by Sherrie Wilkolaski
Amazon sales ranks is one of those things that is always top of mind for any author monitoring their book sales. If you’re looking for a tool to help move the number on the dial, look at email marketing. I’m not talking about just sending a few emails out to family and friends. I’m talking about a professional, targeted email campaign.
Email marketing for authors.
The most successful email marketing campaigns are tied to something special. The release of a new book, a local book signing event, a buy one get one free offer. There is some call to action that drives a potential buyer to open the email and then make a purchase.
Here are the top five tips for making your email marketing a success:
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Targeted list. Make sure your list is targeted. Sending an email out to 500 people who are interested in your book genre is better than sending to 5000 people that have no interest at all. You can buy email marketing lists but I recommend partnering with other authors to do cross promotion, or contact other business professionals or organizations that have a connection to your book’s subject. Let them help you market your book to their email or newsletter list. (See Author Success Story below on how one Infinity Publishing author used a targeted list to climb the ranks of Amazon.)
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Grab them with your subject line. Use the subject line to peak the receivers interest. Give them a reason to open the email. If they don’t open it, they won’t have the opportunity to see your valuable offer. Don’t say, “Buy my book” you want something intriguing. Using the words “free” and exciting words like, “best” “amazing” and other buzz words will help.
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Provide a clear and concise email offer. Your call to action in the email should be direct and to the point. Dress up your offer to make it sound appealing of course. Think of your offer like reading a menu at a restaurant. Even fast food restaurants are creative in marketing their menus. Make your offer sound inviting. You want the email to get them to buy, or order or take an action.
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Send them to a buy now page. Once you get them to click through to your offer, be sure you’re sending them somewhere they can make the purchase. If you’re sending them to your website be sure to create a special landing page that will either capture their information (if you’re trying to build your own newsletter list for example) or send them directly to place the order.
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Send out an email thank you. There is nothing more frustrating than “placing an order” and not getting a confirmation that the order went through. If you’re sending your buyer to your online storefront at buybooksontheweb.com your buyer will get an order confirmation, so this is already taken care of for you.
How can you be so sure all of this works? Take a look at this Author Success Story…
Email Blast Moves Daring Caution Up the Amazon Sales Rank in a Flash!
Author Robert F. Sherlock ofDaring Caution: The Executive's Guide to Pricing Improvement is enjoying some incredible success. With an email blast and endorsement from Verne Harnish "Growth Guy" and Gazelles, CEO, Daring Caution went from:
1,200,000 on Amazon to #111 of ALL books; and #24 of ALL biz books!
His marketing and networking paid off BIG! Congratulations Robert on your success!
Will your book be the next big seller? Need help with your marketing. Contact an Infinity PUblishing Author Advocate for more information on what we can do to help you market and promote your book.
