This blog post is dedicated to Tim Storey, a Life Coach and Motivational Speaker who just released the new book, The Miracle Mentality. I read an article about him that began with his experience at church hearing the wails and prayers of those at the altar when he was just a boy. He talked about how mesmerized he was. Being drawn to the altar along with the many others who were there receiving their healing. He mentioned that amazement must've dawned his face completely because the pastor pointed out, "Little Timmy Storey finds this fascinating." And the congregation responded in laughter.

But little Timmy just took it all in. He was standing there with about a dozen people who believed they'd received their Miracle that day. And he did too. In the article he really clung to education, observation, and conversation as the linchpins for this innate ability he calls, The Miracle Mentality. I totally agree with him.

I found as I read through, he was right. With the education we receive (public, private, parochial or hard knocks) we've learn. The overarching ideas, thoughts and stories we tell ourselves and others create the world we live in, whether big or small. Are you able to see the Miracles in your life or can you only see the obstacles?

Observation is helpful. We gain from both,  good bosses and bad ones. We learn what works and what doesn't; what motivates or dissipates are enthusiasm. We see those who when went about it the right way and those who went about it the wrong way. Whether quietly or openly, we observe.

What about the conversations we have with ourselves and others? These are  important too. Do you get drawn in and can't back out? sucked into potentially negative uttering that you have no control can't gain on the outcome? Or do you steer clear of the commotion and noise to keep your heart and spirit clear? Are you bubbling over with The Miracle  Mentality? If so, share your story.

To Your Success,

MG

It’s Thrifty Thursday! There are three major components to every book like; Writing the book, Publishing the book and Selling the book.

Of the three, selling the book is probably the most difficult. How in the world do you get people to buy this thing you’ve just written? Especially when we live in a world where anyone can publish a book. We also live in a world where many people expect to get art for free. From streaming music to free book downloads, we can easily be entertained without paying for anything. So, here are a few cool ways that you may not have heard before or in a while.

Become a Walking Billboard
The best way to advertise your book is to make sure it’s in front of everyone all the time. Create a collection of homemade t-shirts with your book cover. Wear them to work. Don them at the clubs. These shirts will make great conversation pieces. Everyone you bump into will say, “Wow, that’s a cool shirt. What is it?” And you’ll say, “Oh, just the cover of my new book. Want a copy?” Of course you will then pull a copy out of the briefcase you always carry with you. If anyone fails to ask about your book cover shirt, make sure you bring it up. “Hey, do you like my shirt? If so, I have a book for you!”

Meaningful Giveaways.
Give away signed copies of your book for all gift-giving occasions. This includes birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries, wedding, baby showers, and so on. These gifts will do more than just spread the word about your book. They’ll make your authorship an important part of everyone’s life.
 
Buy Your Book in Bulk.
Reaching the Amazon bestseller list in your category can really help boost your sales. Since actually getting people to buy your books is a lot of work, you can get the ball rolling by purchasing tons of copies yourself. Buy a couple hundred or even a couple thousand of your latest title and watch your Amazon ranking soar!

To Your Success,

MG

Marketing – especially on a low budget – can be a challenge. Because it’s a necessary component of your business, you’ve got to get it done. Luckily for you, there are a myriad of ways to get the word out about your company. Here’s another 2 low-cost, and potential high upside ideas.

Think Seasonal Marketing

I love to celebrate everything and almost anything. But this can work to your advantage with some creative thinking around seasonal marketing tactics. Now, you must keep it simple like grouping some of your related products or service just in time for the upcoming holiday or season. Think in terms of bundles or special packages. Then, gift it a holiday name. Who doesn’t love a cute namesake! Or even consider creating something unique to capture your customer’s seasonal interest. People do still by things just because it’s that time of the year!

Text Message Marketing

This idea for marketing is especially great if you have a business where customers can physically come to your spot or location. Create a customer opt-in to receive text message specials and updates. I’ve seen companies and I know you have to do this very well. Just send out regular text messages with discount codes for free or special discounted products or services. This is an awesome way to connect with people when they are out and about.

Now give one of these two options a try and see what happens. You’ll be surprised just how easy it was and how much your customers and friends will enjoy it.

