Monday Morning Marketing Tip - "To Describe is Not to Market"

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

This week's focus:

During a recent visit to a bookstore, I perused over 20 books on the current New York Times bestseller list. Surprisingly, the majority of these books suffered from a similar problem. Their back cover copy told you what the book was about, but never described the results you could receive. Regardless of the genre, the covers offered plenty of information about the book's topic, plot, genre, and special features. But, almost none of the text I read ever explained "What's in it for me?" This lack of crucial information leaves readers scratching their head trying to figure that answer out on their own.

My bookstore visit shows how authors and publishers have confused marketing a book with describing a book. But, describing and marketing are two radically different issues. And, publishers of the world's bestselling books are missing this key distinction, which means they're missing out on a lot of extra sales and leaving a lot of money on the table. Worse, it's a fair assumption that all of their other books carry the same problem. If publishers aren't concerned with creating powerful marketing copy for an anticipated bestseller, they're not going to do it for the rest of their titles.

Here's the rub: book shoppers don't care what a book is about. Their primary concern is determining if a book is worth their time and money. When they scan a book's cover, they're wanting to see if it communicates how their life will be bettered through entertainment, inspiration, or information?

Marketing is not the process of describing a topic, genre, or list of features. In contrast, marketing is the process of emotionally engaging a customer by explaining what's in it for them. All promotional material, such as back cover copy, website text, and catalog information, should focus on satisfying that primary consumer question. Otherwise, you're not marketing, you're just describing. Avoid this mistake and stop leaving money on the table. When you provide marketing text that's effective, you won't have readers standing in the aisles of bookstores scratching their heads in confusion. Instead, you'll have readers lining up at the cash register.

Upcoming Opportunities:

The WildFire Author University

I'm looking for 20 good authors to join a new instructional opportunity to start on March 1st called the WildFire Author University. Participants in this unique program will enjoy the following instruction over the next year:

• One, 45-minute, one-on-one, phone call with me per month.
• Free access to my monthly teleconference sessions and downloads.
• Free copy of my new book and all new author resources that I create.
• Access a private forum where I answer your questions and you interact with authors. Learn best practices from me and your peers.

I won't launch this new program unless at least 20 people enroll by March 1st. The price is $2,399 for the entire year...that's less than $200 per month! (Full payment up-front will be due). If you're interested, let me know today so that I can get you on my list. Plus, I'm giving a $150 discount to the first 10 people who contact me to join.

Send me an email to: Rob@StartaWildFire.com or call 1-800-267-2045 and say "I'd like to enroll in the WildFire Author University." Click here for more details.

Next Teleconference Session for Authors:

"O Reader, Where Art Thou?"

Wednesday, February 22nd, 8:00pm ET

You've written a book, but how do you find readers for it? Wise authors market smarter, not harder. This happens by focusing your promotion on readers who are most likely to purchase your book and spread word of mouth. Join Rob on this teleconference call and discover how to identify, locate, and connect with your target audience.

Click here to register today and save over 15% before February 22nd.

To receive Rob's Monday Morning Marketing Tips directly in your email inbox,
click here

© Rob Eagar 2012.
All rights reserved.

Monday Morning Marketing Tip - "Social Media Makes the Rich Richer"

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

This week's focus:

Social media tends to reward those who don't need social media. For example, the people with the most Twitter followers or Facebook likes, such as Justin Bieber, Chad Ochocinco, Stephen Colbert, or Paulo Coelho, would still be hugely successful without social media. Facebook and Twitter are just additional components of their already thriving promotional campaigns.

This distinction is important to help people avoid believing that social media is the savior of marketing. It's not. It's simply a new channel that anyone can use for free to promote their message. But, if your message isn't entertaining, inspiring, or popular, then social media won't make you more successful.

Why is this point important? Because I've met too many authors, business leaders, and non-profits directors who tell me, "We're really jumping into social media...we just hired a bunch of young people to handle our Facebook and Twitter pages." The problem is that most of their other marketing efforts are substandard and ineffective. Therefore, it's unrealistic to expect that hiring a twentysomething to manage your Twitter account or Facebook page will revolutionize your business. It won't.

