The Next Level in Online Marketing - Web 2.0

The Next Level of Online Marketing - Web 2.0 This workshop was created for BWChristianLit and presented August 21st – 22nd, 2008. Visit the blog at http://bwchristianlit.blogspot.com for the full month of marketing workshops. I am your host Tyora Moody and I’m thrilled to be able to share this workshop with you. Now I am a computer nerd, so I hope NOT to overwhelm you, but that you will walk away with good information. I have the unique position of being a web developer (almost ten years) and a writer. While this workshop was created for authors and writers, anyone can use the principles included. If you have questions (or if you see errors), feel free to email me at webmaster@tywebbin.com. Visit us online at www.Tywebbin.com. Workshop Outline Marketing Options What is Web 2.0? Social Media Platforms Authors and Writers Should Explore So, What Do I Need on My Web site? Your Online Presence. Go for it! About the Presenter 2 5 7 13 17 18 2 Marketing Options Who better to tell about your book then you? I want you to keep that in mind whether your book is published through traditional means or self-published. If your book is contracted with a traditional publisher, they will do some marketing for you, but they will expect you to push your book too. Many publishers will ask for marketing plans as a part of the proposal. If you choose to self-publish your book, understanding marketing is even more important to you. Being aware of the various marketing tactics, new and old, will benefit you either route you take on the road to publication. Traditional Marketing Methods ARE Still Important Now let me be clear, while I work from the online part of an author’s brand, I must emphasize traditional marketing methods should still be a part of your budget. Many of the Web 2.0 platforms I will introduce today are FREE, but DO NOT solely depend on these platforms to market your book. My main goal is to educate you on where the Internet is going since more and more people are online thanks to high-speed access. Personally, I rarely watch TV or even read magazines, so most of the information I receive about book releases and upcoming author events are from online marketing. Now know one can be on the computer 24 hours a day. When you meet potential readers in person (salon, your child’s school, church, grocery store, etc), you definitely need to consider having business cards, bookmarks, postcards, and other print materials are definite line items in your budget. Research your local print shop or online places like VistaPrint.com for pricing. You probably don't need to order more than 250 at a time which is usually the minimum amount. Make adjustments as you go along. PLEASE don’t create print materials from your personal printer. Invest money in materials that showcase your book cover and your photo professionally. Online Marketing Methods – For Starters The first thing you need for online marketing, which I hope you should know by now, is a Web site. Recently on his blog, literary agent Terry Whalin mentioned, “Several years ago, it was OK for an author not to have a website. In fact, there was a great deal of skepticism about anything online and whether it was true or not … in today's publishing climate, the Internet is often the first place that people turn for information about anything and anyone.” Read the full article Why Author’s Need a Web Presence It doesn't matter how you obtain a Web site. You can design it yourself (if you have the creative and graphic skills) or choose to hire someone. If you choose to do it yourself, keep it professional. Later, in this workshop, I will share some no, no’s when it comes to building a Web site. If you hire someone, compare prices. I purposely keep my prices at Tywebbin Creations for people on a budget. 3 DO plan to include two line items in your budget. For a Web site, you need a domain name and webhosting. If you do not currently have a domain name, go to godaddy.com (or another inexpensive company). When you find the name that you desire, purchase the name immediately to make sure you have in your possession. The second thing that most people don’t seem to be aware of is Webhosting. This is just as important as the domain name. Webhosting is basically renting space online for your Web site files to sit for the whole world to see. You can purchase both the domain name and webhosting at the same time on godaddy.com. There are web design companies that will take care of all of this for you, but it’s always a good idea to understand what you are purchasing and why. I always prefer clients to purchase these items on their own. You can also be sure that you are the “owner” of your domain name too, which is very important. Remember your online presence begins with your Web site. Online Advertising In the age of text-messaging, email is still the dominant form of online communication for adults. I will show you some statistics from a recent survey later in this presentation about adults and their online activities. NEWSLETTERS (HTML EMAIL): If you have the time, definitely consider starting a newsletter or mailing list. You can keep readers updated with your new book releases, speaking or book signing events. Here are a few popular newsletter companies to explore: • • • • campaigner.com constantcontact.com getresponse.com icontact.com • • • • myemma.com mynewsletterbuilder.com streamsend.com ymlp.com EBLASTS: As you grow your personal mailing list, you may want to consider hiring online publicists that concentrate on sending eblasts or ecards. There are quite a few dynamic public relations firms like Ministry Marketing Solutions, Good Girl Book Club Online, TheGRITS.com, etc. These companies have hundreds, in some cases thousands of subscribers. If you can afford these services definitely consider having a professional eblast created by a graphic designer. 