Becky Robinson's Blog, page 67

Featured on Friday: Meet Team Member Christy Kirk

Working in a start-up company is not for the faint of heart, and in the summer and fall of 2013 the Weaving Influence team was swimming to keep our heads above water.

We were starting to feel the growth pains as one by one our fellow contractors moved on or moved away, all while the company continued to expand, with  Becky, Amy, and I trying to juggle project management and book launches. Megan had arrived that summer to begin our foray into Public Relations, Rachel was hard at work creating graphics, and Joanna continued to as behind the scenes support, but we desperately needed help.

Help did come, eventually, starting when Christy came on the scene. It was like someone had thrown us a life ring! Although she started out with us working part-time on just a couple of projects, it was the boost of energy we needed to take Weaving Influence to the next level. When she made the decision to leave her other job and join us full-time, Weaving Influence folks from Michigan to Tennessee cheered!

Christy has been a tremendous asset to our team, in so many ways. Her enthusiasm for the work, her responsiveness to clients, and her great sense of humor make her irreplaceable at Weaving Influence. It’s been a while since I’ve featured a team member on Friday, but it’s high time you met another of our #WITeam superstars…

Meet Christy Kirk

Hey Christy, thanks so much for doing this! Can you tell mus a little bit about your personal life?

I am a mother of 6:  Three children ages 8, 13 and 20, two cats and a dog. In addition to making sure they are all fed, bathed and properly clothed, I am the Director of Social Strategy for Weaving Influence.  I began working in social media while still a journalist and transitioned to working full-time in social strategy around 3 years ago.  Before that I was a television journalist for nearly 20 years. I love the constant change involved in social media.  It’s not quite the same adrenaline rush as meeting a show deadline, but it’s the closest thing I can find.  Plus, it’s a wonderful creative challenge to share stories in such a variety of formats.

Tell us something unusual about yourself.

I never make a recipe the same way twice. I’m always trying to improve or advance everything I make.  It drives my husband crazy because even the favorites are constantly being updated.

What’s your favorite pastime?

Nothing makes me happier than being curled up with a good book.  There are books and magazines in every room in my home.  Reading is fun and fundamental! (If you are old enough, that line should make you smile.)

Tell me your favorite part of the job with Weaving Influence…

My favorite part of working for Weaving Influence is the opportunity to constantly try new things.  We’re trying new approaches as a company, for clients and in the social space.  While most people don’t like change, I thrive on it.

How long have you been working with Weaving Influence?

I’ve been working for Weaving Influence for almost 2 years now.

What’s your official title?

My official title is Director of Social Strategy, but I started as a social implementer and project manager.

As the Director of Social Strategy… what’s the best social media tip you can offer?

Here’s my best social media tip: Experiment.  Social media is not like so many things in life where you can develop a plan and stick to it.  Social is constantly changing, so even the best plans, need regular tweaks.  Also, don’t be afraid to try something new.  It might work, it might not, but you’ve learned something regardless.

Connect with Christy Online

Find her on Twitter @McBuck48, and make a connection with her on LinkedIn.

Want to meet more of the team? You can find us HERE. And don’t forget to follow our Weaving Influence accounts on Twitter @weaveinfluence, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.

The Not-So-Glamorous Parts

My new office space is filled with books and shipping materials today, as we’re sending out advance review copies of The Disciplined Leader by John Manning.

Shipping and distributing books is something we do to serve our clients. It requires many hands on deck, and we pull in occasional workers to get a fast turn-around on books in, books out.

Getting books out in the world prior to a launch is a great way to fuel early buzz. We encourage clients to share advance copies with as many friends and colleagues as possible, because we find that the number of books authors send out prior to launch is a great determiner in how many Amazon reviews they can expect to gather soon after launch week. Early Amazon reviews fuel excitement and provide important social proof for a new book.

Packaging books is a time-consuming activity and requires coordination and planning. We stock up on shipping labels, shipping envelopes, and stationary. Many authors choose to include a bookmark and some take the time to individually sign bookplates, which we add to each book, transforming each advance copy into a valued (signed) edition.

If you are launching a book soon, it’s helpful to plan in advance for all the details related to sending advance copies.

