It’s not too late to market for the holidays. If you want to do some marketing for the holidays, you’ve got several choices… For example, you could:

• Set up a postcard campaign
• Create a texting campaign
• Offer gift certificates
• Create a special holiday Website
• Use email marketing
• Write a press release
• Ask customers to write reviews of your products or service
• Hold a contest

If you’d like some help brainstorming a marketing campaign for the holiday season,  here’s what you need to take into consideration:

• Who is your idea customer?
• Where are they already going online?
• What information are they looking for?
• What do they want to know about your products or services?

;Create a marketing campaign that will grab the atteetnion of your market.

Make is short, but provide enough information that someone can buy right now.

Offer an incentive for buying now.

Use a holiday them.

If you’d like a free 30 minute consultation to look at your current marketing campaign, or to brainstorm a new campaign you can set up for the holidays, feel free to give me a call at 888-228-8923. I’ve got limited openings – and there is no cost or obligation.

Wow! February is only half over, and i have to say it’s been a wild couple of months! I hope you’re loving 2011 as much as I am!  In fact, things have been so busy, that if you’re interested in working with me this year, please get in touch with me so I can talk to you about your needs, and get you on my schedule. At the moment, I’m booked out until the end of March. There is no cost or obligation for the consultation.  There is also no fee to be put on my schedule – it just means I contact you when I’ve got an open slot coming up.

To contact me, you can click the tab above that says ‘contact me’ or click this link to be taken to the ‘contact me’ page.

When my kids were little, they used to love the ‘Where’s Waldo’ books, and we used to go through one every night for a while. Well, in memory of that, and also because I’m starting to do more speaking engagements and presentations, I thought I’d create my own ‘Where’s Cheryl’ announcements.

First of all, I’d like to invite you to my ‘Business Breakthroughs’ radio program.  It’s live every Friday night at 6:00 p.m. ET, and you can join me and my guests here: Cheryl Antier Business Breakthroughs Radio .  I have interesting guests and if you’re a writer, a coach or an entrepreneur who wants to write a book, build a strong author’s platform or build the business side of your writing business, this is a place to learn the real ‘back story’ from other people who are doing it.

When:

Today’s Book Marketing Plan:  We’re at the third step, which is todecide on our issues.  Hannah and I each decided to choose two issues that we’re really passionate about.

If you haven’t read Step 1 of the Book Marketing plan, click the link, and here’s the link for Step 2 of the Book Marketing plan.

What are issues? In your book marketing universe, issues are different from topics.

Issues are larger, and have to do with causes you and your readers or target
market are passionate about.

Examples include: social justice, poverty, women’s issues, religious issues, children’s issues, education, going green, etc.

So now it’s your turn.  Choose your own issues – but choose them carefully. Issues can rally people around topics, they can create topics, build tribes and help you become known for what you believe in.

Because here’s the thing about issues – once you’ve chosen them, you have to take a stand and then get verbal and be seen and heard.

So think carefully about the issues you choose, and be prepared to become a shining light supporting what you believe in.

We’ll go into details about step 4 tomorrow.  For now, you should be starting to do some keyword research.  You want to choose your keywords carefully too, because you’ll be using them to write your blog posts and articles in the coming weeks and months.

The keyword tool I use for my basic research is:

Google Adwords

I like adwords because, first of all, it’s free, secondly it comes from Google, and thirdly, the suggestions it gives are often surprising and usually useful.

Of course, you can’t stop with it.  There are so many different tools you can use for keyword research – and chances are you have your own, so I’m not going to get into how to do it.  That’s not what this series of posts is about.

So just know that it’s time to do the research now – and the more and the deeper you go, the better.  The keywords you find will help you to write future articles, media releases and blog posts.

We’ll go into Step 4 of the Book Marketing Plan in the next post, so watch for it! And if you’ve got a comment, idea or suggestion, please feel free!

