Marketing whiz Judy Cullins wrote this outstanding post about making social media pay, and I’m delighted that she’s letting me share it with you.
Most people want to know what do first, second, third, and the rest… These steps are based on my seminars, books, and my own social media successes that include 3 interview joint ventures this month, through which I can
- reach new audiences
- create bigger sales for my newly launched affiliate program for more than 15 products and books on writing and marketing
- vastly increase the number of active members in my groups
- generate just enough book and coaching sales to make me content
Step One. Revitalize and update your website.
That means add a Word Press blog to it. Three months after I did 2 or more blog posts, my website’s ranking soared in Google and in Alexa.com (lower scores are
better). It means optimizing your site frequently, each 3-6 months, with new long tail key words. It means creating a short sales letter for every book or
service you want to market.
Step Two. Make a social media marketing plan.
It should include your money goals, your strategies, your promotion actions, and yes, a schedule to make it all come true.
Step Three. Know where to start. Twitter, FB or LinkedIn?
I’m glad I made most of my mistakes early on in Twitter, such as wasting time and money to get a lot of followers. No more. The better way is not collect followers, fans, or contacts. If you are starting out, join Twitter. Then follow only those professionals who can give you solid marketing information. Forget the masses who may not even want your information. Develop a
relationship with the ones who have gone before you.
Step Four. Join Facebook and get your message out.
Two ways: Write a Welcome page sharing what you can give your fans. Include a short back story to brand yourself, your business and your books. Include your
most popular books with links to your site where you sell them. I’m updating mine this week! Create a fan page where you can share your blog URLs and
interact with your fans. The names change, but this is the page where you shine. Add new graphics–a book cover, your website, or your own group at
LinkedIn or Face book or Twitter. Put Judy Cullins into the search bars on any of these places to see this marketing in action.
Step Five. Join Linkedin and see your book and service sales increase 5-fold.
Most people join, put up a bare bones profile, then stagnate because they don’t know what or how to do it. Establish a name for yourself by joining appropriate groups–the ones you can network in and the ones in your non-fiction niche or fiction genre. Read eBooks on LinkedIn Marketing or Monetizing your LinkedIn Profile. Take a seminar to figure how to get more
visibility, credibility, and trust from your target audience.
Step Six. Integrate all of your social media to serve you best.
When I added my Word Press blog to my business website, in three months, my targeted monthly traffic went from 2000 to over 4500 a month to my site. These numbers keep going up. My audience comes mostly from LinkedIn, actually LinkedIn is my 2nd source of traffic behind my website URL because I’m consistent and follow my plan with scheduled writing days alternated with commenting days. My time investment? About an hour a day, since I found out how well this method works.
Step Seven. Stay consistent and give regular tips in the group discussions where you can.
Ask a “stupid” question too to get interactions. Add new groups to network in. And drop those with small numbers or who aren’t active. Why waste a minute on the unlikely audiences who aren’t into your work, your information or your personality? Establish yourself as a thought leader.
Form your own LinkedIn group. Spread your ideas. When you build a successful community, your members of the community itself will do the work required to grow the site, generate content and expand your business further. For example, my writing and marketing group grew from 50 2 years ago to more than 2400 as of July 2011. How did that happen? I followed these steps, have a knack for seeing opportunities online, and I know how to write powerful promotion copy. These insights, strategies, and actions are what I show
my coaching clients in a 30-minute strategy phone session with my “Walk About” for each social media venue.
For more information about Judy’s resources, see http://www.bookcoaching.com/judy-cullins-products.php
===============
Book Coach Judy Cullins helps you transform your book idea into a helpful, entertaining, and engaging book. Now you can get far more visibility and credibility for your business. Author of 13 business books include “How to Write your eBook or Other Short Book-Fast!,” and “LinkedIn Marketing: 8 Best Tactics to Build Book and Business Sales.”
Get fresh, useful free weekly publications on book writing, self publishing, and online marketing at http://www.bookcoaching.com/help-writing-a-book.php
===============
judycullins@cox.net
619/466-0622
The goal of the blog is to help us both understand what we need to know about writing, publishing, promotion, and agents. I hope you find it worth reading and sharing.
Rants, comments, questions, and corrections greatly appreciated.
The 9th San Francisco Writers Conference / A Celebration of Craft, Commerce & Community / February 16-20, 2012 / www.sfwriters.org / sfwriterscon@aol.com / http://sfwriters.org/blog / @SFWC / www.facebook.com/SanFranciscoWritersConference / 415-673-0939 / 1029 Jones Street / San Francisco, 94109 / San Francisco Writers University / Where Writers Meet and You Learn / Laurie McLean, Dean / free classes / www.sfwritersu.com / sfwritersu@gmail.com / @SFWritersU
[Please excuse the formatting anomalies which are not in the draft.]
Michael Larsen is a literary agent and consultant to nonfiction writers. He and his partner Elizabeth Pomada are co-directors of the San Francisco Writers Conference and the San Francisco Writing for Change Conference.
