The Write Spot, LLC

Too Busy to Shop

First a word from my fellow SXSW panelist Chris Brogan, who's looking a bit rockabilly biker-ish these days:

Too Busy to Shop: Marketing to "Multi-Minding" Women by Kelley Murray Skoloda shows markers and companies what they need to know and do to attract women buyers. After all, women control 85 percent of all consumer purchases.

Kelley explains that women are multi-tasking, but multi-minding – meaning that we are thinking about home when we’re at work, work when we’re at home, and about everything else of of the darn time.

Download an excerpt or see the reviews.

I highly recommend this book if your company markets to women through traditional media (print, TV, radio, etc.) or through social medial. Not only is it an easy read since Kelly keeps the ideas and examples coming, but she wraps up each chapter with Multi-Minding (or M2) Must-Dos, a list of the lessons learned in each section.

Too Busy to Shop is also full of stats, research, examples and terrific quotes from Stacy DeBroff, the CEO of Mom Central, who knows her stuff. (Stacy’s a colleague of mine. Every time I have a chance to speak with her, I learn so much.)

So if there’s one marketing book you read this summer on vacation – or during your lunch break at the office – it should be Too Busy to Shop: Marketing to "Multi-Minding" Women by Kelley Murray Skoloda.

What ad network should I use to monetize my blog?

You’re interested in monetizing your blog with an blogger ad network. What kind of things should you consider when reading over their contract?

Payout: What do they pay out per thousand page views (CPM)? Is there an ad revenue share? Do they pay CPM only or CPC (cost per click) or CPA (cost per action), too?

(CPM counts the number of times the ad was viewed. CPC measures ad clicks. CPA measures activity, like signing up to purchase a product or membership.)

Remember, some networks don’t tell you what they pay initially, so you’ll have to give them a trial run to see if their numbers work for you. If that’s the case, make sure you can get out of your contract and stop using them at any time.

Ad Placement: Does their ad have to be at the top portion (“above the fold”) of your blog? Do their ad sizes fit on your blog? If not, will they create one for you? How many of their ads will you have to run – just one or two or more?

Using Guest Blogging to Increase Blog Traffic

In last month’s Northern Colorado Writers newsletter column, I wrote about the pros and cons of joining a blog network. I concluded that unless you were hired by a quality network and were receiving a healthy monthly stipend along with the ad revenue share, you were giving away your writing for free.

However there are times when giving away your content is a good thing. One example is guest blogging.

Why should you guest blog?

Guest blogging is when you write a post to be published on someone else’s. When you guest post, your host’s readers will be exposed to your work, maybe for the first time. If they like what you wrote, they will follow the link back to your blog, like what they see, and become regular readers. This way you increase your traffic and recruit new readers.

How to get the gig

You want to get the most out of your guest blogging efforts by posting at blogs that get better traffic and have a higher Google page ranking than your blog. But if you’re a beginner – basically a nobody – how do you get asked to guest post on a popular blog? It’s all about getting their attention.

Let’s say you want to do a guest post on “Joe Cool’s” blog? (Let’s call him Joe for short.) You could contact him, of course, and beg. But he probably gets thousands of emails a day, and many guest posting requests. Instead, you need to find a way to get on Joe’s radar. Well, one way is to send him a big check. All kidding aside, you need to read Joe’s work, comment regularly on his blog, and participate in all the things he offers from free e-book downloads to signing up for his enewsletter.

Brad Meltzer gets slammed by press and turns it into a viral campaign

I thought novelists were more serious than this. But when faced with a bunch of rotten tomatoes thrown at his head, Brad Meltzer, author of The Book of Lies, turns it into a big batch of gazpacho.

I love gazpacho and I love this video. Brad’s grandma is awesome - I'd like to have a grandma like that. Plus, little kids trying to say big, complex words is always funny. And so are armpit farts.

By the way, the book is out TODAY. See the trailer or read Brad’s blog. His book even has a soundtrack. Brad is also on Facebook and MySpace. Even if the book stinks – yes I’ve asked his publicist for a review copy – his use of social media and viral video is top notch.

Book authors and publicists, I hope you’re taking notes.

Clorox is listening to moms

In Clorox's Battle to go Green by Anya Kamenetz of Fast Company magazine (September 2008), new mom and Clorox marketing executive Jessica Buttimer had noticed how fellow moms were discussing natural “green” cleaners even though only 1% of the market was held by brands like Method and Seventh Generation.

When moms talk, Clorox listens. Surveys showed that 44% of consumers were interested in buying green cleaners. So what was stopping them? Buttimer and her team identified three major reasons:

1. Doubts that natural products cleaned as well as traditional cleansers.
2. Expense - most green cleaners cost twice as much as other products.
3. Inconvenience since green products are usually only available at stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s.

