Book review of lifestyle planning book
Book reviews

If Seventy is the New Fifty, When do I get to Retire? – Book Review

Book by Dennis Hall. Reviewed by Jennifer Lancaster. Let’s get this straight. For one thing I am not even close to 70… but that’s good because this book enables me to think ahead — not with dread but with some great ideas for changes. I call this is a retirement or semi-retirement lifestyle planning book. In the early chapters of this book it talks about making the most of your time, as we may well lived quite a while longer than we once expected and during those years, we’re likely to be both bored and near-broke. Meanwhile, the federal government likes to push up the receiving age of the aged pension. For many, it’s about having all this time and needing more income flow. I mean we all hear the phrase “follow your passion”, but not many authors seem to take…
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making personal brand plain english
Personal Branding

Making a Personal Brand, in Plain English

Of late I have been navel-gazing, I mean, assessing my values and brand. I’ve also been doing a content marketing course, which prompted me to gain further understanding about what information nonfiction authors look for. Then I realised that there is no such thing as a typical author. There are many reasons to write a book and just as many reasons to build a personal brand. This branding and values exercises is valuable. It had me thinking about things like: how does my personal brand portray me? How can someone create an authentic vibe?  What puts people off… and what do they really want to know about my background/values? Amy Green recently wrote in SmartCompany that personal branding is: “How you are recognised and remembered. It is the art of bringing together your strengths, skills and your true essence, then…
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5 Ways to Use Videos to Promote Books
Book Marketing

5 Ways to Use Videos to Promote Your Books

Book promotions can be daunting. It’s an area that new authors generally avoid, mainly because they don’t know how to do it. Some say that writing a book is way easier than promoting it! With video promotions, you can reach more people. Promotional videos are one of the most impactful things you as an author can do to promote your books. Why? Because interesting videos outperform other traditional forms of book marketing. In fact, on social media, videos get 10 times more engagement and reach than sharing images and links. Consumers are watching more video content online than ever, whether that’s book promos, product demonstrations or tool explanations. YouTube has become the biggest search engine for “how to” information. Now, coming to the different ways you can use videos for promoting your book, they are: 1. Book Trailers Just understand…
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Audience of One Book Review
Book reviews

An Audience of One – Book Review

I’ve long been fascinated by the subject of 1:1 marketing – often talked about in Marketing Magazine in the 1990s. One-to-one marketing is the concept of remembering your audience is just one person, and so companies personalise advertising and marketing to the individual. In the 2021 book An Audience of One, recognised marketing experts Jamie Turner and Chuck Moxley reveal the secrets to implementing a strategy that allows a company to use important data to market to them. Naturally, this also means respecting consumers’ privacy concerns. “In its simplest form, 1:1 marketing means engaging with prospects and customers using a one-to-one, personalised approach based on who they are, how they think, what they purchase, what their interests are, where they go, and how they prefer to be communicated with.” – Jamie Turner and Chuck Moxley Its structure is detailed explanations, real-life…
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Thinkific vs Memberpress comparison
Course Content

A Thinkific Vs. MemberPress Comparison

This is my shoestringer’s guide: a Thinkific vs. Memberpress comparison review. By January 2022, I realised that my book creation program as a membership was not as good as it could be. I had tried MemberPress – a WordPress paid plugin – for two years. I had set up loads of pages, 40 rules and umpteen emails, but if Memberpress did not guide the student through the materials, even with a hyperlink table of contents, it wasn’t ever going to be ideal. I was, of course, loathe to set it all up again, but after doing the Thinkific Fast Track course for free, I realised it was a simpler tool to use AND a much smoother experience for my students. Plus, I am now an affiliate of Thinkific, so if you click the link here, I would get a commission…
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writing books - actor-observer bias
Book Writing

How to Choose the Type of Book to Write

Do you have the desire to create and share your ideas but not the know-how of writing a book?  Take a peek over my shoulder as I step through the process of choosing a type (or model) of book to write. Starting out There are already millions of books published and available on Amazon, so here is a question: what is the one thing that none of them already have? Answer:  Your experience and your writer’s voice. Types of Books: Choosing the Best Model Breaking down complex and dry topics, a good writer draws out the ideas for their reader to digest. This is best done with a particular model. Tips Book Tips books can be good if prefaced with a note on why you need these tips and how to use the content. Power Marketing was in this style,…
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