Facebook and Twitter will only be as effective as your other marketing activities. For instance, if you write boring newsletters, you'll probably write boring social media posts. If your website gets little traffic because it's static or self-focused, then your social media conversation will probably reflect a similar problem.

Why do celebrities, politicians, business leaders, and bestselling authors get great results from social media? Because they worked to become objects of interest in society, and their overall marketing efforts are entertaining, provocative, or inspiring. This effect carries over into their social media activities. If you want to achieve similar success, steal a page from their playbook and use the same entertaining or contrarian approach to capture more interest. You won't become a household name overnight, but you may become famous in your own little world. And, that's the best place to start.

New Opportunity: Higher education for authors serious about marketing their books.

I'm looking for 20 good authors to join a new instructional opportunity called the WildFire Author University. This program would be a unique 12-month process to learn from me, join a community of like-minded authors, and become a top-notch marketer of your books. Participants in this program will enjoy the following instruction over the next 12 months:

• One, 45-minute, one-on-one phone call with me per month.
• Free access to my monthly teleconference sessions and downloads.
• Free copy of my new book and all new author resources that I create.
• Access to a private forum where I answer your questions and you interact with other authors. Learn best practices from me and your peers.

A great part about the WildFire Author University is the price. Tuition is only $2,399 for an entire year. That's less than $200 a month! This is the best deal I've ever offered to receive private instruction from me and join a community of authors where you can engage with each other. This group is open to authors at any level, fiction and non-fiction. Past clients may join as well.

I can start the program on March 1, 2012 and run through February, 2013. However, I'm not going to launch this new program unless at least 20 people enroll by March 1st. I announced this new program last week, and I've already had 4 people confirm. If I get more than 20, that's great. If I get less than 20, then it's a no-go. So, if joining the WildFire Author University interests you, please let me know today so that I can get you on my list. Plus, I'll give a $150 discount to the first 10 people who contact me to register.

Send me an email to: Rob@StartaWildFire.com or call 1-800-267-2045 and say "I'd like to enroll in the WildFire Author University." I'll get back to you with more details.

To receive Rob's Monday Morning Marketing Tips directly in your email inbox,
click here

© Rob Eagar 2012.
All rights reserved.

Monday Morning Marketing Tip - "The Future of Marketing: Direct-to-Consumer"

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

This week's focus:

The creation of the Internet, the decline of brick-and-mortar retailers, and the rise of digital commerce has revolutionized the future of marketing. No longer do authors, businesses, and non-profits have to rely on retailers and middlemen to sell their products or services. Now, you can market and sell direct to consumers. This direct path means faster sales, higher profits, and longer-lasting relationships with your customers, readers, or donors.

However, I find that most individuals and leaders don't realize that marketing direct to consumers requires a completely different focus than the old retail marketing approach. For example, most book publishers still view marketing as telling bookstore chain buyers, "We'll buy some advertising space, send out some press releases, and get our authors on Good Morning America." That approach doesn't work when major retailers have less influence on buyer behavior. Borders just went out of business, and Barnes & Noble is fighting to create a long-term survival plan against Amazon. And, this business example isn't confined to publishing. Retailers in other industries are facing similar challenges.

In the wake of this retailing transformation, you can go beyond these struggling middlemen and reach your target audience directly. But, in order to be successful, you must view marketing in a completely different manner. Marketing is no longer telling people about your books, your product, or your organization's mission. Consumers don't care about that stuff. When you market direct to consumers, they want to know, "What's in it for me?"

Therefore, your marketing approach MUST focus on how your product, service, or organization improves people's lives. Don't tell them about your features, topic, genre, or history. Tell them about the specific results you offer to make their life better. Direct-to-consumer marketing means affecting a person's heart just as much as their mind. That's because buying decisions are ultimately made by the heart. Logic makes people think, but emotion makes them act. Likewise, your marketing will be more successful when you offer results that make people feel the need for your product.

