Tips from an Internet Marketing Guru

Greetings, fellow scribes! Kathi Macias here, with a little different twist for our marketing blog today—some very practical input from a lady I consider an “Internet publishing and blogging guru.” This prize-winning author has successfully published blogs, articles, and books online and has been successful at this venture simply because she knows the in’s and out’s of online marketing. So Dee White, why don’t you tell us a bit about yourself, how you got into this sort of writing/publishing/marketing, and what tips you could offer others considering the same publishing option? (You can find Dee at www.deeswhite.com.)

Hi, Kathi (and fellow scribes),

A little bit about me... hmmm.  Well, I’m Dee, actually named Diane but pronounced Dee-Ann. I’m not sure if that pronunciation is because of my Island roots or because my parents just preferred that sound, but after a lifetime of correcting 90 percent of the world (or my portion of it), I settled on Dee, though I’m also okay with Diane since I discovered it means Divine.

And so, without going through a few chapters of the Bible and pointing out the importance of names, you now know my preference for being called Dee. You have also formed an opinion of me and have consciously or unconsciously decided whether or not you’re going to read the rest of this post, and if you do, whether or not you’re going to believe or trust my advice.

That’s what marketing is about—getting your message across in a few words in a memorable way, as frequently as possible, without annoying your audience and without compromising integrity. That being said, I am delighted to have the opportunity to share with you a bit of what I’ve learned about marketing; however, I will endeavor to keep it brief while giving some practical tips and resources geared to the self-published author but usable by all.

Looking back, my journey into the self-publishing/marketing business actually began in June of 2003, when I discovered lulu.com. Leery of something that was brand new and seemed too good to be true, I bookmarked the site and checked on its progress every six months or so. I Googled the site and checked out the whispers and warnings lists by writersweekly.com, another great find. There I found many how-to e-books written by Angela Hoy. Although I considered some of the ideas a bit outdated, the overall premise was doable, with a bit of tweaking for my purposes. Then I stumbled upon blogging in May 2005, and I took to it like the proverbial duck to water. I soon had three blogs up and running, catering to different audiences. When the 2006 Blooker Prize arose, I simply picked my most popular blog to turn into a blook, and…well, here I am. So, using what I call the three B’s, let’s get started.

Biz: Learn it

I believe it can only be beneficial to have an overview of how the publishing industry works and how the self-published author fits in ... or not.

Traditional publishers are usually not interested until the self-publisher has laid a trail of success (read: sales), and even then, if they do decide to pick up the self-published title, substantial changes are to be expected. Of course, established authors also resort to self-publishing, but then again, as mentioned above, they’ve already established themselves and have nothing new to prove. Therefore it behooves the person thinking of self-publishing to conduct some preliminary research before embarking on that road.

A great place to start would be to do a Google search for self-publishing groups. Two I recommend whole heartedly are selfpublishing@yahoogroups.com and pod_publishers@yahoogroups.com. Their archives list names of must-read titles for the self-publisher, and the professionals on the list patiently answer questions from the newbie and pro alike.

Blog: Build it ... (and they will come—with a little help from the following):

• Start with a FREE blogging platform, such as blogger.com, Yahoo 360, myspace.com, or wordpress.com.
• Think of a unique name (this is sort of a necessity because there are already so many names out there).
• Post at least three times a week (frequency keeps you in front of your audience)
• Fresh content is key, and if it ties into your title’s contents without giving away the kitchen sink, even better. Consistent, quality content will help establish your presence as an expert. A word of caution: research your facts carefully because bloggers are no joke; they will call you on your errors, and hard-won credibility will be lost in a heartbeat. Just as you revere your copyright, so do other bloggers and Web sites. Ergo, give credit for all pictures and excerpts you use on your blog.
• Linkage is key. Link to other blogs or sites within your posts.
• Ensure that you fill in the description and keywords in the appropriate spots.

Buzz: Create it

• With your blog (which, with the aid of third parties like bloglet.com, feedblitz.com, feedburner.com, can become your html newsletter, so pictures in posts are a good thing).
• With a claim on your blog at technorati.com, a blog monitoring service/pinging service.
• With a separate html newsletter.
• With comments on blogs with similar topics. Who doesn’t like to receive mail? This not only makes someone’s day, but it also increases the visits to your blog and your link popularity.
• With contests.
• With membership in a blog directory/traffic exchange program of some sort (for e.g. BlogExplosion.com, BlogCatalog.com and/or BlogMad.com).
• With online chats.
• With press releases: utilize sites like prweb.com, clickpress.com, or pressmethod.com.
• With submissions to search engines like Google.com, Yahoo.com, etc.

Then there are the three P’s:

• Product: What purpose does it serve? Is it the best it can be? Is there integrity?
• Purpose: At the base of everything we do, God must get the glory.
• Packaging: Is it packaged for its target market? (And if the term target market sounds foreign to you, you’re in a bit a trouble.)
• Personality: I know, I said three P’s, but I threw this one in for free. Your personality counts. God created you to be who you are to serve your particular purpose. In being you, as you blog or communicate via your newsletter, you begin to build a relationship with your readers, and that’s what fuels the sales.