4 BANNER ADS: Some popular Web sites offer ad space in the form of banner ads. Definitely ask these sites if they can provide statistical reports or be sure to add Google Analytics (or some type of stats system) to your Web site so you can monitor your hits and inbound sources (where people are coming from to get to your site). Here are some standard sizes for banner ads you should keep in mind http://www.bannercreator.nu/banner-size.html OTHER: Don’t forget about press releases and media kits (usually you post these on your Web site). You never know who may be seeking information about you – so make sure you “sell” your image to potential media outlets. Sample Media Kits: http://pamelasamuelsyoung.com/content/presskit.html http://www.tiamccollors.com/content/mediakit.html 5 What is Web 2.0? Wikipedia says … Web 2.0 is a term which describes the trend in the use of World Wide Web technology and web design that aims to enhance creativity, information sharing, and, most notably, collaboration among users. These concepts have led to the development and evolution of web-based communities and hosted services, such as social-networking sites, wikis, blogs, and folksonomies. For more information, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2.0 Another term for you … Social media is an umbrella term that defines the various activities that integrate technology, social interaction, and the construction of words, pictures, videos and audio. This interaction, and the manner in which information is presented, depends on the varied perspectives and "building" of shared meaning among communities, as people share their stories, and understandings. Did You Know 50% of U.S. Adults Use Social Media? • • • Are you text messaging? Have you started a blog? How many social networks have you joined this year? These are some questions to consider as you explore nontraditional marketing ideas. Sarah Perez of ReadWriteWeb reported the latest findings from Universal McCann’s "Media in Mind" study, which is an ongoing research effort that analyzes how consumers relate to media and products in their daily life. This particular study includes text messaging, blogging and social networking as the three main technologies used by 50% of U.S. adults for communication purposes. Some other key findings: • • • • 1 out of 10 U.S. adults now publish blogs (up from 5% last year) 1 out of 5 18-34-year olds publish blogs (up from 10% last year) 22% of U.S. adults use IM (up from 9% last year) 21% of 18-34-year olds use IM (up from 14% last year) Read more about the study findings at ReadWriteWeb or Marketing Vox. The purpose of showing you these statistics is so you are aware of the changing internet. It’s more than just having a Web site these days. People want to connect to each other. Now text message is probably more for young people, and not very effective for marketing 6 since this is a small circle of people like family and friends. I do want to talk a little more about blogging and social networks. Let’s talk a little about relationship building. Relationship Building All you have to do is look at entertainment shows and magazines to see how hungry people are to relate to someone. This presentation is being presented through a Christian writer’s group and I’m a Christian writer. Christian writers have been gifted to spread the Gospel in a unique way especially if you're writing Christian fiction. Why not spend time beyond the pages of your book to meet people and build relationships? Let's look at some social media platforms that may benefit you as an author and “minister” of the gospel. I’m not talking merely about making profits, but building a readership that will recognize YOUR NAME/YOUR BRAND. Even more importantly the person behind the characters, book covers, blurbs, etc 7 Social Media Platforms Authors and Writers Should Explore Let’s Explore … Blogging Watch this video by The CommonCraft Show. What is a blog? http://www.tywebbin.com/next/2007/11/what-is-a-blog/ Popular platforms: blogger.com, wordpress.com or wordpress.org (self-hosted), typepad.com (pay) Many authors will use blogs to help other writers by posting about their personal publishing journey. Angela Benson, author of Up Pops the Devil is a perfect example. http://www.angelabenson.com (self-hosted wordpress) If you have a certain niche or topic that you write about in your books, you can use this a jump off point for creating a blog. A good example of this is Linda Leigh Hargrove and her 17seeds.com blog where she talks about racial reconciliation. This is a topic also found in her Christian Fiction books, The Making of Isaac Hunt and Loving Cee Cee Johnson. http://www.llhargrove.com/ (self-hosted wordpress) Notice how both authors incorporated their blog with their regular author Web site. Okay, so suppose you are not published yet. IT’S NEVER TOO EARLY TOO MARKET! I would still encourage you to set-up a blog as starters. Two author friends that I know developed a “following” online BEFORE they were published. 