So, you wrote your book and you thought that was the hard part, then you had to get it published and you thought for sure that was the hard part, but no, now you’re marketing your book and you’re convinced that this is the hardest part. That may seem like the case, but it doesn’t have to be. This article will give you an easy three-step marketing plan to market your book.

Marketing your book can really be as easy as one, two, three.

ONE:

Jump on the social media bandwagon. One of the first things that you will want to do is get listed on social media sites. Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter (hook up with me by clicking on any of the site links) are some of the top social media sites I recommend to start with. With the power of social media you can literally be your own promotional tool, allowing you to spread the word about your book quickly and easily to a larger audience than ever before. That is the power of social media.

TWO:

Build your web presence with a website or blog. In days past you might have purchased and distributed business cards when promoting a book or your business, however in today’s society a website or blog is your “digital” business card. It is a necessity no author should be without. A website or blog will be the place for you to showcase your book and you will use it to link to every other outlet that you utilize to spread the word about your book. For example, link to your website or blog from Facebook, Twitter and all other social media sites as well as from articles that you write or that others write about you and your book. You can also include your URL (website address) on any press releases that you send out as a place for them to learn more about you and your book.

THREE:

Hire a team. We aren’t all experts at everything. You are an expert on the topic you wrote your book about, but you are not likely an expert at everything. That is why you should hire a team, specifically a PR team. A PR team has the skills and knows what it takes to promote your book to create the biggest buzz and to sell the more books. After all, that’s what you want, right? So, why not get the professionals to help you make it happen!

I told you that it was going to be easier than you thought. Just work the steps: one, two, three, and watch where it takes your book! I’ll bet you go straight to the top!

Hey authors, are you on Facebook? No, well, why not? It isn’t just a playground for teens and college kids anymore. It is now also full of adults and businesses, and it is a great place to market your book. How, you wonder? The best way to promote your book on Facebook is with an author fan page. Yes, you will ask others to become your fan, but the truth is you probably have a few fans already, so why not use it to your advantage and get the word out there at the same time?

You can create your author fan page on Facebook in three easy steps.

Step 1: Sign In or Sign Up! If you’re already a member of Facebook with a personal profile, all you’ll have to do is sign in to your Facebook profile and begin the fan page process. If not you’ll have to first go to Facebook.com and sign up for your Facebook account. They make it super simple, so don’t be scared.

Step 2: Build it so they can come! Next, you’re simply going to build your fan page. Once signed in or signed up on Facebook, you will need to go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php to set up your page. You will want to be sure to include a professional picture of yourself and links to your official website, and of course info about your book.

Step 3: Promote, promote, promote! After you’ve built the page, you’ll want to put it to work for you. Promote it, share it, tell everyone about it. Share it on your blog, put a link to it in your sidebar, share it on message boards, on Twitter, and even offline. You can always put the URL to it on your business cards or any fliers or bookmarks you make to promote your book. And Facebook makes that easy with their “vanity” URLs. Once you have your fan page set up and 100 fans, go to http://www.facebook.com/username and create a custom URL that is easy to advertise. And while you’re at it, check out http://www.facebook.com/writingfan and become a fan of writing!

Studies show that it take a person eight times of seeing something before they take action on what they have seen. That means a person may have to see you and your book eight times before they’ll buy it. You want to help contribute to those eight times and a Facebook fan page can help. It will help give you yet another place to communicate with those interested in your topic, allowing you to send them updates and information. It will also drive traffic to your website or any other social media site you are on. So, what are you waiting for? Go sign up, build and promote! Ready! Set! Go!

In Part 1, we discussed the Cons of blogging. Now check out some of the Pros.

The Pros

Argument #1: I can exercise my writing skills.

Blogging every week, or even once a month, is an exercise in writing. Whether you’re writing an article or posting a few thoughts, it gets you into the process of writing. It improves your typing speed and accuracy, helps you become more creative, and regular blogging will help you create your writer’s “voice.”

Argument #2: It is free promotion for my book.