Okay, so if you’re following along with our Book Marketing Plan, you’ve figured out what your book’s ‘universe’ is.  You know who your book is targeted towards, who your readers are and where they’re hanging out, and who your potential partners are.  (This works whether your book is fiction or non-fiction.)  If you missed that post, you can find it here: Book Marketing Plan Step 1:

So now it’s time to get to Step 2 of the Book Marketing Plan.  Step two is all about choosing your topics.  This is pretty self-explanatory.  What’s the subject of your book?  What topics are related to your subject matter?

You want to choose between 6 and 12 Main Topics.  Your topics need to relate directly to the subject matter of your book, and they should be the most important ones you can think of.

Your topics need to be ones that you, yourself, are passionate about. (Because you’re going to blogging and writing about them for a long time – so if they don’t hold your interest, it’s going to get pretty boring pretty quickly). Your topics also need to be ones that your readers and target market are interested in, too, for obvious reasons.

Once you’ve chosen your topics, it’s time to start thinking about sub-topics. But, there’s something even more important you need to do first…

Start by getting organized

Since you’re going to be marketing your book for several months – or longer, it’s better to get organized right now.  Because the longer you’re promoting your book, the easier it’s going to be to get lost and disorganized – especially since you’re going to be promoting your book on more than one site and in more than one way.

The Tools and Resources an Author Needs to Organize their Book Marketing Campaign

Figuring out what tools you need to organize your book marketing campaign can drive you crazy – and right into the poorhouse, if you’re not careful!

Which is why Hannah and I are sharing our strategy with you on this blog, and showing you the tools we use – and the results we get.

So stay tuned for tomorrow’s post, when we share the only essential tools you need to put together your own book marketing plan and promote your book!

Do you need a book marketing plan for your book?    Are you worried, because, after all, you’re a writer not a marketer? Well, have no fear – cause that’s why we’re here…

So, let’s get cracking – and by the way, if you’ve got other ideas about marketing your book, or have tried things that have worked – or haven’t – we’d love to hear from you!

Step 1: Defining your book’s universe

Hannah and I decided to start by defining our book marketing universe.  So the first step, was getting clear about who we’re writing this book for, and how we wanted to find them – and have them find us.

We’re also thinking about people who are already doing this work – working on safety issues for women – because we want to help spotlight their work whenever possible.

And of course, we need to think about how we’re going to market the book.

So we started by defining our universe.

For us, we decided our blog was going to be the ‘center’ of our universe, and everything we do will flow out from it and come back to it.

We also decided we wanted to use social marketing, and what makes the most sense for our readership is Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, because that’s where we’re going to find our readers, our partners and make new connections.

We’re also going to be hooking up with various groups and writers’ communities, and we’ll appreciate any and all comments, ideas and support.

And of course, we’re going to be finding and commenting on forums, groups, and the blogs of people whose work is making a difference in women’s lives.

Now what about you?  As a writer promoting your book, what’s your book’s universe? Where do you go to find your readers? Who are your partners, supporters and friends? What’s your marketing strategy?  If you don’t have one, or what you’ve been trying up to now isn’t working, we invite you to follow along with us, and we’ll go through this adventure together!  (If nothing else, you’ll be able to learn from our mistakes!)

How to Create a Book Marketing Plan

Are you an author who’d like to know how to create a book marketing plan? If so, you’ll want to sign up for my RSS feed, because the next series of posts will walk you through the steps in setting up a book marketing plan for your own book. You’ll be able to watch how we do it, learn from our mistakes, and go right for the stuff that works for your book.

Here’s why:

I’ve been asked to co-write a very special book for women that I’m very excited about. It’s a book that teaches women how to protect themselves from scam artists, identity theft and predators – both sexual and financial.

I’m very proud to be a part of this project for two reasons. First of all, it gives me the opportunity to meet and interview some very strong and brave women who’ve gone through these kinds of nightmares, and are still willing to step forward and share their stories – in the hopes that they can help prevent it from happening to someone else.

And secondly, we’re also working with law enforcement officials, the FBI, private investigators and professional criminal profilers who will share information and resources so that anyone who reads this book will have a better understanding of how con artists and predators think, act and strike – so they can protect themselves, online and off.