To Your Success,
​
MG

I recently thought about listening to the excellent NPR podcast episode a few years back. It was all about how Instagram got started.

Truly a remarkable story. Instagram Founders, Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, launched the app in October 2010. By April 2012 only a year and a half later – Facebook acquired the service for $1B dollars! Yes, that’s right – a billion dollars!

Are you asking yourself? How could someone make a billion dollars in just a year and a half? That’s an incredible TRUE story!

I learned 6 success lessons from this story, and I’d like to share them with you. But I’m doing bite sized- so we can really dig in to this. Here’s the first 3 and I will come back next time with 3 more. Here they are:

1. Find untapped potential.

How do you make something people want? A good way is to find untapped potential, something that could be done but hasn’t been done yet.

For Instagram, the untapped potential was the power of cell phone cameras. In 2010, cell phone cameras had become good enough, comparable in quality to point-and-shoot cameras. But nobody up to that point had made it easy for people to share photos right from their cell phones. Other apps at that time required you to transfer photos to a computer first before uploading them.

The founders saw this untapped potential and decided to make the most of it. They made it easy for people to share photos right from their cell phones.

2. Meet emotional needs.

Finding untapped potential is vital, but it’s not enough. For people to really want what you have, you need to meet their emotional needs.

Instagram did it well. First, it meets social needs. Instagram makes it easy for people to share pics with their friends.

Second, it meets self-confidence needs. A pivotal moment in the story was when one of the founders realized it wasn’t enough just to help people share pics; the pics should make them feel good. So what did they do? They built filters right into the app so that users can polish their looks and photos before sharing.

3. Make something people want.

Making something people want is the key to success in business. You can only thrive if people want what you have. If they don’t, nothing in the world can give you success in the long term.

In the case of Instagram, people want to share their life stories in a visual way. Instagram is still winning today because it meets this desire better than most.

With the app meeting users’ social and emotional needs, it’s a no brainer people love Instagram.
 
Now think about yourself, what creative thing do you have or does your business product? Consider these 3 things as you begin to work on your next big endeavor. Then, come tell us about it. I can’t wait to hear what you’re doing next. Until Then.

To Your Success,
​
MG

I hear this a lot at book events I attend, authors wondering how to promote their book before it’s published and I love this kind of brainstorming – mostly because it means the author is really trying to plan ahead for their success.

The key is timing. Yes, there’s no reason you can’t learn all you can about book marketing and plan far in advance, but you really want to find the sweet spot between building buzz for your release, and starting so early you lose steam or your potential buyers lose interest while waiting.

So, if you’re a go-getter author looking to build early buzz, wondering how to promote your book before it’s published, here are 10 easy, yet smart ways to make that happen:

1. Put it Up on Your Website

Obviously I encourage authors to have a website, even if it’s a simple, one-page site to call home base. These are really easy to create now, and customize, and it takes your brand up quite a few notches.

Be sure your book is prominently featured on the home page with the release date. It can live somewhere else after it’s been out awhile, like a dedicated book page, but give it the credit it deserves by making it the focal point leading up to the release.

2. Create a Blog Entry About it

If you have a website, you should have a blog page where you can create content, include keywords, and improve your SEO. And of course, I want to see you do a blog post or a few about your upcoming book.

Simple but fun ideas include “behind the curtain” posts that tell potential readers about your research, your inspiration, your connection to your topic or genre, your favorite books from the genre you wrote in – there are so many creative, interesting ways to talk about your book without selling your book – and that’s the goal.

3. Post About it on Social.

You should have at least one social account for your author brand. I always say, don’t worry about being everywhere, but be where it matters.

So, consider who your target buyer market is, and where they like to hang out on social. Is your crowd more the Twitter type or the Instagram type?

You should know this, and you should be there.

And here’s where the smart marketing comes in, use the ideas you’ve brainstormed for your blog, and convert those into social posts. Work smarter, not harder.

Give potential readers an insider look into your process and who you are as a person, because that personal connection will sell more books than any display ad ever will!

4. Tap Into Your Network

Ask friends to share your book, shamelessly! Create an email they can forward.

