13 Online Marketing Blogs You Really Should Consider

 

By Sabrina C Anderson

Online marketing doesn’t have to be an author’s worst nightmare when it comes to selling books. Over the last year and a half, I’ve been trolling the web trying to grapple with what it means to market myself, my book and my blog.  If you have a small budget like me, then you might understand how much hard work and persistence it can take.

Thankfully, there are many blogs, books, and experts willing to assist with applying some very basic strategies that produce great results depending on your goals.  Just like writing a book takes time, so does success with online marketing.  Whether your goal is to build a thriving business online, become a top blogger or simply establish an audience as an author, here are thirteen blogs worth checking out to help you get the results you dream of.

Online Marketing for Amateurs, Small Businesses and Entrepreneurs

Firepole Marketing 

http://www.firepolemarketing.com/

 

Conversion Optimization/Sales

Peter Sandeen

http://www.petersandeen.com/

 

Blog Training/Business Coaching

Marie Forleo

http://www.marieforleo.com/

 

HeartCore Women

http://www.heartcorewomen.com/

 

Online Visibility

Denise Wakeman

http://denisewakeman.com/

 

Solopreneurs

The Savvy Solopreneur

http://www.thesavvysolopreneur.com/

 

Time Management/Blogging

Blogging with Amy

http://amylynnandrews.com/

 

Introverts and Online Marketing
Writing Happiness

http://writinghappiness.com/

 

Generating Traffic, Making Money Online

Copy Blogger

http://www.copyblogger.com/

Pro Blogger

http://www.problogger.net/

Dukeo

http://dukeo.com/

 

Passive Panda

http://passivepanda.com/

 

2 Create a Website

http://2createawebsite.com/

 

 

As you can see, each blog offers many tips and resources to navigating the world of online marketing. Though it may seem overwhelming, just assess your needs and stick to what works for you. If you have the budget to pay for coaching, go for it. If not, many of these blogs offer free resources that can help you achieve your goals.

Do you have a favorite go to blog for all of your online marketing needs? Share it in the comments below. Be blessed!

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Sabrina is an author and blogger who loves online marketing and search engine optimization. You can visit her at http://www.afabulouslifeinchrist.com/, a blog that encourages women to live their best life in Christ. 

A New Way to Sample Christian Books

A New Way to Sample Christian Books

By Lorilyn Roberts

The following blurb in italics is quoted from Nathan Bransford’s blog, dated September 29, 2011.

“There is so much talk about self-published books in the writing-o-sphere. But have you actually read one?
Poll below -

Have You Ever Read a Self-Published Book?

·                   Yes
69%

·                   No
30%

Total Votes: 1,773

Also, your further thoughts requested in the comments section. Did you like the self-published book you read? Would you read another? Do you only read traditionally published books? Etc.”

The poll was under way when the comments were posted so it’s interesting to look back at the final results. I read most of the voluminous 285 responses. If you would like to peruse them, here is the link: http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2011/09/have-you-ever-read-self-published-book.html

While it’s hard to generalize from such a wide variety of responses, some things are clear: 

1. There is still a lingering prejudice toward print-on-demand/self-published books.

2. Many readers do not think print-on-demand/self-published books are on par with industry-published books.

3. A sizable portion of readers have not read print-on-demand/self-published books.

4. Many who haven’t read print-on-demand/self-published books would if they could sample them for free.

Out of the menagerie of comments shared in this blog post, after much reflection, I came up with an idea which I will share in a moment. But first, I want to give my own thoughts about the findings from this survey. I have said this for a long time, although most traditionally-published authors won’t agree with me:  Readers don’t care how a book is published. They might think they care because of preconceived notions that self-published books are in the category of “vanity” publishing, and therefore, inferior. In reality, however, when you dig deeper into those who are not biased, you will find what readers really care about is content. Content is king.

My American roots go deep. Some of my ancestors arrived with the Mayflower, and in the decades of colorful history since then, dreamers have made us a great nation. The key factors that made that possible: Freedom and a capitalist system where hard work, creativity, and perseverance rewarded those who didn’t give up. Do we really need gatekeepers to tell the world whether something is good?  Do we need a hundred authors with unread manuscripts returned because the overworked acquisitions editor was two months behind opening her mail? In the past, because of the financial investment, book publishers decided which books would see the light of day. Most never did, making it very difficult for promising authors to get discovered.

