Rhonda McKnight says “Today’s literary service provider feature is about TyWebbin Creations. I’ve used TyWebbin for everything and found the owner to be the utlimate in creativity in professionalism. The owner, Ty Moody, has single-handedly created my virtual brand.”

Read the full interview at Urban Christian Fiction Today.

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2009 is almost on it’s way out. This past week, I’ve been outlining possible blog posts for 2010. I can tell you in January, I will start posting a blog series called Twitter Basics.  If you are new to Twitter or don’t have time to keep up with the latest new, I encourage you to SIGN-UP HERE via email. If you signed up for the previous blog series, no problem, don’t do a thing.

Here is a recap of the Online Marketing blog series.

• Traditional Marketing Methods
• Online Advertising Options
• Planning a Virtual or Blog Tour
• Start with a Web site
• Choosing Your Domain Name
• Elements Needed For Your Web site
• Branding & Platform
• Who is Your Audience?
• Let’s Explore … Blogging
• Let’s Explore … Micro-blogging
• Let’s Explore … Social Networking
• Let’s Explore … Video-Based Social Media
• Let’s Explore …Other Types of Social Media

Let me know if you liked it and if you still have questions.

I hope you have a Happy and Safe New Year’s Eve.

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1. ONLINE MARKETING | Choosing Your Domain Name
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3. ONLINE MARKETING | Who is Your Audience?

Document Sharing Social Media

Popular platforms: docstoc.com, scribd.com, slideshare.net

People like FREE stuff. Anytime you can provide a free resource that’s a promotion opportunity. Use these sites to upload excerpts, discussion questions for book clubs or articles. You can share the document via twitter, facebook, or grab the embed code to add anywhere.

Audio-Based Social Media

Popular platforms: blogtalkRadio.com, utterli.com, snapvine.com

You don’t necessarily have to start your own podcast or radio show, but if your platform calls for it, go for it! There are sources out there for you to get started. All you need is an account, and an assigned phone number. Like the videos, these sites provide embed codes so your audio files can be included on your site. You definitely want to consider being a guest on someone’s show as a part of your promotional tour.

Now do you really have to try all of these social media platforms?

No, but you should explore different types to find out what works for you.

You should choose at least 3 social networks for regular participation (be sure Facebook is one of them).

Stay active in your favorite community whether it’s around your personal blog or on a social networking site. The key to social media or Web 2.0, it should compliment your Web site, where your main online presence is located.

Promotion should be more than posting announcements or PR releases. This is the time to get out there to meet your readers and let them meet you. Social media allows you to connect to people you might never meet in person. When a person has an experience with you, hopefully a good one AND then enjoy reading your books, you’ve created an INFLUENCER.

Someone who will tell others about your book.

Now that’s marketing you can use!

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3. Talking about Social Media

You might think of Youtube.com as a place where people post silly videos. If you have the time and the skill (or you can budget for this) create a book trailer.

The cool thing about most video sites, you can take the embed code for your video and add it to your Web site. So you don’t necessarily have to draw traffic to Youtube, but you can still bring readers or future readers to your Web site.

Post your video on as many places as possible that would attract readers. This is a part of viral marketing. Sounds gross, but here is a definition.

Viral marketing and viral advertising refer to marketing techniques that use pre-existing social networks to produce increases in brand awareness or to achieve other marketing objectives (such as product sales) through self-replicating viral processes, analogous to the spread of pathological and computer viruses. It can be word-of-mouth delivered or enhanced by the network effects of the Internet. Viral promotions may take the form of video clips, interactive Flash games, advergames, ebooks, brandable software, images, or even text messages. The basic form of viral marketing is not infinitely sustainable.

If you want to experiment with making a movie trailer, here are Web sites

• http://animoto.com/
• http://www.onetruemedia.com/

Some book trailers Web sites you might want to explore for ideas:

• http://www.bhpublishinggroup.com/fiction/index.asp
• http://www.bookvideos.tv/
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_rX2Io4RjQ (unique video, very creative)

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Popular platforms: myspace.com, facebook.com, ning.com

Watch this video by The CommonCraft Show. What is Social Networking?
http://www.tywebbin.com/next/2007/06/what-is-social-networking/

There are so many social networks these days. You really have to check them out for yourself to see what you really like and are comfortable joining. The KEY is to find one you enjoy, participate and network. I recommend choosing at least 3 social networks to participate on a regular basis. In this guide we will explore the top two, Facebook and MySpace, and a few other bookworm hubs.

Facebook.com

Facebook is now the largest social network. I can see why? It’s by far the easiest one to set-up a profile and connect. It only takes one person requesting to be your friend and then you are connecting with who they have connected with and vice versa.

This is a basic break-down on how to use Facebook in your marketing plans:

Facebook Profile Page

Most authors I see, use their own individual page as the main spot for fans to see their activity.  If you only stick with using your individual profile, you are limited on the number of people you can send a message to. You also have to keep in mind whatever you post on your wall is visible to people who you may not want as much knowledge about your life as you would like.

I am connected to family and friends, but I decided to use my profile page mainly for professional networking and book promotion.  Every once in awhile, I will post something outside of that realm, but it’s pretty obvious I’m all about literary projects.

If you are an author who prefers to keep your profile page more for family and friends you actually know, then you definitely want to go the fan or group page route.

Facebook Group Page 

Since I started coordinating blog tours or virtual book tours for authors this year, I have tried all types of social media campaigns. I chose the Facebook Group route for most of them, mainly because as a bookworm and a writer, I felt authors would want a sense of community with a reader’s group.  I do like the inclusion of traditional type forums on the group pages for discussion. If the author doesn’t manage their group, you will want to think about including a moderator or virtual assistant to help keep the group active.

I found out there is a limitation to the number of messages (limited to 5000) you can send to a group. This may not be a problem for authors unless you are really big-time already.

I would like to see if Facebook will redesign the group pages in the future. There is a lack of intimacy you expect for a group, but the functionality is there.

Facebook Fan Page

As a business I set-up a Facebook Fan page for the blog tours. With the recent redesign, I really love how the interface for the fan page resembles the individual profile page. With each blog tour, I switch out the graphics to bring focus to the author being promoted that particular week.  By importing the blog tour rss feed, all the day to day activity for the blog tours are included on the fan page wall. In a lot of ways, the fan page can be set-up to run with relative ease without a lot of manual interaction.

NOTE: I’ve recently noticed there is a limit on the number of friends you can have connected to your Facebook Profile page. If you are an author, you definitely want to consider creating a separate fan page.

MySpace.com

I think authors should definitely consider having a MySpace page. One big asset to being on MySpace, there are a lot of readers, especially book clubs.

If you are going to start a MySpace page, you don’t have to stay on there all the time, because some of that stuff isn’t healthy for you – but spend some time updating your page or ask for assistance. Request friendships from time to time, send bulletins or add a blog post.

Social Networks for Book Lovers

Social networks authors would benefit from joining are:

• shelfari.com
• goodreads.com
•  Book Blogs
• · Book Event Center
• · Book Place

These sites are great for meeting bookworms and other authors. You can find a great support system willing to help you promote your book – using that word of mouth art form that has been around for years and years.

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