Marketing Plan of Action – how to start simple and build to great!

Tim Grahl, author of Your First 1000 Copies and founder of booklaunch.com believes that Marketing doesn’t need to be a ‘eew’ prospect.

So, I’ve read over a few of his techniques and decided to break-it down into a Plan of Action.

New Year . . . New Goals . . . and all that.

More importantly, it’s about finding a way to market that doesn’t make the author in me cringe at the idea.

READ ALONG & SEE IF YOU AGREE

According to Tim, MARKETING is about creating long-lasting connections. I’d say this is sound business whether you’re selling books, artwork or cars off the used lot. None of us want just the ONE-AND-DONE customer. We want repeat business. We want to develop long-lasting connections/relationships that will keep folks coming back because they’re pleased with their purchase.

Tim breaks it down into three categories for connection.

1) Outreach – The act of moving people from not knowing I exist to knowing that I DO exist.

Here are my ideas:

• Facebook,
• Twitter,
• Pinterest,
• Blog,
• Book-signings,
• Public readings,
• Carrying a business card with my books/blog listed AND handed those out,
• Get some print copies of books and carry them on vacation,
• Look for independent book stores and ask if I can donate a few copies,
• Find ‘Interview’ sources either through Podcasts, newsletter, or eblasts,
• Solicit & offer book reviews,
• Post to Reddit,
• Post to LinkedIn.

Where can I leave my business cards?

• With every receipt/tip I leave on a table
• Any bulletin board
• Any clerk that I speak with and mention I’m a writer

Where do I order my business cards?

Vista Print was the easiest solution for me, although I know many prefer to work through a brick-N-mortar store. I personally like all the different options available online and the luxury of changing backgrounds & fonts with the click of my mouse. However, if you prefer brick-N-mortar, work out your own design first. Canva.com has an actual ‘business card’ selection in the Business category, and you can set your final design to printer standards with the ‘crop & bled’ button. I have designed several business cards through Canva.com for my consulting business. The actual printer (yep, a shop I can walk into) has never had any problems with the design. Do save to a .pdf format for the printer.

2) Content: Providing a way for people to get to know me and my writing.

Brain-storming for content is a valuable expenditure of a writer’s time.

• Blog writing,
• Book teasers,
• Samples listed on Amazon,
• Samples listed on my blog.

3) Permission: A way to stay in contact with people long-term.

• Build an email list – remember that I’m looking for a way to stay in long-term contact with these folks so that every time I release a book they’ll know about it.
• Gain readers for the blog – this is interactive: if readers come back to the blog and see the new releases, they’ll be more likely to purchase. Readers can’t buy what they don’t know about.

Building readership to the blog is a way to not only introduce my writing, but to encourage folks to experience my voice, my style of writing. Ultimately, I want readers to be pleased with their purchase and feel like their funds were well-spent.

So a huge Thank You to Tim Grahl and his insight.

To me these are more than goals for 2019 — this is a Plan of Action.

Do you have other ideas????? Other plans that have worked for you?????