M is for marketing, not magic

Corine La Font, Contributor

Yes, I know both words begin with M, but hear me out.  Marketing is an activity that never stops. It is meant to be continuous, consistent, persistent, creative, innovative, applicable and appropriate, among other adjectives I could have used.

When persons reach out to me to tell them what to do to market their books over the telephone, it sends a very strong message I have been stressing over the years, that authors especially have no clue what goes into marketing and to some extent do not respect the work involved to make even the slightest progress. But then, being writers and authors, that is expected and it only means they need help, which I have been giving via my articles, radio show, blog and newsletter. These approaches, while helpful, can only offer you so much.

There is no formula to marketing. At least, none that I know of. There are principles and techniques, and if you check the shelves in the bookstore, it is also written as part of the book's title or subtitle. I have never seen any that says the magic formula to marketing.

Trial and error

I was trained in marketing years ago and keep up with modern marketing trends by investing in myself so I can offer you the best options to suit your needs. While I was trained and there are many courses out there from the certificate level to a first degree to a postgraduate degree, none can really tell you of a specific way to market anything to get exactly the results you need. Marketing, most times, is trial and error, testing and evaluating, and testing again.

There is no time frame that is set in stone to expect the results you are looking for. It can happen before, after or never. The other side to marketing is that you have to be prepared for unexpected results. These may be good or bad, but it depends on your outlook. You can take those negatives and turn them into learning opportunities and make them a positive instead of just throwing in the towel.

In a nutshell, two points I made above is this - marketing is a creature you have no control over, and when you go into marketing, you have to have a certain type of mindset.

You may notice that some persons may be getting really great results and wonder why you don't. What you have to keep in mind is that they would have started long before you so after testing, tweaking and evaluating, they have a better idea of what works. Also, based on their business or book, they know their target audience and have a feel for what makes their audience tick, and develop approaches and strategies around that.

Additionally, they are willing to invest in themselves financially and significantly, too, if it has been proven or there is an indication that what they are offering, whether it is a product or service, has potential demand or they can create the demand. You see, when you start hearing of the awesome results of others, they would have been at it 10 or even 15 years before you. Some may be shorter than that but, like I said, if there is a demand and you have done the research on your target audience, then less time is wasted plugging away at things that won't generate the results you expect.

Different forms of marketing

Marketing comes in all shapes, sizes and colours. I will give you one example of what recently happened for me. I was asked to contribute a chapter to a book by someone I interviewed on my radio show some time ago. She reached out to me because she was impressed by my work and hand-picked a selected number of individuals to contribute to this book.

Now, I know your next question is, Did I get paid for it? No! Was I expecting to be paid? No! Why? Because I know how these things work. Everything is not about the money and that's why I said before: Marketing involves a certain mindset. If you crave the money for everything, then it is best you throw in the towel from now. You have to think bigger and broader and look at the potential opportunities can bring. Writing a chapter in that book brings me an additional visibility I would have never had otherwise. I would be tapping into her and the other co-authors' market, which can potentially bring me additional clients and followers from around the globe.

Be patient

The money may not roll in immediately, but with patience and assisting in the promotion and marketing of the book, which serves my interest, the results I anticipate for my investment of time and intellectual property will be met with positive returns. What form that will take, I cannot say, but I look forward to it.

If you really want to get a better grasp on what is involved in marketing your book or business, in the month of August I will be conducting two open forum discussions - one on writing and another on marketing. These will be done online and you will get a copy of the recording, including the questions and answers shared by attendees and any worksheets that will be provided. It will be an interactive session so come prepared with your questions and challenges. If you are interested, kindly indicate your interest via this link http://eepurl.com/Zc-Cj.

Corine La Font is a self-publishing, online marketing and virtual events specialist and consultant. She is also an award-winning publishing resource in the 2013 Small Business Book Awards. Get a copy of her book at http://amzn.to/TFHQka and Tune in to her radio programme at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/helpdeskja. She can be reached at corine@helpdeskja.com.