Are you looking for some compelling affordable and new marketing tactics that can separate your book marketing approach from the pack? Here are some innovative marketing techniques that are unique and can help your 
brand to cut through the “online spaghetti” and clutter in order to allow you to stand out.
Ready, AIM, Fire:
Use a targeted approach to social networking rather than just flogging your post without thinking about who you are trying to attract. There is a way to “troll” or “mine” for your prospective reader or customer rather than just hoping that some you may reach may (or may not) be interested in what you have to offer.
There are tools you can use to mine for prospects, especially if you don’t have the big bucks to spread your message everywhere as the big boys in marketing do. Tagboard.com, Hashtags.org and Google as well has now started to support hashtag searches. This way you can see who is “searching for you” so to speak, being your book or product. When I typed in “fiction readers” on hashtag.org, it showed a slew of tweets from people tweeting about a great fiction read. Now if I were a fiction author, I just found “my peeps” or more to the point some very receptive book buyers. #fictionbooks brought me similar results on tagboard.com with more potential prospects for new works of fiction.
Understanding Your Niche Audience
“Data, data everywhere and not a drop to drink if you don’t mine for it”. When I was a kid, and now of course I date myself, when I wanted to find out about something I went to the library and used the library card system to look up what I wanted to know. Now between Google, Bing and Yahoo we have the world’s greatest libraries at our fingertips. There you can find data on just about anything. If your novel is about fiction, set in the 1800’s, in a small town in Maine, where the main character is a beaver, you can “Google trends, books about, audiences for, etc.” in order to aim your book marketing straight at the heart of your prospective audience. One bit of recent data that surprised me today was that Baby Boomers now spend more time online than in front of a TV. Should your book prospects be Boomers than online is a good place to market your book?
Build Relationships:
The great thing about the internet and social networking is that it is interactive and immediate. Therefore use this feature to be in the moment with your new prospects and interact with them as this builds fan loyalty to your book or brand. They too want to be heard, so listen and respond.
Are Your Posts Compelling?
Are you creating content with your posts or blogs that are compelling must reads with relevant and interesting information to your fans? This is crucial as you want to be offering them something of value that will BENEFIT THEM. They need to understand what they will gain from reading your book or buying any product. They need to perceive you as an expert in order to learn from you. Therefore the question you need to ask when you post is, what value are you offering your readers?
Integrate all:
Do try new marketing approaches, test them and if they work for you rock on. However, true brand and fan building is more than just the newest techniques as described here. Integrate these with the tried and true. Once your novel is back from the book printer you need to build your brand by integrating all of this with not just your web or blog of course, but with the rock solid standard book marketing techniques. Print up book marks as a giveaway as well as descriptive brochures, newsletters, flyers, posters and other forms of appropriate commercial printing to promote your brand. Lastly, whether book marks, newsletters or posters, have a consistency of look and brand as well as keeping all simple. Branding is a form of recognition by your prospects and recognition works in your favor by bringing your book or product to the fore over many others. Therefore your “brand” should not just be unique but utilized over all you do from social media, web to print.
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Good solid advice, Ira – thank you!
thank you Leslie
Ira,
This is an outstanding article. Like so many writers, I feel marketing is a huge maze and never seem to know what I should do. This article provides some valuable information. Thank you.
Norm
Your AIM details sound wonderfully easy and effective. I have learned recently that Twitter is now used by journalists as a quick and easy way to find people interested in the same topic. So, thank you for telling us how to go about this. To send info on my book to people who want to know about it is so obvious, and now, a bit easier.
Many thanks,
Aline
Thanks for your article, I’ve added it to my file. I started marketing my memoir in January 2013. Took a few months to find my niche, which now is limitless, my blog is followed worldwide, but my problem is lack of time because I work part-time. Sales are slow, royalties dribble in. Think I tackled too many large arena’s to start, many responded at the same time and I can’t keep up with their assorted requests and requirements.
Have any tips on finding more time?
At this point, I not looking for any more prospects until I’ve satisfied the one’s who are waiting. The lesson I’ve learned, you can’t eat an elephant in one bite. 🙂
Thanks guys for the kind comments and I will remind those who need reminding, adding links here is spam and will not be allowed. 🙂
Good advice, I wish it was as simple as that to implement. Self marketing takes a lot of time, which takes you away from other things… none the least is writing. But social media is here to stay, and traditional publishers have developed cold feet, and getting colder as the days, months, and years go by.
Hi Ira,
Excellent piece!
Although my book is traditionally-published and is doing quite well (at number 3 among the top 10 best selling books), I’d been looking for ways to promote and market my book!
This piece will certainly help me to make greater use of online media like Twitter, LinkedIn etc. to find my target groups.
Thank you for sharing your expertise with the writers’ community.
Jawad
Thank you all for the kind comments. Jawad I am impressed, number 3, you must be doing something right. 🙂
Thanks for the advise. I’m self-publishing my book and find this advise helpful.
Ira, I have read and re-read your information and continue to appreciate your willingness to share your well designed and valuable experience. The editor is almost ready to put the book on CreateSpace. I have continuing to brand the book on social networks and my blog. Since I know the niche that I desire, my question to you, do you have a marketing plan only? Thanks for your time.
Argie Hoskins
Hi Angie, as I book printer as well as other forms of printing, I sure do. I just happen to be a book printer with marketing and social networking skills. Please contact me if you require any of our services. There is a contact form on the home page.
thanks
Ira