Marketing Paranoia - 2 of 3
In the first of this three part post (Marketing Paranoia - 1 of 3) I considered whether and, if so, how, Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads could be utilised by authors for the marketing of their books. In this second part I intend to consider LinkedIn, Google’s G+ and Pinterest. In the third and final part I propose to do a general roundup of other sites, to have a quick look at blogging and hopefully come to a final conclusion.
Again I must make clear I am not a marketing expert or professional. I am simply a private individual who also happens to be a self-published author. Consequently, most of the following are primarily my personal thoughts, mostly drawn from my own experiences, though in places I have also incorporated information gained from other’s comments, read in a variety of places.
LinkedIn
This is primarily portrayed as a site for professionals including employer’s looking for new staff and for those seeking jobs. And in fact, as you would expect, there is a high percentage of professionals using the site. I understand it has some success for recruiters and for those seeking employment but have no idea how far this extends. Nevertheless, having identified this fact, I have to draw attention to the existence of many groups within the site that simply cater for those who have common interests. In our case this includes authors, editors, publicists, readers, marketing professionals, social media experts etc.
Do I consider it worthwhile for indie authors to have an account with LinkedIn? In my ‘non-professional’ opinion I would say yes. There are many writer/author/book related groups with many discussions relating to all aspects including the actual process of writing, marketing, self-publishing etc. Besides being able to, hopefully, help others by sharing our own experiences there is much we may learn. Unlike some other social media sites many professionals willingly share some of their knowledge to the benefit of people like myself. Obviously, they hope to gain clients and employment from participating but I have to acknowledge many are not dinting in what they share and are generally friendly.
Will being on LinkedIn help you sell books? To be honest I doubt it, well it has not for me. However, as with other sites, being a member does give you further exposure and this time to different categories of people then generally encountered on the usual social media. This is assisted by the fact you may post in the main home page stream as well as within the groups you have joined. Some groups also have promotional tabs specifically to help those who wish to advertise their services or sell their products.
How about advertising on LinkedIn? I have never looked into this for myself having assumed if I cannot afford the cost of adverting on Facebook or Twitter I am unlikely to be able to afford doing so on this ‘professional’ site. Nevertheless, I have noted there are ‘sponsored’ posts in the home page threads. These simply appear as additional posts within the thread and do not really stand out or draw attention unless the subject happens to be something you have an interest in. Consequently, I suspect these would not be of any real benefit to self-published authors.
Overall, I do recommend you having an account on LinkedIn provided you accept, as with other sites, it is unlikely to result in many, if any, book sells. However, you may possibly learn quite a lot, find information about marketing and publicity companies you have not previously heard of and may build further relationships all of which could bear fruit at a later stage.
Google’s G+
As this blog is hosted by Google’s Blogger I have naturally had an account with them for some time. However, I have to confess I am still learning about, and coming to grips with, G+. Consequently, the following may not be as comprehensive as it might be.
Equivalent to ‘groups’ on other sites, G+ has Communities (established by members with similar interests) and Collections (topic specific and usually run by just one member). You may follow both but, as a rule, cannot actually post into a Collection. As mentioned a collection is normally on a specific topic e.g. one I follow deals with WordPress development and plugins.
A word of warning: there are an amazing number of communities and it is easy, when first starting out, to be tempted to join many of them. I initially did this; there are a surprising number of book; reader; author; writer, reviewer etc. dedicated communities. It steadily became obvious, with all my other on-line activity, there was absolutely no way I would be able to follow, or contribute into, all of them. Of course you may decide to limit your activity to this and perhaps one or maybe two other sites in which case it may be viable. I recently went through the list and withdrew from many making my ability to participate so much more practicable.
Advantages to G+? I would like to say there is more opportunity to discuss issues, writing, books and other such matters. In truth, well at least from my limited experience, G+ has become just another place for most to simply try and push their books and services. There is some limited conversation but it does appear to be limited.
Advertising in G+: I have never attempted to do so. I am not even sure you can actually advertise within G+; I have not been aware of seeing any adverts there. It took a bit of research but I have finally determined there is only one advertising option within Google, ‘AdWords’ (use this term to search within Google). These adverts, depending of course upon the parameters you set, go across the whole of the Google network. A quick word about the cost: You need to set a price-per-click combined with a maximum daily amount. The suggestion is to start at £10-£20 (approximately $14.60-$29.25) per day. A definite advantage to advertising with Google is that you are able to pause, stop and re-start the advert at any time you choose. Really helpful if you want to change tactics or set up another event to connect with the advert. I have absolutely no idea how effective, or not, these adverts are. If you have any experience of them I would love to hear about it.
