own time. Register early for $49 at:

www.startawildfire.com/teleconferences2012.html 

Rob's New Book Releases June 7th:

Sell Your Book Like Wildfire is the definitive guide for authors on book marketing and publicity. The official release date is June 7th. Pre-order today and get FREE shipping for only $16.99 at:

www.startawildfire.com/books.html

To receive Rob's "Monday Morning Marketing Tips" directly to your email Inbox, click here

All Marketing is a Felt Need

Rob Eagar's Monday Morning Marketing Tip
is written to help authors, business owners, and non-profits
spread their message like wildfire.

This week's focus:

As a marketing consultant, I worked with numerous leaders who work in academic circles, such as counselors, professors, pastors, and specialty book publishers. A common problem among these scholastic groups is the tendency to believe that their marketing should be exempt from the need to answer the consumers' primary question, "What's in it for me?" Appealing to a person's felt need is viewed as stooping to a lower level of commerce.

They maintain that focusing on logic, displaying didactic descriptions of their content, and listing pedantic endorsements should rule a promotional campaign. I would agree that this attitude makes sense if you only want to preach to the choir. But, if you want to expand sales beyond just a small restricted club, that type of narrow-minded approach will limit your growth.

Some academic leaders forget that everything is a felt need. People aren't robots. Logic might make us think, but it is emotion that makes us act. Every decision, no matter how academic, is still infused with the desire to protect and achieve our self-interests. Ironically, the most studious people in the world still buy fancy food because it tastes good, nice clothes because they look good, fine wine and fast cars because it makes them feel good.

Marketing efforts are rarely effective when you treat people like robots who should ignore their self-interests. Robots don't run our economy. People do. People who buy things according to a desire that says, "What's in it for me?" Therefore, when it comes to marketing, no matter how academic the product, everything is a felt need.




To receive Rob's "Monday Morning Marketing Tips" directly to your email Inbox, click here