Fast forward to today, and the concept of personalization has evolved in ways I couldn’t have imagined. Enter AI. It’s like that boutique experience, but on steroids. When I stumbled upon Personalized Customer Strategy in the Age of AI by Mark F. Abraham and David C. Edelman, I knew I had to dive in. The book promises to help brands leverage AI for smarter, more tailored customer experiences. Spoiler alert: It delivers.

Must Read

Personalized: Customer Strategy in the Age of AI

$28.80

Most companies talk about personalization, but few actually pull it off. Customers crave tailored experiences, but brands often miss the mark. Those who get it right build trust, create memorable moments, and keep customers coming back. With the right strategy, powered by AI, personalization becomes more than a buzzword—it becomes a game changer.

In Personalized, Mark Abraham and David C. Edelman break down how businesses can truly deliver personalization at scale. They introduce the Five Promises of Personalization, offering practical steps to empower customers, build trust, and craft content that resonates. Packed with real-world examples, this book is a guide to winning with personalization in today’s market.

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10/31/2024 05:48 pm GMT

But here’s what I really loved about the book—it doesn’t just cater to massive corporations with sky-high marketing budgets. Sure, it’s packed with examples of retail giants like Nike and financial titans like Fidelity, but Abraham and Edelman make it clear that AI-powered personalization is not out of reach for solopreneurs or small business owners. That’s where the “Reach Me, Know Me, Show Me” model comes in, and let me tell you, it’s a game changer.

Why Should Solopreneurs Care about Personalized Customer Strategy?

For the solopreneurs out there (hey, that’s me too!), the buzz around AI can feel overwhelming. Who has the time to learn about machine learning algorithms and predictive analytics when you’re busy running your business? But that’s where this book hits the sweet spot—it simplifies AI into bite-sized, actionable steps that any business, no matter the size, can take advantage of.

Think of personalization as your secret weapon. Whether you’re a freelancer, consultant, or running a small online shop, personalizing your customer’s journey will set you apart. Big corporations may be doing it on a grand scale, but solopreneurs can use the same strategies with the tools they already have access to—many of which are free or budget-friendly. It’s not about having a giant tech team; it’s about being smart with what you have.

The “Reach Me, Know Me, Show Me” Framework: Broken Down

The “Reach Me, Know Me, Show Me” model is at the heart of Personalized, and it’s incredibly adaptable for small businesses. Here’s how it works:

1. Reach Me: Target Customers at the Right Moment

This is all about timing. The big brands use sophisticated AI to predict when customers are most likely to make a purchase, but solopreneurs don’t need to invest in expensive AI software to get similar results. With affordable tools like MailChimp or HubSpot, you can set up automated emails that target your customers at key moments—like after they’ve made a purchase or signed up for a consultation.

Solopreneur Pro Tip: Let’s say you run a small skincare business. After a customer buys a moisturizer, you could automate a follow-up email a few weeks later suggesting complementary products—maybe an eye cream or a serum. It’s a low-cost way to keep the conversation going, and who doesn’t love personalized product recommendations?

2. Know Me: Use Data to Understand Your Audience

We’ve all heard the saying “knowledge is power,” and in marketing, it couldn’t be more true. For large companies, this means harnessing big data to track customer behavior. But for the solopreneur, your data doesn’t need to be “big”—just smart. Gather insights through feedback forms, surveys, and website analytics. Even free tools like Google Analytics can give you a clear picture of what your customers are looking for.

Solopreneur Pro Tip: Are you a personal trainer? Use online feedback forms to collect data from clients about their fitness goals. Then, take that information and personalize their training programs or send tailored workout tips. It doesn’t require a massive data infrastructure, just thoughtful use of what you already have.

3. Show Me: Deliver a Personalized Experience

This is where you truly get to shine. Whether it’s customizing your communication or offering personalized recommendations, showing your customer that you “get” them is key. Big companies may have AI-powered apps that personalize on the fly, but you can use simpler tools like Calendly to personalize client bookings or LinkedIn to send custom follow-ups.

Solopreneur Pro Tip: Imagine you’re a freelance graphic designer. After a project wraps, use a tool like Canva to create a custom thank-you note or follow-up tutorial for the client. It’s the kind of small, thoughtful gesture that fosters loyalty and keeps clients coming back.

Personalization on a Shoestring Budget

The authors of Personalized don’t shy away from the fact that AI can seem intimidating for small businesses. But they also highlight several affordable (or even free) tools that solopreneurs can use to apply the principles of personalization without breaking the bank.

For instance, CRM systems like Zoho or HubSpot offer free tiers that include AI-powered insights. These tools can analyze your customers’ behavior and help you personalize your interactions—whether it’s segmenting your audience for more tailored email marketing or using chatbots to answer customer questions in real time.

Solopreneur Pro Tip: If you’re juggling multiple clients, tools like HubSpot’s CRM can be a lifesaver. Set up customer profiles, track interactions, and even automate follow-up emails. You’ll spend less time managing relationships and more time delivering value.

AI Might Seem Complex, But It’s Accessible

Let’s be real. When I first started exploring AI, I was pretty overwhelmed. I thought it was something only Silicon Valley techies and big corporations could handle. But Personalized makes it clear that AI is something small businesses can tap into without a PhD in data science. It’s all about leveraging the right tools.

What I appreciate most is how Abraham and Edelman break down complex ideas into actionable steps. They demystify AI and make it feel like something solopreneurs can actually use to grow their businesses. You don’t need a massive team or a multi-million dollar budget. You just need the right mindset and a willingness to learn.

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FAQ: Personalized Customer Strategy for Solopreneurs

Final Thoughts: Why You Should Read Personalized

At its core, Personalized: Customer Strategy in the Age of AI is about helping businesses forge stronger, more personalized relationships with their customers. And while the book showcases how giants like Netflix and Home Depot are using AI to personalize on a massive scale, the strategies are adaptable for businesses of any size.

If you’re a solopreneur like me, I can’t recommend this book enough. Yes, some of the technical details might feel a little dense, but the practical advice is worth its weight in gold. You’ll walk away with tangible ideas on how to better connect with your audience and create experiences that not only delight but keep customers coming back.

So, if you’re looking to step up your game in the age of AI, grab a copy of Personalized. It’s your new go-to guide for staying competitive in an ever-evolving marketplace.

• How much money does an author make per book?

• Whether you write books on how to make money or romance novels, this advice is actionable.

What’s the difference between authors and writers?

There is a big difference between authors and writers. Authors are people who write books, while writers are people who write for a living. Many times, authors are also journalists, bloggers, or screenwriters.

Do writers make good money?

YES! Writers often make more money than authors. I haven’t found any formal statistics on this topic, but in my 25 years experience in online publishing, I can tell you that writers who specialize on a topic will make more than general writers.

For example, an industry expert writer can make as much as $500 per 1000 word articles. Assuming that their content is high quality.

In this article, I’m going to focus on book authors. So, if that’s you, you’ll learn about the best ways to make money from your book.

As a regular book reviewer for Small Business Trends, and someone who helps authors market their books, I’ve found one trend that has been steadily increasing. Now more than ever, authors are expected to market their own books, regardless of whether they were published by a traditional house or self-published.

That means that you’re not only expected to be an author, but a marketer as well.  Now that we have that out of the way — it’s time to talk about money!

How Much Money Do Authors Make?

When it comes to earning a living as an author, the numbers can vary quite a bit depending on how you publish and where you are in your writing career. According to the Authors Guild’s 2023 survey, the average author makes about $6,080 a year from their books.

That number jumps to $20,300 if you’re writing full-time. If you’re self-publishing, though, the income is usually lower, averaging around $1,000 a year. On the other hand, if you go the traditional publishing route, advances start around $5,000 with the big publishers and $3,000 with smaller ones.

The publishing process you choose also impacts how much you make per book. Self-published authors typically get to keep 40% to 60% of their book’s sales, which works out to about $5.74 for a book priced at $14.99. Meanwhile, traditionally published authors usually see around 10% to 12% royalties, which means they’re making closer to $1.79 per book at the same price.

If you’re one of the lucky self-published authors earning top-tier royalties, you could be making up to 70%, which can really add up over time. So, whether you go the self-publishing or traditional route, it’s all about finding what works best for your financial goals and how you want to approach your writing career.

How much do best selling authors make per book?

A best selling author can make about $3.50 for every book they sell. So, if you wanted an author salary of $200,000 per year, you’d have to sell more than 57,000 books every year.

A traditionally published best selling book makes 5-20% royalties for the author on their print books.

Can You Make a Living as an Author

Most people assume that there are two types of authors when it comes to money, best-selling authors (like J.K. Rowling or Dan Brown) who get millions of dollars in their publishing contract or the struggling author who only gets income when he bribes a family member to buy a copy.

The truth is, there isn’t a fixed number you can estimate because there are a lot of factors that go into an author’s potential income. There are a few authors who make millions, more that make thousands, and a lot more that can’t reach the $500 threshold. Some authors even lose money. The traditional publishing industry has evolved, providing more opportunities for authors to earn a living through self-publishing avenues.

In order to understand whether you can make a living as an author, it’s helpful to examine different types of books and the people who write them.

• Fiction writers. The most famous writers of fiction, like Tom Clancy, JK Rowling, or Stephen King, make millions of dollars from their books. They enjoy large advances from traditional publishing companies that allow them to support themselves exclusively by writing fiction. However, they are a tiny minority of the people who want to make a living writing fiction, and it can take decades of work and luck to achieve that kind of success in traditional publishing. On the other hand, many fiction writers earn a living writing full time by self-publishing e-books and marketing them directly to readers. They may never get famous, but they can earn a steady $5,000-$8,000 per month.

• Non-fiction writers. When people think of “authors”, they often think of famous novelists. However, Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People continues to sell over 250,000 copies a year, a hundred years after it was written. Non-fiction writing can be a great way to make money, particularly if you can offer useful, meaningful information to your readers. Subjects like health and wellness, money and finance, and dating and relationships can help authors earn up to six figures a year.

• E-books as digital products. Today, there is a specialized form of non-fiction writing that is specifically focused on a product. For example, an instructor may sell online courses and create an e-book as part of the course material. An entrepreneur may create an e-book as a testimonial or marketing collateral for their products and services. A business may produce an e-book as a free gift to new or returning customers. In these cases, the book is a component of a larger business or marketing strategy, and can be a powerful way to meet those business objectives.