Create great images for your book they can share on social. Your people want to support you, now is not the time to be shy or humble with them!

5. Create a Fun Video

Video is the best way to support your brand because it’s incredibly personal – no one can compete with your authenticity on video – and that’s marketing and branding gold.

Video is also a great way to break up posting written content to promote your book, which can get repetitive. People will start to scroll by if you’re always posting the same “check out my book” content, but video will re-engage them in a valuable way.

Video doesn’t have to be long, 30 seconds is plenty, and here we go again – tap into the ideas you brainstormed for your blog, that I encouraged you to turn into social posts, and now I’m encouraging you to use those same ideas to come up with video topics. Repurposing good ideas is smart marketing and a great way to beef up your content.

6. Create Promotions to Give out Advance Copies

When figuring out how to promote your book before it’s published you always want to work in opportunities to get books in hands early. Advance copies also help generate reviews on Amazon sooner.

Tap into your network, your social media connections, and let them know you’re giving away 20 advance copies to readers who are willing to post an honest review on Amazon when the book comes out. Those who contact you should also go on your newsletter list!

And sure, you could worry that a couple people might flake on you and forget to post on time, but do your follow ups, and focus on the majority of the people who will come through for you and how amazing those early reviews

7. Be Sure to do a Countdown

In the last 12 days before your release, do a countdown. If you’re really creative you can come up with 12 fun things to post about that relate to your book, your genre, your brand etc.

Post 1 thing each day leading up to your release. If you’re a hyper fan of your genre, you could recommend a book a day for 12 days leading up to your release – it’s a great way to network with other authors, it’s really helpful content for your fans and followers, AND you get to talk up your book too.

If your book has historical elements, do some cool facts every day. If you write mystery novels, share a bit of insight into your research process each day and what you uncovered.

If you write non-fiction share really helpful, and practical tips related to your book topic that people can run with.

Get creative. Have fun. But more than anything else, take a page out of the Nike playbook- Just Do It!!!


To Your Success

MG

If you are considering entering a writing contest and wondering why it is charging an entry fee, consider the operating costs of the contest provider.

I was recently sent an email asking, “Do you think I should enter a writing contest? I, considering it, but I really don’t want to pay the fee. “I’ll sometimes find a contest that might work for me, but then the publication requests $10, $20, and sometimes more to enter. Most times I just pass. Why should I pay to present my work? I have paid a few, but generally I balk at anything over $10.” What do you think?:
 
My first reply is, “Would you fund a contest out of your own pocket and work for free?”

Contests can present remarkable opportunities for authors, particularly unpublished authors. They can expose your work to audiences and jumpstart your career – not to mention pay you for your writing. They are an oft under-appreciated chance to further a writer’s reach and reputation.

A tiny minority of writing contests out there do not charge a fee. Why? Perhaps they have a major sponsorship or the financial means to operate without having to ask for fees. Most contests simply do not have that luxury.

I managed a contest for nearly a decade, and I can tell you it was not cheap to run. Still, we offered a category that required an entry fee, and another that didn’t. To make a point, the winner of the no-entry-fee category received a meager $50 first prize, while the winner of the entry-fee category earned a more generous $500 prize.

If you are considering entering a writing contest and wondering why it is charging an entry fee, consider the operating costs of the contest provider, including:

1. Prize money. No organization has bottomless pockets. The money for operations, including prize money, has to come from somewhere. Why not entry fees?
2. Judges. If the contest boasts the participation of a reputable judge or two (or more), they have to cough up the money to pay these judges. Just as no writer should be expected to work for free, no writer, publisher, or agent who serves as a contest judge should either.
3. Advertising. You’d never hear about a contest if it were not advertised. Advertising is not free. That money has to come from somewhere.
4. Publishing. Many writing contests include publication as part of the prize. Whether print or online – but particularly in print – there are expenses affiliated with publishing.

There’s also the qualifier of setting a barrier to entry. In my experience, contests that that require an entry fee typically attract better work. The first contest we ran was a bit of an experiment, and the results confirmed what we expected: the quality of writing was higher in the entry-fee category. When there was no financial barrier to entry and writers had nothing to risk, the quality of the writing submitted was notably inferior. It wasn’t even close. That fact alone justifies the entry fee.