Is it worth having a presence in G+? Probably, overall, that would be a yes. G+ stretches far and wide and I think it only sensible to be there. However, how much time you spend on it will come down to your own needs, connections and experience. I have my doubts that it will result in many if any sells of your books but, as mentioned more than once, it is worth availing yourself of anything that gives you broader exposure. Just keep your expectations realistic.
Pinterest
As a visual site this, until recently, was of limited usefulness. Yes, it was a good place to show a different aspect of your books i.e. reveal the content (non-fiction) or story by using images. And, again, probably to a different audience to that you engaged with on other sites.
‘Until recently’, why did I say that? Pinterest have now opened up the site to enable users to sell and purchase direct, without having to click on a link that takes you to another site where you have to click and follow through again. That process did and does put many potential purchasers off. I have not used this option so, once again, cannot tell you if it has proven effective for authors. I would appreciate anyone who does have experience of it letting me know how they find it.
Advertising: You need a business account to advertise (personal accounts may be converted to a business account). The advert comprises a ‘promoted pin’ i.e. an image depicting what you are selling. The advertiser then selects a target audience and an amount they are prepared to pay per click, the same as most social media advertising. Of particular help is the provision of statistics to see how your campaign is progressing enabling you to make any changes you deem appropriate. Pinterest has made the buying process easy for purchasers which is always a bonus.
Now, something all of us need to be aware of. I understand the site now has a much larger membership than many ‘traditional’ social media sites. An indication of how society has become much more image orientated. In addition, there is little text which facilitates the general trend of reduced concentration spans and the desire for instant results. I therefore recommend authors joining the site. You do need to make a time commitment, to create boards, add pins (images/photographs) and for some interaction but I think it is worth it. But again, keep your expectations realistic. And, enjoy the site for yourself; there are many wonderful images there.
Conclusion to this second part
First I apologise for the length of this post. My aim is to keep posts to a reasonable length; most of us have time pressures these days. Nevertheless, without going into excessive detail, I wished to make what I share useful.
As with the first in this series I have to say, overall, I have doubts about the effectiveness of advertising books on these sites. But, yet again, I think it is worth your time to have accounts with them because they do provide greater exposure. And, as mentioned, you may learn quite a bit from some of them and may have the pleasure of making new acquaintances.
Again I must make clear I am not a marketing expert or professional. I am simply a private individual who also happens to be a self-published author. Consequently, most of the following are primarily my personal thoughts, mostly drawn from my own experiences, though in places I have also incorporated information gained from other’s comments, read in a variety of places.This is primarily portrayed as a site for professionals including employer’s looking for new staff and for those seeking jobs. And in fact, as you would expect, there is a high percentage of professionals using the site. I understand it has some success for recruiters and for those seeking employment but have no idea how far this extends. Nevertheless, having identified this fact, I have to draw attention to the existence of many groups within the site that simply cater for those who have common interests. In our case this includes authors, editors, publicists, readers, marketing professionals, social media experts etc.
Do I consider it worthwhile for indie authors to have an account with LinkedIn? In my ‘non-professional’ opinion I would say yes. There are many writer/author/book related groups with many discussions relating to all aspects including the actual process of writing, marketing, self-publishing etc. Besides being able to, hopefully, help others by sharing our own experiences there is much we may learn. Unlike some other social media sites many professionals willingly share some of their knowledge to the benefit of people like myself. Obviously, they hope to gain clients and employment from participating but I have to acknowledge many are not dinting in what they share and are generally friendly.
Will being on LinkedIn help you sell books? To be honest I doubt it, well it has not for me. However, as with other sites, being a member does give you further exposure and this time to different categories of people then generally encountered on the usual social media. This is assisted by the fact you may post in the main home page stream as well as within the groups you have joined. Some groups also have promotional tabs specifically to help those who wish to advertise their services or sell their products.
How about advertising on LinkedIn? I have never looked into this for myself having assumed if I cannot afford the cost of adverting on Facebook or Twitter I am unlikely to be able to afford doing so on this ‘professional’ site. Nevertheless, I have noted there are ‘sponsored’ posts in the home page threads. These simply appear as additional posts within the thread and do not really stand out or draw attention unless the subject happens to be something you have an interest in. Consequently, I suspect these would not be of any real benefit to self-published authors.