Here are a few considerations:

Shipping Method. We typically ship books media mail, when time allows, for the lowest price per book. Depending on the weight of the book and distance we’re shipping, the price to ship first class is often comparable, so shipping media mail doesn’t always make sense. If you choose to ship via USPS, you may want to consider wait times and other inconveniences of processing books at the post office. Our team has a pretty sweet arrangement with our local (small town) post office, in which we drop off large quantities of books for them to process in between other customers. This saves our team hours of time and our authors money. While using service like stamps.com may seem like an easy solution to the waiting-in-line-at-the-post-office dilemma, it hasn’t worked well for us, despite several tries; we’ve struggled with importing large lists and then needing to spend time correcting addresses; it’s not as seamless or easy as you think and it doesn’t play with Infusionsoft, our favorite CRM.

Mailing Lists. One of the pain points in distributing early copies of books is incomplete or incorrect address lists. If you plan to ship books, working on address lists far in advance is very helpful. Another work around is sending an email with a form, linked to your CRM, to gather addresses. For some clients, we use our own system and forms, simplifying this often-confusing process. The lists can then be exported from the CRM and merged into a file for printing labels.

Packaging. We’ve seen some author stand out by choosing branded packaging to match their company or book branding. Chip Bell had fun with an advance mailing of actual sprinkles prior to sending his book Sprinkles. Other authors choose specialized packaging. A brightly colored envelope is certain to get more attention than a white or other typically colored package. Alexandra Watkins did a great job with this, including Hello, My Name is Awesome stickers on every envelope. Fun packaging requires advance planning, and will likely create additional expense but is certainly worth it for some authors.

Messaging. If you are going to invest in shipping out hundreds of advance books, the message you send with the books is important. What action do you want people to take? How will you follow-up? The message you send with the books is also an opportunity for building a relationship with each recipient. Craft your message carefully. If you plan to spend any extra time, time spent on personal notes is probably the most valuable part of this process.

Support. Many of the authors we serve underestimate the demands on their time during a book launch. Sending out books is an additional activity that is not likely as high leverage. Plan in advance how you will deal with the extra administrative details related to your book promotion. Will you hire a temporary assistant? Work longer days? Enlist your kids? Outsource to a team like ours? Be proactive in planning for support; you’ll need it more than you expect to.

Every book you send into the world represents the opportunity to make a difference through your words and content; each book is a seed that can grow and bear fruit for your business.

Tell me something! If you are an author, what else can you share about the not-so-glamorous parts of your job?

Featured on Friday: The Disciplined Leader Author @JohnMManning

One thing about working – even virtually – with strong personalities and visionaries (and don’t forget the INTJ – hi there!), is that no one is ever satisfied with the status quo. Despite having 50 book launches under our collective belt, we’re always looking for new ways to share, new promotions to try, and new ideas for the next time.

This week two of our directors met to come up with ideas for new processes, strategies, and team organization. To hear them talk about it, you would have thought they had just been handed an all expense paid trip to Hawaii; their giddiness about coming up with fresh ideas and better ways to do things as a company was – and is – contagious.

As one of the few introverts in a virtual team of extroverts, not to mention the “safety first” gal, I’m usually the one with the panicked look on my face as I realize I have to flex out of my comfort zone and learn something new. But no matter how much I might like to be comfortable, I also realize that even with 50 successful book launches, there’s always the next one on the horizon and something new to try.

Meet our next author and his book…

Meet John Manning

John Manning is the President of Management Action Programs, Inc. (MAP), a general management consulting firm based in Southern California. Since 1960, MAP has tapped its talent and expertise to help 170,000 leaders in over 15,000 organizations nationwide create breakthrough results.

John has diverse experience in business leadership, having held executive positions in Fortune 500 companies in operations, marketing, and sales. Formerly the Director of Operations for McKesson Water Products, Inc., he was also part of a leadership team that took the company national.

A resident of Southern California, John enjoys mentoring young professionals and entrepreneurs. An avid cyclist, John is passionate about spending time in the great outdoors. He is devoted to his wife Robin and his entire family.

Connect with John (and MAP) Online

Find John (and MAP) on: Facebook, Twitter (John)/Twitter (MAP), LinkedIn (John)/LinkedIn (MAP), and YouTube. Learn more about the work of MAP by visiting their website.

Support the Launch of The Disciplined Leader – June 15-19!