Back to the email I received, I look at things precisely the opposite way: if I see a contest that does not charge an entry fee, I’d advise you to  investigate more to determine how they can afford to fund the competition. Even then, I wonder why an organization would choose to forgo the income stream provided by entry fees and avoid drawing funds away from other needs in its enterprise.

In short, if you find a contest that seems legitimate and suits your writing, pay the entry fee. A reputable contest provider has the right – and the need – to charge it. Plus, it might inspire you to submit a better-quality product.
 
To Your Success,
​
MG

Communication plays a fundamental role in all facets of business. It is therefore very important that both internal communication within your organization as well as the communication skills of your employees are effective. The following six reasons will explain why effective communication should be a focus in your business:

1. Builds and maintains relationships

Relationships are built and can be maintained by positive encounters with others. Communication will be key to this process – without effective skills, it will be difficult to properly construct and foster productive relationships.

2. Facilitates innovation

When you and those around you feel comfortable in openly communicating -new ideas, cooperation and innovation will be at an all-time high. In addition, if staff are unable to convey their ideas due to limited communication skills, it is likely that the idea will not be implemented to its full potential.

3. Builds an effective team

If open communication within our work space is encouraged, a more cohesive and effective team will emerge. Good communication within a team also tends to boost morale. When people feel that they are well informed of the company’s direction and vision, they will feel more secure within their role. Regular communication can also lead to an improved work ethic - if those who work with you are reminded of achievements and feel that they are working towards a common goal.

4. Managing Teams

When you are an effective communicator, you are more able to inform our team adequately of their responsibilities and what is expected from them. Good communication skills also helps you to provide constructive feedback to our contractors, build better relationships, and understand personal goals that our team may wish to work towards. Communicating is key to not only you as the business leader achieving your goals, but also in you helping your team achieve theirs.

5. Contributes to growth of your company or platform

A lack of communication can lead to the collapse of any organization. While that is a bold statement – without proper marketing, collateral materials and communication internally (with yourself) and externally (clients, contractors, vendors), most businesses will struggle to survive. Communication can also lead to productivity and helps to avoid unnecessary delays in the implementation of your growth strategies.

With so much in the narrative these days, I thought it important to remind us that we too have to be great communicators. So, I wanted to just pop this in. I hope you enjoyed and got a little something you can take with you as you build and grow.
 
To Your Success
MG 

Well in the super age of technology and startups, there is one that most readers aren't even aware of.  I would like to take a moment to introduce to some and present to others BookTube which is actually a  is the unofficial name given to a collection of YouTube channels that discuss all things bookish. Each day, thousands of online creators, or BookTubers, share videos about books they love (and hate), literacy, fandom and being generally crazy for reading. We are living in a time when there is something out there for EVERYBODY, including you. Huffington Post shared an article in April of last year that I thought was pretty good and I'm sharing it with you here. 


As with all things social, don't let it overwhelm you. Check it out and see if you can glean anything from there that you can use as you market, promote and share your book. If nothing else you might gain another community to collaborate with. If so, let us know. Email me at contactus@purposepublishing.com

To Your Success,
​
MG

The reward of holding a copy of your published work is indescribable. But it’s just one of the many exciting milestones in your journey to self-publishing success. One key objective in your publishing journey is selling your book successfully. Here are five tips we think may help improve your efforts to increase book sales.

Build up your image as an author and a brand

Book buyers and readers gravitate to books—and authors—that appeal to them. The more you project yourself in a way that holds their attention, the more you gain their trust. Highlight the fact that you are now a published author. Add that to your email and forum signature lines. Don’t forget to add your website or social media profiles to here, as well as to your press release boilerplates. These may be small things, but they’re the building blocks to a positive image.

A quality 3rd-party review is important to successful bookselling
​
An honest and well-written 3rd-party review is invaluable. A positive review from a respected book reviewer will make your book stand out, improve its marketability and enhance your titles, as well as your, reputation. Don’t be afraid to invite readers and indie reviewers to evaluate your book. Published reviews on sites like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other bookstore bolsters the credibility of your book encouraging new readers to part with their money knowing that they will get a good read in return.

