In this episode Chris and Becca talk about the latest updates to Facebook and why they are important to authors.
SHOW NOTES AND LINKS:
-Previewing five new changes to groups and what they mean:
- Group Insights
- Membership request filtering
- Removed member clean-up
- Scheduled posts
- Group to group linking
Also, we discuss two fairly new business page options and why authors need to take a look:
- Setting up the Shop Tab on your author page to sell books directly from Facebook
- The new video cover photo option
LINKS:
Join our closed Facebook group SMART Marketing For Authors here. After you get in, be sure and read the Group Description and introduce yourself.
Link to press release from Facebook's blog on the new changes in groups.
Link to the Facebook Help section on the new Shop tab.
Link to new Facebook video cover example from author and her blog post about the process
Link to Animoto animation application (Warning: this is for those of you that already have some tech savvy)
Link to Adobe Spark--the video platform I am using to test videos for cover photos.
How to post a podcast review on iTunes. Thanks to The Author Biz.
In today's episode Chris interviews Rebecca Pollard, Digital Marketing Manager from AWeber, on the process and how-to's of using Facebook ads to grow your email list.
Show Notes & Links:
Definitions you'll need for the podcast (we got a little nerdy at times)
CTA - call-to-action. This is the button, link, or text phrase that asks people to take an action on your content
Lead - another term for contact information of a prospective reader, whether it is a name, address, email, or phone number.
Facebook pixel - line of HTML code that is embedded on your website or landing page that allows Facebook to collect people data when they arrive on that page. The pixel information is in Ads Manager. If you are new to the Facebook Pixel, read this information in Facebook's help center first: https://www.facebook.com/business/help/1058078787600162?helpref=faq_content#install
Retargeting: This is a method of sending ads or emails to a group of people that did not take an action on a first sales ad or email you sent them.
Persona - a term marketers use to define a target audience. It is the collection of data about your audience - demographics, etc. After you gather this data, you can make up a "person" or persona that is a sum of all the data you've collected about your ideal audience.
Email integration: the process of connecting your email account (AWeber, MailChimp, etc) with your Facebook page through an app that allows you to gather email addresses directly on your Facebook business page.
In This Episode:
-What is the Facebook pixel and why is it important when finding a target audience for your Facebook ads?
-Why you should have other sources of gathering email addresses besides just Facebook ads.
-Some of the pros and cons of using Interest Targeting in your Facebook ads.
-What is the ideal number of people in an audience for a Facebook ad?
-What is a lookalike audience and how do you create one?
-The Bryan Cohen podcast link on email follow-up sequences.
-Rebecca's contact information: rebeccap@aweber.com
-How to leave a review of the podcast on iTunes: http://theauthorbiz.com/how-to-leave-a-podcast-review-at-itunes/
In this episode Chris launches the new how-to episode format by walking listeners through the process of setting up a Pinterest page as an outpost channel.
Show Notes & Links:
-The two kinds of social media channels in book marketing: primary (engaging & selling) and outposts (redirect to primary for engagement and highlight short term campaigns).
-What is Pinterest and who is using it?
-The three ways to pin something on a Pinterest board.
-Remember, Pinterest isn't for everyone. If you don't want to use it, that's okay. It's definitely in the outpost category for the majority of authors.
-What are pins, boards, and secret boards?
-Why Pinterest might be a good place to house your book research.
-The difference between a personal Pinterest account and Pinterest for business. Why you probably don't need a business page for an outpost.
-How to set up Pinterest as an outpost:
- The first three steps
- The basic boards you need
- What to put in your profile bio
Last word: if you’re not on Pinterest, you don’t have to start. If you are there, consider it setting up as an outpost to limit the amount of time you have to spend there.
Links:
-Chris' book Sell More Books With Less Social Media on Amazon (hint: it will be on sale on June 16 for 99 cents only. Make sure you follow Chris on Twitter @cksyme to get the link!)
-How to get the Pin It button for your web browser.
-Blog post from League Computers: The differences between Pinterest business accounts and Pinterest personal accounts.
-How to set up a Pinterest Showcase feature for your business page.
Here are some examples of authors who do a good job of using Pinterest with a mix of pins about their books and what interests them.
Link to Sandra Brown's Pinterest page And yes, I don't imagine she does this herself.
In this episode Chris and Becca discuss the million dollar question many authors have been asking: is the email newsletter dead?
Show Notes and Links:
-What are the four email options for your email marketing strategy?
-Four goals that every author needs for their email marketing plan.
-Why an email newsletter might not be for you.
-Tips on how to improve your open rates.
-Why you need to make sure links “open in a new window.”
-The four fundamentals newsletters need.
-Is it okay to sell in a newsletter?
-Why your newsletter needs to provide more value than you ask for in return. Use the 80-20 Content Rule.
Links:
Our earlier podcast on email strategy
Tips for writing good subject lines (HubSpot)
14 Powerful tactics to improve your click through rates (AWeber)
Bryan Cohen podcast on funnels and email welcome sequences
Get a pdf of all the tips, goals, and strategies from today's episode.
Links to author newsletters that we like:
Join the SMART Marketing For Authors Facebook group
Get Chris’ new book on preorder now for just 99 cents plus a free online course only until June 9!
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