Check Your Communication

I am as guilty as anyone of pushing information out on my blog for the purpose of getting results. A great lesson to remember is that your blogs, newsletters, and other forms of social media are more effective if they offer a balance of conversation coupled with your product.

This lesson hit home today as I read Kristen Lamb's blog post.

One of my goals going forward is to provide something in each blog post that will inspire a thought, a question, an idea or simply a story to share.

What ideas do you have that will turn your social media efforts into "chats" or conversations? Interaction is fun!

The Need for a Platform

Marketing a book in today's fast-paced world is remarkably different from years past. Stop for a minute and just think of the communication differences from today versus just 5 to 10 years ago. Social media has changed our lives. Not only has it changed, but it will continue to evolve and change.

Even just 2-3 years ago the IPad and other notepad devices didn't exist. I read yesterday that the #1 Fathers Day gift this year will be IPad accessories. We now have Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Email, TinyChat and the list grows. OK, if we know all about this stuff what does it mean?

I just had lunch today with a lawyer who specializes in entertainment law. She was talking about the importance of building a platform. The way people buy books has changed dramatically and we now have the ability to get our message to thousands of consumers @ no cost by investing in building a platform. Seth Godin touts building a "tribe". It isn't simple and it does take creativity and time but the tools to do so exist.

Someone within an organization such as a Junior League or a branded property, say a resort for example, already has a "tribe". The key for these entities is to increase the scope of the "tribe". This is accomplished through a blog, a fan page, e-mail blasts, e-newsletter, Twitter and web site. The first task of anyone publishing a book is to find their audience and begin marketing to it by using the tools of social media--and it's fun.

What have you done to creatively build your platform?