As an author, it is up to you to determine how to profit from your hard work. For some people, just publishing a book is enough. Most authors, however, wouldn’t mind earning some cash for their words.

How Do Authors Make Money?

Authors typically make money either through a traditional book publishing company, or through a self-publishing marketplace. In either instance, the author earns money based on how many copies of the book are sold. In traditional publishing, the company often gives a writer an advance on their book, so they can cover their cost of living while they write, and then they repay the advance from royalties on the finished book.

Some writers also choose to be ghostwriters, where they earn a flat fee for writing the book, then allow the person who hired them to claim authorship and earn revenue from the book sales. Let’s take a closer look at the two main methods authors use to make money.

Your first step is to learn how to get that cash. As an author, there are two basic ways you earn money, from book sales or stuff you sell based on your book’s content.

Method 1: : Direct Book Sales with Traditional Publishing

[tweet_dis]Authors earn money from their book sales in two ways, royalties and/or an advance[/tweet_dis].

What is a book advance?

An advance is money that is given to an author from a publishing company before the book comes out. Advances are usually given to authors who have a track record of publishing best-selling books or have a very high possibility of becoming a best-seller. Only authors with a publishing contract can earn advances.

For an average author with a first-time book deal, receiving an advance is very rare. It’s usually $5,000 to $20,000. It’s called an advance because you have to pay it back with your book sales.

The average author with a first-time book deal can expect to receive an advance of $5,000 to $15,000. Once your book is released, you won’t see another dime until you have earned back that advance–$1.25 at a time—until the advance is paid back in full.

What are royalties?

Both self-published and authors working with a publishing company can earn royalties. Royalties are money given to an author after a book is published and sold. As an authors, you receive a percentage of the sale, depending on how you published your book.

If you work with a publishing company, a part of your royalties must go the publisher, an agent, and then you. If you are a self-published author, you still have to pay the company that helped your book get published. In many cases, this is Amazon. By ditching a professional publisher, you get a higher percentage of your book sales.

Another strategy to make more money on direct book sales is to create your book in different formats. This includes  digital, paperback, hardback, and audio.  This will help you reach a larger audience, because each consumer chooses the format they’re more comfortable with.

How much do authors make per book?

On average, traditional publishing houses pay authors $1.25 per copy sold. Clearly, you’ll need to sell a ton of books to earn a nice paycheck for your work. Of course, with a large publishing house backing your book, you may have no problem selling tons of inventory. One other thing to consider–that $1.25 per book–is only yours after you’ve covered the cost of your advance.

Alternatively, most self published authors are paying $5 to a company like Amazon per copy of their books sold.

How do you know which is right for you? Let’s assume your book retails for $20. If you go through a publisher, you’re getting $1.25 per copy. If you self-publish you’re getting $15 per copy.

While the math makes self-publishing look like a better deal, keep in mind the benefits you may get with a major publisher–like their in-house PR team and editors.

Which genres make the most money for authors?

While there is a huge range of earning potential for different types of books, the genres that earn the most money are non-fiction health and wellness, money and finance, and dating and relationships. In fiction, the genres that earn the most money are:

1. Romance and erotica. Romance and erotica novels earn nearly $1.5 billion every year

2. Crime and mystery. Thrilling crime and mystery novels earn more than $725 million annually

3. Religious and inspirational. Inspirational texts earn about $720 million a year

4. Science fiction and fantasy. Sci-fi and fantasy novels earn about $590 million every year

5. Horror. Horror novels earn just under $80 million a year

While there’s no doubt that some genres have larger existing markets than others, it’s also important to remember that the success of a book is also based on a variety of other factors, and that authors who use smart marketing techniques have a much better chance of financial success, no matter which genre they write in.

Method #2: Generate Sales Based on the Content of Your Self-Published Book

Savvy authors look for income opportunities beyond their book sales. The major reason is the limited sales capacity of a book. After you sell a book, the transaction is over until you write another book. If, however, you sell things based on the book’s content, you have an unlimited number of ways to earn money.

What do I mean by earning income from your book’s content? Seven examples include:

• Product sales

• Speaking gigs

• Consulting

• Teaching

• Pre-sales

• Crowdfunding

• Special events and travel tours

There are several well-known authors who do all of these things. For example, look at Dave Ramsey. He’s famous for his books on how to make money, pay off debt, and create a legacy of wealth.

He parlayed the success of his first book, The Total Money Makeover, into multiple revenue streams. These include podcasts, live events, workshops, and digital courses. With a net worth estimated at $200 million, you can see he’s done great work marketing his books.

But, most of his income is based on his content, not the actual book copies. He makes his money from his online courses and advertising revenue for his radio show and podcasts.

How much money do authors make on ebooks?

Before considering how much money authors typically make on ebooks, it’s important to clear up some misconceptions about self-publishing. While it is possible to write and publish an ebook with no out-of-pocket costs, most successful self-publishing authors invest capital in their books in order to boost sales. Just like in traditional publishing, factors like cover art, writing quality, and page layout can influence sales.

In online marketplaces, ratings and reviews are incredibly influential, so creating a book that satisfies the reader is worth an up front investment. Successful ebook authors hire editing services, book cover designers, professional formatting, and typically invest in marketing and paid advertising, all of which cost money that impacts the total profits of the book.

Every ebook publishing platform has different revenue agreements with authors. Retailers like iBooks, Kobo, Barnes & Noble/NOOK, and the like, all offer different royalty rates. These platforms also reach different markets on different devices, which affects a writer’s target audience. Despite all these differences, authors can expect to earn 40 – 70% of the cover price for every copy sold, which often amounts to ~$1.25 – $2.00 per copy.

How much money do authors make per book on Amazon?

Amazon controls about 80% of the ebook market, which makes it almost impossible for authors to ignore. Amazon’s publishing agreement is multi-layered and should be read carefully. Broadly speaking, authors agree to give Amazon exclusive distribution rights to their book, in return for access to a preferred Kindle marketplace and participation in the Kindle Lending Library. A standard Amazon agreement usually offers authors royalties of 35 – 70% of the cover price per copy sold.

Kindle Unlimited and Lending programs pay authors by the number of pages read, rather than by the number of book copies sold.

People who want to create physical copies of their book can also use Amazon’s CreateSpace to create paperback copies of their book for distribution in physical bookstores and access to an expanded paperback marketplace through Amazon’s programs. The CreateSpace agreement usually charges authors a fixed fee, a per-page cost, and Amazon’s commission of 40-60% per copy sold.

More than 40% of the authors on Amazon are self-published ebook authors, and only about 1% of them earn more than $10,000 per year. On the other hand, there are many success stories of authors who are happily working as full time writers and supporting themselves through Amazon.

Is self-publishing or traditional publishing right for you?

If you dream of becoming a full-time author, you may wonder whether you should pursue traditional publishing or self-publishing. Here are some of the key factors to consider:

Traditional book publishing:

• Harder to get into. The book publishing industry is most interested in books with broad appeal and high commercial potential.

• Slower to achieve results. It can take years to create a book from initial treatment through to bookstore shelves. It can take even longer for a traditional book to start earning royalties that are paid to the author. New authors typically receive only small book advances, so expect to maintain a part-time job to cover your cost of living for quite a long time.

• More prestigious. Traditionally produced books are more visible and more prestigious, and traditional book authors are more likely to go on book tours, earn award nominations, and have more media visibility.

Self-publishing:

• Fewer barriers to entry. Instead of trying to secure an agent and get a publishing deal, authors can simply write their books and publish them.

• Narrower audience. Self-published books can be a faster and more effective way to target specific audiences and interest groups.

• Broader skill range. While traditional book publishers take care of the details of finishing a book, like editing, publishing, and marketing, self-published authors need to do that work themselves. Authors need to hire or design their own cover art, hire or do their own editing and proof reading, and manage their own marketing and advertising.

However, authors don’t always have to make either-or decisions. Famously, Fifty Shades of Grey and Eragon were originally self-published before they were picked up by traditional publishers. If you can’t decide which option is best for you, try discussing your book idea with a literary agent and exploring your options.

6 Creative Ways to Make Money from Your Book

1. Sell T-shirts, coffee mugs,  or other promotional items  with characters or phrases from the book on your website. You can also sell on sites like CafePress or Zazzle. If you’re particularly crafty, try Etsy.

2. Offer traveling tours where the author takes a group of readers through the places that inspired your book. Use a site like Vayable.

3. Set up a crowdfunding campaign on sites like Indiegogo to raise money for expenses.

4. Sell exclusive bonus material, such as additional or extra chapters, poems, or short stories through your website or Fiverr.

5. Get advertising income. Sell ads based on your book on sites such as Wattpad Futures. Or try earning through affiliate programs like Amazon Associates

6. Offer a fiction-writing workshop.

7. If you’re a nonfiction author, create and sell an online course. Or use one as a lead generator for your consulting services. Use sites like Udemy or Skillshare.

Book Marketing Ideas That Work

Unless you’re already a celebrity or best-selling author, traditional publishers will expect you to do a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to promoting your book.  No matter what you’re writing; fiction, non-fiction, ebooks or even blog posts, if you want to make money, you’ll have to become a marketer.

Many authors feel lost when it comes to marketing their book and so they will hire a PR person to pitch and promote their book to reviewers and media outlets.

Follow these tips before you go out and hire any type of marketing or PR professional.  You’ll find that there are quite a few book marketing ideas that you can do yourself . For the ones that you’re going to delegate, you’ll be saving yourself a lot of time and money by already doing the bulk of the research and strategic work.

Understand that you’re in the marketing business, not the writing business.

This is helpful even BEFORE you sit down to write your first word.  When you think of yourself as being a marketer first and an author or writer second, you’ll immediately focus on what matters; your audience. What problem are they facing? And how you can help them solve it?

This is true for fiction writers as well.  John Locke, who has sold millions of ebooks on amazon and made more than a million dollars by selling $.99 books did it exactly this way.

He saw that many successful authors were charging almost $10  for a book and decided that he would undercut them – selling his own efforts for $.99 cents. Even in 2019, most of his books retail for $2.99. That’s far below average price.

Locke had a business background. He thought very carefully about who his ideal audience was, how they spent their days, what frustrated them and what type of content they would be most likely to consume.

Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t an easy process. And he had his trial-and-error moments. But you can see that by simply writing from the context of your writing being a money-making venture rather than simply a creative exercise can be helpful.

Create a simple marketing plan for your content

You’re probably wondering why YOU should have to do this when you intend to hire a marketing expert to do this for you. You should do this yourself first SO THAT you can choose the right book marketing person or PR person who will help you make money from your book.