Coming up in about a month, we’re inviting you to join with us as we help John launch his first book book, The Disciplined Leader (now available on Amazon for pre-order). Get involved by telling your online communities about it using the resources found HERE.

On June 23 at 1 pm (ET)/10 am (PT), you’ll want to mark your calendars and make plans to join John and Becky for a webinar on the ideas found in The Disciplined Leader.  As with all of our webinars it’s absolutely free to attend, so register today, and invite a friend to join you!

Don’t forget to check out book’s NEW website, and start spreading the word as we get ready for the launch. Ready to discover your leadership disciplines? Start by reading The Disciplined Leader and the join us for an exciting launch next month!

You Tell Me! What book (leadership or otherwise) are you currently reading?

5 Keys to an Amazing Webinar

I have to admit it—I’m addicted to webinars. I probably listen to at least one a week, often it’s two or three. I will sign up for webinars on marketing, healthy living, any subject that piques my interest, and of course, I listen in on as many webinars from Weaving Influence clients as possible.

Webinars are a wonderful marketing tool: they are helpful in building email lists, creating advocates and selling products. For the attendee, webinars are a great way to learn something new and have access to a writer or thought leader you admire.

But let’s be honest, not all webinars are created equal. While some leave you excited and energized, others can bore you to tears.

Are you planning a webinar? Here are the 5 keys to making sure you leave people wanting more.

1. It’s a visual media. Use great images!

Researchers estimate that 65% of the US population are visual learners. That’s why YouTube is so successful! Webinars are visual, so put some time and effort into your slides. Have a graphic artist friend? Get help designing slides that are beautiful, with images that help expand your ideas. Please do not just type a lot of text and then expect to read it to your webinar audience. They will leave. In droves.

Another tip: Consider going on camera for a portion of your webinar. By getting to see you, your audience feels more connected and they’ll be more receptive when you make your call to action. Sharing short videos is a winning strategy, too.

2. Don’t go it alone.

Do you talk to yourself? Do you enjoy talking to yourself? A webinar without a moderator/host or additional speakers feels like you are talking to yourself for an hour. Does that sound appealing? Probably not, for you or your audience. Get someone to lend a hand. A moderator can help keep the pace of the webinar moving, ask pertinent questions, run a poll and make a sales pitch, so you can focus on sharing your message. Having additional guests helps the webinar evolve into a discussion. Doing a Q&A format with multiple guests can be an exciting and informative hour.

3. Let the audience participate.

Webinars often feel like a lecture, but the best ones feel like a conversation. Invite your audience members to type questions in the chat window and answer as many as you can. During one recent webinar, author Mark Miller spent nearly the entire session answering questions, then promised to answer more in his “Today’s Challenge” blog posts on Fridays. You can bet his webinar audience will make sure to read his blogs each week. I’m guessing many signed up for his RSS feed, too, so they don’t miss a post. His generosity and real interest in helping people came across in the webinar. Expressing genuine interest and concern is how you build a strong community of advocates.

4. Get social.

You’re creating a community – so create a hashtag that brings them all together. The hashtag can help drive awareness in advance of your webinar. It can help you interact with participants and field their questions during the event (you’ll want some help with this, trust me!). It will also help you follow-up and answer any lingering questions or comments.

5. Get the bugs out.

This is a no-brainer, right? Technical problems like crackling audio, videos that won’t play or slide glitches make you appear unprepared.  Test and re-test your presentation from the audio to slide progression to any mixed media you may plan to incorporate. Technical issues can pop up even with the best advance planning, but practice will help eliminate as many issues as possible in advance and help you become more comfortable and focused.

The most important tip is sometimes the hardest: relax and have fun! 

This is an opportunity to share your passion with others. You may get tongue-tied, you make skip a slide, or a misspelled word may slip by all your proof-readers — don’t focus on these small hiccups. Instead, realize that you have an amazing opportunity — you’re connecting with people who feel passionate about the same subject that fascinates you. You are building a community.

Tell me something! What’s your best tip for creating a successful webinar?

image source: kelseyannvere

If you’re interested in finding out how Weaving Influence can support your next webinar, find out more here. To register for our upcoming (free) events or to watch a replay of one of our past events, visit here.

