Branding & Marketing

More Ways of Marketing Your Book On Line

2009-11-22T07:39:00.012-05:00

This post was inspired by a very helpful comment posted by Teena Hughes of A Night in Paris in response to a post Branding & Marketing almost a year ago about: 7 Ways to Successfully Market Your Book Online.

I checked out her website and A Night in Paris looks like the ultimate guide to all things Paris and is really fun to read and expore. She's putting the finishing touches on her book "A Silk Adventure". Here are Teena's additional suggestions:

I do a lot of social networking with social media, and there are many ways to leverage your book. All of the examples above are fantastic, but I'd do one step forward on your own book's website.
allow people to leave comments, and reply as soon as you can
create a page for FAQs - what do people ask you most about your book? answer them on this page
keep adding pages to your book's website - don't leave it at Home page and Contact page - search engines will NEVER find you
write one or two info pages - per week - about different things in your book e.g. if it's travel book, focus on one idea per page
you're not giving away the contents of the book, but the internet is based on free info, so build up a rapport with your visitors by offering great info for free on your site
encourage people to sign up on each page of your site
create a PDF of 5-10 pages of your book - a 'taster' - give that away for all subscribers
post quizzes on your site about your topic to encourage interaction
build your mailing list by offering great tips (or focus on a chapter heading) once or twice a month as a newsletter
ask subscribers to tell you about their story (related to your book) and post them on your site
All of this creates additional content, and if you SEO your pages, the search engine robots will come by often to see what all the activity is about :-) Trust me, this one WORKS!
This may not be suitable for a book, but on one of my websites I give away a free gift each month, name drawn from the list of subscribers. The gift has a perceived value of $35, and because it's free, friends tell friends tell
friends.
This could be juicy tips as a PDF which is 'not in the book, not on the website, secret info only an insider would know" (for example).
Hope this helps someone, and thanks for all the great tips above!
Cheers, Teena!

Thanks Teena! These are great ideas!!!

Do you have a book that you're promoting on line? Many authors find out that once the writing is done, the work has just begun. The great thing about promoting online is that you can do so much of the work yourself. Sometimes it is difficult to know where to start.

Do you have a marketing plan for your book? Check out these helpful links:

Chris Brogan: Promoting your book online
Wiley Publishing White Paper: Marketing Your Book
Roger C. Parker: How to Promote Your Book on the Internet
Laura Ramirez: Book Marketing: Five Tips for Successful Online Book Promotion
Chris Brown (me!): Branding & Marketing: 7 Ways to Successfully Market Your Book Online

Network Marketing - The Power of a Great 30 Second Commercial

2009-10-30T06:25:00.004-04:00

I went to a networking event last night. Packed with people. Everyone had a name tag (that's a plus!) but most just had their name on it, not their company or affiliation. Now, I'm not a shy person, but there's definitely a shy factor that sneaks in when you don't know people and you've just come to meet "them."

Having a great 30 second commercial is part of getting more comfortable. The folks who could tell me what they do, without rattling it off so fast or using initials to explain (worse, using a word that is an anacronym of initials) or better, talked about a benefit to their customers, were the ones that I wanted to take a few minutes to get to know better.

Got me thinking about their marketing messages.

Have you worked on your 30 second commercial lately? Say it aloud now. Jot it down.

3 Tips to Create a Strong Marketing Message in Your 30 Second Commercial

Identify who you help and how you help them.
State the benefit to your customers
Make it repeatable so that the person you are telling could tell it to your potential customer again next week.

Does your 30 second commercial (or elevator speech) meet each of these criteria?

Marketing Programs Need to Be Planned Now for 2010

2009-10-27T16:58:00.002-04:00

Now is the time to create a 2010 marketing program for your business. Growth for your market share may be achievable in 2010 but only if you step up your marketing ahead of your competitors.

CEO confidence is on the rise. Economic indicators point to a recovery.

My Treadmill Desk: How to Burn More Calories While Marketing

2009-09-13T11:19:00.002-04:00

treadmill desk full view angle
Originally uploaded by cmcbrown

Here's the full view of my makeshift treadmill desk. "Dr. James Levine of the Mayo Clinic came up with the idea of a "Treadmill Desk". The idea is to slowly walk on a treadmill while working at a desk built around the treadmill...a Treadmill Desk.

Dr Levine's research revealed that on the average his subjects burned 100 extra calories every hour while walking slowly -- at 1 mile per hour -- than while sitting in a chair."

