Marketing Strategies Part 1—Ads
I've been experimenting with web ads over the year, trying this and that web site and different approaches.
What I've tried:
Facebook
Twitter
GoodReads
Google Adwords
Digital Magazines
I've learned that I can get a lot of traffic to my web site using Google Adwords Display ads—the ones with pictures. The problem is that people have a tendency to click on interesting looking images with no real intent to look for a book. This was true with facebook and —especially— with twitter.
On facebook, people will click "like" a lot, but only a small subset will go to your web site. If they go to the web site they do spend a little time—sometimes.
On Twitter, they'll click to see your profile, but not to the web site, and if they do they leave immediately. I've decided that (for me) Twitter was a total waste of time and money.
Google ad words generates the most web visits, about 10-times as much as facebook on a dollar for dollar basis. But the image ads usually (90 to 95%) wind up bouncing right out, with little interaction and virtually zero sales. The text ads are more successful. People who are actually searching for a book. They visit and read a little. There are additional targeting strategies for ad words that I'm still experimenting with, plus I've been learning something about SEO (Search Engine Optimization). This remains a work in progress.
I'm also engaging with bloggers now, and find it likely to be more effective in targeting people interested in books in general.
On GoodReads, the jury is still out. I have been less systematic, to date.
What I've tried:
GoodReads
Google Adwords
Digital Magazines
I've learned that I can get a lot of traffic to my web site using Google Adwords Display ads—the ones with pictures. The problem is that people have a tendency to click on interesting looking images with no real intent to look for a book. This was true with facebook and —especially— with twitter.
On facebook, people will click "like" a lot, but only a small subset will go to your web site. If they go to the web site they do spend a little time—sometimes.
On Twitter, they'll click to see your profile, but not to the web site, and if they do they leave immediately. I've decided that (for me) Twitter was a total waste of time and money.
Google ad words generates the most web visits, about 10-times as much as facebook on a dollar for dollar basis. But the image ads usually (90 to 95%) wind up bouncing right out, with little interaction and virtually zero sales. The text ads are more successful. People who are actually searching for a book. They visit and read a little. There are additional targeting strategies for ad words that I'm still experimenting with, plus I've been learning something about SEO (Search Engine Optimization). This remains a work in progress.
I'm also engaging with bloggers now, and find it likely to be more effective in targeting people interested in books in general.
On GoodReads, the jury is still out. I have been less systematic, to date.
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