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The Smarty Pants Book Marketing Podcast

Award-winning marketer Chris Syme and bestselling indie author Becca Syme give self-published authors the latest social media tips and strategies that sell more books and build loyal fans. Join them as they interview top book marketing experts, showcase successful indie authors, and offer tips from their own successes on this weekly show.
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Now displaying: June, 2018
Jun 25, 2018

In this episode Chris explains the process of simple audience research--what types you want to gather, where to gather the data, and how it will inform your book marketing.

Links & Show Notes:

-Why you don't need to cast a wide net, just the right net.

-Who is your proprietary audience and how to find them.

-Why you don't have to be a research scientist to gather effective audience research.

-3 kinds of data you should be collecting.

-Why you might want to invest in high quality research.

-Simple ways to survey your readers.

- Four types of research you need to gather with reader surveys.

-Why you should consider spying on your fellow authors.

-Caution: don't get carried away--gather only what you need and no more.

Explanation of how to find your Facebook Insights on your business page: You need a Facebook business page to see Insights, it is not a service Facebook offers for personal profiles. Go to your business page and click on Insights at the top of your page. Go to the People tab on the left side of the page. There are three tabs on this page and each tab has some different data. You can also look at content data on your Posts tab. 

Links: They're live, just click 'em

-Pew Internet social media data page link.

-Links to HubSpot data, Buffer data, and eMarketer data

-Check out info on K-Lytics data genre reports

-SurveyMonkey link

-Chris' updated free class, Quick Tips to Sell More Books on Facebook

Jun 18, 2018

In this episode Chris and Becca give authors a strategic outline on how to use social media to supplement book sales. 

Show Notes & Links

-The one key to selling books with social media.

-What is the 80-20 Content Rule and why do authors need it to sell with social media?

-Why discovering new readers is the most difficult part of using social media for promotions.

-How to know what kind of content your readers will engagement with.

-What are the four elements of engaging content (The Content Formula Cheat Sheet)?

-What are "meaningful interactions" and why you need to learn how to foster conversations on social media.

-Why every social media post needs a call-to-action and why that isn't always about selling.

-Exciting news: meet us in Denver at the Romance Writers of America conference.

Links: click 'em, they're live:

The Art of Shouting Quietly by Peter Mosley

Influence by Robert Caildini

Your free download of The Content Formula Cheat Sheet

Find out more about Chris' online course, The Content Formula

 

Jun 10, 2018

In this episode Chris interviews author David Gaughran about his new book, From Strangers To Superfans - described by Chris as a must-read for authors of every platform level. 

Links & Show Notes

-Why it's important for authors to understand the "reader's journey" and how that knowledge informs the marketing process.

-Why the "Discovery" piece of the journey is the "easiest problem to solve and also the easiest to screw-up."

-Why authors need to understand the role that data plays in making marketing decisions.

-Why most authors look at marketing their backlist backwards and how to fix it.

-Why a smaller, more engaged mailing list is better than a huge disinterested one. 

-Why you need to pay attention to the production details of your book first: quality of writing, cover, blurb, keywords.

Links - Click 'em, they're live

Link to David Gaughran's new book, Strangers to Superfans. 

Link to sign up for his regular newsletter and receive a free copy of his book, Amazon Decoded.

Jun 4, 2018

In this episode Chris outlines the three new rules of email marketing all authors need to pay attention to. As online content consumption changes, authors need to adjust to the changing needs of their readers. 

Links & Show Notes:

- Why engagement is now more important than reach in your email strategies.

-Why you need follow-up sequences designed around where your readers are coming from.

-Why giving away free books for email addresses is an incomplete list growth strategy.

-Why designing your emails for mobile phone reading is important.

-Why authors need to be part of value-based information readers are searching for online and quit being part of the noise.

Links - click 'em they're live:

Find out more about Chris' online class The Content Formula

Get Chris' new book, Crisis Managers For Authors, at a preorder discount until June 8. It can happen to you.

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