Here’s the template — Click on the image and then either download it for yourself or make a copy to your own Google Drive.

With this plan in hand, you’re ready to start playing around with some specific marketing ideas for making money from your writing.

Create a video trailer: A book is nothing more than a movie you play in your mind. Create a short video trailer to get people excited about your book.  You can use tools like Adobe Spark, Animoto or Magisto.

Do a virtual book tour: In addition to sending copies of your book to book reviewers and book review sites like Goodreads, create a list of podcasts, tweet chats, and Facebook live sessions..  Anywhere people are talking about your topic, you want to be there and you want to be there during a blast. This virtual tour should last 4-6 weeks.

Create a Facebook Group or Fan Page: Create a space where your audience, fans and potential readers can engage with you.

Build a website: You can create a simple book or author website on your own for less than $100.  Invest in great design, book image and head shots. Also provide some free content such as a table of contents, a chapter or two or even better — create a series of downloadable resources and tools for your audience.

FAQs

These items are just the tip of the iceberg because authors who know how to leverage their content make more money with less work. As an author, you’re not limited to sitting around and waiting for your book to make you money. You can use your book’s content to create income opportunities. The only limits are your time and imagination.

As an entrepreneur, my days often feel like a high-speed chase through an endless to-do list. One minute, I’m deep-diving into market research, the next I’m troubleshooting a client issue, only to be pulled into a whirlwind of social media updates. It’s a chaotic dance of juggling multiple tasks, where focus seems like a distant dream.

This constant hopscotch between projects made me realize I needed a change. That’s when I stumbled upon Nir Eyal’s “Indistractable.” This book has been out since 2019, but I’ve only now run into it. Well, better late than never.

Distraction vs. Traction: A Tale of Two Forces

The core concept of “Indistractable” is simple yet profound: understanding the difference between traction and distraction. Traction, as Eyal explains, pulls us towards what we want to do, while distractions pull us away from our goals.

But here’s the kicker – it’s not just about external triggers. The real game-changer is managing internal triggers – those moments of discomfort that drive us towards distraction.

I don’t know about you, but I often treat my projects as if I’m a fast good restaurant; the instant I have a project, I want to work on it and get it done. But this often leads to me doing lots of things all at once.

I spent quite a bit of time reflecting on this concept and the one change I made was to devote about 5 minutes in setting up a few tasks as a project comes in and then scheduling it on my calendar.

Tech-Yes or Tech-No? Navigating Digital Distractions

Then comes the tech aspect. In our digital age, technology can be a double-edged sword – essential for business but also a significant source of distraction. “Indistractable” offers a balanced view, teaching us to use technology as a tool, not a distraction.

Willpower or Won’t-Power? Indistractable Debunks Productivity Myths

What really sets this book apart is its emphasis on debunking myths, like the idea of finite willpower. Eyal encourages a growth mindset, fostering a belief in continuous improvement and adaptability – critical traits for any entrepreneur.

I loved this section of the book because it allowed me to forgive myself for not always sticking to my plan. I think the key is to understand how you work and how you think and then create structures and systems that support your natural strenfths.

Becoming the Master of Your Focus

In conclusion, “Indistractable” is more than just a book; it’s a mindset shift. It’s a practical, insightful guide that speaks directly to the entrepreneurial spirit. It doesn’t just teach you to avoid distractions; it equips you to embrace and overcome them, turning you into a more focused, productive entrepreneur.

For my fellow entrepreneurs out there, this is a must-read. It’s not just about finding focus; it’s about reclaiming control over your time and energy. So, pick up “Indistractable,” and embark on a journey to a more focused, purpose-driven entrepreneurial life.

A Quick Look at the Best Marketing Books for 2023

To kick things off, here’s a sneak peek at our top selections for the upcoming year. These marketing books cater to a variety of interests and levels, providing valuable insights for beginners and advanced marketers alike.

1. Best for Online Business Growth: Dotcom Secrets
2. Best for Brand Storytelling: Building a StoryBrand
3. Best for Understanding User Behavior: Hooked
4. Best for Learning Growth Hacking: Hacking Growth
5. Best for Strategic Planning: Blue Ocean Strategy
6. Best Simplified Marketing Plan: 1-Page Marketing Plan
7. Best for Lead Generation: $100M Leads
8. Best for Crafting Compelling Offers: $100M Offers
9. Best for Promoting: Contagious
10. Best for New Product Development: Made to Stick

Dotcom Secrets: The Best Guide for Online Business Growth

If you’re looking to drive sales and revenue, you’re going to need a funnel. Russell Brunson’s “Dotcom Secrets”. This comprehensive guide dives deep into the world of sales funnels, traffic generation, and conversion optimization, providing practical tips and strategies to help you succeed in the digital world. Brunson’s experience as a successful online entrepreneur shines through as he shares his insights on consumer behavior, advertising, copywriting, sales, pricing, branding, and online marketing, including social media marketing.

A distinguishing feature of “Dotcom Secrets” is its emphasis on how critical sales funnels are in generating leads and sales. Brunson emphasizes the need for a marketing team to understand and implement effective sales funnels, while also providing valuable information on traffic generation and conversion optimization. The book may be overwhelming for beginners, but its wealth of information and actionable advice make it an invaluable resource for anyone serious about growing their online business.

Pros:

1. Actionable Insights: This book is packed with step-by-step strategies that you can implement right away. No fluff, just straight-up valuable advice.
2. Focus on Sales Funnels: If you’re still figuring out how to optimize your sales funnels, this book is your bible. It goes deep into the mechanics of turning a visitor into a customer.
3. Case Studies: Real-world examples make the concepts relatable and easier to grasp. You’re not just reading theories; you’re learning from success stories.
4. Beginner-Friendly: New to the online business world? No worries. The book lays down the basics before diving into more complex topics.
5. Up-to-Date Techniques: Given that it’s focused on online growth, the book stays relevant by covering current tools and platforms that are essential in today’s digital landscape.

Cons:

1. Not for Everyone: If you’re an advanced marketer with years of experience, some sections might feel a bit basic for you.
2. Upsell Tactics: The book does contain some self-promotional content aimed at funneling readers into the author’s other products and services.
3. Niche Specific: The book leans heavily on the author’s experience in specific industries. If your business doesn’t align, some strategies may not be as effective.
4. Cost Factor: While the book itself isn’t overly expensive, implementing some of the strategies could require a budget that not all small businesses have.
5. Time Commitment: This isn’t a quick read. You’ll need to invest time not just in reading but also in implementing the strategies.

Rating:

• Content: 4.5/5
• Readability: 4/5
• Relevance: 4.5/5
• Value for Money: 5/5

Building a StoryBrand: The Best for Brand Storytelling

If you’re aiming to craft a captivating brand story that resonates with customers and propels sales, Donald Miller’s “Building a StoryBrand” is worth the read. Miller emphasizes the importance of clear messaging in both traditional advertising and digital marketing, and provides a framework for creating a brand story that resonates with your target audience.

The book outlines the StoryBrand Marketing Framework, a step-by-step guide that helps businesses define their brand’s message and implement it in their marketing strategies. By following this framework, businesses can create a clear, engaging brand story that captures the attention of their target audience and drives sales. While developing a unique brand story may require some creativity and brainstorming, “Building a StoryBrand” offers practical tips and guidance to help businesses of all sizes succeed in the competitive world of marketing.

Pros:

1. Simplifies Branding: The book breaks down the complex topic of branding into a simple, relatable story framework. You don’t need a marketing degree to get it.
2. Customer-Centric Approach: It flips the script by making your customer the hero of your brand’s story, not your product. This resonates more with audiences.
3. Universal Application: Whether you’re a solopreneur or running a larger operation, the principles are scalable and can be applied to any business size or type.
4. Practical Exercises: The book includes actionable worksheets and templates, so you’re not just reading—you’re doing.
5. Enhances Communication: The storytelling framework can be applied to all your marketing materials, making your messaging more cohesive and effective.

Cons:

1. Not Deeply Technical: If you’re looking for in-depth marketing analytics or SEO strategies, this book won’t cover those bases.
2. Overemphasis on Formula: While the storytelling framework is strong, it can feel a bit formulaic. If you’re looking for out-of-the-box ideas, you might find it limiting.
3. Initial Time Investment: To get the most out of the book, you’ll need to spend time working through the exercises, which could be a con for those looking for quick fixes.
4. May Overlook Product: The focus is so customer-centric that there’s a risk of sidelining the importance of the product or service itself.
5. Cost of Implementation: While the book provides valuable insights, actually implementing a full rebranding based on its principles could be costly for some businesses.

Rating:

• Content: 4.5/5
• Readability: 4/5
• Relevance: 4.5/5
• Value for Money: 5/5

Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products: The Best for Understanding User Behavior

“Hooked” by Nir Eyal intriguingly delves into the psychology behind habit-forming products, offering businesses insights on developing products that sustain user engagement. The book introduces the Hook Model, a four-stage process that can be used to create habits in users, and offers practical advice and examples on how to implement this model in your product design.

Eyal’s insights into user behavior are valuable for product marketers and designers alike, as understanding the factors that drive user engagement can lead to more effective products and ultimately, greater success for your business. However, the book does raise some ethical concerns about manipulating user behavior, and some of the concepts may be repetitive for those who are already familiar with the psychology of habits.

Pros:

1. Psychology Meets Business: This book brilliantly combines psychological theories with practical business applications. You’re not just learning what works; you’re learning why it works.
2. The Hook Model: The book introduces a simple yet effective four-step model that can turn a casual user into a loyal customer. It’s like a blueprint for customer retention.
3. Real-World Examples: From social media platforms to simple household items, the book uses relatable examples to illustrate its points. You’ll find yourself saying, “Ah, so that’s why I can’t put that app down!”
4. Actionable Advice: Each chapter ends with actionable steps that you can implement immediately. It’s not just theory; it’s a hands-on guide.
5. Great for Product Developers: If you’re in the business of creating products, this book is a must-read. It’ll help you design products that not only attract users but keep them coming back.

Cons:

1. Ethical Concerns: The book delves into manipulating user behavior, which could raise ethical questions. It’s a powerful tool, but it comes with responsibility.
2. Not for Every Business: If you’re in a sector where customer habits aren’t a significant factor (like B2B services), the book might not be as applicable.
3. Limited Scope: The book focuses primarily on digital and tech products. If you’re in a different industry, you’ll have to work a bit to adapt the principles.
4. Can Feel Repetitive: The Hook Model is the core of the book, and it’s revisited often. If you grasp it early on, some sections might feel redundant.
5. Requires Follow-Through: The strategies in the book require consistent application and testing. It’s not a one-and-done solution.