Librarians are your best customers—and allies

Librarians are savvy, well-informed book buyers. They are the favorites of the traditional publishing houses, small presses, and self-publishers. If librarians like your book and trust your brand, they will likely become some of your most effective bookselling allies. Their participation and support are valuable aids to your bookselling activities—sponsoring book signings, readings, meet-and-greet affairs, and Q&A activities at their libraries. So be sure to visit your local libraries and befriend your librarians.

Use your social media networks to connect and sell your book

While Purpose Publishing carries all the titles of its authors in its online bookstore and through its partnerships with Amazon and Barnes and Noble, one of the most effective ways to sell you book is through social media networking. Generate news, book-related updates, and positive reviews through Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and to the other online communities you belong to. Social networks are also great places to meet fellow authors and find new opportunities for selling your book.

To Your Success,

MG

#repost

Your author website is a reflection of you as a writer and of your book as a work of art. It pays to make sure it is as enticing as the story you’ve spent months (or years) laboring over. Here are three quick ways to improve your author website.

​Every author — independent, traditionally published, or otherwise — needs a website. A Facebook page doesn’t count, nor does a Twitter or LinkedIn profile. In today’s dynamic and competitive book market, you need a space that provides a complete picture of what you’re offering. That space needs to feature your writing, your various channels of engagement, and all the intangibles that set you apart. It’s a critical component of your brand. And while it’s necessary for all authors to have a website, it’s even more important for self-published authors.

Having a comprehensive website (and general web presence) is a way of leveling the playing field  and giving your book a chance to compete with the big-name authors and traditionally published books in the market.

But not every author website is created equal: I’ve even seen authors’ sites that have damaged their books’ market potential. Luckily, it’s not difficult to improve your author website to ensure it elevates your book’s potential instead of stifling it.

Tip #1: Identify the primary goal for your site
The first step in building a successful author website is establishing a mission for it. What are you hoping to accomplish? Are you trying to sell more books? Build an author platform? Start conversations with your readers? Whatever your primary goal is, define it, then use it to inform the focus of your site.
​
If your goal is to sell books, make sure your book is the first thing readers see when they navigate to your site. If your goal is to build your platform, actively prompt readers to subscribe to your various social channels.

By focusing on one goal, you can ensure your site does at least one thing really well. This will give you the foundation needed to start building other features later on.

Tip #2: Collect email addressesLike all savvy marketers, successful independent authors understand that email is an invaluable channel when it comes to connecting with readers. Are you placing an emphasis on your email channel, or are you chasing Twitter followers and Facebook likes?

While building Twitter and Facebook followings are important, they’re not nearly as influential as your email list. My rule of thumb: one email subscriber is equal to 25 likes on social media. Why? Because people are simply more careful about subscribing to something via email than they are about following someone on Twitter. Then, once you have someone’s email contact, you can build a more genuine and direct relationship with them than you can through social media. With a well-crafted email newsletter, you can build fans for life.

Tip #3: Offer enticing incentives
A great way to attract readers’ attention — and entice them to provide you their personal email addresses — is to offer them with something of value. In publishing, the most common lead magnet is some kind of free content: usually chapters from your book, or perhaps even an entire eBook. This is especially common for authors who have written a series. Hook readers by giving them book one, and then contact them by email and get them to buy book two (and three, and four). Giving away content like this helps you engage with readers. It also makes readers more likely to “repay the favor” of receiving free content by buying your book.

Need a website? Contact us we can help. www.PurposePublishing.com

The Audiobook Market is Growing and Shaking Things Up
Audiobooks is the fastest growing segment in the publishing industry right now. For traditional publisher’s audiobook sales mitigated declines in e-book sales, and trade publishers are bullish on audiobooks going into 2020. Audible (owned by Amazon) still has the lion’s share of the audiobook marketing but others are trying to make inroads. 2020 may well be the year when we see new and existing players disrupt the established order.
 