Well, Clorox has met all these concerns with their new line of Green Works products:

1. The Green Works products I have tried, including the new Green Works dishwashing liquid and the Green Work's Natural Glass & Surface Cleaner and their Natural All-Purpose Cleaner I previously reviewed work great. (And thanks to Clorox for sending me samples to try out.)
2. Green Works products are a little more expensive than traditional cleaning products. However, compared to other eco-friendly cleaners, they’re a bargain.
3. Green Works are available at your local supermarket, discount store, and even at places like Walgreens.

Now that people are watching their pennies, Clorox has even a bigger advantage over products like Seventh Generation. People will still want to be as green as possible, but want to save money, too. For many, Clorox will be good enough – not too harsh on the environment and not too tough on the wallet either.

Oh, and did I mention the products smell great, too?

The tools I use for Blog Promotion

For those of you attending What We Do: DIY Content Syndication and Promotion, here are the details on what tools I use to promote my blogs.

Social Bookmarking

There are numerous sites out there and new ones being added every day. Here are the ones I’ve found most success with, though that can change from week to week and with different types of posts:

• StumbleUpon – Great for a quick burst of traffic.
• Digg – Crowded but it works, especially for backlinks. (See Wendy Piersall’s post at Problogger, The Ultimate Guide to Getting Lots of Link Love for more info on why you want backlinks and how to get them.)
• Mixx – A new contender and getting popular.
• Reddit – Not a lot of features, but that’s its strength. May be giving Digg a run for its money according to Chris Garret (Why Reddit is Better than Digg).
• Propeller – Another popular site for bookmarking.

Niche Social Bookmarking

• Kirtsy – Best for posts and blogs with a women or mom focus. Once they get their Google ranking fixed (due to their recent name change) Kirsty will be good source for backlinks, too.
• HealthRanker – Good for promoting health, diet, fitness and exercise posts. No page rank yet, but I’m hoping that will change soon. Getting more popular, too.
• Care2 – A very popular “green” social networking site with passionate members, and a great place to bookmark your green, eco-friendly content.
• FoodBuzz – If you’re a foodie, you must set up a profile here. Not only is is good for networking, but you can automatically promote your posts via RSS feed.

Using Social Networks to Promote Yourself: LinkedIn for Writers

This originally appeared in the July 2008 issue of “The Write Stuff” newsletter of the Northern Colorado Writers. Starting this month, I’ll write a regular column about social media for the group.

If you’ve attended one of my [blogging] workshops [for writers], then you know I recommend blogging as a way to promote yourself. A blog can become your book’s marketing platform or an online freelance writing portfolio with links to clips and writing samples.

What if you don’t have time to blog? Or maybe setting up a simple website with your contact info and portfolio gives you a techie anxiety attack? Well, you can slowly get started in the social media realm by joining an online social network like LinkedIn.

Social Networking for Professionals

More than 20 million professionals from around the world have created LinkedIn pages. And unlike MySpace and Facebook – two other popular social networking sites – the networking is professional not personal. This means no embarrassing pictures of you partying like it’s 1999. Though don’t be surprised if an old paramour or a high school buddy finds you through the site.

Besides being an online resume, there are more benefits to joining LinkedIn’s free service. If you are a magazine or non-fiction writer, LinkedIn can be used to find experts for interviews. If you’re a commercial writer, potential clients can find you and see who you’ve worked with in the past.

Many employers use and trust LinkedIn to find high-quality candidates. So while you may not be looking for a writing job, you may be looking for an editor, agent or publisher. Do a search on authors, publishers and agents in your niche. You may be able to connect with them via LinkedIn.

Don't get cowed by Chick-fil-A's latest campaign

Not to take away anything from Marketing Roadmaps (a wonderful blog you should check out if you get PR pitches - or make them) but I had to share this email I received yesterday:

First Pitch (I received two from Engauge):

Cow Appreciation Day is coming soon ­ July 11th! Get your cow costumes ready for the big day and head to Chick-fil-a for your FREE sandwich or meal (full cow costume gets you a meal, partial cow gear earns you a sandwich). Need inspiration for your costume? Simply darken your nose and/or mouth area with face paint/make-up to simulate a cow nose and wear horns/ears with this look. Careful not to smear your makeup while downing your free sandwich.

www.cowappreciationday.com

Second Pitch from Engauge:

I thought that your readers may like to know about a unique promotion offered by Chick-fil-A.  On Friday July 11th if you dress like a cow, you get a free chicken sandwich combo from any Chick-fil-A location across the Country.