Lessons from 50 Book Launches

Since early 2012, my team and I have helped to launch 50 books, mostly business/leadership titles. We’ve worked with a variety of authors, with a combination of first time and veteran authors. We’ve done a mix of traditionally published and self-published titles. We even launched one book, Leaders Open Doors by Bill Treasurer, twice: once when it was self-published (iUniverse) and again when it was picked up by a traditional publisher (ATD.) Typically, we are hired by each individual author, but we have also been directly hired by a publisher on several projects.

In the early days, we focused primarily on social media publicity. In mid-2013, we added digital publicity to the mix. Along the way, we’ve been incorporating past learning to become more effective and efficient over time, supporting our authors in reaching the widest possible audiences with their messages while reaching their big picture goals. (Here are some early lessons we learned in launching 7 books.)

I’ve spent some time reflecting about the most important ideas I’ve learned about book marketing through these experiences. While these lessons are specific to the types of books we promote, I hope authors in other genres will find value here as well.

I’ll share the bad news first.

Selling business books is difficult. New books release every day; it’s a noisy and crowded space. First-time authors, without well-established online brands and networks, will invest more than they expect in publicity and will see a return far smaller than they hope for. Even repeat authors are often disappointed by book sales results.

We’ve seen greater success for first-time authors who choose to publish with a traditional publisher, partially because a traditional publisher gives additional credibility to these debut authors and also because publishers have greater access to distribution channels than self-published authors typically do.

We also saw a stunning exception to this lesson in the marketing spearheaded by Alexandra Watkins on her book, Hello, My Name is Awesome. By the time she hired us to work on her book, she had been executing some stealth pre-marketing, building excitement and momentum for her launch for an entire year before her pub date. Her results — exposure to top-tier clients for her business, along with strong book sales — have been tremendous.

Most authors will never see a dollar for dollar return on book publicity investment from book sales. Very few authors ever make up their investment in book publicity on book sales alone. Creating the online influence necessary for massive book sales is an investment in years — not months. Successful people invest heavily, with both time and money, over long periods of time.

Balancing publicity spend to equal book sales is impossible. The math just doesn’t work. The only way to make peace with investing in marketing and publicity is to realize that your return will come from other areas: speaking fees, consulting fees, and other service offerings. As we have gathered more data through many book launches, I do the best I can to set reasonable expectations for book sales with authors. However, the truth is that most numbers are disappointing to most authors, even the ones publishers would laud as among the top sellers in any given time period.

Here is some better news.

Investing long-term in building a network online makes a measurable difference. Yesterday, an online acquaintance launched a book. I don’t know this guy well, but he’s published more than a dozen business books. I noticed yesterday that his book was ranking around 100 on Amazon on its release day, despite the fact that the new cover, as far as I can tell, is not on his main website nor his social channels. I asked this friend the secret. His answer? No secret. He’s been sharing content online for ten years and has an email list of engaged contacts numbering nearly 100K. He shared the news of his book release with those people. No secret. Only focused, consistent sharing of value over time, which resulted in people who buy his books when he releases them.

It’s simple and difficult all at once. Getting traction to sell books and reach more people with content is an endeavor that could take decades. The more books you write, and the more you add value for the people who buy and read them, the more you will see results for subsequent book releases.

For those who don’t have an expansive network, the best strategy is partnering with others. Every author has some already existing network of friends and colleagues. One of our first priorities is in reaching out to those networks, no matter the size, to mobilize those important people in sharing our clients’ books. We encourage clients to make specific asks of those people, and most times people are very gracious and generous in supporting our clients’ book launches.

Additionally, one of the unique approaches we employ with clients is to leverage our company network and connections on behalf of our authors. In this way, we can accelerate our clients’ connection building by introducing them to our networks. Our Team Buzz Builder network has been a tremendous asset to many first time authors; these individuals voluntarily read, review, and share our authors’ books, extending the reach of every campaign.

We focus our efforts to create the best possible outcome for every author. Although it may seem like bad news that selling business books is difficult and requires significant investment of time and money, investing in getting your book out into the world is far preferred to the alternative — writing a book and NOT promoting it. Every book promotion is a long-term effort. As I’ve written before, quoting a publisher friend, if you are going to invest time to write a book, you need to be married to the message, which implies a long-term commitment to sharing the book with the world. What is a long-term commitment, if not an undertaking that requires discipline, dedication — sacrifice, even.