Check out more info here: Blogging on a Treadmill Desk

Athena International - Celebrating Leadership by Women

2007-10-04T06:20:00.002-04:00

The October issue of Inside Business features 11 women in Northeast Ohio who are making a difference in their community, providing opportunities to develop women leaders and achieving success in their professional life.

Athena International is an organization that supports developing and honoring women leaders, inspiring women to achieve their full potential and creating balance in leadership worldwide.

You can read more about Athena on my "Real Women, Real Careers" blog where I profiled Mary Ann Corrigan-Davis from Cleveland and Theresa Carter from Akron, the award recipients, for their outstanding service to the community, success in their career and leadership to women.

Click here for the full article that is posted online this month.

(PS. I'm the short one under the word Business...)

Don't miss the Women's International Leadership Summit in March 2009!

Too many stakeholders: Rebranding a University

2007-03-25T08:41:00.001-04:00

Andrew Careaga’s blog talks about a recent name change at University of Missouri-Rolla:

{11 a.m. 3/23/07}... That’s when UMR Chancellor John F. Carney III plans to announce the recommended he has submitted to the University of Missouri and its board of curators. Since sending out a media advisory Thursday afternoon, the Name Change Conversations blog has been moderately abuzz, with traffic surging from an average of about 110 unique visitors per day to 353 yesterday. Commenting has heated up, too, but some of those comments — from “insiders” who have gotten the scoop — are being held until after the 11 a.m. announcement. Fun times to be a higher ed blogger.

Read more at Missouri S&T proposed as new name for UMR

I think that rebranding a university is much harder than rebranding a company. With a university the stakeholders feel much more ownership of the branding than the stakeholders in a company.

Think about it… how many students shell out hundreds of dollars for the privilege of advertising the university on their chest, backpack, notebooks, car plates. How about alumni? Read the rest of the post here.

Technorati Tags: Marketing, Branding, UMR, Rebranding,

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Ascend Marketing's Cathy Pringle: "Clients Reap Huge ROI Benefits with Outsourced Marketing"

2009-07-26T07:41:00.008-04:00

I recently interviewed Cathy Pringle. You'll want to read the profile of Ascend Marketing. They are an outsourced marketing firm that focuses on “the full marketing continuum, beginning with brand strategy and market development, but extending all the way through the execution piece, including sales support and measurement." Click on the link to read more.

Branding is Expectations and Fulfilling a Promise

2009-07-11T07:35:00.003-04:00

When discussing branding with clients, sometimes it becomes confusing when it shouldn't be. Branding really boils down to an expectation on the part of the customer/consumer and then fulfillment of the promise.

Read more at Branding & Marketing...

Branding Strategy is one Key for Lowering Your Marketing Costs

2009-05-30T09:03:00.002-04:00

When you have a brand strategy, you don't have to constantly reinvent the wheel every time you create an ad, update your brochure, do a new sales presentation power point or develop a retractible banner.

By having a strong niche and positioning, most of your work is already done for you.

Many small and medium businesses have trouble defining their own brand. They want to tell every feature, describe every benefit and try to sell to every possible customer in every market.

If you define your brand strategy before you do the marketing tactics, you'll find your costs will be lower and your results better.

It's one way of working smarter, not harder!

Time Management - Finding Time for Social Media Marketing

2009-05-29T07:57:00.001-04:00

where does the time go
Originally uploaded by cmcbrown

Finding time can be difficult.

If you feel under pressure, have constant deadlines and are jumping from one crisis to another, these time management tips could give your more control of your time and reduce your stress. Read more at "Branding & Marketing"

Guest Posts on Small Business TV

2009-05-02T07:47:00.000-04:00

You can read more from Branding & Marketing on Small Business TV's website

Branding & Marketing: 5 WAYS TO ADD POWER TO YOUR PRESS RELEASE PROGRAM
Updated: 5/12/2009 6:37:03 AM
Press Releases are more powerful than most advertising. See how to take advantage of new electronic tools to add power to your PR. . . .
Tags: public relations, press release, advertising, branding, marketing

Branding and Marketing: HOW TO CREATE A SPEAKER SHEET TO GET SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
Updated: 3/9/2009 7:18:57 AM
Creating a speaker sheet can help you get speaking engagements. Here's how. . . .
Tags: speaker sheet, speaking engagements, promoting your business

Branding & Marketing: 4 INEXPENSIVE TECHNIQUES TO MARKET YOUR OWN BUSINESS
Updated: 3/1/2009 8:06:09 AM
What are four low cost or no cost marketing techniques for marketing a small business? Crystal Robinson knows and is using them! . . .
Tags: low cost website, marketing techniques, marketing your small business