8 Camy Tang (blogger.com) Read Camy’s publication testimony at http://camys-loft.blogspot.com/2006/03/i-gotcontract.html. She also gives back to other writers, with an excellent blog for writers called Story Sensei. Claudia Mair Burney (blogger.com) Claudia’s, Ragamuffin Diva blog has since been retired and she’s moved to another blog. Her story is a rare, but beautiful story of being discovered through her blog. SO, IT’S NEVER TOO EARLY TOO MARKET or at least get your name out there as you network and learn more about the industry. HOW TO KEEP PEOPLE COMING BACK: People do get busy, so even if they have your blog bookmarked, they might not always remember to visit. That’s where RSS Feeds and feed aggregators, like Google Reader and Bloglines can help. I could go into more details about how you use RSS feeds to keep people updated, but that could take a whole other seminar. Keep in mind if you don’t want to put together a newsletter, you can use services like Feedblitz.com or Feedburner.com to send your blog posts out to people via email. Remember email is still the major form of online communication for most adults. 9 Let’s Explore … Micro-blogging Popular platforms: twitter.com, pownce.com, plurk.com By you may have heard about the phenomenon Twitter. This is another form of blogging known as micro-blogging Users are only allowed to post 140 characters at a time. So if you're not into creating a full-blown blog, you might like twitter. Don’t knock it until you try it. I think I had a twitter account for months before I decided to really check it out. Most people that I know, once you get started, it’s a whole lot of fun – and easy! http://www.tyoramoody.com / http://www.twitter.com/cookieaisle Your twitter feed can easily be posted to your website so that people can check what you have been saying on twitter. If you click on TyoraMoody.com, you can see where I have the twitter feed included in the right sidebar. Twitter is the best when it comes to networking. You can follow other people and if people like what you are saying, they will follow you. Sounds a bit like stalking I know, but really just try it. You can control who follows you, by blocking unwanted persons. If an author has posted an excerpt for their upcoming book release to their Web site, you can draw traffic to your site by posting a twitter announcement. I can definitely tell you from my Google Analytics reports I have seen an increase in traffic to my site any time I post a URL of interest to followers. 10 Let’s Explore … Social Networking Watch this video by The CommonCraft Show. What is Social Networking? http://www.tywebbin.com/next/2007/06/what-is-social-networking/ There are so many social networks these days. You really have to check them out for yourself to see what you really like and are comfortable joining. The KEY is to find one you enjoy, participate and network. Popular platforms: myspace.com, facebook.com, ning.com http://www.myspace.com/marilynngriffith Marilynn Griffith did a great job on her myspace page. The design (which you can find tons of online – you just need patience to wade through some really ugly ones – LOL!) really matches her book cover for her latest release, Rhythms of Grace. If you are going to start a MySpace page, you don’t have to stay on there all the time, because some of that stuff isn’t healthy for you – but spend some time updating your page or ask for assistance. Request friendships from time to time, send bulletins or add a blog post. I think authors should definitely consider having one. Now some social networks authors and writers might really like are shelfari.com, goodreads.com and shoutlife.com. These sites are great for meeting bookworms and other authors. Remember I talked about relationship building earlier. You can find a great support system willing to help you promote your book – using that word of mouth art form that has been around for years and years. Angela Benson is using the Shelfari group feature for her book release, Up Pops the Devil. http://www.shelfari.com/groups/26726/about. She had 116 members at the date this workshop was prepared. Can you see the possibilities? 11 Let’s Explore … Video-Based Social Media Popular platforms: youtube.com, vimeo.com, Godtube.com, 12seconds.tv You might think of Youtube.com as a place where people post silly videos. If you have the time and the skill (or you can budget for this) create a book trailer. Most PC’s come with Window Movie Maker on it and Macs have a great selection of editing tools for videos. The cool thing about Youtube or GodTube, you can take the embed code for your video and add it to your Web site. So you don’t necessarily have to draw traffic to Youtube, but you can still bring readers or future readers to your Web site. Check out Linda Leigh Hargrove’s site again to check out her great movie trailers. http://www.llhargrove.com/ If you want to experiment with making a movie trailer, here is a Web site I ran across a few weeks ago. I bookmarked