Issue #1266 Oct. 13, 2018
Publisher: Joan Stewart
“Tips, Tricks and Tools for Free Publicity”
In This Issue
- How to Attract More Facebook Reviews
- Where to Meet Journalists, Broadcasters
- 5 Critical Stages of a Book Launch
- Hound Video of the Week
This Weekend in the Hound House:
It’s mid-October and my dahlias are still blooming! I’ll be in the yard today staking the remaining stalks so they don’t fall over from the weight of the blooms and foliage. Then I’ll park myself in front of the TV today for Game 2 of the Milwaukee Brewers and the L.A. Dodgers for the National League Championship Series.
1. How to Attract More Facebook Reviews
If you’re on Facebook, you probably already know that the world’s largest social media site has retired the star rating system. Now, when you want your fans to write a review, they can choose to recommend or not recommend your Page. Facebook, by the way, accounts for 20 percent of the most trusted review sites for local searches. And Facebook includes the number of reviews you get in its algorithm.
If all you’ve done is enabled reviews on your Page, you’re missing opportunities to collect valuable endorsements that consumers say help them decide whether to buy from you.
Mari Smith, the self-proclaimed and widely recognized Queen of Facebook, offered an excellent free one-hour training session recently that explained how to encourage your fans to write reviews. Here’s a quick recap:
–Make sure Reviews are enabled on your Page. Go to http://www.Facebookcom/(Pageusername)/reviews. In the navigational bar, click on Settings. In the left column , click on Templates and Tabs. Scroll down. Under Home, go to Reviews and click on Settings. Turn Reviews ON. Below that, you’ll see the link for your Reviews Page.
–Ask for reviews but do not offer products and services as enticements. On Facebook and other review sites, give people specific instructions on where to leave a review. Provide a link.
–Monitor comments and posts. Follow up and ask those people for a review.
–Follow up again via email to thank them.
–Or communicate via Messenger chat.
–If you have a bricks-and-mortar store, encourage customers to leave a review.
–Include a card inside shipping boxes. (My tip: Include a note asking for an Amazon and Facebook review in the back of your book. Include the request and links in all ebooks.)
To do: Hear all of Mari’s helpful tips by watching her video on “How to Increase Your Online Reviews Using Facebook.”
#MariSmith #FacebookReviews
2. Where to Meet Journalists, Broadcasters
Declining circulation, lower advertising revenues, and competition for viewers’ time from online media platforms like Netflix and YouTube are forcing traditional media—newspapers, magazines, TV, and radio—to create more of their own events.
The “40 Under 40” event sponsored by the local business journal, a Boomer health fair hosted by your daily newspaper and a 10K run that’s the signature event sponsored by your local TV station to raise money for cancer research are excellent opportunities to meet reporters, editors, photographs and other editorial staff members.
But you can’t go charging into the event and pitch the first reporter you see. Your primary goal is to start forming relationships and offer to help them. Here are three tips:
–Introduce yourself. Let them know the topics in which you’re an expert, and let them know they can call on you if they need story ideas, background or commentary on your topic.
–Ask, “How else can I help you?” Listen!
–Follow them on social media. You’ll earn extra points if you Like, Share and Comment on their content.
–Follow up a few weeks later. You can even ask each contact to join you for lunch.
To do: Read the handy step-by-step guide I’ve created for on how to “Meet Journalists, Broadcasters at Media-sponsored Events.”
#MediaEvents #MeetJournalists
3. 5 Critical Stages of a Book Launch
Most authors start the important work of launching their book six months to a year too late.
They call me three months before the launch date to help them create a publicity plan. Problem is, they’re bogged down with so many other tasks leading up to the launch that they don’t have time to do an adequate job and sell only a few dozen books. Here are the five stages of a successful book launch:
1. Get Ready. This is the time to build your platform and network, and start doing researching on things like comparable best-selling nooks in your genre, learning how the authors marketed them and spying to see who is following those authors. (Follow them!)
2. Choose Your Tools. Start compiling a list of the tools you’ll use in your launch that will help you market and sell your book online and offline. For example, you can search for book clubs and author events in your area, by zip code, at ReadersCircle.org.
3. Create Your Plan. Write a checklist of things you need to do, then move them to a calendar of events so you stay on track.
4. Launch the Book. If you started too late or wasted too much time, you can take a shortcut with a lean book launch option.
5. Leverage the Momentum. Analyze the launch and continue to grow your platform and network. Many authors skip this step and dive into writing the next book before marketing the ones they’ve already written. Big mistake.
Overlook any of these steps, and your launch suffers. I’ve always wanted to create a book launch toolkit, but Kim Grabas beat me to it and, frankly, did a better job that I would have. I bought the kit, became Kim’s biggest fan, and refer to her guidelines, cheat sheets and checklists dozens of times when I work with authors.
To do: Take advantage of the special sale this weekend. For a measly $47, you can get Kim’s 103-page book that includes a platform building guide and 20 book launch tools and strategies, complete with instructions, links, and additional resources. If you’ll smart, you’ll choose the “Best Value” Plus Edition for only $67. These special prices disappear at midnight on Monday. So grab your Book Launch Toolkit now using this affiliate link.
#BookLaunch #BookLaunchPlan
4. Hound Video of the Week
Watch as this bulldog rocks out to Nirvana’s “Come as You Are,” while his owner plays along on the guitar. Thanks to Publicity Hound Sophie Wajsman of Melbourne, Australia.
[Tweet “#PublicityTips — How to Attract More #FacebookReviews”]
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