Rating:

• Content: 4/5
• Readability: 4/5
• Relevance: 4.5/5
• Value for Money: 4.5/5

Hacking Growth: The Best for Learning Growth Hacking

For those eager to delve into growth hacking and accelerate their business growth, “Hacking Growth” by Sean Ellis and Morgan Brown is a recommended read. The book provides a step-by-step guide to growth hacking, with case studies and actionable tips that can be applied to your own business. Ellis and Brown, both experienced growth hackers, share their insights on:

• Building an experiments-driven culture
• Making data-driven decisions
• Developing a growth team
• Setting up a regular process of ideation, testing, and measurement
• The importance of having the right product to experiment with

While some of the techniques presented in the book may not be applicable to all businesses, “Hacking Growth” offers valuable insights and guidance for those looking to master the art of growth hacking.

Pros:

1. Holistic Approach: This book doesn’t just focus on one aspect of growth hacking; it covers the whole ecosystem. From acquisition to retention, it’s all there.
2. Data-Driven: If you love numbers and analytics, you’re in for a treat. The book emphasizes the importance of data in making informed decisions.
3. Case Studies Galore: Learn from the best. The book is filled with real-world examples from companies that have successfully implemented growth hacking techniques.
4. Collaborative Mindset: One of the book’s key messages is that growth hacking isn’t just a marketing function. It involves cross-departmental collaboration, making it a company-wide initiative.
5. Practical Tips: No vague advice here. The book provides specific, actionable strategies that you can start implementing right away.

Cons:

1. Not for Beginners: If you’re new to the world of digital marketing, some of the concepts might go over your head. It assumes a certain level of expertise.
2. Resource Intensive: Many of the strategies discussed require a significant investment in both time and resources, which might not be feasible for smaller businesses.
3. Rapid Changes: The digital landscape changes quickly, and while the principles are solid, some of the specific tools or platforms mentioned may become outdated.
4. Focus on Tech Companies: Much like “Hooked,” this book leans heavily on examples from tech startups. If you’re in a different industry, you’ll need to adapt the strategies.
5. Ethical Boundaries: Growth hacking often involves pushing the envelope, and the book doesn’t spend much time discussing the ethical considerations of such strategies.

Rating:

• Content: 4.5/5
• Readability: 4/5
• Relevance: 4.5/5
• Value for Money: 5/5

Blue Ocean Strategy: The Best for Strategic Planning

“Blue Ocean Strategy” is a book written by W. It outlines distinctions between blue oceans and red oceans in the marketplace. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne present a strategic planning framework for finding untapped market opportunities and creating unique value propositions. The book challenges traditional concepts of competitive market strategy, advocating for the creation of “blue oceans” – uncontested market spaces that render rivals obsolete and drive profitable growth.

The authors provide a step-by-step guide for implementing the Blue Ocean Strategy, helping businesses identify new market opportunities and develop innovative products and services that cater to unmet customer needs. While some of the concepts presented in the book may be difficult to apply in certain industries, “Blue Ocean Strategy” offers valuable insights and guidance for those looking to revolutionize their business strategy and achieve long-term success.

Pros:

1. Innovative Thinking: This book challenges the conventional wisdom of competing in overcrowded markets and instead encourages you to create new spaces, or “Blue Oceans.”
2. Broad Applicability: Whether you’re a startup or an established business, the principles of Blue Ocean Strategy can be applied to break away from the competition.
3. Tools and Frameworks: The book offers practical tools like the Strategy Canvas and the Four Actions Framework, which help you visualize and implement your own Blue Ocean Strategy.
4. Case Studies: Real-world examples from various industries make the strategies relatable and easier to understand. You’re learning from both successes and failures.
5. Long-Term Focus: Unlike growth hacking or other quick-win strategies, Blue Ocean Strategy encourages long-term planning and sustainability.

Cons:

1. Complexity: The book introduces several new frameworks and concepts, which can be overwhelming for those new to strategic planning.
2. Resource-Intensive: Implementing a Blue Ocean Strategy often requires a significant investment in research, development, and marketing, which might be a hurdle for smaller businesses.
3. Risk Factors: Venturing into unexplored markets comes with its own set of risks and uncertainties, which the book doesn’t delve into deeply.
4. Not a Quick Fix: If you’re looking for immediate results, this strategy is more of a marathon than a sprint. It requires patience and long-term commitment.
5. Outdated Examples: While the core principles remain relevant, some of the case studies may feel dated given the rapid changes in the business landscape.

Rating:

• Content: 4.5/5
• Readability: 4/5
• Relevance: 4.5/5
• Value for Money: 4/5

1-Page Marketing Plan

Allan Dib’s “The 1-Page Marketing Plan” demystifies marketing planning with its one-page format, steering businesses on the journey to attract, convert, and retain customers. The book breaks down the marketing plan into three main sections:

1. Before: This section focuses on understanding your target market, crafting your message, and creating a compelling offer.
2. During: This section covers strategies for attracting and converting leads, including online and offline marketing tactics.
3. After: This section explores ways to retain customers and turn them into loyal advocates for your business.

The 1-Page Marketing Plan provides a clear and easy-to-follow framework for businesses of all sizes.

By following the 1-Page Marketing Plan, businesses can develop a clear understanding of their target market, create compelling messages, and implement effective marketing strategies. While the book may not cover every aspect of marketing in depth, its simplicity and practicality make it an invaluable resource for business owners and marketing professionals looking to streamline their marketing efforts and achieve better results.

Pros:

1. Simplicity: The book lives up to its name, offering a one-page plan that’s easy to understand and implement. No need for a marketing degree to get started.
2. Actionable Steps: It breaks down the marketing journey into nine actionable squares, guiding you from selecting your target market to scaling your business.
3. Time-Saving: If you’re overwhelmed by the thought of creating a detailed marketing plan, this book is a lifesaver. You can literally sketch out your plan in an afternoon.
4. Budget-Friendly: Ideal for small businesses and solopreneurs, the book focuses on strategies that don’t require a big budget.
5. Great for Beginners: If you’re new to marketing or running a small business, this book provides a solid foundation without overwhelming you with jargon.

Cons:

1. Lacks Depth: While the book is great for getting started, it doesn’t dive deep into any single area of marketing. You’ll need additional resources for that.
2. Not for Large Businesses: The simplicity that makes it great for small businesses might not offer enough detail for larger organizations with more complex marketing needs.
3. Limited Customization: The one-page plan is a template, which means it might not cover unique challenges or opportunities specific to your business.
4. Overlooks Digital Marketing: The book could offer more in terms of digital marketing strategies, which are crucial in today’s online-centric world.
5. May Feel Basic for Veterans: If you’ve been in the marketing game for a while, the book might not offer many new insights.

Rating:

• Content: 4/5
• Readability: 4/5
• Relevance: 4/5
• Value for Money: 5/5

$100M Leads: How to Get Strangers To Want To Buy Your Stuff

Alex Hormozi’s “$100 million Leads” imparts crucial insights on lead generation and conversion, guiding readers on:

• Crafting enticing offers
• Drawing in prospective customers
• Capturing leads
• Nurturing relationships
• Converting prospects into paying customers

The book covers various strategies and techniques for achieving these goals.

Hormozi’s experience as a successful entrepreneur and marketer shines through as he shares practical tips and examples that can be applied to any business in the marketing world. Whether you’re a startup founder or an experienced marketer, “$100M Leads” will equip you with the tools and knowledge needed to drive sales and grow your business.

Pros:

1. High-Value Strategies: This book is all about scaling, aiming to help you generate leads that could potentially bring in $100 million. It’s ambitious and exciting.
2. Psychology-Driven: It delves into the psychology of the buyer’s journey, helping you understand what makes a stranger turn into a paying customer.
3. Data-Backed: If you’re a fan of metrics and analytics, this book has you covered. It emphasizes the importance of data in lead generation.
4. Multi-Channel Approach: From social media to email marketing, the book covers a wide range of channels you can use to attract leads.
5. Case Studies: Real-world examples and success stories make the strategies more relatable and easier to implement.

Cons:

1. Not for Small Budgets: The strategies discussed often require a significant financial investment, which might not be feasible for small businesses or solopreneurs.
2. Complexity: The book dives deep into advanced marketing strategies, which could be overwhelming for those new to the field.
3. Time-Consuming: Implementing the strategies will require a substantial time commitment, both for planning and execution.
4. Risk of Overhype: With a title like “$100M Leads,” there’s a risk of inflated expectations. Not every strategy will yield the same results for every business.
5. Niche-Specific: The book leans heavily on examples from high-growth and tech industries. If you’re in a different sector, you’ll need to adapt the strategies.

Rating:

• Content: 4.5/5
• Readability: 4/5
• Relevance: 4.5/5
• Value for Money: N/A (price not available)

$100M Offers: How To Make Offers So Good People Feel Stupid Saying No

Alex Hormozi’s “$100M Offers” centers on creating ridiculously good content in the form of compelling offers that customers can’t resist, thereby boosting sales and revenue growth. The book provides practical tips and examples on how to create offers that are not only attractive but also irresistible to potential customers.

By understanding the factors that drive customer behavior and applying the techniques presented in the book, businesses can create offers that resonate with their target audience and drive sales. Whether you’re a startup founder or an experienced marketer, “$100M Offers” offers valuable insights and guidance for crafting compelling offers that drive sales and grow your business.

Pros:

1. Irresistible Offers: The book focuses on crafting offers that are so compelling, your potential customers can’t help but say yes. It’s like a masterclass in persuasion.
2. Value-Driven: It emphasizes the importance of providing immense value to the customer, not just selling a product. This aligns well with today’s consumer expectations.
3. Psychological Triggers: The book dives into the psychology of decision-making, helping you understand how to trigger a ‘yes’ from potential customers.
4. Practical Examples: Real-world case studies and templates make it easier to apply the concepts to your own business. You’re not just learning theory; you’re learning how to implement it.
5. Great for Scaling: If you’ve got a product or service that you’re ready to scale, the strategies in this book can help you take it to the next level.