it myself and plan to try it out. http://animoto.com/ Some book trailers Web sites you might want to explore for ideas: • • • http://www.bhpublishinggroup.com/fiction/index.asp http://www.bookvideos.tv/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_rX2Io4RjQ (unique video, very creative) Let’s Explore … Audio-Based Social Media Popular platforms: blogtalkRadio.com, utterz.com You don’t necessarily have to start your own podcast or radio show, but if your platform calls for it, go for it! There are sources out there for you to get started. All you need is an account, and an assigned phone number. Like the videos, these sites provide embed codes so your audio files can be included on your site. You definitely want to consider being a guest on someone’s show as a part of your promotional tour. Some online radio shows you might want to check out are: APOOO, Black Authors Network, Abundant Solution, On the Air with TheGRITS.com, and Ministry Marketing Solutions 12 I Want To Produce an Online Show If you have the platform and you are interested in starting your own podcast or online show, here are some places that charge monthly fees. In some cases, these places also let you create vidcasts (Videobased podcasts) • • • Hipcast.com AcrobatAudio.com Podbeans.com Now do you really have to try all of these social media platforms? No, but you should explore different types to find out what works for you. Stay active in your favorite community whether it’s around your personal blog or on a social networking site. The key to social media or Web 2.0, it should compliment your Web site, where your main online presence is located. Plus promotion should be more than posting announcements or PR releases. This is the time to get out there to meet your readers and let them meet you. Social media allows you to connect to people you might never meet in person. When a person has an experience with you, hopefully a good one AND then enjoy reading your books, you’ve created an INFLUENCER. Someone who will blab their mouth to others about your book. Ah hah! Now that’s marketing you can use! Personally, I love blogging and twitter. I do plan on trying the audio format and definitely a book trailer. What are you going to try? We’ll talk more about how to get you started later. 13 So, What Do I Need on My Web site? 1. Domain name and web hosting Like I said yesterday, there are two things you need to get started on a Web site. 1) You need to budget for a domain name and Webhosting. The domain name is usually yourname.com. For branding purposes, it’s always best to use your name unless you are writing under a pen name. There are other extensions like “.net”, “.tv”, “.us”, etc, but most people recognize “.com” as a company and you are in a sense a company or a brand. When you do a domain name research, sometimes the name you want may be taken so it’s good to have a list of alternatives. For example, author Monique Miller wanted moniquemiller.com for her domain name, but it was already taken. She opted for authormoniquemiller.com. As you explore domain names think about whether people will have a hard time spelling your name or if someone shares your name. Author Tia McCollors ran into this issue and use 14 not only TiaMcCollors.com, but also TiaWrites.com. Both domain names are directed to her author Web site. If you decide to use a free Web site service like say Blogger.com, I recommend at least purchasing the domain so readers can find you. (Ex. RhondaMcKnight.net). Rhonda is doing an excellent job of marketing her name in preparation for her 2009 book release with Urban Christian. A NOTE ABOUT BLOGS - Most sites now are run on a blogging system, so I don’t object to people using blogs for their Web sites. I’m actually encouraging people to go this route more and more. I would like to recommend that you consider Typepad.com (pay) or Wordpress.com (free) instead of Blogger.com. It’s a lot easier, especially with Wordpress to make your Web site appear to resemble normal Web sites. Plus if you use the combination of Wordpress and your own webhosting, the customization you can do is truly mind-blowing and fun! 2. Elements needed for a Web site Here are a few websites to take a look at: sharonewellfoster.com, tiamccollars.com, stacyhawksinsadams.com and pamelasamuelsyoung.com. Some of the common elements or the basics: Home: A homepage is the landing site for your website. First impressions count. Your latest book release should be a focal point when visitors enter your site. A lot of authors still want you to be aware of their other books so they will probably still use those books on the page. Bio/About the Author: It’s up to you how much information you want to include. Definitely not TOO MUCH PERSONAL INFO. It’s the internet and you still have to use commons sense. Books: Always if possible include a description, post an excerpt and have links available for Amazon, BN, etc. If you are selling the book, you might want to look into getting a PayPal account. Tour dates or calendar: This is a must. Include your book signings. Any conferences where you will be speaking? Are you going to be a guest blogger somewhere? Let folks know where to find you. Are you going to be on television, radio, participating in a podcast? The key with a calendar – keep it updated. Contact