Six months ago as I was getting ready to launch the release of my first indie book, I started listening to the “experts,” attending webinars, downloading lots of free tips, reading everything I could about indie publishing, and even sitting in lectures. I now have a spiral notebook full of quotes and suggestions and a binder full of downloaded information that I thought I might someday find useful. I probably discarded twice the amount of information that I downloaded because it was too simplistic or not apropos.
Today, I am going through the notebook, highlighting what is still useful. When I started, I did not have a point of reference so everything was meaningful. The only thing I knew was that I wanted to create a blog that would be helpful to other indie authors and publishers. What I did not know was how to get the word out, how to build a community and engage my readers. Somehow I got lost with the “marketing” of my blog, so busy trying to learn that I did not find time to write; consequently my postings became erratic and I even stopped working on the two books I have in process. It is time for me to get back on track, to reevaluate and make adjustments.
I am in indie author and publisher. That means I am responsible for the whole shebang: writing, publishing, and marketing. Of the three, marketing has been the most difficult challenge, basically because it is a new role for me. For this reason, I did a lot of research and made a lot of mistakes. These mistakes resulted from my not having a clear vision. I did not understand what I was marketing and to whom. Nor did I know that there were different marketing styles and that I had to find one appropriate for me.
What have I learned?
I am not a numbers person. Though analytics are important, I do not want to spend my time and money on programs that track hits, likes, rankings, etc. I am a people person; I want to interact with my readers and fellow bloggers. The number of comments I receive following a post are more important to me than the number of hits the post receives. To me, comments from my readers validates that my post has value and is engaging, whether the commenter agrees or disagrees with what I write.
Understanding that my main objective of my blog is not promoting the book but providing good content for indie writers and authors, content that is valuable and engaging was crucial in developing my marketing plan. I am not merely pushing my products, I am building an interaction with my readers. It has taken me a long time to come to this realization. With this realization comes the responsibility to my readers to provide good content and interact with them.
Determining who my ideal readers are was important not only to my marketing strategy but also to finding my mentors. Initially I was following bloggers that were marketers, not indie writers and publishers, who I now realize are my ideal readers. The bloggers I have chosen as mentors are writers who have a similar objective and style to me. Though their purposes are different, they are engaging, community-minded, and helpful.
Now that I clearly understand my objectives, who are my ideal readers, and what my niche is, it is time to set boundaries. I am primarily a writer so I want to spend most of my time writing. To assure that his happens, I am setting up a schedule and writing it on my calendar.
In summary, my advice for those of you who are trying to find your marketing style is to I.N.D.I. E. process:
Identify how you want to relate with your reader. The way you relate can become part of your writing style, your marketing strategy, and your overall appeal.
Notice what is important to you. Having clear objectives make it easier to find your way and establish your niche.
Determine your ideal reader. Be specific. The better you can identify your reader/customer, the better you can develop a rapport
Imitate those you admire. Find someone whose style and practices are similar to yours. What makes them successful? Can you use those tactics in your program.
Establish guidelines for your marketing effort. Don’t forgot that your are foremost a writer.
What will I do differently?
I will become more consistent with my postings: I will post on this blog on Tuesdays and Wednesday mornings. I will tweet information daily about things of interests to writers. If you care to follow me, my twitter address is @janevblanchard. I will interact with writers on various forums including LinkedIn. If you have a favorite forum that you would like to see me on, let me know. I promise to respond to your comments.