Through partnering with authors to launch 50 books, we have outlined (and continue to improve upon) a process that works. While results vary, depending upon a client’s past experiences, we are confident that our processes make a big difference in helping our clients achieve their desired results over time.

Our 50th book launch is celebrating a new take on a business classic, The New One Minute Manager. Find out more or buy copies today! 

Featured on Friday: The #NewOneMinuteManager

There are a couple of exciting events coming up next week. On Tuesday, May 5th, The New One Minute Manager (a revision of a classic) will be released for sale. There are several folks on the team who read the original and are excited to get their hands on this updated version from Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson.

The second event is less significant to the world at large, but it’s a memorable date on my calendar. On Monday, May 4th, I’ll pass my 3-year mark of working with Becky Robinson and Weaving Influence. Three years ago I put on my pharmacy smock for the last time and said “yes” to Becky’s offer of an unknown future.

Next week as we launch our 50th book as a company (and my 48th), I plan to take some time to count my blessings. Only the Lord knows what the coming year will hold for Weaving Influence as a company, and for me personally, but next week I’m just going to be thankful for the journey.

In the meantime, are you ready to hear more about Book Launch #50 and it’s authors?

Meet Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson, MD

Just in case you’ve missed one of the 60 books he’s co-authored (including The Secret, with Mark Miller), Ken is one of the most influential leadership experts in the world. His groundbreaking works have been translated into 42 languages and their combined sales total more than 21 million copies. Here’s a fun tidbit: in 2005 he was inducted into Amazon’s Hall of Fame as one of the top 25 bestselling authors of all time. Considering the number of books on Amazon, that’s quite an accomplishment!

The recipient of numerous leadership awards and honors, he is co-founder with his wife, Margie, of The Ken Blanchard Companies, a leading international training and consulting firm. You can find Ken online at Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+.

His co-author, Spencer Johnson, is no stranger to best-selling books. One of the most admired thought leaders and widely read authors in the world, his books, including the #1 bestseller Who Moved My Cheese?, are embedded in our language and culture.

Called “The King of Parables” by USA Today, Dr. Johnson is often referred to as the best there is at taking complex subjects and presenting simple solutions that work. His brief books contain insights and practical tools that millions of people use to enjoy more happiness and success with less stress.

Over 50 million copies of Spencer Johnson’s books are in use worldwide in 47 languages.

Support the Launch of The New One Minute Manager – May 4-8!

Next week, you’re invited to join us as we help Ken and Spencer officially launch, The New One Minute Manager. Even if you have the original version on your shelf, it’s worth it to invest in this newest edition, or buy several to give away to college graduates this May!

Buy It Now: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Hudson Booksellers | 800 CEORead | HarperCollins | Or Find it LOCALLY!

If you already have a copy, don’t forget to leave a review at any or all of those sites, and add it to your “read” or “to read” shelf on Goodreads.

If you’d like to get involved by telling your online communities about it, visit newoneminutemanager.com for tweets to share and graphics to pin and promote.

You Tell Me! How many of our 50 launches have YOU been a part of? And do you have a favorite?

What You Don’t Know CAN Hurt You

It wasn’t until a thick envelope arrived in my office via FedEx that the issue of copyright infringement of images came into clear focus for me.

When I started blogging in 2009, we rarely incorporated images and I relied on the expertise of the university who owned the site to select and approve images. On the personal blog that I started in 2011, which later became this website, I have only fuzzy memories of learning a bit about image use rights. I mostly relied on Flickr to find creative commons approved images and to link back with photo credits.

If you blog — and add images to blog posts — image use rights are an important consideration.

Many people I’ve encountered happily assume that if they find an image on Google — and can easily download that image — that they are free to use that image on their website or blog. Though people may infringe unknowingly and without intention of harming the owner of the image, there are consequences related to infringement.

If you use a rights-managed image on your domain, you could be subject to claims from the copyright owner for the use of the image. These claims could be in the hundreds or thousands of dollars. Even if a third party (web developer or graphic designer) provided the image without your knowledge, if the image lives on your domain, you are responsible.

I recently settled a claim regarding an image used on leadchangegroup.com, a site I acquired in October 2014. A leadership blogger I’ve never met, whose name I can’t even remember, published a post before I owned the site. It was an image found quickly in a Google search, and he cited a photo credit. But he didn’t own the rights to the photo, so using it was an infringement. Did he know? Probably not. Did he intend harm? Of course not.