Branding & Marketing: MARKETING YOUR SMALL BUSINESS IN GOOGLE RESULTS
Updated: 2/22/2009 9:19:59 AM
Getting your business in the top results in Google search is important to help customers find your products and services. . . .
Tags: keywords Google branding marketing marketing your small business

Branding & Marketing: BRAND YOURSELF WITH YOUR TWITTER BACKGROUND
Updated: 1/20/2009 5:00:13 AM
Brand yourself with your Twitter background for added impact. contact information. Graphics. . . .
Tags: Twitter Branding Twitter Graphics Twitter Background

Branding & Marketing: INTERVIEW WITH MARKETING AGENCY PRESIDENT CHRIS BROWN
Updated: 1/8/2009 10:38:27 AM
Business profile: Interview with Marketing Agency President Chris Brown . . .
Tags: Branding Marketing Small business interview

Branding & Marketing: WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SALES AND MARKETING?
Updated: 10/21/2008 5:35:00 AM
Last week I asked my community of business contacts -- or "tribe" as Seth Godin describes it -- what their opinion of the difference between sales and marketing was. The range of answers surprised me. Some made me laugh and some...

Branding & Marketing: PERSONAL ENDORSEMENT OVER MASS IMPRESSIONS
Updated: 10/4/2008 6:27:00 AM
Much more personal than mass TV or even targeted internet advertising, human billboards provide a media channel that conveys the personal endorsement of those who wear the message. Buttons, handbags, hoodies and T-shirt advertising can convey the me . . .

Branding & Marketing: MARKETING GREEN AND SUSTAINABILITY: TREADING CAREFULLY!
Updated: 9/30/2008 6:19:00 AM
Do you remember when food got lighter a few years ago? Lite. Fat-Free. It was confusing at best. I think the Green Movement has hit this same level of marketing positioning. It's both an opportunity and a challenge. Joel Makower at Greenbiz.co . . .

Branding & Marketing: KEEPING YOUR WEBSITE UP TO DATE
Updated: 9/19/2008 5:37:00 AM
I visited a website of a business this morning that has some old information on it: the old address from before they moved. Forgivable? I wonder how much business is lost because things aren’t up-to-date and look sloppy?

Branding and Marketing: BRANDING YOUR SMALL BUSINESS AS A GREEN BUSINESS -- WITHOUT GREENWASHING
Updated: 9/17/2008 7:13:00 AM
So many businesses are trying to do the right thing when it comes to recycling, using "green" marketing materials printed with soy inks and post consumer waste paper and offering employees the opportunity to work from home one day a week to . . .

Branding & Marketing: BRANDING ISN'T JUST FOR "BIG BUSINESS"
Updated: 9/10/2008 6:03:00 AM
All businesses need some branding. That is a powerful statement that many small business owners might disagree with. Some small business owners think of big, huge consumer brands like Coke, Pepsi, Dell and McDonalds when they hear the wo . . .

5 Ways to Add Power to your Press Release Program

2009-05-12T07:27:00.002-04:00

Electronic press releases can be much more powerful than traditional PR releases.

I believe that if you have a business, product or service to promote, that public relations, and press releases in particular, are much less expensive and much more effective than advertising.

See what I mean at my Branding and Marketing blog post today: 5 Ways to Add Power to Your Press Release Distribution

How to Turn Your Marketing into More Sales

2009-04-30T07:52:00.002-04:00

Threading New Warp
Originally uploaded by LollyKnit

Are you wondering why you're not closing more sales?

You have great marketing. But not getting any more customers. Is the economy? Is it your marketing? Your sales process? Your people?

Perhaps you aren't weaving your marketing into the sales process or vice versa. Read more here to find out how to increase your sales results.

From Toys to NASCAR to Viral Commercials and Social Media Marketing

2009-04-27T06:56:00.003-04:00

All of my recent Branding & Marketing posts are located at the Wordpress blog:

The Secret of How 2 Juvenile Product Designers Started a Successful Business Almost Effortlessly

3 Tips for Turning Your Marketing Green and Save Money at the Same Time

Marketing and Branding Resources: the Ultimate Encyclopedia

NASCAR Marketing: Surviving Negative Attitudes Towards Sports Sponsorships

Comcast’s Viral Commercials are Fun, but Very Ornate

Social Media Marketing: Promote your Business, Product or Service

Available on Amazon: Age of Conversation2

4 Inexpensive Ways of Marketing Your Own Direct Sales Business

2009-03-01T07:14:00.010-05:00

Crystal Robinson, a Bodyshaping Consultant, is marketing her own business called "Slimmer Within" with a tag line "Experience the Magic."

