Life of A Writer

Send press releases, write great content, do something outrageous, hold a contest, become a source and share your expertise, pay others a commission to sell your product or service through an affiliate program… these are just a few of the most talked about ways to build buzz. How would you like to learn four new ways to build buzz? Well, today's you're lucky day. Just keep reading and I'm almost certain you'll learn something new today -- something you can include in your next buzz marketing campaign.

1. Give back with free advertising. Instruct your blog and/or website visitors to recommend your product or service through social networking or with a link on a relevant website or blog. Then let them know you'll thank them with some free advertising for their blog, website, product or service on a website or blog you manage that's relevant to what they're advertising. Here's an example of what I'm talking about.

2. Return the favor. Let others know if they'll write and publish an article or profile about you, your product or service, or if they interview you and publish the interview, you'll be happy to return the favor by writing and publishing an article or profile about them or publishing your interview with them on a relevant website, blog or in a print publication.

3. Share your story. How did you get to where you are today? What inspired the idea for the product you're trying to sell? Write your story and publish it on your website, blog and social network accounts. Then if your stories fascinating enough, it will draw attention that, of course, will build buzz.
4. Donate to a worthy cause. Give away your product or service to help charities. Not only will the charities and people you help appreciate your kindness, but they'll say good things about you as well. Here are a few examples to give you a better idea:

• Donate your parenting book to a non-profit organization for parents.

• Give your non-fiction or fiction book about domestic violence to women in a non-profit group for survivors and victims. You could also speak to the group on the topic or share your own personal story (if you're a survivor).

• If you've written and published a book for children, visit hospitals for children and foster homes. While you're there, hand out copies of your book to the children. Also, visit with the children and offer to read your book to them.

• Are you trying to build buzz for your writing services? Like the books, donate your services to help charities. This is the only time I recommend writing for free.

Feel free to utilize one, two, three or all four methods to build buzz. Don't stop there, though, every so often follow up with the charities you helped to find out how your product or service helped them. If the reports are good, send a press release to share the news. Be sure your press release mentions the charity and what you did for that charity.

Feel free to use the comments section to share your unique ideas on how to build buzz. Furthermore, if you utilize any of the four ideas I shared and earn buzz for your product or service, please return here and leave a comment to let me know which ideas you used and what the results were.

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Just the other day I was brainstorming unique ways I could sell books to locals. I tried to think of all the events that have taken place in my community -- events put on by politicians, store owners and others. I wondered how I could tweak their marketing ideas to sell my books to folks in my area. Then I had my "light bulb moment!" I remembered an annual event that most towns host. I knew this event would be perfect all authors. What event am I referring to? A parade of course! And just how easily can you sell your books to locals through your town's local parade? Decorate a float for the parades in your hometown and/or nearby towns. You could design a float related to your book and even have others dress up as characters from your book. In addition to the theme, your float will need a sign letting parade goers know who you are. When you create that sign for your float, include text such as local author, your name, your tag line and your website address. For example, my sign would read "Local Christian author Misti Sandefur. Inspiring With Words to Warm Your Soul. Find out more at www.mistisandefur.com."

On the day of the parade, join many of the others who throw out candy, but be different. While you'll still be keeping with the tradition by giving out candy, you could also include a bookmark, your business card and a brochure about your book. What you need to do is fill a plastic bag with candy, your bookmark, business card and the brochure. Once you've placed all of these items in the plastic bag, tie the bag so that nothing falls out when you throw it during the parade. Another idea would be to figure out a book marketing budget -- and remember, you can always write this off as a business expense on your taxes.

Now that you have a book marketing budget in mind, fill more bags, but this time fill these bags and set them aside on your float to throw to adults who don't have children with them, unless, of course, your book is a children's book, and then you'd want to throw the bag to adults with children. These bags will each include one copy of your book, and since they're for adults, instead of candy place a bookmark, your business card and a promotional item of your choice in the bag with your book. Again, if it's a book for children, substitute candy for the promotional item. By giving away a few free copies of your book, you could gain word-of-mouth advertising, which is more beneficial than any other form of advertising.

There you have it, my "light bulb moment," the one I chose to share with you, my loyal reader, so that you, too could see how easy it really is to sell your books to locals. Do you have any other bright ideas on what to include in the bags authors can throw out during a parade? How about other ideas for decorating an author float? Please share all your ideas in the comments area below.

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