Developing Your Ebook Marketing Strategy
Developing a marketing plan is an essential part of your ebook's success. You must develop and implement a strategic plan that includes both short-term and long-term strategies in order to succeed.
Short-term marketing strategies are those that bring you a temporary boost in traffic. Although these techniques are very important to your over-all plan, they are only a temporary traffic source and must not be solely relied upon.
Short-term marketing strategies include:
Purchasing Advertising
Although there are many forms of advertising that may be purchased on the Internet, the best form is ezine advertising. Consider purchasing sponsor ads within a publication that targets your specific audience.
For further information, read the article entitled, "Internet Marketing Strategies -- Purchasing Advertising." http://www.web-source.net/pur_advertising.htm
Forums (Discussion Boards)
Participating in forums that target your potential customer is a great way to share your expertise and make more sales. Although blatant advertising is prohibited, most forums will allow you to include your signature.
Search Engines
Listing your ebook's sales page with the top Search Engines and Directories will provide you with some additional traffic. However, ranking within the top twenty or thirty search results is very difficult. You may want to consider paying for a higher ranking. There are many Search Engines that will enable you to bid on keywords and pay a specified amount for each visitor you receive.
For further information, read the article entitled, "Internet Marketing Strategies -- Paying For Traffic." http://www.web-source.net/pay_traffic.htm
Long term marketing strategies are those that bring you a steady stream of targeted traffic over time. These strategies will continue to produce results even years down the road.
Long term marketing strategies include:
Opt-in List (Ezine)
An ezine, also known as an email magazine, online publication or opt-in list is simply a newsletter available via email and/or online.
Having your own publication will enable you to build a list of targeted potential customers.
For further information, read the article entitled, "Internet Marketing Strategies -- Building an Opt-in List." http://www.web-source.net/optin.htm
Free Trial
A great way to increase your ebook sales is to create a trial version of your ebook and freely distribute it. This will provide your potential customers with a sample of your ebook and encourage them to purchase the full version.
Articles
Writing articles is one of the most effective strategies you can use to increase your ebook sales. Write articles that target your potential customer and allow them to be freely published.
For further information, read the article entitled, "Write For Publicity."
http://www.web-source.net/write.htm
By creating and implementing a balanced marketing strategy, using both short-term and long-term strategies, you will increase your sales considerably.
To further increase your sales, list your ebook at various ebook sites.
Listing your ebook with a number of ebook sites will increase your sales considerably. Each site will pay you a specified percentage for each sale. This payment is known as a royalty. The royalties paid will vary at each site and will depend on your selling price and format.
No matter which ebook sites you choose make sure that you retain all of the rights to your ebook. This will enable you to sell your ebook wherever you'd like and not be limited to just one site.
Here are a few ebook sites to get you started:
InfoPost
http://www.infopost.com/
InfoPost will enable you to upload your ebook to their site, set your selling price, and provide a description of your ebook. They take care of the rest. They'll host and deliver your ebook and process your payments. They pay 80% royalties and you can withdraw your earnings in cash, use it for merchandise at their sites, or even donate it to your favorite charity. You retain all rights to your ebook.
BookLocker.com
http://www.booklocker.com/
Booklocker provides you with a web page for you to refer your customers. They handle all of the transactions and delivery. They pay 70% royalties on ebooks priced at $8.95 and higher and 50% royalties on ebooks priced lower than $8.95. You retain all the rights to your ebook. In addition, they offer of great print on demand option. They'll print your ebooks one at a time, accept payment and ship your book directly to your customer (usually within 48 hours). They pay 35% royalties on POD orders.
1st Books Library
http://www.1stbooks.com/
1st Books Library is an online publishing company that will turn your manuscript into an ebook formatted in PDF and a number of other formats. You retain all rights to your book. They provide your book with worldwide distribution and make it available in more than 25,000 bookstores such as Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com. They pay 100% royalties for ebooks up to the first $300 in sales and 40% thereafter. They pay 30% royalties for paperback and hardcover versions.
Take your time and plan your marketing strategy carefully. Track your response rates for each strategy and concentrate your efforts on the strategies that work the best for you. If you've developed a quality ebook and have followed the steps outlined within this series, you'll be well on your way to self- publishing your way to Internet success.