Overall, I do recommend you having an account on LinkedIn provided you accept, as with other sites, it is unlikely to result in many, if any, book sells. However, you may possibly learn quite a lot, find information about marketing and publicity companies you have not previously heard of and may build further relationships all of which could bear fruit at a later stage.
Google’s G+
As this blog is hosted by Google’s Blogger I have naturally had an account with them for some time. However, I have to confess I am still learning about, and coming to grips with, G+. Consequently, the following may not be as comprehensive as it might be.
Equivalent to ‘groups’ on other sites, G+ has Communities (established by members with similar interests) and Collections (topic specific and usually run by just one member). You may follow both but, as a rule, cannot actually post into a Collection. As mentioned a collection is normally on a specific topic e.g. one I follow deals with WordPress development and plugins.
A word of warning: there are an amazing number of communities and it is easy, when first starting out, to be tempted to join many of them. I initially did this; there are a surprising number of book; reader; author; writer, reviewer etc. dedicated communities. It steadily became obvious, with all my other on-line activity, there was absolutely no way I would be able to follow, or contribute into, all of them. Of course you may decide to limit your activity to this and perhaps one or maybe two other sites in which case it may be viable. I recently went through the list and withdrew from many making my ability to participate so much more practicable.
Advantages to G+? I would like to say there is more opportunity to discuss issues, writing, books and other such matters. In truth, well at least from my limited experience, G+ has become just another place for most to simply try and push their books and services. There is some limited conversation but it does appear to be limited.
Advertising in G+: I have never attempted to do so. I am not even sure you can actually advertise within G+; I have not been aware of seeing any adverts there. It took a bit of research but I have finally determined there is only one advertising option within Google, ‘AdWords’ (use this term to search within Google). These adverts, depending of course upon the parameters you set, go across the whole of the Google network. A quick word about the cost: You need to set a price-per-click combined with a maximum daily amount. The suggestion is to start at £10-£20 (approximately $14.60-$29.25) per day. A definite advantage to advertising with Google is that you are able to pause, stop and re-start the advert at any time you choose. Really helpful if you want to change tactics or set up another event to connect with the advert. I have absolutely no idea how effective, or not, these adverts are. If you have any experience of them I would love to hear about it.
Is it worth having a presence in G+? Probably, overall, that would be a yes. G+ stretches far and wide and I think it only sensible to be there. However, how much time you spend on it will come down to your own needs, connections and experience. I have my doubts that it will result in many if any sells of your books but, as mentioned more than once, it is worth availing yourself of anything that gives you broader exposure. Just keep your expectations realistic.
As a visual site this, until recently, was of limited usefulness. Yes, it was a good place to show a different aspect of your books i.e. reveal the content (non-fiction) or story by using images. And, again, probably to a different audience to that you engaged with on other sites.
‘Until recently’, why did I say that? Pinterest have now opened up the site to enable users to sell and purchase direct, without having to click on a link that takes you to another site where you have to click and follow through again. That process did and does put many potential purchasers off. I have not used this option so, once again, cannot tell you if it has proven effective for authors. I would appreciate anyone who does have experience of it letting me know how they find it.
Advertising: You need a business account to advertise (personal accounts may be converted to a business account). The advert comprises a ‘promoted pin’ i.e. an image depicting what you are selling. The advertiser then selects a target audience and an amount they are prepared to pay per click, the same as most social media advertising. Of particular help is the provision of statistics to see how your campaign is progressing enabling you to make any changes you deem appropriate. Pinterest has made the buying process easy for purchasers which is always a bonus.
Now, something all of us need to be aware of. I understand the site now has a much larger membership than many ‘traditional’ social media sites. An indication of how society has become much more image orientated. In addition, there is little text which facilitates the general trend of reduced concentration spans and the desire for instant results. I therefore recommend authors joining the site. You do need to make a time commitment, to create boards, add pins (images/photographs) and for some interaction but I think it is worth it. But again, keep your expectations realistic. And, enjoy the site for yourself; there are many wonderful images there.
Conclusion to this second part
First I apologise for the length of this post. My aim is to keep posts to a reasonable length; most of us have time pressures these days. Nevertheless, without going into excessive detail, I wished to make what I share useful.
As with the first in this series I have to say, overall, I have doubts about the effectiveness of advertising books on these sites. But, yet again, I think it is worth your time to have accounts with them because they do provide greater exposure. And, as mentioned, you may learn quite a bit from some of them and may have the pleasure of making new acquaintances.
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