Cons:

1. High-Stakes Game: The strategies are designed for big wins, which also means they come with risks. If an offer flops, it could be costly.
2. Advanced Level: This isn’t Marketing 101. The book assumes you have a solid understanding of basic marketing principles.
3. Resource Intensive: Crafting irresistible offers often involves high-quality production, testing, and optimization, which can be resource-heavy.
4. Ethical Questions: With great power comes great responsibility. The book’s persuasive techniques could be seen as manipulative if not used carefully.
5. Niche Focus: Much like “$100M Leads,” this book leans towards high-growth and tech industries. If that’s not your field, you’ll need to adapt the strategies.

Rating:

• Content: 4.5/5
• Readability: 4/5
• Relevance: 4.5/5
• Value for Money: 5/5

Contagious: How to Build Word of Mouth in the Digital Age

Jonah Berger’s “Contagious: How to Build Word of Mouth in the Digital Age” provides an in-depth look into why certain products and ideas catch on. It offers valuable insights for businesses on how they can harness the power of word-of-mouth and social influence to achieve their marketing goals.

Pros:

1. The Science of Sharing: Ever wonder why some things go viral while others don’t? This book dives into the psychology and science behind it, giving you a deeper understanding.
2. Six Key Principles: The book outlines six essential factors that make information shareable. It’s like a cheat sheet for creating buzz.
3. Applicable to Various Formats: Whether it’s a product, a social media post, or an ad campaign, the principles can be applied across the board, making it versatile.
4. Real-World Examples: From viral videos to successful marketing campaigns, the book uses relatable case studies to illustrate its points.
5. Easy to Digest: The writing is engaging and the concepts are broken down into bite-sized chunks, making it an easy read.

Cons:

1. Not a Step-by-Step Guide: While it provides valuable insights, it’s not a how-to manual for making your specific product or idea go viral.
2. No Guarantees: Even with all the right ingredients, virality is never a sure thing. The book offers guidance, not guarantees.
3. Digital Focus: If your business is more traditional and less digital, some of the book’s principles may not be as directly applicable.
4. Can Feel Over-Simplified: While the six principles are useful, they can sometimes feel like an oversimplification of a complex subject.
5. Limited in Scope: The book focuses primarily on consumer behavior in the context of social sharing, so it may not cover other aspects of marketing or customer acquisition.

Rating:

• Content: 4.5/5
• Readability: 4/5
• Relevance: 4.5/5
• Value for Money: 5/5

Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die

“Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die” by Chip Heath and Dan Heath delves into the anatomy of ideas that stick and the art of effective communication. It’s a significant read for marketers seeking to create impactful messages that capture and hold the audience’s attention.

Pros:

1. SUCCESs Framework: The book introduces the SUCCESs model, which stands for Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotional, Stories. It’s a handy checklist for crafting memorable messages.
2. Universally Applicable: Whether you’re in marketing, education, or even just trying to make your everyday communication more effective, the principles are widely applicable.
3. Practical Tips: The book is filled with actionable advice, exercises, and checklists to help you apply the principles to your own ideas.
4. Engaging Writing: The authors use a conversational tone and plenty of anecdotes to keep you engaged. It’s informative without being dry.
5. Idea Longevity: Unlike trends that come and go, the principles in this book are about creating ideas with staying power. They’re evergreen.

Cons:

1. Not Industry-Specific: If you’re looking for marketing strategies tailored to your specific industry, this book takes a more general approach.
2. Can Feel Repetitive: The core principles are revisited throughout the book, which can feel repetitive if you grasp them early on.
3. Lacks Digital Focus: While the principles are timeless, the book doesn’t delve much into applying them in the digital age, particularly in social media or online marketing.
4. Initial Time Investment: To get the most out of the book, you’ll need to spend time working through the exercises and applying the principles, which may not suit those looking for quick fixes.
5. Broad Scope: The book covers a lot of ground, from urban legends to corporate mission statements, which might be a bit much if you’re looking for a focused marketing guide.

Rating:

• Content: 4.5/5
• Readability: 4/5
• Relevance: 4.5/5
• Value for Money: 5/5

How to Choose the Right Marketing Book for You

The decision of selecting the right marketing book hinges on your personal needs, interests, and objectives. To aid you in making an informed choice, consider the following suggestions:

1. Assess your current knowledge and skill level. Are you a beginner looking for a comprehensive guide, or an experienced marketer seeking specialized knowledge? Choose a book that aligns with your level of expertise.
2. Identify your specific interests and goals. What aspects of marketing do you want to focus on, and what do you hope to achieve? Select a book that covers your desired topics and provides actionable advice to help you reach your objectives.
3. Read reviews and check the credentials of the authors. Look for books written by experienced marketers or industry experts, and be cautious of relying solely on Amazon reviews.

By following these tips, you can find the perfect marketing book that will provide you with valuable insights and strategies to boost your marketing efforts, including successful marketing and digital marketing strategies, and achieve greater success.

Summary

In conclusion, the marketing books listed in this blog post offer valuable insights and strategies to help you succeed in the ever-evolving world of marketing. Whether you’re a beginner looking to learn the basics or an experienced marketer seeking specialized knowledge, these books cater to a variety of interests and levels. So pick a book that aligns with your needs and goals, and get ready to take your marketing game to the next level!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the number one rule of marketing?

The number one rule of marketing is always put the customer first: align your efforts with their needs and preferences, and keep things simple.

Don’t be swayed by your own thoughts and feelings when it comes to advertising, pricing, or packaging.

What is the most powerful marketing?

Word-of-mouth, or advocacy marketing, is the most powerful form of marketing; 50% of purchasing decisions are influenced by it.

Email marketing also proves to be effective for revenue generation.

What makes the best marketing?

Creating a targeted campaign and knowing the customer’s needs are essential for successful marketing. Commitment to a tailored strategy, communicating your USP and focusing on solving customer problems will help to make your marketing successful.

How do I choose the right marketing book for me?

Identify your goals and skill level, read reviews and check author credentials to help choose the right marketing book for you.

Are these marketing books suitable for beginners?

Yes, these marketing books are suitable for beginners as they provide valuable insights and strategies regardless of expertise.

These easy book marketing ideas will help you get your book in front of your ideal audience.

How do audiences know a book is worth the time, and how are best sellers even marketed? Don’t worry if you’re a self-published author. You can control your book’s marketing destiny.

Unless you’re a celebrity or best-selling author, YOU will have to take care of all your marketing and book promotion.

You need to market your book to sell copies even if you’re under traditional publishers, though you’ll have sole marketing responsibility as a self-publisher. 

Self-published authors, rejoice! Marketing your book doesn’t have to be hard or expensive. In fact, it can be a lot of fun. And with our helpful guide, you’re sure to see a boost in sales. So get ready to start marketing your masterpiece today!

Book types and niches are diverse, so your marketing strategy should be too. There’s never one marketing method that suits all genres, so you’ll have to be strategic in marketing your book.

As a rule of thumb, use multiple book marketing ideas that are best suitable for your networks and target audience. There are many varying ways to boost book sales, and we’re about to cover the best book marketing tips of all times.

We’ll discuss everything, from using an author website, book signings, and readings, to social media accounts and online marketing strategies. Do you know how to do a book launch press release? We’ll cover that too. 

Whether you’re just starting or have been publishing for years, read on for some valuable book marketing ideas. But let’s get started with some book sales basics for your marketing ideas.

What’s Book Marketing vs. Book Promotion?

The main difference between book marketing and book promotion is that book marketing is the entire strategy and relationship you’re building with your readers, including book promotion.

Book marketing entails activities like building a website, creating content and reaching out to bloggers and reviewers. Promotion entails book sales driven by paid ads, sending out a press release, giving free copy offers, or setting up book signings. So, book promotion is just part of book marketing.

Book promotions are activities that create buzz around your book and encourage people to buy them. They can be anything from having book reviews written as a blog post, creating a book trailer for a launch or press release to hosting a contest for giving away free books. 

Book marketing is essential to the success of your book, and book promotions make your marketing even more effective.

Book marketing starts before you even write your book; it includes defining your audience, understanding their problems, offering a solution, and delivering on the promise. 

Book marketing entails getting people excited about your book. It’s everything, including:

• Sending out copies to bloggers and journalists for their honest review
• Writing guest posts on popular blogs in your niche
• Creating a social media profile for your book
• Engaging with potential readers for an active social media presence
• Giving free books to hospitals, refugee centers, airports, schools, and public libraries

Book marketing should ultimately generate interest in your book and get people talking. The more people you can get talking about your book, the more likely they’ll buy.

Marketing strategies don’t sell outright as book promotions do. They’re more long-term goal-oriented. Promotions are timed and often entail discounts and give-aways to increase sales in the short term.

Please remember that book marketing doesn’t stop once your book is published. In fact, it should start the day you conceive of the idea and begin ideating the plot.

Ideally, start building your author brand long before your book is published. Thus, you’ll have a built-in audience of target readers excited about your book the day you launch it.

Do You Need Both Book Marketing and Promotion?

Yes! You need well-planned book marketing, and it would be most effective if it featured a few book promotions. Think of it this way; book marketing is the slow and steady race to the finish line. But book promotion is the burst of energy that gets you there a little faster. You need both! 

Book marketing is essential to the success of your book, but book promotions can give your marketing a much-needed boost.

Book promotions are an effective way to create buzz around your book and encourage folks to buy it. Still, consider that book marketing is essential to the success of your book, and don’t neglect it.

When Is the Best Time to Launch a Book Marketing Plan?

The best time to launch your book marketing plan is BEFORE you even write the book. You should be clear on your goals for writing the book. For example:

• To build your brand.
• To generate leads for your business.
• To provide low-cost options for an audience that can’t afford your services.
• To establish yourself as an expert in your field.

Your book marketing efforts will be scattered and less effective if your goals aren’t clear. 

Find Your Target Audience

The first step in any book marketing plan is finding your target audience. Who are you writing the book for? It’s much easier to create a message that resonates with your target market after identifying them. You can also tailor your marketing efforts to reach this group specifically.

For example, if you’re targeting stay-at-home moms, you’ll want to create content that speaks to their needs and interests. You might also want to consider running ads on websites or Facebook pages that cater to this group.

Another example is if you’re targeting retirees. In this case, you might want to create content that focuses on hobbies or activities retirees enjoy. You could also target ads to appear on the websites they’re likely to visit.

Target audiences flock to similar websites, and their habits are predictable. By taking the time to identify your target audience, you can save yourself lots of time and effort in the long run.

Determining your audience should even precede writing the book. Understanding the type of readers you’re addressing helps you to research better. You can study the unique beliefs, attitudes, and biases the audience may have.