Put ten people in a room and I guarantee you, they won’t agree on everything. Chances are they will have different tastes on what they like to eat, where they want to go on vacation, and yes, certainly on what books are worth reading. The traditional way of publishing books squelches creativity. I have spent far too much time trying to understand what an acquisitions editor or agent wanted, where he wanted my manuscript sent, and then he lost my manuscript anyway. That wasted time could have been better spent procuring an editor, improving my writing, and publishing and marketing my book myself. That is exactly what I did eventually. My point, though, is that the readers didn’t care how my book was published. They did care that it was worth reading.

I believe the days of mailing a book to one hundred publishers over five years hoping to find a “taker” are gone. Why would anyone want to do that? Authors can publish their own books now—faster and more efficiently. It doesn’t mean that the traditional way won’t exist into the future. It does mean ALL publishing companies will be vying for supremacy in a rapidly changing environment where the old ways of doing things won’t work as well. Competition raises the standard and forces downward the cost of publishing. The reader benefits from more choices in books and the result is a brighter future for new authors who are gifted with an entrepreneurial mindset. The only requirement—write the best book.

While the John 3:16 Marketing Network is for Christian authors, I envision our paradigm being adopted for mainstream authors, though it may not be free. The hard work in the John 3:16 Marketing Network is borne by many who have a passion to serve. Opportunities abound to provide books to readers all over the world, not only through industry-published books, self-published and print-on-demand books, but e-books as well. I envision e-books becoming popular in countries where the shipment of p-books is not practical or affordable. We are on the cusp of a revolution in publishing, and the John 3:16 Marketing Network is at the forefront of marketing innovation. Readers want diversity, options, and choices. The John 3:16 Marketing Network is poised to experiment with new ideas and introduce readers to new ways to sample books. Again, I want to emphasize, let the reader have more choices and make it easier for him to sample.

Not only is it important for authors to provide readers with the best possible product, why not give book lovers “more flavors”?  With the end of the year approaching, I have exciting news.

First, we will have a short Christmas membership drive to allow newcomers (authors and bloggers) to join without a referral (must believe in John 3:16).

Second, to celebrate our first full year of launching best-seller books on Amazon, we will be offering a free e-book, Fifty First Chapters From Christian Authors, a New Way to Sample Christian Books.  

Third, we will be introducing a new John 3:16 Marketing Network Membership for readers. If you are interested, all you have to do is sign up to receive our e-zine. You will NOT be bombarded with emails because I don’t have time to write them. My goal is to provide access to the best undiscovered Christian literature in the world. In the future, we will serialize e-books; and offer coupons for free e-books, shorts stories, and anthologies by John 3:16 authors. Tell us what you want; we would love to hear your ideas.

Our first e-book, Fifty First Chapters From Christian Authors, a New Way to Sample Christian Books, will be released on December 15 (or sooner). To receive your free copy, all you need to do is sign up to receive our e-zine. Enjoy reading the first chapter of fifty books by fifty authors AT NO COST. Nothing like beginning a new book that whets your appetite for more. You won’t have to travel to a book store or surf the web to find the kind of book you want. We have made it easy for you to sample a large assortment of all kinds of books while drinking your latte at Starbucks, at home curled up on the sofa, or during your lunch break at work.

Our John 3:16 Marketing Network authors are known and unknown, young and old, first-time published and multi-published, standard-industry published, self-published, and print-on-demand published. Our goal is to glorify God in our writings and help each other to promote books with a Christian worldview. If you are interested, please sign up for our mailing list. On December 15 (maybe earlier), you will be emailed a coupon to get your free copy. We will also be posting previews of chapters ahead of the launch at http://john316mn.blogspot.com. More information will be forthcoming.

 

Sell More Books!: Book Marketing and Publishing for Low Profile and Debut Authors

It’s All in the Name

Sell More Books!: Book Marketing and Publishing for Low Profile and Debut Authors, Rethinking Book Publicity after the Digital Revolutions by J. Steve Miller, Blythe Daniel, Stephanie Richards and John Kremer

Book Review by Lorilyn Roberts

When I read the title, Sell More Books! I couldn’t imagine anything that would help ME to sell more books.  After all, I had done nearly everything that had been suggested by marketing gurus and experts. What else was there that I hadn’t already tried?


Originally my marketing plan consisted of a little bit of this and a little bit of that, hoping something might work. I was so afraid that if I didn’t try everything, the one thing I didn’t do would be the difference maker. Why I took this approach, I don’t know, except to acknowledge that marketing is far more overwhelming and complicated than writing a book. 

Oftentimes we are bombarded with a zillion suggestions from well-meaning marketing folks, and being the newbie that I was, I tried most of them. What I found, however, is that many of those highly touted things didn’t work (and don’t work for most new or low-profile authors). Do you really need a publicist, for instance? What about all those press releases that cost a lot of money? And drawing up a marketing plan? What would that consist of, anyway? Sell More Books! will help.

