Using Facebook and Goodreads In Your Marketing

Okay, so there are some free resources out there that you can use to help reach people that are outside your blog/twitter/Facebook range. Because, really, that's what it's all about. Trying to get your book in front of as many people as possible.

I think Goodreads and Facebook are two places you should consider using more in-depth if you haven't yet. You can also purchase ads on Goodreads and Facebook, but that's a step above this. (I've had some very good results with my ads, but we can talk about that another day.)

Goodreads.
1. Upload an excerpt. This is a new service, and it's free. I've found that a PDF works/looks best, and you can upload the entire book and then choose to only show a certain percentage of it, so it's probably a 5-minute job to do this.

Then, what I do, is advertise using the word "free" in my ad. Like, "Fans of The Hunger Games and Matched, read the first two chapters of POSSESSION, a dystopian novel, for free." (Or something more eloquent... But I definitely reference the best-sellers!)

I've had over 40,000 views in a single day on an ad like that. And all I did was upload the first two chapters of POSSESSION--which has been free on my website for over a year anyway. But it's getting it into the hands of READERS in a place where READERS hang out.

And that's Goodreads.

How: On your author dashboard, under your book title, there's a link that says "Add ebook". Click there and follow the directions to upload an excerpt. Seriously. It's five minutes.

2. The Goodreads Giveaway. We've talked about this before, so I won't go into tons of detail here (you can check this post if you missed it), but I think the giveaways are invaluable on Goodreads. And they'll cost you very little--mailing costs only.

Facebook.
1. Make a quiz. Teens hang out on Facebook, not twitter. So while a lot of us like twitter better, if you're writing YA novels, you need to become acquainted with Facebook. You can make quizes on Facebook that you can then advertise on your page.

How: Basically, all you have to do is type "quiz" in the search box at the top of your Facebook window. Find a quiz making app you like, and go to town.

2. Customize, customize, customize. You can upload covers on the new page layout. Do it. Make a nice one (or have one made), and upload it.

You can add custom tabs on your page. I like using the apps "Static HTML" and "My Tab". (To find these apps, just type them into the search box at the top of your Facebook window. Go to their page, and click the "Add this app to your page" button.) You can hide things behind gates this way, which means people have to "like" your page to see the content. And I'm no genius with HTML, but you know who is?

Blogger.

That's right. BLOGGER.

I open my blog that I use for practice and upload photos, type in what I want, make them the color and size I want, everything. I can preview it all in blogger. Then I simply go into the HTML tab, copy the HTML code, and paste that into the HTML window on Facebook.

Save, and ta-da! You have a fully customized page on your Facebook page. FOR FREE. It's almost like you could take your FB page and make it your website...

3. Post often. I try not to be obnoxious, and I try to post things I think my fans will like. My personal goal is to post twice a day--once before work and once before bed. I try to post about my book, my real life (without getting too personal), other YA authors, books, reading, The Hunger Games, or whatever I think my fans will like.

Everything is not about my book, my events, etc. My personal philosophy on Facebook is the same as here on the blog: I try to post 5 times about other things before I pimp my book, or event, or free short story, or whatever again. I want people to interact with me, not tune me out.

So, are you using Goodreads and Facebook to your full advantage? Hopefully you can now!

The Basic+Plus Marketing Plan For Those Who Are Nearing Wealth

Ha ha ha! But didn't you know that every author is like J.K. Rowling and Stephenie Meyer and we're all r-i-c-h?! Well, now you do. {--sarcastic font

But today, we're going to talk about the marketing you might do beyond the basic plan. Remember that plan had bookmarks, postcards, and a blog tour on it.

This plan includes those three things, but has additional features.

1. Swag item. Here is where you can step up your swag -- if you'd like. I print stickers. For POSSESSION, I bought an image and used it in promotions, giveaways, buzz-building, and as stickers.

I'm doing the same thing for SURRENDER. You want to see?

I can print 500 stickers for $27.30. This year, I got smart and put my website on the sticker. Last year? Not so much. Live and learn.

Cost: Low $, low hours.
Uses: Give them out with every promotion, blogger swag, include at book signings, slap on any book-related package you mail. Use the image in your online campaigns too. Last year, the Tagged image was used in my newsletter campaign (see #2 below) and as an avatar campaign on Twitter.

Don't like stickers? (Though it's hard to beat 500 at $27.30...) No problem. Find something else you can use with your book. Some ideas:

• Pin buttons
• Water bottles
• Wrist bands
• Candy
• Moo cards (I'll admit, I bought these too... maybe I am J.K. Rowling!)
• T-shirts
• Jewelry
• Bottlecap magnets

2. Newsletter Campaign.

If you haven't started gathering names and emails for a newsletter, you probably should about the time you're querying agents. You can use this opt-in audience for promotion, and there are several sites that you can use to create your newsletters for free.

I use MailChimp, and I love it. I haven't paid a dime for it. You can sign up for my newsletter here. Now that we're getting closer to the release of SURRENDER, there might be some goodies for newsletter subscribers only...

Cost: $0, 1-2 hours/month. (Seriously. I can put a newsletter together in under 30 minutes.)
Uses: Run giveaways, exclusive to newsletter subscribers. Keep readers up-to-date with your books, deals, news, etc. Use images from #1 to run book content-specific promotions. Talk about other books. Advertise ARC sign-ups (which, BTW, you can sign up for an ARC of SURRENDER here).

The possibilities are virtually endless, and with a free price tag and very little time investment, you should consider a newsletter.

Caution: Don't be a spammer. If you say you're going to send a newsletter once a month, don't send one once a week.

3. Goodreads**. I think Goodreads is a great place to reach readers, because well, that's where readers hang out. The biggest pro for Goodreads? The ARC giveaway. Remember that you're going to use your ARCs for review purposes, and there's no better way to get a crap-ton of people requesting your book than to run a Goodreads giveaway.

Cost: $0-10 (mailing cost only), low time.
Uses: reach readers where readers hang out, giving away a prize people want, building buzz.

All you have to do here is spend a few minutes listing the giveaway. (Oh! Look! There's an ARC giveaway of SURRENDER going on right now!) Goodreads even picks the winner for you, gives you code for widgets, the works. You are responsible for mailing out the book. If your publisher is sending the ARC, your monetary investment is zero. If you are, you'll have to pay for shipping (but you can put your sticker on the outside of the package...)

Goodreads gives you the code for widgets too.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Surrender

by Elana Johnson

Giveaway ends April 30, 2012.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

So there you go. The second tier above the Basic Marketing Plan.

Well? Can you set up a newsletter? Order some additional swag? List a giveaway on Goodreads? What else would you implement into this marketing plan?

Next week, I'm going to talk about additional ideas to market your work exclusively online. **I'm also writing a separate post about Goodreads and Facebook ads, both of which I've purchased and used. So stay tuned for that!