Monday Morning Marketing Tip - "Steal from Yourself for Better Marketing"

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:

When I consult with authors, non-profits, and businesses about marketing issues, a common complaint arises about the need to generate a lot of content for free resources, newsletters, and social media pages. This need to write articles, blog posts, or updates gets labeled as a nuisance, because the client thinks it will be difficult to continually come up with new information. However, generating new content doesn't have to be difficult. The simplest way to stay resourceful is by stealing from yourself.

When you steal from yourself, take old material that you've already written and re-purpose it. For instance, take past articles, blog posts, or newsletters and reuse them. Or, modify the original material by putting a new spin on it. Take parts of a book and break it into smaller chunks of content. Turn videos into written articles. Or, take written material and turn it into an audio or video podcast. In addition, steal from interesting experiences in your life or organization to generate new information. For example:

Authors - Steal from yourself:

- Break your non-fiction books into short articles

- Break your novel into short stories or create back stories.

- Give sneak peeks into your upcoming manuscripts.

- Write about the challenges you face as an author.

Non-Profits - Steal from your organization:

- Use your inside perspective on current events to stress the need for your service.

- Take old newsletters and modernize the content.

- Ask recipients or donors to provide success stories for articles that highlight the importance of your cause.

Businesses - Steal from your internal intellectual property:

- Use the history of your company to write about the longevity or strengths of your business.

- Ask customers to provide success stories for articles that showcase the use of your product.

- Ask employees to rotate providing new articles that examine your industry; Reward them for participation.

Stealing from other people is illegal and a bad reflection on yourself. However, stealing from yourself is a legitimate way to generate plenty of content and keep your marketing plan on easy street.

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 - "How to Use Pinterest to Market Books"

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:

"A picture is worth a thousand words"...especially if those words represent word of mouth.

There's a new kid on the social media block that is changing the way people communicate online. Facebook and Twitter rely on text to share information. However, a unique website called Pinterest (www.Pinterest.com) allows people to use pictures as the focus to organize, discuss, and spread their ideas and interests. My wife recently discovered Pinterest and is addicted to it. "I love using pictures to remember stuff and tell my friends," she says. "It's so much more fun than Facebook." Her comments really got my attention.

Pinterest is described as a pinboard-styled social photo sharing website. The service allows users to create and manage collections of images based on a theme. For instance, my wife likes to collect and display images of home decorating ideas, recipes, travel spots, and her favorite books. Her friends see pictures of the items that she recommends, and they can click on the picture to get more information or even make a purchase. Multiply this effect by millions of users, and there are incredible opportunities to spread digital word of mouth like wildfire.

As of last week, Pinterest was the third most popular social networking site behind Facebook and Twitter. In addition, over 58% of the traffic is female with 59% between the ages of 25 and 44. For individuals and businesses trying to reach men and women between the ages of 25 to 44, Pinterest is a great social network to utilize.

If you're an author or publisher, Pinterest offers legitimate opportunities to create online word of mouth. Here are five tips on how to use this new service to market your books:

1. Place "Pin It" buttons on your author or publisher website that let people easily add a picture of your book covers to their Pinterest profiles. For example, put a "Pin It" button next to all of your book covers with a link back to your site or an online retailer, such as Amazon. When Pinterest users "pin" your book covers to their profiles with a brief description, it gives their followers a one-click opportunity to buy your book based on their recommendation.

Use this link to get the code for a "Pin It" button: http://pinterest.com/about/goodies/ The "Pin It" button is made to look like and function similarly to both Facebook's "Like" and Twitter's "Retweet" buttons. Placing them all together will increase the social awareness of your products.

Pinterest says that "while a description is optional, it is recommended; specifying it lowers the friction for your users to pin your products. You can have multiple Pin It buttons on each page. Just make sure that each button is next to and associated with the correct product, visually."

2. If you're a fiction author, you could use Pinterest to help your novels come alive. For instance, you could display images of the settings, locations, history, or details within your story. If you wrote a novel set during the Civil War, you could show images from the actual battlefield location, clothing that was worn by men and women during that period, pictures of historical leaders, etc. Use imagery to add a new dimension to your books. (These ideas also apply to non-fiction books.)