Take a moment today to look at your website, your book cover, your newsletters, and your press releases. Is your marketing limited to fact-based descriptions and self-focused language? Or, does your marketing illustrate the results that people could emotionally enjoy? It's easier than ever before to market direct to consumers, but you must affect their hearts as much as their minds.

To receive Rob's Monday Morning Marketing Tips directly in your email inbox,
click here

© Rob Eagar 2012.
All rights reserved.

Guest blog at Writer's Digest: "3 Tips to Make Selling Your Fiction a Reality"

I'm guest blogging today over at Writers Digest. Check out my article:

"3 Tips to Make Selling Your Fiction a Reality"

Click here - http://goo.gl/YqTtq

Monday Morning Marketing Tip - "The Dark Side of Social Media"

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

This week's focus:

When you visit the Facebook page or Twitter account of an author or organization and see 50,000 friends or followers listed, does it cause you to feel jealous? Envy can be a normal response when you see someone else's social media page displaying a huge amount of supporters. However, don't let envy lead you astray. Sometimes, those numbers aren't necessarily what they seem. In some cases, there's a dark side to social media at work.

For example, did you know there are easy ways for people to fake the size of their Facebook and Twitter followers? On eBay and other websites, you can literally purchase 5,000 Facebook "Likes" or Twitter "followers" for only $19.99. Questionable companies offer this service by creating thousands of phony social media accounts and linking them to the purchaser's pages. A few legitimate followers are added into the mix to disguise the trick. But, on the surface, many people would never know the difference. It's like plastic surgery for your social media profile.

In addition, some Twitter gurus recommend boosting your social media numbers by trading followers with everyone else around you. For example, you agree to follow someone in return for them following you. The more you ask, the more you get. In reality, no one is really following each other. They're just simultaneously driving up their numbers. Besides, how can you follow 15,000 other people at the same time? Nobody has that kind of time in their day.

Why do I tell you this? Obviously, I'm not condoning or recommending that you fake your social media numbers. Instead, I'm telling you this information so that you don't get blinded with Facebook or Twitter envy. Just because someone else displays a huge following doesn't mean their audience is active and engaged. When it comes to social media, you want quality more than quantity. I'd rather have 100 engaged followers, rather than a 1,000 disinterested people.

There are numerous ways to build your social media platform and maintain your integrity. Provide value on a frequent basis and you will attract more followers. You can do this through offering tips, articles, jokes, video clips, contests, product samples, exclusive discounts, etc. People will follow you on Facebook and Twitter if you give them a reason to follow you. Don't sell your soul to dark side of social media. Posers are always eventually exposed. A large social media following is obtained best by using old-fashioned methods...earn people's trust.

To receive Rob's Monday Morning Marketing Tips directly in your email inbox,
click here

© Rob Eagar 2012.
All rights reserved.

Monday Morning Marketing Tip - "Book Publishing is Broken"

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

This week's focus:

Last week, I read an interesting interview with Ellen Archer, CEO of Hyperion (ABC/Disney's book division) entitled "The Book Publishing Business Model is Broken." If you're an author, pay close attention to her comments:

"2012 is going to be about finding new business models...We've been able to provide advances to authors, and unfortunately most of those [advances] don't drive revenue...What are the new ways of making these deals with authors so that it's fair to all of us?...The one pattern that I have seen is that while there is still big money being thrown around for certain books, there is an awareness that we [publishers] can't continue to overpay. Advances are already lowering."

"I've been looking closely at pre-orders and pre-order strategy and how that aligns with authors that we acquire and publish that have active blog sites and followers. We've got a number of authors who are really good with social media and when we acquire their books, three months ahead of time, they'll do something really interesting for their audience, like a cover-reveal, and all of the sudden, you'll see the pre-orders build. Then you take that information to retailers and that can impact their interest in ordering more copies...The core fans buy the book, and then they start talking about it and sharing it with all their friends, and then you begin to see the results of it all paying off."

