Digital Marketers can be catastrophic for business

Digital Marketers can be Catastrophic for Business

I was reading ‘Inside Small Business’ on Sunday 🤓 and it said, “One in three small business owners who outsourced marketing ended up in a dispute with their provider.” Even more worrying, “Only three in ten small business owners are sticking with a digital marketer for more than a year.” (70% change, in other words) This is disastrous for business momentum and ROI. If you’re a micro business or launching author, it can spell catastrophe. The study was conducted by the University of the Sunshine Coast and supported by the Australian Family & Small Business Ombudsman. The article made comment that one of the reasons is due to a lack of fit between business needs and the agency’s skillset. Some might be great at digital ads but not have a storyteller and brand expert on board, so the ads don’t…
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marketing and media planning for how to books
Book Marketing

Where to Start with Marketing & Media Planning for How-To or Self-Growth Books

We all start with marketing somewhere, and I was a floundering beginner for many years. My first attempt: digital printing to self-publish a book in 1996. Called The Total Image Manual, I sold it through flyers to business boxes and a very expensive print ad. Zero cachet. Thankfully, things have gotten less risky in the book marketing game and now we can leverage a personal brand and get free press coverage. Actioning a Marketing & Media Plan You may already realise that taking a book to market is one of the hardest parts of being an author. It is hard to both plan the right tactics for you (tailored to your strengths) and confidently carry out those promotion tactics, week after week. It brings out our inner imposter or might make us feel like a used-car salesman. If you’re feeling…
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marketing strategies for small publishers

Deep Dive into Micro-Publisher Marketing Strategies: A Focus on Niche Platforms

This post will utilise my knowledge of marketing to guide you to create a sustainable content marketing plan tailored for author-publishers. Are you experiencing the core challenges of running an indie/micro publisher:  limited time, limited budget, and the need for high-impact, long-lasting content? Some muck about on Instagram, even when they are not connecting at a heart level on there. If you don’t have a plan, you’re not going to keep up momentum and gain a niche audience. So I’ve mocked up a Content Plan to tweak below. Plus, always remember that comments are key to any social media. Make the most of groups by having your books in a banner and mention of authoring in your bio (INCLUDING ON YOUR FACEBOOK PROFILE!) 30-Day Content Marketing Outline: Niche Platforms for Indies This plan focuses on creating a single, high-value piece…
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A Weekly Marketing Club for authors

It’s All About You: A Weekly Marketing Club

Weekly Marketing Club is my new initiative that is free… for now! These live Facebook videos aim to reach those authors new to marketing where they are and take them, one step at a time, towards confidence in promotional activity. Though it could have been one of my overthought affairs, luckily a talk at by Tzara Attwater prompted me to address the fear and just get started! You may be thinking: but I don’t want to give away my insights. Reading top books has taught me: we all must give first to our ideal audience–before we ask for a sale. The foundation for any marketing is our personal brand and those teachings on our topic. No hiding behind pot-plants or blending in with ChatGPT-produced social media content. Inspirational resources for this include Seth Godin’s Purple Cow or for the business-minded,…
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how newsletters sell books and services

How Newsletters Sell both Books and Services

Why are Author Newsletters a Low Hanging Fruit? (An extract from my Micro Publisher book) When building any information-based business, influencing new readers is all part of the process… and we don’t do that overnight. Monthly newsletters make this super simple. Rather than solely worrying over promos – what new campaign to offer your email list – you set up a systematic schedule of writing and emailing a newsletter. The beauty is, anything you put into a blog can be transferred to a newsletter, either with RSS setup or simply copying the details and headings. I would suggest putting as much real and actionable content into your newsletter as possible and don’t rely on ‘read more’ links. Over time, my list shows that 2-3% click the read more link, so I switched to one long article and one promotion of…
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Rewrite a book blurb
Book Marketing

Re-Write of a Book Blurb

Occasionally I like to re-write a book blurb because it’s leaving so much unsaid. When writing a non-fiction book blurb especially, we need to focus on the specific group of end readers and what problems they want solved. How does the material match those problems? How can their dreams be helped on track by these pearls of wisdom? Let’s see how it works in this example (re-write is below the original). ORIGINAL: “How to be a Six-Star Business” (2021) Share the stories, inspiration, and genius of 22 entrepreneurs from around the world who provide insights and action steps to go BEYOND the every day in your business. Discover the 3 pillars and 9 principles that will make your business 6 Star as you continually strive to do and be better connect your heart to your purpose and join the 6…
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