Archive for the ‘Author Websites’ Category

Cultivating Super Fans with eNewsletters

Tuesday, May 14th, 2013

Social media is sexy, but the real power of your relationship with your fans is in email newsletters. The people on your mailing list are your “Super Fans.” They are the ones who have given you permission to show up in their inbox. That invitation is very valuable.

Think about it, when was the last time you signed up for a newsletter. Probably not for a while. Once I asked an author that question and she said, “oh I don’t do that.” She’s right we don’t do that, unless we are Super Fans or the author/company is providing something of value.

Super Fans are the people who pre-order your books, are the first in line to buy your products, and recommend you to others. So your most important marketing task is to keep them happy and engaged because they are your sales force, the wind beneath your wings, and (drum roll please) your Super Fans.

Here are some simple steps to improve your eNewsletters:

  1. Grow Your List: Make sure it is easy to sign up for your mailing list. Have a prominent link on every page of your website.
  2. Be Consistent: Don’t just email them when you have something to sell. Make sure you share useful information, resources and special offers consistently throughout the year. Just remember talking to people on your mailing list is a privilege, don’t abuse it.
  3. Frequency: It is best not to send mailings too often. Retailers learned how quickly we unsubscribed when they sent too many offers. You should know your Super Fans best, so plan accordingly. For some people daily emails work, for others weekly or even monthly are the right option. When in doubt plan for once a month.
  4. Use Software: There are excellent email newsletter solutions out there. The most popular are Constant Contact, iContact, and Mail Chimp. Do a little research and find the best fit for your needs.
  5. Design It: People don’t read, they scan emails. So make sure your design is easy to scan with images and links for more information. Most people won’t read a block of text that is 1,000 words long.
  6. Content: It’s most important to remember that the purpose of your newsletter is to develop and further enrich your relationship with your fans so make sure it does not sound like an infomercial. Always add a personal note, and keep it short.
  7. Track Results: The best part about using the email software is that it gives you lots of information. Not only whether your list is growing or shrinking but also what content and headlines work best for your list. Every time you do a mailing, you should assess the results a week later.
  8. Timing: Is there a good time to send a newsletter? Turns out there is. GetResponse analyzed 21 million messages to discover that: the top engagement times of 8 a.m. – 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. – 4 p.m. MailerMailer did a study to discover that the best day to send out a newsletter is Monday. That was a surprise to me.
  9. Special Offers: As Super Fans, your mailing list subscribers have earned the right for a few perks. So if you want someone to get an early peak at your new product or a special deal, this is the group for it. I would also recommend a “Super Fan only” event. It can be a Google hangout or a Skype chat. Sometimes, we have even given away signed copies of books and tote bags to the Super Fans.
  10. Respect: More than any other advice, I want to leave you with this thought. Please be respectful of your “Super Fans.” Respect their time, their opinion and feedback and most of all their friendship. Don’t ever spam them.

Remember your Super Fans are among your biggest assets. Take great care to cultivate your relationship with them and stay engaged and connected.

© 2013 Fauzia Burke. All Rights Reserved.

Author Bio
Fauzia Burke is the Founder and President of FSB Associates, a digital publicity and marketing firm specializing in creating awareness for books and authors. For online publicity, book publishing and social media news, follow Fauzia on Twitter: @FauziaBurke. To talk with FSB and ask your book publicity questions, please join us on Facebook.

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6 Tips for Designing Author Websites in 2012

Thursday, June 7th, 2012

By Fauzia Burke

In 1996, we launched our first ever website. It was for the NY Times bestselling author Sue Grafton. Not only was it an honor to design our first site for such an important author, but at the time it was such a big deal that the New York Times even wrote about it.

Today websites are common place and every author has a site. However, looking towards 2013 when forecasts predict that there will be 1.7 billion mobile internet users, authors need to make sure their sites are attracting the mobile and social readers.

Here are 6 tips for designing author websites in 2012

  1. All in the Name – Your website should be under your name. Even if you publish multiple books with multiple publishers, all of which have their own websites, you need a site in your name. You can link to all the other sites or better yet bring all the information under one umbrella site and redirect the other URLs to the new site. This is essential for a strong brand strategy.
  2. What the Heck is SEO – I know SEO (search engine optimization) is important but so is sounding like yourself. We live in a time where people expect authentic communication not marketing copy. I have seen sites that were so optimized for search engines, that they hardly read well. As an author, you need to make sure the text on your site reads well, represents your work, and sounds like you.
  3. To Blog or Not to Blog – I know most authors hate to be told that they need to blog. I even hate it. Who ever has the time? So my advice, don’t blog if you hate it. There I said it. You’re free, but… Yep there is a but. New blogs will bring traffic to your site from searches. If you don’t need or want unqualified search traffic, you can skip blogging. However, if you think people searching for vampires would be interested in your book, then you will have to write a few blogs about vampires to attract that traffic. Regardless of whether you blog or not, you should consider a site in WordPress as it makes it easy to update the site yourself.
  4. Mobile Friendly – More and more people are accessing sites on mobile devices so there are a few things to remember. If your site has Flash make sure you test it on different tablets and smart phones to make sure it is working well (Flash does not work on iPhones & iPads). It’s important to make navigation easy as people may be using fingers rather than their mouse to move around. Large graphics and dark colors are not ideal for mobile reading. On a positive note, most WordPress sites will display perfectly fine on mobile devices, making a mobile version unnecessary.
  5. Social Links – It’s important to have links to your social networks (which should also be in your name) and ways to share your site on social networks. Adding the Facebook and Twitter widgets to your home page might be a good idea as well because they display your recent posts. It’s an easy way to keep your site updated.
  6. Photos and Graphics – With sites like Pinterest gaining traction, try to add photos and graphics to your site. You can buy stock photos or better yet take them yourself.

Websites are a crucial link between you and your readers. It is the one place, the hub, of all your activities. Feel free to add extra content, reviews, maps, drawings, family tree, anything to connect with your readers in a personal way. Just remember you are dealing with a social and mobile reader, so plan accordingly.

If you are looking for ideas, check out our portfolio.

© 2012 Fauzia Burke. All Rights Reserved.

Fauzia Burke is the Founder and President of FSB Associates, a publicity and website development firm specializing in creating awareness for books and authors on the web. For web publicity and social media news, follow Fauzia on Twitter: @FauziaBurke.


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