But what you don’t know can still hurt you.

When I acquired the site, I didn’t take the time to dig through the 1500+ posts on the site to determine image sources. But when I acquired the site, I assumed liability and responsibility. We’ve since initiated a strict image use policy and removed any images added to the site prior to my acquisition.

In my experience, people have a lot of misconceptions about copyright law, including an assumption that as long as the use of an image is not commercial, fair use applies; other people might think that royalty free images are free to use. This site outlines helpful information you may not have considered. Here is another helpful article, written by an attorney.

Here are a few ways to safeguard against copyright infringements:

1) Use photos you already own. Even if you’re not a professional photographer, you may be able to create engaging images with the quick click of your iPhone. Some of my favorite pictures on my personal blog are photos of my kids. I’m also a fan of images in the moment when I am writing about day to day life. This post included a quick shot of my messy desk. Personal images can bring your words to life for a reader. If you are a fledging photographer, sharing your photos will enhance your work. See Mark Miller’s new photo blog, which showcases breathtaking images Mark has taken during his travels.

2) Purchase photos. One of our clients sources every image from iStock, investing to ensure the most visually appealing photo for every post. While this creates an additional budget line item for his online influence building efforts, he saves time on fruitless searches and has complete confidence that he is adhering to copyright laws. Our team uses a monthly package from fotolia.com to source images for our clients and posts.

3) Try a free service that provides images. Our team loves Buffer and their new service, Pablo, which is a service that allows you to quickly create images for use on social media (including blog) posts. Best part? They’ve vetted the images and the images are free to use. Canva is another service we love.

4) Research the rights status of any images you use. Google allows you to search images according to rights usage, or you can do a search on tineye.com . This post from lifehackr is another great resource to help you understand usage laws.

5) Opt-out of using images. If the expense of purchasing photos is too steep and you don’t have your own images, you can choose NOT to use images, like my friend Wally Bock. He puts his focus on carefully crafting posts that add value for readers, and doesn’t spend time or energy on photos. This option has a few drawbacks, as Molly Page explains in her post here.

While I learned this information through the anxiety of an infringement claim, I have a strong path forward with a clear idea of how to follow the law.

Tell me something? How have you handled blog post image sourcing?

Twitter and the Direct Message Upset

This week Twitter announced a new feature via their blog that has many up in arms. Starting April 20th, users have been given the option to enable Direct Messages, not just from followers–but from anyone. Twitter’s hope is to make connecting with others you don’t know in real life easier, and to eliminate having to awkwardly ask someone to follow you in order to send them a private message. This feature could be advantages for businesses who want to make customer service reps more easily available, for job seekers trying to connect with a potential new employer, or fans hoping to interact with a favorite artist.

Many users fear this new feature can also open the door to harassment, cyber-bullying, and even stalking. These are all issues that the platform has dealt with, problems that they admitted fault and embarrassment to fail dealing with in the past. Only a day after the announcement of this new option for Direct Messages, Twitter posted again on their blog about new policy and product updates to fight such abuse.

But whatever your worry, you can rest assured that no deaf ear is being turned to this matter as Twitter has made efforts to accommodate users who may be less than thrilled at the news of this new Direct Message. The feature is switched off by default and must be turned on manually. To help differentiate who has the feature turned on, a new Direct Message button will appear on profile pages on the app only if the user is someone you can contact. Should you choose to accept Direct Messages from anyone and start receiving spam or worse, you can still block that user.

For those who are interested in turning this on and experiencing Twitters brave new messaging world, here’s a quick guide to activating the feature:

Login to Twitter and click your user icon in the top right corner to access your profile and settings
Click “Security and privacy” in the sidebar
Scroll down to the last option under the “Privacy” header and make sure the “Receive Direct Messages from anyone” box is checked, save

 

Tell me something! What do you think of this new feature?

 

 

Celebrating – Do We Need an Excuse?

I couldn’t wait to have an excuse to share these fun photos of our Web Development Manager, John Marcello, jumping in his new Weaving Influence t-shirt.

He posted them to our team Facebook page over the weekend and I laughed, joyfully.

