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The Basics of Online Marketing

Online marketing has become a crucial part of any marketing plan.  As you consider how to market your books, an online marketing component should be in the mix.  The following activities should be considered for your online marketing plan:

  • Author website, including author blog, column or diary
  • Book and contents featured online
  • Online retailers
  • Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
  • Message boards or other online community involvement
  • Links

Author Website. Every author should establish a website.  This is the calling card for the book your author is writing (or has written).  It should feature the cover, the specs and links to places to buy it.  Ensure that the author’s website is optimized for best search results.

Book Contents Online. You should feature the book cover, a table of contents, specs (ISBN, binding, price), and sample chapters and artwork on both the publisher’s and the author’s websites.  You should regularly check to make sure that the information about your titles is correct on major online databases.

  • Google Print, and Amazon’s “Search Inside the Book”:  Morgan James is currently submitting titles to Google and Amazon.

Online Retailers. You should regularly monitor your book’s presence on these sites.  Be sure to routinely check the specs (such as ISBN and price) and the book description, author bio, and other data.  Sometimes data changes for inexplicable reasons.  Be sure that every listing of your book is as robust as you can make it:

  • Make sure that you have good, marketing-oriented copy for your book everywhere it is listed.
  • Ensure that all the specs are correct; promptly make corrections if you discover errors.
  • Add in a good author bio, review quotes, and table of contents when possible.
  • Enlist all online “preview” options, such as Amazon’s “Search Inside the Book.”
  • Watch for negative reviews and feedback and mitigate, if possible.

SEO.  Search Engine Optimization is important for your websites and your press releases.  If your copy is “optimized,” that means that you increase your chances of obtaining a higher Google ranking – and therefore obtain more hits to your website.  (For example – you know that when you conduct a Google search, you are more likely to click on a link on your first page of results?  The goal of SEO is get you on that first page.)  Some SEO resources are below.  You can also Google the phrase “SEO tips” or “SEO advice” for additional information.

Message Boards and Online Communities.  The idea with online marketing is to become part of the community where your customers go.  (Do not expect your customers to come to you!)  By regularly updating your sites, building features that attract users of like mind, sponsoring a message board or other online community “gathering place,” you can build customer interest – and therefore create opportunities to sell books.  Your commitment to a community can be as simple as doing online giveaways, or as complex as offering a subscription news service and opt-in marketing programs.  If you are a prolific author who has an established fan base, your site or blog could be a natural gathering place for an online community.

Don’t forget to become a Fan of Morgan James Publishing on FaceBook.

Having the Right Links.  The right type of links can make a difference in the amount and quality of traffic that your site has.  With the right links you can quickly build a vibrant online community.  With the wrong links, you could have no or little qualified traffic.

Remember that your site should establish and maintain appropriate links, but who links to you is equally important.  Doing outreach to those sites can often be a good strategic move.

Lastly, if you are not already receving Armand Morin’s free Internet Marketing Newsletter, you need to subscribe right now. Here’s why I’m reccomending it to you:

It keeps you on the cutting edge of what works currently now in online marketing and what will work tomorrow.

It identifies and explains new trends you must be aware of in order to conduct and run your business.

Cuts through the confusion and clutter, giving you the straight to the point clear answers you need to build your business.

It takes you “behind the scenes” with the top Internet Marketing Professionals you see on the Internet.
It spells out the fair, balanced truth about how to make a real business online using up to the minute marketing trends.

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