Audiobooks.com was acquired by a media group in 2017, Apple’s exclusivity agreement with Audible ended last year and more players are getting into the mix with Kobo launching their own audiobook subscription service in late 2017. This gives indie authors more control and more opportunity to launch into the audiobook industry.  Digital audiobooks will remain the fastest growth area in publishing with sales increasing 30% to 40% or more. The dynamics—ease of access for consumers, lifestyle habits, increased market competition, new selling models—have all synced up to create significant staying power. It should surprise nobody when the market size of audiobooks surpasses eBooks in a few years.
 
In 2020, we expect to see independent authors empowered to capitalize on this explosive growth. Indies will take advantage of wide distribution (domestic, international, and public library), realize the advantages at key retailers of setting prices to meet consumer demand, and benefit from more discovery tools created to connect authors with their audiences outside traditional audiobook credit models.”
 
What this means for you: Producing an audiobook runs into the thousands of dollars or requires giving up significant royalties and is still a significant investment for authors. New authors who find the price tag too steep are best off focusing on building their catalog of e-books first. Authors who are looking to invest in their publishing business should definitely have audiobook expansion on their list for 2020. All authors should keep an eye on the market and look to support audiobook retailers and production companies that are author friendly.
 
Do you have a book already? Have sales slowed? Consider breathing new life into it with an Audiobook format. It’s easy and affordable! We can help. www.PurposePublishing.com
​

What You Can Do With A $100 Marketing Budget
 
Your book is an investment. It’s normal to put money into something you care about and invest in something that helps pay the bills. So, just as we put money into our publishing and content, we should also set aside money for marketing our work.
 
Naturally, this seems like a daunting task, as no one wants to take a gamble on marketing if the outcome is unsure, especially when labels and wealthier artists dump thousands upon thousands into their marketing. But it’s actually easier than you think. Even better, it can also be cheaper than you think.
 
Let’s say you only have $100 a month to spend on marketing your music. If you have no idea where to start or how you can get the most bang for your buck, here’s how you might want to split up that cash.
 
Facebook advertising: $25 to $50
Yep, this could eat up half of your monthly budget, but it’s an important facet of marketing. The wayFacebook’s current algorithm works is that posts that aren’t engaged with won’t appear on your fans’ timelines. Even if you have 15,000 fans, if your post gets zero interactions, most of those fans won’t even see it. Is this Facebook’s way of nearly forcing brands to pay up for reach? A little bit. But fortunately, even $5 or $10 could get you significant reach on Facebook.

There are a few ways of going about advertising on Facebook. One way is to promote your whole page for $5 to $10 a day for five days. Ensure you’re drilling down your audience, too. You can target people by interest, so make sure you include your genre, similar artists, and any other important details in your page information.
 
Another route would be promoting a YouTube clip that’s posted on your Facebook page. This way, you can also rack up on YouTube views. For $10 a day for five days, your post could easily reach a minimum of 2,000 to 5,200 people each day. Will this necessarily lead to a corresponding number of likes, views, and listens? Potentially! If your content is written well, it’ll certainly get some love. And if you can’t manage $10 a day, even $5 a day isn’t a bad deal, since it’ll get you a reach of about 980 to 2,600 people daily.
 
Google AdWords for video: $25 to $50
Obviously, you’ll have to adjust your spend here depending on how much you put towards your Facebook campaign. However, Google AdWords is a great way to invest a chunk of your marketing budget – namely in YouTube’s TrueView, which is AdWords for video. This creates sponsored video ads on YouTube which can lead people to your video, channel, or website.

There’s also a very easy and efficient walkthrough when creating an ad, which makes this very easy to use and customize. I’d recommend a total of $5 to $10 for five days. Since its PPC (pay-per-click), you’ll only be charged each time your ad is clicked – plus, you get to choose the cap on the amount you spend (i.e., your $5). With this budget of $5 to $10 a day, you can easily achieve up to 1,000 impressions daily.
 
Website, social media, or EPK cleanup: remaining budget
Let’s say you spent $25 between the Facebook ads and Google AdWords, or decided to forgo YouTube TrueView as you don’t have a video to push. Now, you have $25 or $50 left over. Think about spending that on a nice graphic set for an upcoming show, or even hiring a strategist to rework some of your bio or copy on your website. Now, I’m sure any designers reading this are cringing at the thought of only working for $25 on design, but for one or two simple social media graphics, or a new cover photo, that’s surely reasonable.