Though it’s essential to weave such nuances in your book marketing copy, let your target audience influence the book writing as well.

Focus on What Sets You Apart

No two writers have the same style, even if they were identical twins raised in the same house and educated in the same schools. There will always be some distinction that makes each author unique.

 It’ll be easier to market your book effectively when you focus on what sets you apart from other writers. After all, why would potential readers choose your book over someone else’s if they didn’t know what makes your writing special?

You can request constructive book reviews to get an idea of how your work is being received. Are there particular themes or topics that reviewers seem to enjoy? These could be potential selling points for your book.

You can also use this feedback to improve future writing projects. Think about the elements that make your book different and focus on those when marketing your book.

Are you a subject matter expert?

Subject matter experts are often in high demand as keynote speakers and panelists. You can exploit such exposure to your advantage when marketing your book. Be sure to list your credentials and highlight your expertise in your bio and on your own website.

You can also use this information when approaching media outlets and event planners.

Book marketing ideas to build your credibility:

• Head to your LinkedIn profile and pull some relevant recommendations.
• Don’t be afraid to reach out to experts and celebrities in your industry and ask them for recommendations.
• If you’ve been published anywhere, appeared on TV or been quoted in a paper, pull those out and feature those logos.

Do you have an interesting backstory?

A captivating and memorable backstory can make you a more relatable and likable person boosting your book sales. It can also help you stand out from the rest of the pack. When pitching yourself to media outlets, be sure to include your backstory.

You never know how it might pique their interest and get you an interview or feature.

Practical book marketing ideas to feature your backstory:

• There’s a saying that your “mess is your message” don’t hide your obstacles and challenges, share them with your audience.
• Create short videos that feature summary tips and messages from your book.

Do you have a large social media following?

Socially active writers often have a large and engaged social media following. Such an audience is a valuable asset when marketing your book.

Book marketing ideas to use on social media:

• Use your social media platforms to share excerpts from your book, announce events, and run giveaways.

• You can also use social media sites to connect with other writers and build relationships. These connections can come in handy when you need help promoting your book.

Is your book part of a series?

Book series are all the rage these days, especially in the young adult genre. If your book is part of a series, mention it in your marketing materials. It’ll let potential readers know they can expect more from you in the future.

Consider Your Market

The nature of the market in which you’ll be selling your book will have a significant impact on your marketing efforts.

Build a Reader Persona

A persona is a composite sketch of your ideal reader. This persona should be based on market research and your understanding of the people most likely to buy your book.

When creating a person, consider:

• Age
• Gender
• Location
• Interests
• Income level

The more specific you can be, the better.

Find Out Where This Person “Lives”

A person should have a name, job title, and family situation. The Proto should also live in a specific place like a city, state, country, or even a neighborhood.

The more specific you can be, the easier it’ll be to find and target your ideal reader.

Book Cover

Your book cover is one of the first things potential readers will see; it’s paramount to make a good impression!

Your book cover should be eye-catching and reflective of the content inside. It should also be easy to read and understand at a glance. Consider hiring a professional if you’re unsure how to design a suitable book cover.

Book marketing ideas for cover design:

• Head over to Fivrr and find a designer to help you create a great cover design.
• You can also use 99designs

Pre-Book Launch

As the launch date of your new book approaches, you’re feeling both excited and nervous. Are you excited because you’ve worked hard on this project and can’t wait to share it with the world? Are you nervous because you don’t know how it will be received?

The best way to attract readers way before your book launch is to loop them in early enough through book trailers and a glimpse of the work on social media. It creates suspense.

I always find it beneficial to share my writing process with my followers. It makes them feel more involved and invested in the final product. Every person who contributes to the writing journey deserves a free signed copy, and it’s also a shrewd marketing plan. 

By taking some time to promote your book before it launches, you’ll be setting yourself up for success come launch day.

Pre-book launches are a rewarding way to build anticipation and create some buzz around your book.

Here are a few book marketing ideas you can do to get started:

• Reach out to your personal and professional networks, and let them know about your upcoming book.
• Post about your upcoming book on social media platforms using relevant hashtags.
• Submit articles or blog posts featuring excerpts from your book to popular online publications.
• Produce your podcast interviews and webinars related to your book’s topic.

During Book Launch

A successful book launch is more promotional than marketing. Marketing is a long-term strategy designed to generate interest and sales over time. Launching a book is more about making a splash and creating excitement in the short term.

You’ll want to update your website and social media platforms with information about your book on launch day. You should also have some sort of free book giveaway or contest running to generate excitement.

And don’t forget to reach out to the media! Send out a press release, and follow up with:

• Local news outlets
• Radio stations
• Podcasts
• Popular live shows

The launch is your best chance to get some free publicity for your book.

Post Book Launch

Just because your book is out doesn’t mean your marketing work is done. Did you know that post-launch is when the majority of your sales happen?

Here are a few things you can do to keep the momentum going:

• Submit your book for awards and contests.
• Write guest posts and give interviews on popular blogs related to your book’s topic.
• Give free books to hospitals, refugee centers, airports, schools, and public libraries.
• Participate in online and offline book club discussions.
• Arrange speaking engagements with a street team at local bookstores, libraries, and community centers.
• Release more books in the series.

By staying active and promoting your book even after it’s launched, you’ll keep the sales coming for months (or even years.)

Use Your Author Website to Sell Books

Any serious author looking to make a career out of writing will want to have an author website. Why? Because your website is one of the most essential tools you have for marketing yourself and your books. And if you want to sell books, you need to be good at marketing.

Your own website should be the center of your online presence as an author. It’s a place where you can control the message about yourself and your work. An author website also connects with new readers, enabling you to build a fan base.

You can install and customize eCommerce plugins into your WordPress website and sell your books directly to more readers.

Your author website should attract readers and boost book sales by presenting your:

• Other books
• Book promotions
• Published books
• Own book
• Next book trailer
• Scheduled book launch
• Free book offers
• Book sales stats

How Do I Promote My Book on Social Media Accounts?

Social media is one of the most powerful marketing tools that can help you promote your book to a wide audience. But how do you go about promoting your book on social media? Here are some tips:

Create a LinkedIn Author Page

LinkedIn is an excellent platform to promote your book. You can create an author page on LinkedIn, allowing you to share information about your book with your connections.

You can also join relevant groups and participate in discussions to get your book noticed.

Use Twitter Hashtags

Twitter provides an unbeatable audience for promoting your book. You can use relevant hashtags to get your tweets seen by people interested in your book’s subject matter.

You can also follow relevant accounts and retweet their content to get your book in front of their followers.

Facebook Page

You can create a Facebook page for your book promotion and share information about your book with the Facebook community. You can also join relevant groups and participate in discussions to get your book noticed.

Post on Facebook Groups

Facebook groups are a wealth of leads and book marketing tips for authors. Seek out groups relevant to your book’s topic, and post about your book in those groups for more readers.

Avoid spamming the group, but rather provide valuable information and engaging discussion. Post native content that resonates with specific groups, and you’ll see your book’s reach expand.

Use Pinterest

Pinterest is another excellent platform for promoting your book. You can create pins that link to your book’s Amazon page and share those pins on relevant boards.

You can also join group boards, helping you get your book in front of larger audiences.

Utilize Goodreads

You can create a listing for your book on Goodreads and share information about your book with the Goodreads community. You can also connect with fellow authors and participate in discussions to get your book noticed.

Promote Your Book on YouTube

You can create a channel dedicated to your book and share videos about your book with the YouTube community. You can also collaborate with other YouTubers and participate in discussions to get your book noticed.

Establishing a Street Team

A street team is a group of dedicated fans who help promote your book. You can establish a street team by finding people who are passionate about your book and getting them to spread the word.

You can also provide incentives for members of your street team, such as:

• Exclusive content or merchandise
• Book signings at book fairs
• Honest editorial reviews for their work

Arm your content street team with book trailers and some free copies that they can use to attract readers in their networks or when attending a book fair.

Hire a Book Marketing Agency

You can also hire a book marketing agency to help you promote your book. A book marketing agency will have the experience and resources to help you reach a wide audience, getting your book noticed.

These agencies can also help you with:

• Creating a book website
• Developing a social media strategy
• Organizing a book tour

You can also look into hiring a publicist to help you get media attention for your book. A publicist can help you get interviews, write press releases, and get your book reviewed in publications.

Hiring a professional book marketing team is an effective and hustle-free way to get your book noticed. However, it can be expensive. Do your research, and only hire a reputable agency that also gives honest editorial reviews.

Final Thoughts: 

So, you know what paid book marketers do. Self publishers in the indie author business need to know how to market their books too.

Start with your book’s website and social media platforms, and then branch out from there. Use creative marketing strategies, and don’t be afraid to think outside the box. With a little effort, you can get your book noticed by the right people.

If you want to learn more about marketing your book, check out our course on Book Marketing for Authors.

What is a Book Launch?

A book launch is a marketing strategy and plan for generating interest and sales for your book. Book launches often include everything from marketing materials for your book, to a website design for your book

It doesn’t matter if you’re self publishing your own book or if you’re going the traditional route through a publishing company, you need to come up with ways to create more publicity for your book. 

This is essential if you want your book to become a success and sell as many copies as possible. 

So, with that said, we will now get into our list of book launch ideas that will help you achieve your goals. 

1. Create A Website & Blog

One of the best ways to gain an audience and speak to them is through your own website and blog. 

On your blog, you should create posts about the book you intend to publish in order to gather interest and get people excited about its launch. You can even release sample chapters from your book to act as teasers. 

There are lots of themes for authors with professional website designs that you can easily adapt for yourself. 

ThemeForest: This is a popular group of WordPress themes if you have some technical skills or have access to a developer.

Divi (from ElegantThemes): If you want something customizable but don’t have the technical or coding skills, this is for you! Divi offers dozens of pre-design themes that you can customize using a simple drag-and-drop editor.

AuthorCats: This is a really interesting done-for-you option for authors who want a great website design without doing all the work.  This is a self-hosted option; meaning that you own your domain name and hosting.  If you want flexibility in a done-for-you option, this is it.  

Wix: If you don’t have the tech skills and you want to DIY your author website, then consider Wix.  They have several decent templates you can try.

2. Create An Email List & Do Email Book Marketing

If you haven’t done any email marketing, you may think that you don’t have an email list. But you actually do.

You just haven’t developed one for the purpose of marketing your book. 