If you write an article and post it to your blog, you can include a link for readers to purchase your book. You can also include links to your website and other social media sites (such as Facebook), drawing more attention to your work. Through your blog’s comments section, you can post a piece you are working on and gain feedback from readers. It’s like having your own private critique room and editing staff. The main con to the free promotion is you need to keep your blog updated and the content of good quality. There are a lot of blogs that are not accurate or up-to-date. If you are promoting your book, keeping it updated will not only draw readers back, but show them you are active in your own promotion on an ongoing basis.

Argument #3: A blog will improve my website’s search engine ratings.

This statement is both true and false. A blog can be like a newsletter, but unlike a newsletter it can be indexed by search engines, thus helping your search engine ratings. If you embed your blog in your domain name (very technical process), it will directly affect how your website is rated by search engines. However, if your blog stands on its own (not a part of your domain name), your blog may get good ratings but it won’t affect your website very much. If you link to your website from your blog, or to an order page for your book from your blog, it doesn’t matter how search engines find your website. Your blog will point buyers to your book, and that is all that matters.

Argument #4: A blog will help my writing become popular.

Your blog will help you create relationships with your readers, engage new potential book buyers, and even be a connection for mainstream media. It does help improve how others see you and your book, if you use personal experiences to connect with your readers. By tying in your blog’s topics with current events, you stay connected and keep the content fresh. These are all things that will help you sell books.

So if you have decided to start a blog, or have one you haven’t visited in a while, how should you use it? First off, give your professional opinion on topics you write about. You are an expert in your field, so present yourself as such. Review other books and products related to your book’s topic and share information with your readership. Write about topics others are interested in, such as current events, finances, or writing in general. And most of all, don’t start a blog to make money. It is a promotional tool, but if money is your primary objective your writings will come across as superficial and you will lose readers and potential book buyers.

After fifty years of studying businesses of all kinds Dun & Bradstreet (the world’s leading provider of financial information on companies – their database holds information on 100 million companies!) concluded that the entirety of business wisdom can be summarised in one statement: “Businesses succeed because of high sales; businesses fail because of low sales.  All else is commentary.”

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If you want to become a best selling author then, as “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” author Robert Kiyosaki has said that clue is in the world “selling”!

As an author you have to take responsibility for selling and promoting your book at every available opportunity.  You need to become good at persuading and influencing people.

One of the books I strongly recommend to people who want to become masters of persuasion is Robert Cialdini’s “Influence”.

Cialdini is a Professor at Arizona State University who has conducted extensive research into the factors that trigger people into automatically complying with another person’s request.

Here is the fifth of these six factors, that will show you how, as an author, you can apply them to sell more of your books.

Key 5: AUTHORITY

Research evidence shows a strong pressure in our society to comply with the requests of an authority.

Systematic socialization practices instil into members of society the perception that obedience constitutes correct conduct.

People also often respond to authority in an automatic fashion particularly when we perceive people to possess high levels of knowledge, wisdom, and power.

It is interesting to note that people respond to perceived symbols of authority (and not necessarily genuine authority) such as titles, clothing and status symbols like cars.

Studies show that symbols such as these cause people to be more obedient to people displaying them. In addition, individuals who obeyed underestimated the effect that the perceived authority had on their behaviour.

So, if you want to be more influential make sure you are perceived as an authority!
For example, as an author you will be perceived as an expert and an authority (author = authority) in your field.

Therefore, what you say and what your recommend will have more impact!  As an author you are an authority, and as an authority you are automatically more influential.

It gets even better if you are a bestselling author as that carries even more gravitas!  Not only are you an authority because you have written a book, lots and lots of people have bought your book which makes you seem even more of an authority!

Once you are an author you will find that you can make use of this authority and the accompanying influence that goes with it in many ways.

For example, I have found that I get asked to speak at conferences and events because I am an author/authority on the subject.  And as an author/authority you can also charge higher speaking and consultancy fees!

Now that you are aware of this principle I am sure you will be able to think of lots of ways to use it to enhance your book sales and to maximise the benefit of being a published author.

You can promote your book through the media when times are tough, when times are good, or at any time at all. It doesn’t matter a bit. The techniques below will work anywhere, anytime. Don’t worry about journalists learning the plan. They know the rules too, and will be happy to play along. Always remember, journalists are your friends. They are just like pets. If you are nice to them feed them the right food, and ensure that they have what they need, they will repay you with loyalty, returning to you over and over again.
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