A t-shirt, with a logo. It might seem like a small thing, but it’s helping our team celebrate a few milestones and we’re having fun with it.

Last week, a few of our local team members gathered for a lunch, and everyone indulged me for a group shot (coming soon).

Then we mailed out shirts to our virtual team members, and I asked for folks to share photos on social media.

I even sent a shirt to my mom, who texted me this morning to tell me that she’s wearing her shirt today for her daily walk. I told her bragging rights came with the shirt, too.

What are we celebrating?

Several team members have recently passed or will pass year based milestones in working with our company.

John, seen jumping about, has been working with us over two years this spring.

Elizabeth Johnson, who does amazing behind the scenes work implementing for our clients and doing internal quality reviews of content, also passed the two year mark.

Carrie, our book launch director, will soon pass 3 years.

Sharon Pilaske, who manages our bookkeeping and invoicing, has been raising our game on internal processes for an entire year. We will soon launch our 50th book as a company.

I will have been working full-time in this business three years as of June 1st. We’re successfully transitioning from a completely virtual and sub-contractor led company to a company that has both in-person employees.

This includes a full-time, dedicated PR director who starts next week as well as amazing, committed, loyal, long-term contract team members.

It’s enough to make some of us jump for joy – literally.

Tell me something!  What has you jumping for joy?

What are you celebrating?

 

 

Featured on Friday: A #BookLaunch Recap Link-fest!

It’s hard to believe, but the last time I did a Featured on Friday of nothing but links was all the way back in December! It’s been a busy spring season as we’ve worked our way through the various book launches, and today marks the last day of our 49th book launch – Wind In Your Sails. Whew!

We love helping authors grow their online presence and find the perfect audience for their books. Each one of these books represents a lot of work and effort from our authors and their personal teams and we want to support them in whatever way we can, whether that’s by spreading the word on social media, hosting webinars, or giving them a little boost during a relaunch.

Thanks to the faithful members of Team Buzz Builder – and now the Lead Change Group – we are able to help our clients reach millions of new people because of the megaphone of social media. I like to tell the authors that I work with that a book launch is a marathon and not a sprint.

Train for the long term, keep your eyes on the future, and realize that this one week is just the kick off for long term success.

Below you will find the marathons that we’ve started this year. The official launch weeks might be over for these authors, but the buzz never needs to slow down! Check out their books, leave reviews, visit their websites, and help us keep the excitement going all year long.

2015 Launches-to-Date

February 2 – 5: We launched  The Hidden Leader by Scott Edinger and Laurie Sain. Visit the website!
February 2 – 5: We also launch Ken Blanchard and Morton Shaevitz’s first book together, Refire! Don’t Retire. Visit the website!
February 9 – 13: We launched Chip Bell’s new book, Sprinkles . Visit the website!
February 23 – 27: We launched first-time author Joanie Connell‘s book, Flying without a Helicopter. Visit the website!
March 9 – 13: We launched Talent Mindset by Stacy Feiner – now available on Kindle! Visit the website!
March 16 – 20: We launched Dare to Serve by Cheryl Bachelder. Visit the website!
March 23 – 27: We launched the new book from Bonnie Marcus, The Politics of Promotion . Visit the website!
April 6 – 10: We launched Mark Miller’s fifth book, Chess Not Checkers . Visit the website!
April 13 – 17: We launched Wind In Your Sails by Canadian author, David Greer. Visit the website!

Looking Ahead…

On May 5th we’ll be playing a supporting role in the launch of The New One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard & Spencer Johnson. Visit the website!
In June we’ll be working with Henna Inam on the launch of her first book, Wired for Authenticity. Join our team!
June 15 – 19 we’ll be launching The Disciplined Leader from MAP Consulting President, John Manning. Join our team! Visit the website!
In July we’ll be working with The Arbinger Institute to launch the second edition of The Anatomy of Peace – stay tuned for more details!
August 10 – 14 we’ll be launching the second book from author Beau Sides, Unseen Tears, a powerful story about orphans in Asia - stay tuned!

As you can see, we have a lot of exciting launches under our belt for the year already, and even more coming up this summer. I would love to see some new promotion go out this weekend for one – or all – of these great books, and I look forward to working with you on our upcoming launches.

In the meantime, have a great weekend and Happy Reading!