Monday, January 19, 2009

Book Marketing - 3 Ways to Drive Sales Using an Effective Book Cover Design

The cover of your book is a critical component of your book marketing strategy.It is the first impression people will have of your book and it may be the last.So it's essential that your book cover does more than convey your book's title.

Your book cover is your silent spokesperson and your mini-billboard.

So here are 3 ways in which you can maximize the impact of your book to help boost sales:


1.

Add Your Image


Naturally, this is not appropriate in all cases but it can work effectively whether you are well-known or not.

If you are well-known and your image is part of your overall branding then incorporating your image on the cover of your book will give your book brand recognition.Take Donald Trump for example.He incorporates his image onto the cover of all his books for to quote one of his book titles - "There's no such thing as over-exposure".

If you are well-known then your book represents a great opportunity to increase your recognition.People are generally curious to learn more about an author and to see what they look like.Authors are seen as very special people - celebrities even.Allow potential buyers and or readers to connect with you.So even if you don't want to include your image on the front cover of your book make sure that your image can be readily found.For example, consider including it on the back cover or on the inside flap if your book is a hardcover version.

2.List relevant awards or distinctions


If you have received a significant award for your writing or your work in the subject matter of your book then you can include this information on the cover of your book.

By distinctions I mean something that is worthy of note.For example, if your book has a TV connection your book cover is a great place to mention it.People have a tendency to believe what they see on television which is one reason why this is such a power medium and any TV links will massively boost the saleability of your book.

For instance, Dean Graziosi on his New York Times best selling book "Be a Real Estate Millionaire" mentions "As seen weekly on national TV since 1999".This instantly gives him a ton of credibility even if you've never actually seen Dean Graziosi on television yourself.

Another example is the book "Think Yourself Rich" written by the award-winning author Sharon Maxwell Magnus."Think Yourself Rich" was a major BBC television series and this was mentioned on the front book cover not one but twice.

3.Direct people to a free recorded message


Think of your book as a lead generator.

Your book should be just the first stage of a journey a reader shares with you.Offer your readers different ways to interact with you.

So you can use your book cover to invite potential buyers and or readers of your book to phone you using a free phone number where they can listen to a pre-recorded message.Your pre-recorded message can outline a special product or service you might have and a special offer that is only available to individuals who purchase your book.

You might even want to run a special competition in association with the launch of your book and use your pre-recorded message to give details about this.People love competitions and structured astutely a competition that is run as part of your book launch can generate massive publicity for you, your company and of course, your book.


About the Author

For a great opportunity to learn first-hand about expert book marketing visit Book Marketing University.

And to listen to a FREE teleclass on how you can turn your book into an Amazon Bestseller visit Becoming An Amazon Bestseller.

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Saturday, December 27, 2008

Can You Benefit From Running Your Own Affiliate Program?

Affiliate programs are literally taking the internet by storm.Affiliate programs are so popular that it is likely that you have heard of them before, even if you are not a website owner.While many individuals have heard of affiliate programs, there are very few who actually know what they are.If you are interested in capitalizing on this amazing business opportunity, you are encouraged to familiarize yourself with affiliate programs and what they can do for you.Doing so may very well be the best decision that you could make.

Affiliate programs are business programs, also sometimes referred to as business opportunities, which are ideal for webmasters.All webmasters can benefit from the use of an affiliate program, but those looking to make money can benefit the most.This is because, in a way, you will be selling merchandise for another company.This allows you to make money without having to sell your own products.

A large number of companies participate in affiliate programs, namely retailers.Once you make the decision to join an affiliate program, you will have to file an affiliate partner request form.This form is usually small, but it is almost always required.Most of the retailers, in charge of running an affiliate programs, are well known; therefore, they want to protect their image.This means that before officially joining an affiliate program your website has to be reviewed.If your website is approved, which most legitimate ones are, the next step will all depend on the company in which you are working with.

Most of the retailers or affiliate advertisers will have customized links or banners.These banners will need to be placed on your website.These advertisements will vary from company to company; however, most advertisements showcase merchandise or special sales.If one of your website visitors is interested in learning more, they will click on your link or banner.In doing so, your website will be flagged.This flagging is often done to ensure that you will receive the proper credit for brining in new customers.If an internet user, who clicked one of your affiliate links or banners, makes the decision to purchase anything, you will receive credit for that purchase.

The amount of money that you can make from an affiliate program will all depend on which type of program you are participating in.As previously mentioned, a large number of businesses, including retail stores, operate their own affiliate program.Each business is able to decide the amount of money that you will make from each sale.That money is often a percentage amount.Most affiliate programs begin at around five percent of the sale, but some can go as high as ten or fifteen.

When it comes to affiliate programs, there are many webmasters who decide not to join one.Many of those individuals feel the commission percentage is not worth their time.While this may be the case in come cases, it is not always.In fact, the best way to make money with affiliate programs is to join more than one program.Some affiliate advertisers, such as retail stores, may have strict limitations on who elses links and banners can be displayed on the same page as theirs, but many are flexible.

If you are able to join more than one affiliate program, you are advised to do so.Many webmasters have found success by doing this.Imagine, if you could make money off of one affiliate program, how much money do you think you could make off of five or ten of them?When joining a number of different affiliate programs, it is advised that you carefully track all of your records and earnings.This is easy to do with one or two programs, but with more you may want to consider purchasing affiliate tracking software.Those software programs are an easy way to keep track of your earnings.

To make the most out of affiliate programs, you are advised to take the time to find the right one.Many webmasters sign up for the first affiliate program they come across.While all affiliate programs may be able to generate money, some will perform better than others.By finding these programs, you should be able to make a substantial amount of money with affiliate programs.


About the Author

Thomas is an Affiliate Marketer.

You can see his latest Ad and Conversion Tracking Script here: Ad Tracking Software and the popular Clickbank(tm) Script here: Clickbank Script


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