Your first step should be to choose a simple email marketing system.  If you’re not sure which to choose, I’d recommend either Zoho Campaigns (available through the Zoho One platform), AWeber or MailChimp.  All are affordable and super easy to use.

Using your email marketing software, create a simple opt-in form, place it on your website and invite all of your friends, family and professional network to sign-up so you can keep them posted on the progress of your book.

Then, you can start sending emails about your upcoming book.Include interesting details about the characters, plot and overall story. 

Don’t just talk about the book, talk about your writers’ journey; your challenges, victories and lessons learned.  It will build excitement about your upcoming book launch.

You can even give special discount codes to the subscribers on your email list. 

3. Join Various Writing Communities

It is best to join various writing communities at least a year before you launch and even before if possible. This is highly useful because these communities offer a great deal of support and have many professional writers that can help advise you, provide critical feedback and give you access to a wide range of helpful resources.

4. Create A Book Launch Team

In order to have a successful book launch, you need to have as many people asbpossible talking about your book and highly interested in it. It is quite challenging to do this on your own, so it is recommended that you create a book launch team that can help you to market your book and create more conversations around it. You can even reach out to your audience through your website, blog or social media pages and ask them to apply to be a part of your team. 

5. Get On Social Media & Run Ads

If you don’t have an author page on various social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc, then you need to create them as soon as you can. You can then use social media to keep in contact with your fans and grow your audience. You can do so organically as well as through social media advertising. For example, you can start by creating Facebook ads for your upcoming book and target these ads to your book’s main demographic. 

6. Create A Book Trailer

One of the newest trends in this industry is to create book trailers. These are essentially like movie trailers and can be quite fun to create as well as effective. 

7. Host A Live Stream

Next, another great idea is to host live streams throughout the week of your book launch. During these live streams you can take on questions from your fans about the book and answer them. However, be careful not to give away too many details of the plot!

8. Encourage Pre-Orders

Many authors avoid doing pre-orders simply because they want to get as many orders during their launch week and get on the New York Times best sellers list. However, if you’re not interested in doing so and simply want to get as many sales as possible, then it is highly recommended that you do pre-orders which can help to increase your overall sales volume. 

9. Offer Incentives & Bonuses

Another tactic would be to offer various bonuses and incentives in order to generate more sales. Some possible bonuses include free audiobook and eBook versions, free membership site access, access to live private webinars, autographed copies and more. 

10. Reach Out To The Press

Even though your book publicist or team may have already reached out to the press, it is also a great idea to do so yourself, especially if you have personal connections. Depending on the type of book you’ve written, you may be able to get interviews on various talk shows and even the news, which can truly help to make your launch a huge success. 

11. Write Lots Of Guest Posts

Another strategy to get more publicity for your book is to guest post on other websites. Of course, these should not only be popular sites in the writing community but also well known sites that fit your new book’s theme. This is certainly another great angle to increase your audience size and get your book seen and noticed by many more people. 

12. Give Out Free Review Copies To Bloggers & Other Influencers

You should definitely give out review copies to other well known bloggers, authors, media hosts, editors etc before you launch. They will then read and review your book and share their thoughts with their own audience. However, be sure to provide each reviewer with a media kit or press release that gives all the information they need to know. 

13. Host a Book Launch Event or Book Launch Party

Don’t underestimate the power of real-life face-to-face time. 

Even though you will sell your book to a national or worldwide audience, you can have a rolling book launch event or book launch party. 

Lots of private bookstores and coffee shops would be happy to host you and a small group of people.  

How To Promote Your Book On Social Media

Once you have started your book launch, you can continue to promote your book on social media platforms such as Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram etc. 

You can create Facebook contests, ask fans to post their favorite quotes, create and share stunning visuals, hire influencers to promote your book and much more. 

By doing this, you can help to generate even more buzz around your book long after your launch. 

Your promotional activities on social media will build your reputation and your brand. As a result, you will have a much wider audience that can’t wait until your next book launch. 

How to Convert Your Book Launch Ideas into a Plan

To create your launch plan, go through each of these ideas and pull out the ones that you think are most applicable to your book marketing plan.

1. Pick a launch date. Give yourself about 12-24 months
2. Join and build a community. You’ll want two communities; one of authors and publishers and another community of potential readers and customers, other experts, and influencers.
3. Make connections and start recruiting illustrators and designers
4. Build your website and social channels
5. Start building buzz with your community
6. Create a media kit and promotional content such as videos
7. Start doing virtual book tours and podcasts

The book launch ideas we’ve included here run across this entire plan. The communities you join will also help you brainstorm more creative book launch ideas.

This is the equivalent of saying, to get to the moon, you have to build a rocket! And while you’re at it — get some robots to build your rocket.

REALLY?  REALLY?

Thank you, marketing expert.  I know I need a marketing process — like I know a rocket will get me to the moon.  But how do I get one of those – assuming I’m not a rocket scientist or marketing expert?

A Map of the Marketing Process: Planning vs Doing

In this article, I’m going to simplify this whole “what is a marketing process” question and show you how to map out a marketing process for your business — in plain English.

What is a marketing process and why does it matter?

A marketing process is a series of steps you take to identify opportunities, define customers and select a strategy to attract leads and convert them to customers.

There are really two aspects to the term “marketing process”; the planning side and the doing side.

The 5 Steps of the Marketing Process

I like to think of the marketing process more like a recipe; you have to do all the steps in order. If you skip any step, or if you don’t complete each step, your output will fail. In other words, your marketing campaign isn’t going to generate the results you’re after.

These are the sequential steps that you take when you are creating your marketing plan.

1. Market research: What’s missing in my industry? What problems am I uniquely qualified to solve?
2. Ideal customer: Who is my ideal customer, what is their desired outcome, what’s their biggest challenge?
3. Offer:  What is my irresistible offer? The irresistible bundle of product, service, price, promotion and distribution? This is really the 4 P’s; Product, Price, Promotion, Place.
4. Implement your strategy: Where will my customers come from?  Your choices are: Content marketing, Direct Marketing and Paid advertising. This is the DOING part.  All you need to decide here is WHICH of these three marketing strategies are you going to DO.
5. Measure your results: This element doesn’t need to be fancy.  It can include something as simple as counting phone calls or as complex as tracking Google Analytics.

It’s a step-by-step process which means that you complete one step before you move on to the next step.

When you follow each step your marketing will be on a solid foundation. The answers to your questions will be self-evident and you will reduce the amount of time, money and risk associated with your overall marketing.

Planning your marketing doesn’t have to take months and result in a 500-page document.  A solo-preneur can spend between a day and a week.  A business with 10 employees or less can spend from a week to a month.  These days, there is very little reason to spend more than 30 days planning your marketing.

You can use this One-Page Marketing Plan template to start the planning part of your marketing process.

None of this has anything to do with mapping your day-to-day marketing process. That only comes after you’ve chosen a marketing strategy.

Why You’re Confused and Overwhelmed by Marketing

You’ve been spending most of your time on step 6 — implementation.

You’ve been focusing your time, money and energy on implementing without devoting enough time and energy on planning.

Sure — it’s a lot of fun brainstorming new marketing ideas and thinking up fun and creative ways to attract your ideal customer.  BUT without steps 1 – 5, you are shooting in the dark.

If you don’t select one of the three marketing strategies in step 6, you are opening yourself up to doing all of them with no focus or purpose. And, you are wasting valuable time and money guessing instead of knowing.

When you realize this, it’s no wonder your marketing successes are few and far between.

The Doing Side of the Marketing Process

The doing side of the marketing process starts with choosing your marketing strategy.  Here is a quick quiz that will help you choose your marketing strategy in about a minute.

Do Less Marketing. Make More Money

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Here is a simple graphic that describes each marketing strategy and the typical tactics you might use.

Now you have a starting point to developing a marketing process for YOUR business.

Why You Need a Marketing Slush Fund

Before you dive into any marketing strategy know this. You will need money and lots of it.  I recommend a marketing slush fund of at least $5,000.

This is why.

Once you’ve decided on a marketing strategy. You need to implement it.  No matter what you choose to do, you will need to spend money on website design, tools, and expert help.

If you don’t have enough money to implement at least one strategy with at least one set of tactics — your marketing will stall and you will end up no better than when you started.

Just imagine spending your valuable time and energy planning an amazing party — only to discover that it’s going to cost $5,000 and you only have $500 — you’ll not only be depressed about it – you’ll never be able to keep up with the timeline to make it happen.

Customer Journey Map – Your Marketing Process From the Eyes of Your Customer

A customer journey map is a visualization of your marketing process in action.  The customer journey will show exactly how your customers interact with your company.

Mapping out your customer journey will save you an incredible amount of time, frustration and confusion because you will:

• Map out what marketing campaigns or messages you’ll put on different communication channels
• See what decisions your customers can make at each stage of the process.
• Be able to create “if this, then that” marketing messages that will gently guide your customers through your marketing process

How to Map Your Customer’s Marketing Journey

There are lots of marketing journey templates you can use, but I recommend that you start simple.  Either use pen and paper or whiteboard or sticky notes and a wall.  This gives you maximum flexibility to change things around quickly and easily.

Here is a simple outline that I’ve used recently.

1. Where are your customers coming from?
   • Direct Mail
   • Newspaper Ad
   • Facebook
   • Twitter
   • Direct Website visit
   • Call-in
   • Where do you want those customers to go?
   • Seminar
   • Appointment
   • Newsletter list
2. What happens if they do not call in or come to a seminar?
   • They receive reminders for future seminars
   • They receive email newsletters
3. What happens after they make an appointment but don’t become a client
   • They receive newsletters
   • They receive a book
   • They receive informational emails over 3 months with call to action to come back.
   • If they don’t come back, we remove them from the list
4. What happens after they become a client
   • They receive newsletters
   • They receive seminar information to tell a friend
   • They receive client event invitations

Using this simple outline, I can now create a flow chart and use it to create a marketing automation sequence.  Sales and marketing automation tools are tremendous time and money savers for small businesses.

The right sales and marketing automation tool will assure that your sales and marketing message is delivered exactly the way you want it — with no risk of having your marketing message miscommunicated by an untrained salesperson.

Don’t Make This Marketing Mistake

I’ve made this mistake — and it’s a painfully expensive one.

Do NOT choose a sales and marketing automation tool until you’ve run through a complete marketing process and mapped out your customer journey.