A final word of warning: when you start marketing your work, people are going to see it – lots of them – so make sure whatever you’re putting out there is clean and fresh. The last thing you want is money spent on promoting a post or video with poor wording or quality. So be prepared!
 
To Your Success,

MG

YOU can do it! It’s YOUTube

Social media is a fantastic tool for engaging with your customers and providing value where they’re already spending so much of their time – in their Facebook news feeds, Twitter streams, and elsewhere online.

As you’re creating your video content, be sure to focus on presenting yourself authentically and personably. If you can come across as someone your audience will connect with, you’ve already won their attention.

With that in mind, you want to do everything you can to resist the temptation of “SELL! SELL! SELL!” messaging. Don’t forget that people connect with people, not brands or companies.

Check out and try these strategies used by the experts to engage with customers and build meaningful relationships on YouTube.

1. Be Personal

People love to connect, have something in common, and acknowledge similarities with others. Don’t afraid to talk about your past mistakes and tell exciting stories.

2. Be Vulnerable

Even though it can be difficult, sharing your weaknesses and asking for feedback from your customers gets them engaged on a much deeper level. People love helping others, and most will jump at the opportunity to provide constructive feedback when they feel they’ve already gotten value from your content.
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3. Be Responsive

Everyone seeks human connection. Make the extra effort to respond to a comment, mention someone directly in your videos, and shout out those who’ve given you feedback or content suggestions. Chances are, you’ll make someone’s day and they’ll be that much more likely to organically share your content with others.

4. Be Entertaining

Be goofy. Do something crazy. Share your outtakes. Kick back, laugh, and show your customers that you’re human too!

A high level of customer engagement will come as a reward for being yourself, showing you’re human, and delivering content to your audience in an exciting manner.
 
To you the YOUtuber in Training,


MG

I often get questions from authors and soon to be authors about publishing their book. It’s been a dream, an idea a thought for years and they’re getting closer to making a decision. Well, as you get close think about these things to help you in your process of getting starter. Here are 10 truths that I believe are very important to any aspiring author about publishing. It’s true that you don’t have to learn every lesson the hard way. Here’s help:

1. It takes time to build your audience-
Be patient. If you’re in it for the ride, you’ll be successful.

2. Shortcuts don’t work-
A daily commitment to your writing and promotion is the only way to succeed.

3. You will spend a lot of money-
Digital Publishing. Book printing. Publicity. It costs money.

4. Be skeptical of where you spend money-
Beware scammers and sharks who say they can turn you into a best-seller in 30 days! Ask questions, get references, and do your research.

5. Pricing is key-
Unknown authors shouldn’t charge too much for eBooks.

6. You may receive bad reviews-
Art is subjective. No book is perfect. And plenty of classics still don’t get 5 star reviews on Amazon. If the critism is contructive, learn from it.

7. Remember etiquette-
Concentrate on the positives. You’ve gotta let negativity brush off your shoulders.

8. You’ve gotta be tough-
“No one puts Baby in the corner!” Be persistent. You’ll have to fight for things.

9. Go after the big guns-
Every publicity opportunity begets another publicity opportunity.  Just because you’re self-published doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pitch yourself to CNN, the Today Show, etc. You might get lucky! But make sure you’re prepared.

10. Keep learning-
There’s a lot to figure out early on, and the landscape keeps changing. So you need to stay open to new ideas

To Your Success,

MG
 

It’s my hope that these ideas have been helpful in getting you up and out there with your book promo! Here’s the last five tips in this 3 part series of promoting your book on a budget:

11. Use Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, etc.– There are dozens of social networks out there. Find the 3 that you enjoy using most and that give you the best results– and then spend 20 minutes a day on each. An hour of social networking every day should be plenty, and by the end of the first month or two you should see results.