She also works a full time job as a Market Manager at a savings and loan company, but runs her own company during nights and weekends by holding "transformations" and doing direct sales.

How can she find the time to market her business? She does a lot of things right! She's got several key marketing features of a direct sales business and she's doing a great job with them:

Website
e-mail
Promotions
Business cards

How does she do all that? Continue reading about Inexpensive Direct Sales Marketing Methods

Marketing to Women

2009-02-26T07:21:00.002-05:00

If women contol 80% of the purchasing power in the US households... why are more companies and brands marketing to women?

Trendsight
Lipsticking
Wonderbranding

How to Improve your SEO results in Google

2009-02-22T10:02:00.002-05:00

If you've ever tried to market your business on the internet, you're probably looking at the search engine results in Google and working on a keyword strategy for more ...

Can You Tie Your Brand to an Event and a Place?

2008-06-16T07:39:00.003-04:00

Baltimore engagement spot
Originally uploaded by cmcbrown

This Baltimore engagement spot is a clever way to tie an event and a brand to a popular place. Smyth Jewelers uses a tourist photo opportunity as a great way to market and brand their business.

Is there a place or an event that you can tie your brand?

Read more at Branding & Marketing

Using Facebook to Network, Connect and Market Your Business

2008-02-01T08:14:00.002-05:00

Facebook’s growing popularity seems to have stalled, but definitely leads that of LinkedIn... more at Branding & Marketing blog's new home: http://www.brandandmarket.com.

Word of Mouth is the Best Marketing

2008-02-06T07:58:00.002-05:00

Beyond all the fancy marketing techniques of SEO and Web2.0, all the competitive analysis and regression plotting...

read the rest of this post at the new home of Branding & Marketing.

What are your KPI's for your Marketing Program?

2008-01-25T05:38:00.001-05:00

Do you use KPI's in your business?

Key Performance Indicators

What's a KPI? It's the number of things that you track that tells you that your business is ... read the rest at Branding & Marketing

Marketing a Move to a New Location or a New Demographic

2008-01-22T07:36:00.001-05:00

As most of my loyal readers know, I've moved the blog to http://www.brandandmarket.com/ and now I'm trying to move the traffic flow to the new address as well.

If you've ever tried to move your business or website or blog, you know that beyond trying to physically move, you've got to think like your customer to help them find you. Or in the case of a blog, think like the reader.

Here is a post that helps me think about moving my marketing with the generations:

Surprise: Age demographics of the USA by generation - As the generations age, that elusive 18-34 demographic thinks differently when faced with a different set of experiences. The Millenial generation at 78 million strong will have experienced 9/11, plastic money, the greening/global warming, the Clintons, IM and Internet as major imprinting during their adolescence. How differently should you market to this always moving demographic? They won't have land lines, but cell phones. They stay in touch via IM and Facebook, not email.

Luckily I'm not trying to change my demographic, just my location. I'm still trying to attract business professionals with an interest in branding and marketing. It's just that those business professionals may range from early 20's to late 70's, right?

If you don't mind revealing your age, please leave a comment with your age demographic. I'd like to take a survey of my readers.

Thanks!

Finding the Silver Bullet in Marketing

2009-02-06T06:43:00.006-05:00

You didn't think there was a silver bullet for marketing? I used to think there wasn't one either...

Recently Ralph Cutcher of Brick House Partners shared an insight with me that might actually qualify as THE SILVER BULLET of strategic marketing. Ralph and I met because worked together, but separately for the same company...just not at the same time.)

Read the rest of the Silver Bullet in Marketing story here.

Watch my interview on SBTV

2009-01-07T18:18:00.001-05:00

COSE interview
Originally uploaded by cmcbrown

I was recently interviewed on Small Business Television SBTV.com during the COSE business conference.

You can watch the whole video at http://www.sbtv.com/partners/cose/?segid=3450

Marketing and Branding for Alpacas Farms

2008-12-11T06:46:00.003-05:00

Krystal Acres Alpacas herd
Originally uploaded by Andrew_N

While reading this interesting article about branding and marketing cattle farms, from the cattle network written by Dan Frobose of Ohio State, I was reminded about a conversation with Pat McKay (who insures commercial embroydery businesses and non-profit organizations) during lunch yesterday where we celebrated her 15th anniversary of her business.

We were talking about the economy and how will high end, expensive businesses like Alpaca Farms make it during the economic downturn?

For anyone who wants to market and brand their farm, I would recommend reading everything that Julie Wassom has published and written on the subject of marketing an Alpaca Farm. She's a marketing expert who loves alpacas and her advice is spot-on.