Benefits:

• Generates word-of-mouth sales
• Drives online and in-store interest through email
• Immediately creates and increases exposure worldwide
• Publicize directly to [targeted] consumers and book buyers interested in [your specific type of] literature
• No additional mail or telephone costs (saves money)
• Cost effective—no direct mail or additional advertising cost
• Saves time by reaching more people in less time

Finally, consider this biblical principle: It is better to give than to receive because there will be a whole lot of giving before you begin receiving at least 500 books’ worth in return. Giving, of course, means sending free copies to proofreaders, reviewers, media, book clubs, organizations, churches and/or bookstores (if you’re going that route).*

*Benefits list adapted from blackbookpromo.com.

Comments

[Domino]

Kathi, thanks for introducing Dee.

Dee, thanks for sharing your wisdom with us. The information was interesting and very helpful. I don't have a book to market yet, but this will help me prepare for that day.

Enjoyed it.

[relevantgirl]

Dee,

Such great stuff! I like the addition of the Personality P. I think that's why I get good traffic on my blog... Or not!! :-)

I recently added a wordpress blog to my website. Downloaded it from wordpress and it was very easy to install. I was intimidated by it orginally because it is a php program. Glad I installed it, now I have learned a new way to promote an ebook a wrote a hile back!

http://www.monthly-newsletter.net

[Search Engine Marketing]

Search Engine Marketing is fast becoming THE way to getting tons of traffic. I mean, think about it: Search Engine Marketing is free (if done right) and it can bring you litterly thousands upon thousands of free quality traffic every week. I've decided that the safest bet for me is to work hard and get a #1 spot on all major search engines for a certain keyword - and once that is done... I'll be set as far as traffic goes. Any comments?

[Charles Nicks]

Kathi,

Thank you for the great insight and the intro to Dee. I have a book in preparation now, and Dee's experiences are helpful

Thanks,

Charles

[Kathi Macias]

Thank you all for stopping by and leaving your comments. Be sure and go to Dee's website and introduce yourself. I know she's planning an online marketing course very soon, so you might want to check it out. You readers are so awesome! Thanks again....

[D.S. White]

Hi Laura,

I'm so glad you enjoyed my contribution, feel free to email me when the time comes if you've any questions.

[D.S. White]

Hi Mary,

Your blog does have a lot of personality, presence and purpose. You also use keywords to great advantage. Great job!

P.S. Loved your three B's.

[D.S. White]

MonthlyNewsletter.net, Search Engine Marketing and Global Discounts.co.uk are examples of clever marketing or borderline spamming (depending on which side of the fence you reside... LOL)

[D.S. White]

Hi Charles,

Congratulations on your endeavors, be sure to join selfpublishing@yahoogroups.com for great pointers (no it's not my group that I'm giving a plug... LOL). I've found them to be very helpful to my learning curve.

[D.S. White]

Kathi,

Thanks again for the opportunity and thank you fellow scribes for reading and/or commenting.

[Search Engine Marketing]

Thanks again!

[Steve Renner]

Dee is a ver sharp lady I like the "Blook" concept. I want to know how to put this post into my blog. I think my readers would enjoy it. Can you give an tips?

BTW: Great Blog!

If there is anything I can do for you please
do not hesitate to contact me.

To Your Success!

Steve Renner
Marketing Director
The Affiliate Community
http://www.affiliatecommunity.com

Get over $1,000 in Training
Resources and Software FREE!

[Matthew Jones]

Hi, I have had a read of your blog and I think it is very clearly laid out and informative. It is also on a similar topic to mine at
http://matt608.blogspot.com

I would like to write a short review of this site on my blog, which would contain a couple of links to this site. (the review will be positive).

If you are interested, or if there is anything you would like me to mention then just leave a comment on my blog.

Once I have written it, perhaps you could link to it? That way I would gain from your link, and your gain is ovbious.

Thanks

Matt

[Search Engine Marketing]

hmmm... I find this stuff fascinating... thanks!

[Dan]

Great post! Building it and creating buzz seem to be the biggest hurdles to get over. Maybe because that means one has to get started! Thanks for the great advice.

[Konrad Braun]

Cool blog. Out of curiosity, what do you think of the new "$7 Secrets" Script and how did its sudden release affect you? I just thought I'd toss this question out there - simply because I know that almost all internet marketers were affected by its release one way or another. True, not true?

Konrad Braun
http://www.powerhits.ca.tt

[Dan]

Thanks for the great advice. WordPress is such a great platform isn’t it - and the wide range of plug ins make it really exciting.

One of the best ones I found the other day was click tracking. Which gives you a heat map of your page showing where visitors are clicking most… rather like crazyegg does.

Very cool

Keep giving us great stuff - thanks