Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Social Marketing at Pennwriters

I attended the Pennwriters Conference this past weekend. Super conference. For me one of the best parts was Jonathan Maberry's pre-conference workshop on social marketing. As you all know he's a high-energy guy (writes ten hours a day - 50 minutes writing, 10 minutes social marketing each hour.) Whew. No wonder he's a New York Times Best selling author.
He believes you (the author) are the brand and not your book. Author needs it all. Facebook, twitter, Linked in, website, blog. He links his facebook, twitter, linked in.
Facebook: Use the event page for your book. For profile, need photo plus short bio plus Free lance Writer. Recommends picking the top 50 authors in your genre and friending them. Can review and comment on each others books. Once readers goes to their facebook page, they will see You!!!!
A blog is important. Nothing to say? Post an interesting link with a short comment. Also he has a number of questions he uses to interview other authors. Keeps him active on the scene without a super amount of work. Give out free stuff to readers of blog. Contests - maybe naming a character. He puts his blog into website. Links his blog to agents, reviewers and other authors.
He mentioned Backspace message board. Check it out.
Twitter: Be sure to friend libraries, bookseller, other bloggers.
Linked in. Organizations are critical. I'll talk more about it on my next post.
I'm sure I missed a bunch of stuff and hope others will add their thoughts.

9 comments:

Sunny Frazier said...

It is always important to hear other's views on marketing. I think people feel it's the same message over and over, just delivered by a different spokesperson. Not true! There is always new strategies or even a re-phrasing of techniques until the information really sinks in. Thank you, Don, for sharing what you picked up at Penn Writers for the rest of us to check out.

WS Gager said...

I need to try that 50/10 thing and get a timer. I'd be the other way with 50 on internet and only 10 writing!
Wendy
www.wsgager.blogspot.com

jack59 said...

There are some new ideas here, well worth checking out. Was not even aware you could do some of the things it says here. Can't wait to try some out as soon as I make some free time.
Jack
www.jackleverett.me.uk

Stephen L. Brayton said...

Thanks for the post. We all need reminders from time to time to make sure we're doing what we're supposed to.

marta chausée said...

Thank you, Don. Several valuable tasty and fecund tidbits on marketing I had not yet heard. Looks like more time goes into platform building in the wee hours...

Thank you again,

Marta Chausée, Resort to Murder series

Jean Henry Mead said...

Thanks for the update, Don. I'm glad I have most of the bases you mentioned covered, but there's always some new way to use the social media.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

Thanks for the quick wrap up, Don. I wish I had been there.

don helin said...

Great bunch of comments. Thanks for your thoughts.

Laurie J. Edwards said...

Thanks for the update, Don. Love the 50/10 idea, but I have a tendency to get sidetracked. Maybe a timer would help like Wendy said.