Any questions or tips on dressing like a cow, www.cowappreciationday.com 

Never mind the minor typos (extra spaces, Chick-fil-A always has a capital A, missing commas and periods, etc.) I’ve made my share of mistakes in emails and blog posts, too.

However, this is the most ridiculous marketing campaign I’ve heard of in awhile. Can you imagine taking the time to put together a costume just to get a free meal or just an entree if you don’t wear a full cow costume? And can you imagine the humiliation of walking into the restaurant dressed as a cow, knowing that everyone will be thinking, “Boy, some people will do anything for a free lunch.”

Do the people at Chick-fil-A think people are that gullible? I guess so.

It's all about me! Well, the Smart Television Alliance and Bloghology, too.

My article, Remote Control: It’s O.K., Mom Said We Can Watch TV, is now up on Smart News, the enewsletter and blog for the Smart Television Alliance.

Also, I've been invited to participate in the May 2008 issue of Bloghology at Mert Erkal's Search for Blogging.

Bloghology is a collection of bloggers, their profiles, photos, and links to their best posts. It is a PDF e-book which can be easily circulated throughout the blogosphere for personal branding and marketing of selected good quality bloggers.

I met Mert through Blog Mastermind and a couple of social bookmarking "buzz" groups. In today's crowded blogosphere where it seems that everyone is writing about the business of blogging or how to blog, Mert does an excellent job. He's consistently writing great posts and promoting his content and site well.

I find his efforts inspirational, which is one of the reasons why I wanted to participate in Bloghology. And as Mert says, he believe it will help bloggers on marketing and personal branding by highlighting them and their blogs for free. It's also a great way to network with other bloggers. (You can read more about the benefits here.)

A Lesson in Web 2.0 for Book Authors

This year I've been working with book authors to help them understand the power of Web 2.0 as a marketing platform for their books. Whether it's blogging to show a publisher that you have a built in audience, or using social networking sites to promote your work, authors need to know their way around social media.

There are a few who get it such as Annette Fix, the senior editor of WOW! Women On Writing. She recently released The Break-Up Diet, a memoir that I reviewed at my food and diet blog, This Mama Cooks! On a Diet. Annette has The Break-Up Diet website, a Break-Up Story Forum, Annette's Break-Up Diet blog, and a Break-Up Diet MySpace page.

Another author who's tech savvy is Sherri Rifkin, a former TV marketing executive. She writes for a variety of entertainment and media clients including Bravo, USA Network and the Style Network. Her first novel, LoveHampton, has just been published by St. Martin’s Griffin.

Sherri wrote a fantastic article,  "A New Job Requirement for Authors" that gives some five free or inexpensive tips for promoting your book online

A New Job Requirement for Authors
by Sherri Rifkin, author of LoveHampton

Who knew that one needed to be so thoroughly tech-savvy to be an author?

I’m not just talking about knowing how to create chapter headers in Word (I don’t but I fake it well enough) or being able to change your printer cartridge. Nowadays, you have to know how to blog-vlog-flickr-twitter-facebook-wordpress-upload-youtube-blip.tv in order to be an author, that is, if you have some hopes of being a successful commercial author. It helps if you have nice friends who know how to do all this stuff (I have a Jeff, a Mary and an Anthony) but there are only so many times you can sweetly plead for their help and certainly a limit on the number the exclamation points you can put after “Thank you!!!!!!” in your emails. (Six seems reasonable; seven is just desperate.)

I’ve logged several hours, possibly equaling days at this point, uploading my book-related videos to the various viral distribution sites, creating the first of what is sure to be many photo albums on Flickr.com, adding a fan page on Facebook—and boy is my laptop tired! And I still have a “Book To Do” list two pages long.

Believe me, as a former cable TV marketer for Bravo and Oxygen, I am very grateful to be publishing my novel at a time when all of these free marketing tools are available–especially since I don’t have the same (read: any) budgets to spend on paid marketing placements like I did when I was employed by someone else. Short of walking around Manhattan with a LoveHampton sandwich board strapped over my shoulders, sitting in front of my laptop waiting patiently for my uploads to be complete seems like a far lesser evil.

But I’m fairly certain that once I’ve mastered the twitter-blip and the blog-vlog, there will be yet another technology for me to beg a tech-savvy friend to teach me how to do. (Note: In addition to multiple exclamation points, treating your advisors to a nice meal or an expensive bottle of champagne are good ways to show them your appreciation.)

Now that I’m pretty much all uploaded, I just hope the other kids on YouTube play nicely with LoveHampton21. I certainly don’t want to be forced to send my 206 Facebook friends—and counting if all my viral marketing plans work—after them.