When asked about authors who aren't skilled in marketing their books, Archer states, "That's going to be a problem. That's always been a problem...If they're [authors] not promotable, then it makes selling their book challenging...I will look to acquire media-genic authors and properties."

"Change is hard for people. Some people think they're changing because they're making a little shift in what they're doing and what they need to do is make a radical shift in what they're doing."

My thoughts:

If you're an author who reads my newsletters or blog posts, recognize what Ms. Archer is implying. Her comments show how publishing at all levels is undergoing major changes, such as lower advances, stronger attention to pre-orders, and a premium placed on authors who are adept with social media and offer a "media-genic" personality.

Are you positioning yourself to succeed in this new era of publishing? Are you learning how to be a better marketer of your books? Are you building a distinct author brand and learning new skills to engage the media? Are you building a growing platform? Are you investing in your overall development for the future?

Now is the time to embrace change, rather than resist it. Industry executives like Ellen Archer are publicly announcing that the old ways of publishing are dead. The industry is broken, and it's about to be rebuilt. Are you prepared to thrive in the new era of publishing? Don't say fair warning wasn't given.

REMINDER: This Wednesday, January 18th at 8:00pm ET kicks off my new monthly teleconference series, "Advanced Book Marketing for Authors." This month, I'll discuss how to answer the most important question in book marketing. Plus, I'll take your questions. Register today to save 15%. Otherwise, the price for the download mp3 file will go up $10 on Thursday.

To receive Rob's Monday Morning Marketing Tips directly in your email inbox,
click here

© Rob Eagar 2012.
All rights reserved.

Guest Blogger at Writer's Digest - "Success Breeds Success - Especially with Success Stories"

I'm guest blogging today over at Writers Digest. Check out my article:

"Success Breeds Success - Especially When You Have Success Stories"

Click here - http://goo.gl/NP76k

Monday Morning Marketing Tip - "The Cure for Monotonous Marketing"

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

This week's focus:

One of the keys to successful marketing is staying consistent with your promotional activities. However, consistency can lead to tedium, which can lead to monotony. Pretty soon, you find yourself going through the motions with your marketing. This can apply to anyone, including authors, businesses, and non-profits.

When marketing feels like a tedious, dumb, or a worthless use of your time and money, then you will soon burn-out and barely market at all. So, if you want to keep your marketing energized for the long-term, it helps to view the process as something you find worthwhile, challenging, or meaningful. This is easier to do when you identify marketing as sharing your value with others, rather than trying to get people to buy your stuff. People can tell when someone is going through the motions with their marketing. It feels bland, tired, or too self-focused.

As a professional marketer, I'm not immune to complacency. For instance, some weeks I don't feel like writing a Monday Morning Marketing Tip. But, I keep going due to the enjoyment of challenging myself to create something beneficial for my readers. I may procrastinate for a while, but eventually I find the inspiration to write something I'm interested to share with you. Doing this over 52 weeks a year can seem tiresome. But, the satisfaction of taking on a personal challenge and receiving positive feedback from readers makes the effort worthwhile.

If your marketing is getting monotonous, refocus your activities on tasks that fit your natural skills or pose an interesting challenge. Don't force yourself to do things you hate. Instead, pick 2 - 3 promotional activities that fit your personality, talents, or organizational strengths. (No one is exempt from all marketing options.) For instance, don't blog unless you really like to blog. Change your focus on creating lots of free resources. If you naturally like talking to people, create promotional videos, attend networking events, and seek referrals like crazy. If you're terrified of public speaking, then write and send out a top-notch newsletter instead. But do something, and do it with enthusiasm.

Monotonous marketing leads to motionless customers. So, kick your marketing out of the doldrums by giving yourself the freedom to do what you enjoy. In the process, you may find that people enjoy buying from you a lot more.

To receive Rob's Monday Morning Marketing Tips directly in your email inbox,
click here

© Rob Eagar 2012.
All rights reserved.