12. Follow-up with everyone that helps you- Whether they’re a fan, bookstore owner, literary critic, family member, blogger, or DJ, stay in contact and show your appreciation via email, thank you card, or gift (something inexpensive but personalized– maybe a bookmark with your contact info and elements of your book cover art?)

13. Be good to book clubs- Offer to Skype in for their discussion sessions, write up some discussion guidelines with questions that book clubs could employ in their meetings, and maybe even attend a few local discussions in-the-flesh!

14. Ask a friend to host a book party- It’s like a mini version of your book launch/reading/signing, but smaller and more informal. The intimacy of these events usually gets the audience engaged (and ready to purchase a book).

 15. Explore consignment options- It can be difficult to get shelf space for your book even in smaller independent stores. But I recommend visiting all the stores within an hour’s drive, talk to the person in charge of acquiring inventory, and ask if they’ll take a few books on consignment. There’s little risk for the store. If they don’t sell in 3 months, you can always come back and pick them up. But they’re going to sell, right?! Yeah, that’s right.
 
To Your Success,
​
MG

While I mentioned it wouldn’t hurt to have some serious cash to throw behind your promotional efforts, nowadays savvy and motivated authors can spread the word about their books in really effective ways for cheap, or even free! I will be back next week with another 5 ways to promote your book on a budget. Here’s the second five tips in this 3 part series of promoting your book on a budget:

6. Do radio interview, and lots of ’em- Getting radio exposure might sound daunting, but there are countless internet, community, and college radio stations that are happy to interview writers. News shows may be interested in your story to fill a couple minutes in their program. Other radio shows focus specifically on the arts or writing, and you might be able to get an hour of air time or more.
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7. Promote yourself in your email signature- You probably take your email signature for granted. But it’s valuable real estate. Make sure to include your contact info, your website and social media links, and maybe even a quote or blurb about your book!

8. Send your book to 7 reviewers each week- That’s one a day. And all it’ll cost you is a few dollars in postage and a few minutes of research. Make sure they’re open to unsolicited review copies first, though!

9. Craft a catchy press release- Make sure the story of your book launch grabs the media’s attention. Spend some serious time on this press release. When it’s ready, send it out through some of the online press release companies. Also, be sure to contact all the appropriate radio and TV stations in your area, local magazines, weeklies, newspapers, and events blogs.

10. Start your own email newsletter- This is the best way to interact with your fans on a regular basis. Find a way to entice your website visitors to leave their contact info (in exchange for a book discount, free chapter of a book in-the-works, etc.). Have an email signup sheet at all your events.
 
To Your Success,

MG
 

Some folks say that the success of a book is 10% quality and 90% marketing. As an independent author you’re probably not working with a big promotional budget. You’ve already paid for pro editing, pro book design, book printing, and more, and the funds for anything AFTER the book has been made may have dwindled.

I’ve got good news, though: while it wouldn’t hurt to have some serious cash to throw behind your promotional efforts, nowadays savvy and motivated authors can spread the word about their books in really effective ways for cheap, or even free! I will be back next week with another 5 ways to promote your book on a budget. Here’s the first five in this 3 part series:

1. Set up a professional author website- Domain name registration and hosting are quite affordable these days. It’ll help you create a great looking site in minutes, equip it with social media integration, a blog, and all the other goodies that’ll help you sell more books.
2.  Make sure your site is media-friendly- When you start approaching the media, you don’t want to make it hard for them to find the info they need. Set up a page on your website that has everything the media will need in order to cover your story. This includes any previous press quotes, your bio, hi-resolution photos of both you AND your book cover, a Q&A, links to all your social media profiles, and whatever else you want them to see.
3. Guest blog posts- A great way to drive traffic to your own website and to boost your search engine rankings is to contribute articles to other peoples’ sites. Find some simpatico folks and ask if you can write a piece for their blog. Or do a blog exchange and trade articles.
4. Plan your book launch event early- Signings are ok, but readings are best! Plan an awesome event that combines a reading with a signing and Q&A opportunity. Go ahead, strut your stuff.
5. Hold a social media contest or giveaway- People love prizes, and they love to share tweets and Facebook posts about contests. Have some fun; use social media to interact with your fans and give away some copies of your book.

 
To Your Success,
​
MG