Once I began reading Sell More Books! I realized what I needed were not new methods or ideas but a strategy to help me evaluate what I had already done. And Sell More Books! did not disappoint. I never thought about incorporating what had worked into a marketing plan that would fit my needs and budget into the future. I think it’s just human nature, like a cow, to think the grass on the other side of the fence is greener. Whatever we haven’t done is what we think we need to do because somebody somewhere says so—and we think they know more than we do.

Sell More Books! made me realize I was not alone, but by following some common sense, inexpensive suggestions, I could resurrect my lagging sales and achieve better results. Simply put, I needed to look at those things that had worked and continue to pursue them. And lastly, but also very important, I was challenged not to sit on those ideas but to put them to good use. When you become discouraged, oftentimes the hardest part is just getting started again. And because Sell More Books! helped me to see the mistakes I had made, I felt I could trust Steve Miller on other aspects of marketing I wasn’t as sure about.

Not everybody sells tons of books from TV and radio appearances—really? I thought I was the only one. What worked for me, I found myself asking? What about all of those wonderful book reviews I have posted on Amazon and other websites? Why not get some more? After all, you can’t have too many.

These are just two ways to market out of dozens outlined in Sell More Books. The suggestions run the gamut for every type of book in print and every type of person. Yes, we are all different. Go with what works for you and throw out the rest. Don’t feel like your book is a failure if something worked for someone else but doesn’t work for you.

In addition, Steve Miller shares many stories from authors he has talked to first-hand regarding marketing—and has concluded, as I did, that many things are a waste of money. I wish I had read Sell More Books two years ago. I could have made better choices in marketing Children of Dreams, saving myself a lot of time, money, and discouragement.

Sell More Books is the best marketing book I have read. Buy yours today and don’t repeat the mistakes others have made. You will be encouraged to keep on keeping on in the difficult world of marketing.

What it Takes to Have a Winning Team, Part 2 of 6, John 3:16 Marketing Network

What it Takes to Have a Winning Team

Part Two of Six

John 3:16 Marketing Network

By Lorilyn Roberts

Everyone knows who Lebron James is—at least they should know. Many consider him the best basketball player currently playing the game. He can do it all—shoot from the perimeter, make free throws from the foul line, dunk the ball with great charisma, pass it through arms and legs, muscle his way through guards, and practically defy the laws of probability on a good night.

He didn’t just start doing that. He’s been doing it since he was young. In fact, he entered the NBA at eighteen, right out of high school, bypassing a college career completely.

I remember the naysayers—he’s not good enough, he’s not old enough, he doesn’t have enough experience, in the NBA he will have lots more competition, he’s not that good. I remember all those comments because I wrote them. I do closed-captioning for television, and commentators love to beat up on famous people. Actually, maybe it’s not so much beating up on people, but I cringe at times when I hear what ruthless so-called experts say, thinking how I would feel if they were saying that about me.

Marketing is really a game. It’s a big game made up of players, managers, owners, referees, commentators, and the “crowds” that watch, whether it’s in a stadium, in the galley, in the stands, or in a gymnasium. Somewhere everybody fits. Those that don’t enjoy sports, well, I guess you just miss the game.

But let’s pretend you are a sports fan even if you aren’t. I use Lebron James as an example because he is a marvelously successful basketball player. He has done it all—except one thing that he wants more than anything else. He wants to win an NBA championship.

Why hasn’t he done that yet?  After all, he’s been a professional basketball player now for years. Were all the naysayers right? 

Even the best basketball player in the world can’t win a championship all on his own shoulders. When Lebron James was with the Cleveland Cavaliers, he tried. He did everything in his power to make it happen. He came close, but in the end he failed.

As I am writing this, the Miami Heat is playing the Chicago Bulls for a bid at the championship. I don’t know who will win—I am pulling for Miami for Lebron’s sake, even though I really like Joakim Noah for the Bulls (He showed up at my daughter’s nine-year-old birthday party and surprised us all.

Games are not meant in large part to be solitary sports (except for a few like tennis). To win, it takes cooperation, commitment, hard work, perseverance, and team participation by everyone.

I have captioned hundreds of games in various sports, and afterwards, the reporter usually interviews the most valuable player and the coach. He will also interview the losing coach and one of the best-losing players if time permits. It’s always interesting to hear what each coach says, and I especially love to hear the players’ thoughts.