Every sales and marketing automation tool bills itself as a silver bullet.  And it isn’t. Every single sales and marketing automation tool has its own strengths and weaknesses.  You need to choose the platform that is excellent at what matters most to you as the business owner.

Remember, you are the master of your sales and marketing processes.  If you take the time to create a marketing strategy and plan and the customer journey map, run through the process manually at least once.

This will give you valuable insight into what works and what elements you need to change.  While you can hire people to “jazz up” your emails and to program your marketing automation tool – no one knows your ideal customer as well as you do.

FAQs

What is inbound marketing?

Inbound marketing is a strategy that relies on organically attracting your target market. It is usually contrasted with advertising or outbound marketing, that relies on broadcasting a message to a wide audience, with the goal of reaching your target market.

Inbound marketing uses a wide range of marketing tools, but the core of the strategy relies on creating useful and valuable content, which is why the term is often used interchangeably with “content marketing”. That isn’t entirely accurate: content marketing is a specific tactic that is part of a larger inbound marketing strategy. The inbound marketing process usually includes:

1. Creating and distributing valuable content. Content may take the form of blog or social posts, videos, e-books, and more. Valuable content attracts an audience of potential customers, and builds rapport and credibility that can lead to lasting customer relationships.
2. Building engagement. Inbound marketing uses a wide range of tools to build customer engagement with the brand. Engagement tools may include social media, email marketing, webinars, chatbots, and other tools that create positive interaction between potential customers and the brand.
3. Dedication to customer success. Because inbound marketing uses little to no paid advertising, these brands want their customers to spread the word and generate new business. For that reason, customer success is a critical component of an inbound marketing plan, and strong customer relationships are essential. Tools like polls and surveys, excellent customer support and service, free trials and referral discounts, and other customer success strategies support the inbound marketing process.

Most successful businesses don’t use inbound marketing exclusively. There are times when a great marketing campaign requires some amount of paid advertising, but inbound relies on accurate market segmentation and targeting to ensure that ads are strategically reaching potential customers. Combining inbound marketing techniques with paid advertising is especially powerful in B2C marketing, where it is more difficult for companies to cut through the noise. 

What is relationship marketing?

Relationship marketing is a marketing strategy that prioritizes long-term, customer lifetime value more than the value of specific transactions. With relationship marketing, companies seek to build lasting relationships with their customers, and often focus more on the success and happiness of their current customers than on attracting new ones. Many companies that use inbound marketing to attract new customers also use relationship marketing with the existing customer base. Strong customer relationships are especially important in B2B marketing, where customer lifetime value can be very high. Relationship marketing has several components:

• Effective internal processes. Customers often leave a business because they get frustrated during the service and support process. Providing fast, efficient, effective customer support requires excellent communication and collaboration within a company, so companies look internally to map customer processes and eliminate pain points.
• Maximizing lifetime value. If a customer purchases one of your products and loves it, they are more likely to buy more of your products. They are more likely to use your products for years and years. And they are more likely to recommend your product to others. Considering the entire process where a single customer may eventually purchase several products, purchase products over a longer time period, and generate new business for you, is all part of the lifetime value of a single customer relationship. 
• Shift in marketing budget. The truth is, it costs less to keep a customer than it does to earn a new customer. In fact, studies show that new customer acquisition can cost up to five times more than existing customer retention. A focus on retention shifts marketing budget priorities away from traditional advertising, and toward things like satisfaction surveys and relationship building. It can also shift new product development toward the features and capabilities that existing customers want most.

Most brands don’t rely exclusively on relationship marketing to grow their business. Most companies use a strategic marketing process that employs traditional or inbound marketing to attract new business, and relationship marketing to retain and delight existing customers.

What is a basic marketing plan?

A basic marketing plan has five components:

1. Analysis of the current situation. To keep it simple, most people perform a SWOT analysis as step 1 of a marketing plan. To be more thorough, you might do a PEST and then a SWOT analysis, in order to create a broader overview of external factors as well as potential opportunities.
2. Profile your target market. Create a portrait of your potential customer, and include the factors that would motivate them to purchase your product. Analyze their demographics and market segmentation, and estimate the demand for your product.
3. Determine your marketing goals and objectives. Set specific, measurable goals and time frames. Your marketing goals should always be compatible with your larger business goals. 
4. Choose your marketing strategy and tactics. The best marketing strategy will be determined by the combination of your target market and your goals, and your tactics will probably be limited by your marketing budget. Include all your content marketing efforts and distribution channels, including everything from social media and blogging to trade shows or magazine ads.
5. Create your marketing budget. Your marketing budget is usually a portion of the overall business budget, but a good marketing plan includes a breakdown of how that budget will be spent. Research costs for all your marketing campaigns and marketing processes, and create a budget to meet your marketing goals. If necessary, compare your marketing budget to your estimated demand and make sure you are allocating money where it will have the biggest impact.

Each of the five components of your basic marketing plan can be as complex and detailed, or as simple and straightforward, as your business requires. The length and complexity of a marketing plan depends on your business model, your budget, and the size of your marketing team, but all five of these factors should be included in some form. 

Happy Marketing!

Writing this makes me feel like a “mom”.

It’s that feeling when you’ve struggled trying to figure something out, you’ve made your mistakes and now you want to save your child the pain and agony you’ve gone through.

After something like 30 years of wild changes and transformations in the world of marketing, I’ve learned that you don’t need to do MORE marketing, you actually need to do LESS.

The key is to focus on a single strategy, identify the tactics most likely to yield results and then double down.  Track and measure your progress, and if you don’t see the results you expected, try again.

There is no silver bullet — there is just thinking, planning, doing and trying again.

With that — Happy Marketing

Storytelling is the best way to build an emotional connection with customers and these books are full of tips on how to do it well. Read them all!

• Refine their storytelling skills to engage and close with more customers
• Develop a flexible approach to storytelling so you can adapt to new situations and obstacles
• Develop and share powerful presentations
• Improve their visual and data communications skills to improve communication for any purpose in life

With that, let’s get started

Upgrade Your Storytelling Skills for Better Sales & Marketing Results

Sell with a Story: How to Capture Attention, Build Trust, and Close the Sale by Paul Smith

In “Sell With a Story”, keynote and corporate storyteller Paul Smith shows readers how to apply sales principles to storytelling. In the first part of the book, Smith covers how stories can be adapted to meet different sales goals. The second part helps readers develop and refine their sales stories with the use of templates, roadmaps, and real-life stories of successful (and sometimes unsuccessful) sales staff.

Getting to “Yes And”: The Art of Business Improv by Bob Kulhan

One key skill for sales success is thinking on one’s feet. Sales people constantly encounter new objections, new competitors, and new opportunities to make the sale. What’s another field that thrives on thinking on one’s feet? Improvisation. This may explain why many leaders of Fortune 500 businesses are taking improv classes.

While you may not have the budget for a high-priced consultant, you can get a book that introduces readers to the principles and skills behind improv applied to your business. That book is “Getting to Yes And”. Written by a former Second City improv actor and current corporate improv trainer, this book will guide you through the basics of “Business Improv 101”.

Talk Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World’s Top Minds by Carmine Gallo

You’ve heard of TED Talks, a conference and media organization that commands over a billion views worldwide. You’ve probably heard of the career-transforming power of a TED talk as well. If you ever wanted to tap into that power for your own personal goals, then “Talk Like TED” is your next read.

In “Talk Like TED”, public speaking coach Carmine Gallo shares insights from his review of hundreds of TED talks along with those of researchers. Gallo reviewed these talks for the crucial elements behind the most popular and talked-about TED talks. With Gallo’s insights, readers get a glimpse of what makes a powerful TED talk and learn how to use that power anywhere at any time.

Draw to Win: A Crash Course on How to Lead, Sell, and Innovate With Your Visual Mind by Dan Roam

As author Dan Roam points out, the world of communication has again gone visual. Mankind first used pictures to communicate. Then writing came along. As we move through the 21st century, this trend will reverse. We now communicate in a highly visual world with videos, GIFs, memes, charts, infographics, etc. Because of this trend, those who want to successfully communicate in the modern world need to develop their visual communication skills.

“Draw to Win” is a guide to developing those skills. The book helps readers develop confidence and skills (through drawing exercises) in visual communication. Using the book’s skills along with writing is the key to becoming a powerful communicator who is able to translate ideas into well-developed words and images.

Business Storytelling For Dummies by Karen Dietz and Lori L. Silverman

In a book list about storytelling, this book is a must. “Business Storytelling for Dummies” combines all the general skills of a business storyteller-in-training.The book helps storyteller novices understand the impact of storytelling, the different types of storytelling, and how to adapt it to your business needs.

The book goes into particular depth about listening as a skill in storytelling, expanding and contracting parts of stories to achieve a specific goal, and using them throughout the organization (not just your sales conversations with customers). If you are looking for a book that provides a roadmap to the areas you need to become a master business storyteller. (Cape not included, though it is advised.)

Storytelling with Data: A Data Visualization Guide for Business Professionals by Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic

Data is something all of us will have to be comfortable, especially in business.”Storytelling with Data” is a book built to help professionals thrive in this world. In the past, business communication focused on the presentation of data. As long as the data was formatted, the design was a secondary issue.

In this era, design is what separates good professional communication from bad communication. “Storytelling with Data” helps professionals do more than present well-designed data. It helps business professionals tell a story with that data. Readers learn how to apply the right context, choose the right graphic to display data, and how to direct your audience to the most important parts of your data. Using this book, professionals will learn how to present and deliver their data with clarity and power.

Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery by Garr Reynolds

Don’t let the age of this book disuade you. “Presentation Zen” is a classic centered around bringing clarity into a presentation. Unlike some of the books on this list, the book isn’t really concerned with technical details or innovation. “Presentation Zen” is focused solely on communicating well. It focuses on three key parts of the presentation: preparation, design, and delivery. If you get these three aspects of your presentation right, the rest will be effortless.

The key is doing this with clarity, not clutter. “Presentation Zen”, by a multi-talented speaker and consultant Garr Reynolds, can definitely help with that.

Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip Heath and Dan Heath

Published in 2007, this is one of the older books on the list. It is a goodie, however, because it deals with communication at the most basic level, ideas. No matter what graphic, tool, or words you use, you need ideas that are well-developed and will resonate with your audience. “Made to Stick” explores the dynamics behind “sticky” ideas, ideas that have a lasting impact on others. Using this book, readers will be able to enhance their own ideas with the”sticky” principles in the book, giving their ideas a much-needed boost in this world of crowded content.

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