At the moment, my co-author, Hannah Roi and I plan on self-publishing this book, which means we’re going to create a book marketing plan for it, and you’re invited to follow along and see what works and what doesn’t.  I’m also planning on interviewing experts in the indie and self-publishing world, to get their advice about specifics along the way.  So by following along, you’ll be able to create your own book marketing plan too.

Top 5 Tips for Marketing with Your Own Newsletter

No matter what type of business you have, one of the best – and most effective – marketing solutions you have – is your own newsletter.

Your newsletter can be as simple as something you plug into your autoresponder every week – (if you do it this way, it’s a good idea to use both plain text and html) – to a pdf version that your subscribers can download – to something that’s created on your Website or Blog – to a printed version that’s actually mailed out using snail mail.

But whatever version of a newsletter you use, it’s one of the best ways out there to reach your ideal target market, and make a connection with them.

Here are 5 top tips to make marketing with your own newsletter faster, easier and more profitable:

1. Keep it consistent. Decide on a publishing schedule for sending out your newsletter. According to marketing tests, having a daily newsletter – offering one article, tip sheet or checklist can be the most effective.  But it’s also a lot of work.  To make it work, you might want to find some reprint articles, private label rights articles or look for other people who are willing to have a ‘guest column’.  Another option is to outsource article writing.  The 2nd most effective schedule is weekly, and this might be easier for you, especially if you’re a solo-preneur.  If you don’t have a lot of time, or you’re just getting started, look at a bi-monthly or monthly newsletter – as you build your subscriber list, and get better at doing it, you can always increase the number of times you publish.
2. Create an ‘editorial calendar’. Depending on your business, niche or industry, there are lots of ways you can break your topics down. Having an editorial calendar not only helps you to stay organized, but it will keep you from facing writer’s block and getting off schedule because you don’t know what to write about.  Here are some ideas: Break it down by season… ‘Hot Tips to Keep the Kids Busy While You’re Working This Summer’ could mae a great article for WAHMs, for example. Add in holiday-related articles… “How to Throw Great Stress-Free Holidays Parties”… Look for special days or events that can be tied in to your business… “How to Reconnect with old chums during National Friendship Week”…  And when you’re looking for events – are there local, state, regional or national conferences, workshops, trade shows, etc. that your clients are interested in that you can tie into? And don’t forget your own speaking engagements, teleseminars, workshops or other events that  you’re either hosting or participating in.  You can promote those in advance by writing articles, giving links to videos or podcasts, or presentations.
3. Include updates from time to time about what’s going on in your business, or when it’s relevant, your life. Everyone likes to feel special, included – a part of the ‘inner circle’.  So from time to time, ‘throw back the curtain’ and share a little information about what’s going on behind the scenes of your business, or if it’s appropriate, your personal life.  Don’t go into the big, hairy details, or give TMI (too much information), but let your subscribers feel like they’re ‘in the know’ – and you’ll be rewarded with loyal, happy subscribers who not only like and trust you more, but who will refer you to their friends, family and colleagues.
4. Don’t promote all the time. Everyone likes to buy new things, but no one likes to be ’sold’ to. So the working formula is 3 to 1. Provide three times the content for every one time you promote a product or service.
5. Be authentic. Find your own ‘voice’ and use it. Be honest, open – and totally you.  Your subscribers will know if you’re not – and you’ll lose them.  Keep it real, and have fun with your newsletter.

And there you have it – the top 5 tips for marketing with your own newsletter.

There’s no doubt about it… sex sells.

On the street, on the big screen, in books and undoubtably on the Internet.  And of course, when it comes to celebrities all around the world, being ’sexy’ is a very important part of the whole ‘package’.

But you may be a little surprised to be reading an article about making your marketing ’sexy’.

Most people don’t think of marketing as being ’sexy’. They usually think of marketing as a ‘necessary evil’.  Or as something that’s deadly dull and boring.  Or as something that makes them uncomfortable.

If that sounds like the way you feel about your marketing, I’d like to invite you to look at it from a different angle.