After the game, all the reporters from the various sports news agencies will gather in a press room, and the star players and coaches will sit at a long table. The press conference often includes a bunch of “stupid” questions. Usually with grace, the players and coaches will endure the battery, probably remembering that paycheck (in the pros), and those in college get a taste of the limelight.

But for those teams who are successful, it goes so much deeper than that final winning shot. It goes back to hours of practice and sacrifice; learning to play together as a team, the quirks of fellow teammates, what makes them tick and what ticks them off; and encouraging each other on how to make the other person’s game better. It’s about “dying to self” and embracing the concept deep down that it’s not “all about me.” And sometimes you have those phenomenal athletes like Tim Tebow who openly give the glory to God for their success.

How does this tie into the John 3:16 Marketing Network? Each author who has joined the network will admit to the dream of wanting to be a best-selling author. And in the John 3:16 Marketing Network, this is achievable for an unknown author in subcategories. It has happened on Amazon several times in the eight months we have been in existence.

But I want to remind the reader that the ultimate goal of the network is to bring glory to God through promoting a Christian worldview in the best-seller categories on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or the New York Times. If we remember the ultimate goal is to glorify God, we can have a “winning team.”

That means we rejoice when someone else wins an award, snags a contract, receives a glowing review, or achieves something for the first time he or she never thought possible. We die to our self, not wishing it was us instead. God has a path for each one of us. As a Body of Authors, we can help each other to achieve success on whatever path God sets before us. For some, that might mean selling only a few hundred books. For others, that might mean selling thousands. The outcome is not ours to control. We unselfishly commit our way to being part of a winning team, not counting the costs in personal sacrifice, but the ultimate cost of winning souls. That is the real game in Christian marketing.

It’s not always the outcome that matters, but the process through which we achieve it. If we focus on the outcome and disregard relationships as we strive for that elusive finish line, we probably won’t succeed. It’s just too hard. Winners have learned they need others’ help to succeed. This is the philosophy behind the John 3:16 Network.

Recently, an author complained to me, “I feel like I have given out so

much and gotten so little in return.” She cited some examples and I could relate to her sentiments of being slighted. We have all experienced it. None of us are immune because it’s not in our nature to ignore the hurtful things people do to us—even when it’s unintentional.

My email back to her was this:

God will return tenfold what you give out if you don’t keep score. He doesn’t forget. Think about all the people who have helped you and you weren’t in a position to return the favor.

Believe me, you will receive it back in miraculous ways, and it’s always better than what you expected, perhaps from a different source. But you need to have a short memory to allow God to have a long one.

The John 3:16 Marketing Network is about a lot more than selling books. It’s about being a winner--dying to self, caring about others, and encouraging each other in the journey. With the right attitude and the gifts God has given us, I have no doubt that many in the John 3:16 Marketing Network will achieve great success as far as book sales.

But there are also other kinds of success not measured in dollars and cents—in relationships, networking, gaining knowledge and skills.

I don’t want to walk away from the marketing game because it’s too hard. I don’t want to sit in the stands watching others sell their books while I languish because I don’t know how. I don’t want to be stuck on the bench because I am injured—whether it’s my hurt feelings or pride that has tainted my attitude and made me selfish. And I don’t want to be a commentator finding fault with everything someone else has done wrong. I don’t want to be a referee—I just want to play. And those commentators out there—I can hear it from the naysayers. They probably think I am just a little crazy. Well, guess what? My kids would probably agree with you (but they love me anyway).  

Here we are all winners. We have taken that first step in successful marketing—networking. Don’t miss out during this membership drive. Prayerfully consider what you can offer to others.

From Wednesday, May 18^th through Tuesday, May 24^th, we are hosting a membership launch featuring some of our members in a blog tour. Our Facebook party will include many events which you won’t want to miss. Mark your calendar—Tuesday, May 24, 8-9pm EST, when you will have an opportunity to win eight free books. During that hour, we will have members online to answer your questions, and we will be offering tutorials on how to do some technical operations for internet marketing. These tutorials/tips will include:

1.      How to upload a .jpeg to Facebook/blog

2.      How to resize a .jpeg and load it Facebook/blog

3.      How to copy and paste widgets on websites

4.      How to set up a twitter account.

The information will be useful whether you apply to the John 3:16 Marketing Network or not.

In addition to an opportunity to win eight free books, on Tuesday, May 24^th, if you submit an application to join the John 3:16 Marketing Network , you will be able to download free e-gifts.

For more information on the John 3:16 Marketing Network and to submit an application, please visit my website at Lorilyn Roberts.

Again, Tuesday, May 24, will be the membership launch day. If you summit your application on Tuesday, May 24th, you will be able to download free e-gifts offered by some of our authors.

