Social Networking Sells More Book

We have been adding and experimenting with social bookmarketing, Web 2.09 sites, and some ideas that will help create a buzz around your book.

One such site is BlogRush

More Connections For a Profitable Network

Wahsington Post confirms that LinkedIN is still growing:

More than 13 million business people — at a rate of 20 per minute — have signed up for LinkedIn, a business-networking Web site that invites users to submit their professional information and connect online with colleagues and other business contacts.

“Any way in which one uses your professional network
in the real world, we want to enable you to do that more efficiently using LinkedIn,” said Kay Luo, spokeswoman for the Mountain View, Calif., company.

Think about it.. there are people out there looking for connections. Looking for your expertiese, your business, your book. millions of them.

A HUG for Publicity and Self Promotion

We’ve been talking about getting promotion for your book or business using news events of good causes.

Some people ask “Where do you find the time?”.. and I say take your inspiration from Juan Mann

Free Hugs Campaign

Watch the video and you’ll feel much better today.

A group on Facebook have formed that can give you an even better chance to promote this good cause. Sept. 10th is Hug Day and thousands of Facebook Friends are participating.

So here’s you easy promotional to do list

1. Post a comment here to say you will give hugs (and anything else you’re doing to promote) Be sure to include a link to your post, facebook page, book web site or home page (just one is best)

2. Make sure you’re on Facebook. There are over 1 million new users a week.. some of them have to be looking for you. Add me as a Facebook friend then join the event there.

3. Tell your mailing list, your family, your friends, your readers about it. You’ll likely get some hugs, start you own mini-movement.. but even if you don’t, you’ll get some good publicity.

4. Take a photo of you giving someone a hug. Post it on the Facebook event page.

Does it work?

If you are doubting it.. you haven’t watched the video above.

I’m looking forward to hearing from you on this. I’ll accept hugs.. or a link back to this post.

A Worthy Way to Expand FREE coverage

We’ve often talked about using press releases and blog entries tied to current events gets you more powerful links.

Now John Kremer has given us a six week notice on an event the make sense to just about any author.

The event is http://www.blogactionday.org.

They are lining up bloggers to mention the environment on October 15th. If you like the cause, great.. go to the link and sign up.

However, if you are wondering “how does this help my book?”.. read on.

“The Environment” is perfect for tying in any book/subject. You can be for or against any particular action or philosophy and state that.

Let’s take it to the extreme.. Suppose you are anti-movement and think this day is a waste of time. You would put out a press release saying so and blog about it on 10/15.

The cool feature is.. no matter what you say, this day will be news (at least among the millions of readers that see the blogs). And ultimately, there is little chance of anything lasting from the event.

Unlike politics or policy arguments.. we can all pretty much agree that we want the best environment possible.. we can also agree that there are lots of voices, lots of blogs.

I’m going to post a lot of comment on this. I expect to see some traffic… maybe some detractors.. What I know will happen is more attention to posts with my name.

Go ahead.. get started. Comment here and let us know what you are doing. I’ll encourage readers to link to you, comment and post more.

“Go environment.. yea!”

Giving a Prize with a Book.. Or the Whole Book?

I was asked about bookmarkers, keychains, pens and other book goodies.

Do “freebies” help the sale of books?

The comments here about the serendipitous long term effects of freebies is so true.

Just difficult to calculate the ROI (return on investment).

I’ve found that every time such items are purchased and USED, there are benefits that later can be traced back to the item.

Key points:

1. They have to be used. Won’t do any good in a box in the garage.

2. Can’t measure forward.. just after the fact.

What you can measure:

Studies have been done doing a promotion with/without these attention getters. In a controlled environment, sales go up when there is something that get attention.

The only risk is that the attention generated will be misplaced (i.e. kids grab the toy and Mom throws it out without ever seeing your book)

We teach authors to use their book as the “freebie”.. either giving it away as a gift to prospects, or making sure that each buyer is presented with an opportunity to advance to a more profitable transaction. We’ve seen “average sales per book buyer” got into hundreds of thousands of dollars in life time value to the business behind the book.

The LAW OF RECIPROCITY states that if you give something to someone, a true gift, they will be more inclined to want to give something to you at a later date.

If you give more.. you will get more. The universe does not stay out of balance. This is the guiding principle we use when we build cross promotions via http://ZeroCostPromotions.com

Authors should follow Andy’s Example on Facebook

My freind Andrew Bourland has been hanging around Facebook and with good reason… they are adding 150,000 people a day (more than MySpace).

Inttead of the “playing” we do at MySpace, or the “corporate” feel of LinkedIN, Facebook has become a place where real people connect with real people.

Now Andy is out to meet new people.

How I Plan to Grow my Base of Facebook Friends – Bourland.com#comment-21427

My recommendation.. Get a Facebook profile.. connect with people like Andrew Bourland

The may not seem like a direct route to profits.. but these days it pays to be unreasonable

Why I love FaceBook

I just finally got around to creating a FaceBook profile and instantly had 87 friends attach to me in the first day.

Some were new, a few invited, but other were just old contacts that found me.

The applications are the draw. I’ve got a bookshelf full of my favorites and love the chuck books feature.

Here’s a great article on what made Facebook so much better..

Facebook Spawns Ad Networks

Now.. go join us on Facebook.. and leave comments here

Add the Author’s Blog Roll for More Expoure

I’m adding the following to my author blogs. It’s a great way to cross promote books, get links to your site and meet like minded authors.

You can read more at this post

Authors Blogroll