First of all, why do you market?

If you said ‘To get more work’, or ‘to find new clients’ or ‘to make more money’… imagine Simon just buzzed you off the stage of American Idol.

Marketing isn’t about getting more work, it’s about getting the right kind of work.

It’s about working on the kinds of projects you want to work on, with the people you want to work with.

Marketing isn’t about following cookie cutter tactics.

It’s not about trying to get people to sign up for your e-book, your special report or your autoresponder so that you can keep promoting your products or services from then on.

Marketing shouldn’t be about playing small.

Your marketing should be about who you are, what you stand for and what makes you – uniquely YOU.

And when it is… when you’re willing to step out of the shadows, to talk about the things you’re passionate about, and about why you’re doing what you’re doing… it’s sexy.  And it attracts the kinds of people who resonate with your message, and who are drawn to working with you.

And that’s what your offer should be all about.

Your offer needs to focus on what the ultimate value to your customer or client is.  It should be all about the light at the end of the tunnel. About giving the person buying it the end result they really want. Solving a problem, ending a pain, doing something better, faster, stronger tomorrow than they can do today.

It’s not about lies, or hype or making empty promises.

It’s about how you show up at the end of the day – and how you offer what you offer to the world.

See what I mean?  Sexy.

2010 has started off with a bang -  as my grandfather used to say, “I’m already busier than a one-armed paper hanger with a case of hives…”

If you’re one of the ‘tens of readers’ of  my blog, (as one of my favorite bloggers says), then you’ve probably got a lot of plans and hopes and dreams too for your business in 2010.

But do you have a plan to “Create Success in 2010″?

I’m asking because I’ve gotten 27 emails (among hundreds) in my email box since the first of the year with that particular sentence – or the variation “Creating Success in 2010″ -  in the subject line.

Out of curiosity, I opened each one.

• 3 were the same affiliate link, selling someone else’s products.
• 6 were people promoting their own products – everything from e-books and ‘how-to-do-something’ videos to high level coaching programs.
• 2 contained inspirational thoughts and law-of-attraction type messages.
• 7 were other people selling the same affiliate program in the internetmarketing/how to start a business niche.
• 4 contained some actual ideas for creating and measuring success.
• 5 were from clients with their ideas, questions and suggestions for projects I’ll be working on in the coming year.

So, gramps, it looks like I’m going to be busier than a one-armed paper hanger with the hives this year. (Whoo hoo!)

Luckily, I did my business planning at the end of the year, the way I always try to do. One of the things I like to do is look back over the results I achieved during the year.  I look at sales (of course), but also the individual elements that combine to make a successful internet business.  And then I also look at how much fun I had – because I honestly believe that if you’re not having a good time running your own business,  you might as well be working for someone else, collecting a paycheck, and putting fun into other aspects of your life.  And then I look at my ‘made a difference’ results.  Because, that’s one other area I believe is vital – in business and in life.  Are we making a difference to someone else?  Are we serving others?  Because again, if you’re not, what will people remember – what legacy will you leave behind?

If you’re curious, here’s a snapshot of my plans for 2010:

• Getting rid of two ventures that were not profitable in 2009.
• Adding three new passive income streams that, after initial research look promising.
• Only accepting 2 0r 3 ghostwriting book projects for the entire 2010 year (If you’ve decided 2010 is the year you’re going to write your book, get in touch with me now, and lets see if we’re the right fit!)
• Working with Dan (my business partner to launch two new niche ventures)
• Continuing my regular columns and writing about travel
• Planning for the next series in my radio show
• Working with my copywriting clients
• Doing some ‘pro-bono’ grant writing to help build a school in Africa

My business plan for creating success in 2010 doesn’t leave much time for slacking off this year. I’m committed to creating success in 2010 for my clients, and for my business.

I’d love to hear about your plans for success… What are you going to be doing differently in 2010?  What will you be doing the same? Where do you want to be 12 months from now?

Also, if you’ve got advice for someone just starting out, some words of wisdom to help them make 2010 “their year” – please feel free to add your comments below!