When my first book was published, there was no such thing as online viral marketing, social media marketing or the Internet, as we know it today. It simply didn’t exist.
Getting the word out about your books was costly and, oftentimes, not very effective.
Authors often went unnoticed, simply because they didn’t have the knowledge or financial resources to do effective marketing campaigns.
Fast forward to today. The marketing playing field has been leveled. Now virtually anyone can gain massive visibility for his or her work.
Whether it be books, teleseminars, webinars or live events, opportunities for authors are limited merely by one’s desire to put the effort into spreading the word about what you have to offer.
Enter viral marketing
Viral marketing is a method of Internet marketing that attempts to make content so interesting that viewers will pass blog posts, videos, images and social media posts along to others.
More than ever, stars are born based on uniqueness of content posted online. A book can go from a virtual unknown to bestseller status in record time through the power of viral marketing.
However, it does take work. Lest you think no effort is involved with the process, think again.
The obvious work is in the writing and publishing of the book. Then there’s the actual marketing followed by consistent effort.
Community of Raving Fans
Consider what opportunities the book can create such as building a list of raving fans, opening doors for speaking gigs, consultation contracts and the obvious, the revenues to book can generate. Then there are the media opportunities.
The benefit to a viral marketing is unparalleled due to their work being viewed by potentially millions of eyeballs.
Many authors have not thought through the process of where their works can be viewed other than the obvious, Amazon.
Smart authors are well served to take the viral power of the internet into their own hands. This doesn’t mean the author must do all the work themselves.
There are countless choices of virtual assistants, support teams and other individuals who specialize in aspects of online marketing. Whether it be someone to post your information on social media, help with video marketing or secure interviews for you, the author, when done right, you can focus on your writing, while someone on your team does the push marketing.
Even one mention online has the potential to gain traction in many locations such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, YouTube and a raving fan’s blog.
Checklists Make The Process Easier
The best thing to do is have an actual checklist of what needs to be done every time you want to proactively market your work. Click the image of the Book Accelerator list for immediate, no opt-in access.
What you see below is a great place to start your viral marketing process. To have something this simple is better than having nothing. You can get more elaborate as you get more comfortable with the process of doing all you can to get on the viral train.
- Blog post
- Slideshare
- Google+
- YouTube Video
In the past, authors had to depend on limited avenues to get their work out. Today, it’s merely a matter of focus, commitment and proudly saying to the world: “Hey, I’ve got some creative content here. Listen (look) up. You’re going to love this.”
Are you willing to put the effort into your content going viral? If so, it’s never been a better time to do so.
Very interesting. Thinking back when no social media, or even computer for that matter, things must have be so different for your book writing. Do you find you are getting more sales and contacts from sharing to your social media sites and is it making things more productive for you?
Great question Martha. If done right, social media can be amazing in an author’s platform. I do find it is easier to market today than in the past and yes, more books can be sold with a solid plan using social media. A solid plan is more than a few tweets and FB wall postings here and there. It’s about thinking of the journey you want to take the potential buyer on. Focus is the name of the game.
We all need to employ techniques to “get the word out”. The real problem is discerning what message sparks the epidemic from the ones that tickle a few fancies.
So very true Roy. The longer we do this thing called “marketing” the more likely it is that we do something we were sure would hit the target, but we miss by a landslide. When this happens, we need to pick ourselves up, dust off, evaluate what we did and adjust accordingly.
Hi, Kathleen. I’m loving your series this month. I recall buying your book on Amazon a while ago. I even joined your FB group. But, wasn’t a regular visitor until this challenge. I’m hooked. 😉
I was listening to a podcast this morning and the host (also an author) is about to release another book.
She’s popular in the Christian and Homeschooling world so she put a request out to her listeners (and I’m sure her email list).
She wants people to join her launch party.
These people will share her book, some will host interviews, others will have her as a podcast guest, etc.
I thought of you while listening.
Have you ever heard of a launch party?
Yes, launch parties are a great idea. I’ve been involved in several over the years. As with anything, preparation is key. With the release of my memoir in 2018, we are starting the prep for the launch now. There’s a lot of work that goes into a successful launch. It’s never too early to start the foundation prep.
p.s. Thanks for being “hooked!” Appreciate it. 🙂