3. Create a Pinterest profile and use it to show behind-the-scenes images of your life as an author or your organizational culture as a publisher. For instance, you could display pictures of your writer's cave, favorite writing tools, recommended resources, top 10 lists of books, etc. Publishers could display pictures of their staff and an inside look into the company. Use imagery to help make the impersonal become more personal.

4. Display images on Pinterest that represent coupons or discounts that users can redeem when buying your books. For example, show a picture of a printable coupon or a discount code that can be used on your website or redeemed at a retailer.

5. Use Pinterest to host a contest. For instance, you can pin a selection of your book cover photos, and to participate in the contest, users have to repin your book photos, choosing their favorite. This can help your titles go viral, and you can randomly select one user who re-pinned the book that got the most attention. This also gives you the opportunity to find out which of your books are the most popular. Another way to hold a contest is to ask users to pin their own photos of your books. The one that gets the most attention from other users walks away with a prize.

Pinterest is the visual version of Facebook and Twitter. And, most people would rather look at interesting pictures than read through boring text. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then Pinterest may be worth a thousand sales.

This Wednesday, 8:00pm Eastern, March 14th - Teleconference Series for Authors:

The Cure for the Bland Author Brand

Every author has a brand whether you know it or not. If you don't know it, then that means your brand is usually negative. This session explains how to take control of the branding process to positively influence the public's perception about your books. This recognition helps separate your books from the rest of the crowded marketplace. Register early for only $49 / $59 afterwards. All attendees get an mp3 audio recording of this material to listen again. Click here to register.

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 - "Why Word of Mouth Fails"

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:

Have you ever read a book, watched a movie, or visited a restaurant that you really enjoyed, but never told anyone until someone else brought it up in conversation? Once you were reminded, then you began to tell numerous friends. This situation identifies two common problems for authors, businesses, and non-profits who want to generate more word of mouth. First, most people won't tell their friends about your product or service unless you make an obvious request. Second, you must make the ability for people to tell friends as easy as possible.

Most people are willing to spread word of mouth, but they're busy or forgetful due to all the distractions in our hectic society. Thus, if you want more people to tell others about your product or service, you need to make it blatantly clear. For instance, if you're an author, you must specifically tell people, "Please tell your friends about my book." Then, provide free tools on your website that makes it easy for readers to do so. If you run a non-profit, you must openly ask people to donate. Then, provide compelling success stories and easy ways for people to contribute to your cause. Otherwise, most people will never stop to think about forwarding your information to someone else. State the obvious in order to start a word of mouth wildfire.

New Two-Day Workshop for Authors:

Join me in "Hot-lanta" Georgia on April 27 - 28th for a new two-day author workshop, "Sell Your Book Like Wildfire." This event will be the opposite of a typical writer's conference. You won't get generic instruction lumped in a room with dozens of other authors. Instead, you'll get two days of direct instruction on your specific book in a small group setting. You will leave making significant progress in these key areas:

• Identify your book's value in a way that makes readers flock to it.
• Distinguish the target audiences who are most excited to buy your book.
• Develop a brand that guides your career and sets your books apart from the crowd.
• Maximize exposure for your books via media interviews and speaking engagements.
• Use a website and social media to effectively promote your message.
• Develop a personalized marketing plan that focuses on your strengths.
• Fiction authors: Discover special marketing tactics geared specifically for novelists.

Early-bird pricing is $750 by April 1st. For details and registration, click here.

Note: Don't wait. I will need at least 8 people registered by April 1st to conduct this event.

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 - "Tame the Speed 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:

One of the attractive benefits about social media and blogs is the speed at which people can communicate. Through a single Facebook post or Twitter update, you can notify hundreds or thousands of individuals in an instant. Social media can ignite a word-of-mouth boost similar to pouring lighter fluid on a fire.

However, the speediness of social media can also present a problem. That’s because the rate at which a topic can be transmitted means that another topic can quickly come along and take its place.

For example, informal studies are showing that the benefit of getting mentioned on someone’s popular Facebook wall or Twitter account may last no longer than an hour. Other posts follow so quickly afterwards that the original post quickly moves off of the main page and disappears into the archive where it dwells in obscurity. Likewise, popular blogs post new topics so quickly that topics from the previous day are soon lost in the mix. Instead of a topic enjoying a long-lasting fire of interest, the result is brief flare-up that soon dies out.