Page: I recommend getting a gmail or yahoo account. Keep it separate from your 15 personal email if you can. Spammers can easily grab or harvest your email address from your Web site. Yahoo and Gmail do pretty good jobs of catching spam. What are you offering? Some authors their speaking topics, book reviews, or tips for aspiring writers. You may have a link to a blog. Remember what we talked about yesterday. Online marketing includes relationship building. If you have the time and expertise, consider how you can expand your site to meet a need or offer a service. DO NOT put or request irritating things on the site that will drive visitors away like … • • • • • • flash intros with no skip – preferably no intro at all especially if you want repeat visitors music that loads as soon as the visitor enters the page huge graphics with large file sizes – yes some people still use dial-up blinking animations large fonts clashing colors schemes I could go on … but you get the idea. ☺ 3. Branding – Your name is the brand Whenever I sit down to create a mock-up for a site I always start with colors. I like to get a feel for a person so his or her personality shines through their brand. Whatever colors, logos, fonts, etc that you use for your Web site, keep the same concept as you work on print materials and online promos like eblasts. Remember if you are a debut author or if there is a certain amount of time that has passed between your books, you have to teach people your name. Publishers spend a lot of time on creating the perfect book cover. Use those same techniques for marketing your brand. 4. Platform (Nonfiction) Many writers are speakers. Platform may be more important for nonfiction writers, but it's probably helpful for fiction writers as well. Do you talk about domestic violence, cancer, parenting, divorce, etc in your fiction or nonfiction book? There is a possibility you can speak as an expert on this topic at a conference, on a radio show or on television. You can at least write articles for print or online publications. Web sites to check out: gillistripplet.com, marriagesuccess.org, toniaspeaks.com 16 5. Audience You need to know your audience. CamillePeay.com. Camille’s YA book, Brittani, is marketed to young adult females. So, when we talked about her Web site, she wanted something not too cute, but would appeal to a young girl. When you are talking to a web designer or if you are searching for a template, think about your audience. Do you want something that attracts a younger audience? If you write suspense, shouldn’t you think about darker colors versus pastels (even if you really like pastels)? Plan for the future. KellyStarlingLyons.com. Children's book author, Kelly Starling Lyons, has mainly written children's books, but when it came time to put together a Web site, she wanted to make sure it would appeal to young adults as well since she’s planning to write for a YA audience. If you are going to write for more than one type of audience, you may have to think about branding yourself two different ways. Several authors who write adult books, have separate Web sites for their YA books. Example: Adult Fiction - http://www.victoriachristophermurray.com YA Fiction - http://www.thedivinedivas.com 17 Your Online Presence. Go for it! We talked about several forms of social media and we talked about some ideas to consider for your personal Web site. Mind if I leave you a little homework assignment. ☺ It’s the teacher in me. Choose a social media platform that you have not tried yet. Here are a few below that I covered in this workshop. 1. Set up a blog. Free accounts are available at Blogger.com and WordPress.com. Setup a schedule that works for you. Plan to blog for a month, maybe once or twice a week. Think about a topic you are passionate about and dive in. 2. Set up a Twitter account. Start following people. Here are a few familiar faces to get you started: o Barack Obama – www.twitter.com/BarackObama (he will follow you back – really!!) Dee Stewart of Christian Fiction Blog - www.twitter.com/deegospel Marlive Harris / TheGRITS.com – www.twitter.com/thegritsdotcom Carla Nix – www.twitter.com/passion4life Pam Perry – www.twitter.com/pamperry Tyora Moody - www.twitter.com/cookieaisle o o o o o 3. Setup up a MySpace page (or try another social networks.) Shoutlife (great community for authors) http://www.shoutlife.com Pam Perry of Ministry Marketing Solutions started one especially for authors. http://chocolatepagesnetwork.com/ Book Marketing Network http://bookmarket.ning.com 4. Create a book trailer. Post to Youtube.com or Godtube.com. It doesn't have to be a published book. 5. Set up an account with Snapvine.com or Utterz.com. Record a message by phone. If you want to jump into your own radio show, sign up for www.Blogtalkradio.com. 18 ABOUT THE PRESENTER Tyora Moody has worked as a web developer for almost ten years. She started Tywebbin Creations in 2000. She has designed Web sites for Sharon Ewell Foster, Sherri Lewis, Tia McCollors and a host of others authors. She is also a writer and a book reviewer. Writing and reading suspense is one of her favorite pastimes. You can follow her journey to publication at TyoraMoody.com. If you have questions (or if you see errors), feel free to email me at webmaster@tywebbin.com.