All the Options to Build Your Email List
Ever wanted to see the big picture? All the options laid out so you can make an informed decision?
As I was coaching an author the other day, I realized that I haven’t written a blog post that covers my full email list building strategy.
So today, we’re going to remedy that!
In any marketing efforts, you want to make sure you’re doing things to reach both your Existing Readers and New Readers. The good news is that if you’re growing your email list effectively, it will be a powerful tool to reach your existing readers, as well as introducing new readers to you and converting them to fans eager to purchase your next book.
Sound too good to be true? I won’t promise it’s easy or completely painless, but once you have your sign-up forms and your automated welcome sequence in place, most of the hard work is done.
Existing Readers:
People who sign up for your email list after reading a piece of your writing tend to be a high “quality” subscriber. Meaning they are likely to open the emails you send and click the links in the email. They are likely your target reader.
The two best methods to capture these readers on your email list are: Read the rest of this entry »
Why I Love Facebook Lead Generation Ads
I’ve been running a new Lead Generation ad campaign through Facebook, and I’m reminded of why I like this type of ad so much!
What is a Facebook Lead Generation ad?
Basically, it’s an ad that creates an easy experience for the user to receive a free gift (ebook) from you in exchange for signing up for your email list. FB uses the email address on file for that user, so the opt-in process is very easy for the user – especially from a mobile device.
So why do I find value in Lead Gen ads?
- Grow Email List. They introduce me to new readers who opt-in to my mailing list. Over the course of about a year and a half, I’ve added over 5,000 new emails to my list through this resource. The targeting for FB Lead Gen ads is excellent, and I’ve seen good newsletter open and click rates from the readers I’ve acquired. Read the rest of this entry »
Troubleshooting Facebook Ads
Facebook Ads can be finicky things.
Getting an ad to perform well (meaning actually sell books at a cost per click that doesn’t break the bank) can be a complicated formula. In theory, it should be simple:
- One part good ad copy (that’s attractive to your target reader)
- One part finding the right audience (again think about your target reader)
- One part good landing page (your Amazon book page or other sales page)
So if you’ve got all those things right, your FB ad should perform well! 
But what happens if it doesn’t? How do you know which part of the formula isn’t quite right?
Here are a few tips to troubleshoot: Read the rest of this entry »
Three Proven Strategies for Marketing a New Fiction Book Release
I’ve been quiet on this blog over the past few months, as my life has taken a turn for the busy! With two new book releases and the birth of my third daughter, prioritizing has become a necessity.
But I’ve also taken the opportunity to spend focused time learning from some of the top teachers in the world of book marketing – experts like Mark Dawson (of Facebook Ads for Authors fame), Tim Grahl (teaches a fantastic course called Launch a Bestseller), and Nick Stephenson (Your First 10,000 Readers).
I applied many of the approaches I learned to my latest release (The Lady and the Mountain Call), and released the book with over 3,700 preorders. While not enough to reach the NY Times Bestseller list, these did give the book a nice kick-start as my baby entered the world. This was book 5 in my Mountain Dreams Series, and was available for preorder purchase on all the major sales platforms for just under 90 days (the most allowed by Amazon).
When I sat down to hold my launch post-mortem, the results were quite interesting! Over the next few weeks, I’ll share my data and observations about how each of my strategies worked, with the numbers to support each. Not sure what a post-mortem is? We’ll talk about that, too!
So stay tuned!
But before then, let me share a quick overview of the three main strategies that have proven successful for marketing a new fiction release.
Facebook Ads Demystified
Updated April, 2017
We’ve discussed before how Facebook Ads have become one of my “go-to” marketing tools. I get a lot of furrowed brows when I say that, so today let’s take a moment to walk through the ad set-up – especially the crucial pieces to make sure the ad:
- is seen by your target market and
- gives you the highest possible ROI (return on your investment).
First, let me outline a few of the particular advantages of Facebook advertising: Read the rest of this entry »
The Ambitious Author 