How do you prevent this problem from leaving your marketing efforts in smoldering anonymity? Consider these points:

1.Adopt a “wash-rinse-repeat” mentality with your social media efforts. Don’t expect one post or mention to drive sufficient coverage to your product, book, or service. Strive to get multiple mentions at multiple locations over time. Avoid a one-and-done strategy, or that will be your fate.

2.Make sure you have a permanent location for the important information that you’re marketing. Dedicate a page on your website, such as an article or free resource, which is easy to find and won’t disappear into an archive. Always provide a link to that page in your social media posts so that people can easily access it.

3.Rather than depend on other social media pages to spread the word, use tools on your own website and blog to help spark interest and create referrals. I recommend the free tools from Social Twist (Tell-A-Friend buttons) and www.PayWithaTweet.com

Take advantage of the speed that social media has to offer. But, take the steps mentioned above to avoid getting burned by sudden shifts in online attention.



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 - "Self-Published Does Not Mean Published Author"

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:

As technology makes self-publishing easier than ever before, numerous companies have cropped up that use suspect marketing approaches to gain new business. In order to gain new business, some of their claims prey on the emotional dreams of aspiring writers. For instance, these companies will make advertising statements, such as "become a published author" or "get published this year." To an unsuspecting author, these ads can seem appealing.

However, the truth is that self-publishing does NOT make anyone a published author. The only way a writer can be considered a legitimately published author is when they are paid an advance by a publishing house to create and distribute their book. In contrast, when the author has to pay their own money to get a book produced, that is self-publishing.

Why do I tell you this? It's not because I'm against self-publishing. I self-published my first book back in 2002 before all of the new technological tools we enjoy today were available. Self-publishing is a great option for authors who write books for a narrow niche, already own an audience, or need a way to quickly create spin-off resources. Self-publishing will continue to grow and improve. But, it's not equal to traditional publishing. This point is proven by how so many successful self-published authors, such as William Paul Young, Amanda Hocking, and myself, all go on to sign contracts with traditional publishing houses.

I'm talking about this issue because paying someone else to make your book does not make you a published author. Just like paying someone else to get married wouldn't make you a real husband or wife. So, when these self-published companies make emotional appeals to help you become a published author, they're not giving you the full picture. As a self-published author, you will remain at a distinct disadvantage in the following ways:

1. Readers still view most self-published books with skepticism, because they wonder, "If there are hundreds of publishers in America, why couldn't you convince one of them that your book was good enough to publish?"

2. Bookstores will not carry self-published books on their shelves. So, self-published authors will struggle to get national distribution that they really need. And, don't tell me that having a self-published book on Amazon or B&N.com is enough. That's narrow-minded thinking, because online retailers only make up a minority of the total book-selling pie. Why severely limit yourself?

3. The majority of self-published books that I see still look homemade and substandard, including those coming from the so-called market leading companies in self-publishing. They contain dreadful covers, bad editing, unprofessional page layouts, and hard-to-read content. You would think that the self-publishing industry would try to prevent these occurrences, but that's not the case.

I'm glad self-publishing is here to stay. But, don't confuse self-publishing with being a published author. Until retail bookstores gladly carry self-published books on their shelves, which won't happen anytime soon, there will always be a distinct difference between the two options. If you want to be considered a legitimate author, continue pursuing the traditional publishing route. That road may be harder, more time-consuming, and laced with rejection, but that's true for most of the things in life that are truly worth it.

Upcoming Opportunities:

The WildFire Author University

We're getting close! I only need 10 more people to register in order to launch my new instructional opportunity 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, personal 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. I've got 10 interested already, so another 10 will make it happen. 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. 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.

Don't forget: This Wednesday, February 22nd, 8:00pm ET

Next Teleconference Session for Authors:

"O Reader, Where Art Thou?"

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.

Guest Post at Writer's Digest: "Don't Write a Book Without a Buyer"

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

"Don't Write a Book Without a Buyer"

Click on this link to read - http://goo.gl/Bti55

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.