Authors invest a great deal of time and money in marketing their book. And they should. But what they often don’t do is track all of their marketing efforts to really figure out which ones are working and which ones are duds.
Some authors prefer to turn to traditional marketing techniques, like:
- Press releases
- Book signings
- Media appearances
Others are soooo 21st century and will focus all their time and efforts on:
- GoodReads
- Blogs/Podcasts
But how do you know which of these techniques will work best for you? Or which combination of the two will hit the sweet spot?
Here’s how to make sure that you’re investing in what’s working. A hat-tip to Judy Cullins of BookCoaching.com on some of these ideas.
- Keep close tabs on your investments. Start a spreadsheet and make a list of all your marketing initiatives, how much they cost, and how much time you invested in each one. Make special notes next to the ones that you’ve enjoyed doing and/or ones that led to sales. After about six months, review the list and determine which items have been worth the time and which have been worth the money. The ones that don’t qualify as either? Cross them off forever!
- Keep an open mind. Scour the web (especially message boards and groups of writers) and see what other people are doing. Don’t be afraid to steal other people’s ideas. From author websites to social networking and reaching out to bloggers, there are a million ideas out there, so don’t shy away from any of them.
- Think like your audience. Put yourself in the position of a potential reader. What kind of websites would you be perusing? Where would you be looking for your next good read? Whose opinions would you respect when it comes to books? By starting at the end game and working backwards, you’ll have a distinct advantage over other authors.
How do you determine which of your marketing efforts are working? Share your ideas with us!