Make Your Website Your 24/7 Salesforce (I know, blah, blah, blah)

Since you cannot be "ON" 24 hours a day, seven days a week, you need a website to do some of the work for you. There are easy ways to build a website -- it just takes a little time and a few hours of planning. You can get started on your website and be done in a matter of a couple of days. Here are a few things to keep in mind. 

Create a website using a professional development programming platform. There are inexpensive and easy-to-use website building platforms out there that allow you easy access to easily change things on your site. You can and should:

1. Write or edit your pages to have relevant keywords so people can find your website in their searches. 
2. Incorporate images in your content, however don't save relevant text as part of any jpeg or gif image-- search engines can't search jpegs or gifs -- they only search text.
3. Pay particular attention to the navigation of your site. Your user has to be able to find what is relevant to them easily and quickly.
4. Would some type of interactivity be important to your audience? What other things can you include in your site to make it a place people will visit and be comfortable?

Ensure that your site is written specifically to your Target Market. 

1. Ask yourself if the content on your site is relevant. Is every word well thought-out and used correctly? 
2. Does it address the needs of your audience and tie it to your product by how it solves their problem/need?
3. Does the design create a mood that will attract your audience? Color, graphics, icons?
4. Are you talking their language? Using terminology that is important to them?  

Make sure your site is Search Engine Friendly.

1. Ping your site to let search engines know there is new or revised content.   
2. Make sure your website doesn't have any speed or download problems. 
3. Have colleagues test your site on Safari, Firefox, Internet Explorer, etc. Websites look different using different browsers.

There are, of course, a lot more issues with building a website and tons of great resources. Bottom line, you need to have a website to act as your salesforce when you are doing the things that you want to or have to do out in the real world.

Small Press Month - Tip # 26

March 26 - Book more radio interviews by being a great guest. Every author dreams of being on Oprah first, every other media second. Yes, it's a pipe dream for most everyone. The big question is:  Are you even ready to do a show with Oprah...or any other radio or television program?

Most authors are not as ready as they think they are for even a local show. But how do you get ready? How do you do a great show? What makes you a good guest that will be invited back?  As with many of life's questions, the answer is Preparation, Courtesy and Understanding. 

Before the interview: Make it easy for the host/producer to book you. Have a phone number that actually reaches a human voice and answer your phone (it's difficult to call them back sometimes). If the show is right for you, agree to a time and then keep it. Rescheduling your life is often easier than a producer's job of rescheduling everyone on their show and making room for you. When scheduling, get the producer's email address and send them a confirmation email, plus any of your information that they need (including your bio and introduction, canned questions they can ask you, unique sound bites about your market, etc.)  Finally, ask them to record your interview and provide a link. (They don't always record, so ask ahead of time.) Practice (out loud) the talking points that you always want to make sure you say clearly and completely. 

During the interview:  If you are supposed to call in, make sure you have the number with you and call five minutes prior to your interview -- don't get miffed if the start of your interview is 5-10-15 minutes late. That's normal. If they are calling you, provide the producer a good phone number, preferably a land line, but if you use a cell phone, stay put in one place for the duration of the interview -- not in a coffee shop with noise! During the interview, answer the questions the host asks and don't be too "familiar" too fast.  Stop talking occasionally and let them ask another question or engage you in a conversation that they think their listeners would enjoy. Your job is to understand your place with this interviewer. REMEMBER: He has the listeners and the audience, and with that comes a promise to THEM, not you. His job is to bring guests that will engage, entertain, educate or inform his listeners -- his obligation is to them, not you. Your job is to make him look good to his listeners for bringing such a great guest on. Be sure you tell them where the book is available in their area, and give them your website.

After the interview:  Let them know if you are okay with follow up questions and how best to reach you. Send the host/producer a written thank you (email is fine, but handwritten is better), and anything else you promised them. Post a link on your website and on Facebook and download the podcast to your server. 

Small Press Month, Tip # 9

March 9 - Market your book to your special interest groups. Who is specifically interested in your book?  I've got news for some of you... "Everybody" is not a person and they are not easy to find and persuade. On the other side of the coin, YOU are one of "Everybody"... Do YOU buy "Everybody" else's books?

Identify your audience. Develop your products to serve the needs of your audience. Focus your efforts on them (like a laser beam). Aim your message at that characteristic of your audience that your product fills, and keep firing messages at them over and over. Frequency pays off.

Most non-fiction books, children's books and a lot of theme fiction books have a specific audience that IS reachable. Do you know who they are? (Hint, you are probably one of them.) Can you find them easily? 

For example, is there an association or society that is specifically related to your topic area? Look at the Encyclopedia of Associations. I always find interesting little tidbits within the pages, but here are my most important words of advice:

• Don't pigeon hole your search. Cast a wide net and you will find the most ideas.
• Give yourself a good amount of time to go through and read what the associations do and what is their main focus.
• Make sure they have multiple locations or affiliations, so you have more than one place with which to target your promotion.
• Use your library's reference desk like they are your best friends. (There is an online version of the EA, but I really like the books best.)
• Rinse and Repeat often.

First, a Thought from Tom Becka on Social Networking

“I think social networking is just another tool in the arsenal. With a Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, or LinkedIn account, you can be in control of your message and help generate sales. The trick is to branch out and generate new leads and new "friends" But with some work, you can have a site that will be a resource and keep reminding people about your product. You won't sell a million books off these sites but combined with all your other media it definitely helps.”

Social networking is a buzz word right now, and has been for awhile. I hear about Facebook and LinkedIn several times a day from different media outlets – local and national. Everyone is trying to get you to visit their page, some for personal reasons, and others for business.

It’s important to keep your content relevant for your audience, so that the right people will be interested in reading what you have to say. It’s also important to keep business and personal networking sites separate. Not everyone cares that you went out and had a few drinks Friday night. It’s not a bad idea to have separate pages for both, and different friends to go along with those pages.

If you do these things, you’ll keep yourself from getting into sticky situations between work and play, and you may find that you have new followers by keeping the content relevant.

Erin Pankowski
Marketing Manager
Concierge Marketing
and Publishing Services