Today on our Blog Tour we will meet Dr. Ray W. Lincoln.

The Author Jeopardy Question to win R. W. Lincoln’s new book INNERKINETICS™  during the Facebook Party on Tuesday, May 24, 8-9pm EST, will come from our discussion below:

                                                

Ray W. Lincoln is the bestselling author of I'M a KEEPER and is the founder of Ray W. Lincoln & Associates. Ray is a professional life coach and an expert in human nature. His 40 plus years of experience in speaking, teaching, and counseling began in New Zealand and have carried him to Australia and the United States. He speaks with energy and enthusiasm before large and small audiences. It was not by accident that he became the international speaker and coach that he is today and acquired the ability to guide so many to a happier, healthier, more fulfilled life. Ray has studied extensively in the fields of Philosophy, Temperament Psychology, and Personology. A member of the National Speakers Association, his expertise has been used as a lecturer and professor, teacher and keynote speaker, seminar presenter, counselor, and coach. He teaches and leads in staff trainings, university student retreats, and parents' educational classes, as well as other seminars and training events. He also trains and mentors teachers and other professionals and executives -- all with the goal of understanding our own temperaments and those of others.

His wealth of background is revealed in colorful, graphic language that keeps listeners glued to his every word. The personality that developed from his vast experience unfolds in the pages of I'M A KEEPER and in his newest work, INNERKINETICS™

.

Question: In your book, InnerKinetics™, you talk about strengths and weaknesses of people. What do you think is the number one reason why people fail to develop their full potential?

Ray W. Lincoln: The number one reason is: They focus on their weaknesses. When a weakness is identified, they set about trying to get rid of that weakness by focusing on it and trying to eliminate it. They are focusing on a negative, and focusing on the negative cannot produce positive results.  Our instruction is: “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8)  It doesn’t sound to me like we are instructed to focus on our weaknesses.

Closely akin to this reason is that they do not understand themselves and have not identified their strengths. Many interpret skills and talents as strengths. While these may have developed as the result of strengths, they may also have developed apart from strengths. Take the person who is very skilled in technical analysis and is paid well for it but who hates the task and, if employed in that occupation, is very unhappy at their job. They have developed a skill, but it is not their strength.

Let’s define what we mean by strengths. These are urges and drives that are innate to our being. When we are using our strengths we feel energized and are fulfilled when we use them and develop them further. They provide energy to our lives and the activities wherein we use them even when we are short on the physical energy normally needed. These urges and drive are strengths. We need to identify them, because their use is what brings fulfillment to our lives. I have provided a Temperament Key that will help individuals to determine their God-given strengths and provided it within InnerKinetics™ along with guidance in how to develop the strengths once they are identified.

Once identified, focusing on the strengths provides positive energy, positive direction and creativity in their use. Focus intensifies and directs our mind’s power. Just as a magnifying glass focusing the sun’s light on a piece of paper or dry leaves will ignite the fuel, so focusing on our strengths will ignite a fire within us that will provide what we need to reach our potential.

As a follower of Christ, I believe in the Bible’s statement that we are created in the image of God. He created us and he gave us NO weaknesses. He is not in that business. How can we be created in His image and be created with weaknesses?  Furthermore, He created us for a purpose. The strengths He gave to each of us that reflect His image He gave for that purpose — the purpose for which he created each of us in the first place. Our strengths, gifts, and talents are all given with the achievement of that ultimate purpose in mind. However, we must develop them by identifying what He has done in creating each of us and then by focusing on them to reach our highest potential. (I have provided a Temperament Key within InnerKinetics™ that will help individuals to determine their God-given strengths, along with guidance in how to develop the strengths once they are identified.)

Don’t forget, during our Author Jeopardy Game, you will have an opportunity to win      Tuesday night, INNERKINETICS™, May 24, 8-9pm EST during our Facebook party at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Christian-Book-Launches-John-316-Marketing-Network/145412252147289

Friday we will be featuring Roaches That Eat Your Best-Seller Dreams—Part Three of Six, from the John 3:16 Marketing Network. Our guest author will be Dr. Robert McGinnis hosted by J.D. Holiday (on her website).

If you missed yesterday’s post, Are There Secret Formulas or Short Cuts for Making the Best-Seller List on Amazon? Part One of Six, you can read it at http://lorilynroberts.blogspot.com

To learn more about the blog tour, free e-gifts, and books being offered for the Author Jeopardy during the Facebook Event on Tuesday, May 24, 8-9pm, please visit http://www.lorilynroberts.com/john_3_16_marketing_network.html