Copyright © Shelley Lowery
About the Author:
Shelley Lowery is the author of the acclaimed web design course, Web Design Mastery. http://www.webdesignmastery.com And, Ebook Starter - Give Your Ebooks the look and feel of a REAL book. http://www.ebookstarter.com Visit Web-Source.net to sign up for a complimentary subscription to Etips and receive a copy of the acclaimed ebook, "Killer Internet Marketing Strategies." http://www.web-source.net
Accepting Payment
Once you've completed your ebook and have taken the necessary steps to protect your work, your next step will be to set up an online payment system.
Don't let this process intimidate you, as it is much easier than you may think. There are many professional companies on the Internet that will assist you. If you'd like to get your own merchant account, you can do so right online. If you'd rather not have your own merchant account, there are companies online that will process your orders for you.
Merchant Accounts
If you decide to get your own merchant account, you will also need access to a secure server and a shopping cart system. A secure server will protect your customers information. A shopping cart system will provide your customer with a running total of what they have ordered and the total cost.
The following websites can provide you with a merchant account:
Total Merchant Services (TMS)
http://www.web-source.net/cgi-bin/web/jump.cgi?ID=2332
This outstanding company comes highly recommended by Corey Rudl -- author of the #1 selling online marketing course, "Insider Secrets to Marketing Your Business on the Internet."
The TMS Merchant account, for Internet transactions, will enable you to accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover. They offer two merchant processing software packages to choose from. The first package is the TotalPay powered by Authorize.Net Virtual Terminal. This package will enable you to authorize, process, and manage credit card transactions from any computer with an Internet connection and a Web browser. This package ordinarily runs $995, but for a limited time is being offered for only $397. The second package is the TotalPay powered by Authorize.Net Virtual Terminal that includes the Total Merchant Manager Shopping Cart. This package includes everything the first package includes, plus all of the following:
- Customizable Shopping Cart System
- UPS Shipping Module
- Links to Virtual Terminal
- Free Initial Installation
Their discount rate is 2.4% and $0.35 per transaction fee. Monthly fees include a $10 monthly statement fee and a $10 gateway fee that includes secure, online, real-time credit card and e-cheque processing and only applies to merchants processing transactions through their Internet payment gateway.
Third Party Credit Card Processors
If you'd rather not have your own merchant account, third party credit card processors will process your credit card orders for you. There are usually no monthly fees. They charge a "per transaction" fee and send you payment for all of your orders processed, minus their fee and a reserve fee. A reserve fee is withheld to cover any charge backs you may have. If you have no charge backs within a period of time, your reserve will be refunded to you. Each company has their own guidelines in regard to reserves.
The following websites will process credit card orders for you:
=> iBill [http://www.ibill.com/]
IBill will enable you to accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, JCB and online checks. They also offer a telephone billing service (900 toll phone number). There are no setup fees. They charge 12%-15% per transaction fee for credit card and check purchases and 20%-30% per transaction fee for phone purchases. Services available for US and non-US merchants.
=> PayPal
PayPal will enable any business or consumer with an email address to securely send and receive payments online. You can also accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover and electronic checks. You can sell with PayPal through an online auction, on your own website, or as part of an online marketplace. They also offer recurring billing. There are no setup fees. They charge 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction. Services available for US and non-US merchants.
=> ClickBank
ClickBank will enable you to accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, Eurocard, Visa-Debit, MasterCard-Debit, Novus cards and electronic checks.
They charge a one-time $49.95 activation fee, and a $1 + 7.5% fee per sale. There are no monthly fees. The great thing about this company is that they'll enable you to run an affiliate program. Services available for US and non-US merchants.
=> Revecom
Revecom will enable you to accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover and JCB credit cards in real-time. They also offer Check Processing in Real-time and recurring billing. There is a $49 set up fee. There are no monthly fees. They charge 3.95% + $1 fee per sale. Services available for US and non-US merchants.
=> 2Checkout.com
2Checkout.com enables you to accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover. They also offer recurring billing and a free shopping cart. There is a $49 set up fee. There are no monthly fees. They charge 5.5% + $0.45 fee per sale. Services available for US and non-US merchants.
If you're just starting out, you may want to use one of the third party credit card processors, as this is the easiest route. Each company provides you with step by step instructions to assist you in getting your web site set up to accept credit cards. The great thing about third party credit card processors is that they handle everything for you. You don't have to hassle with processing your credit card payments or charge backs, as all of this is taken care of for you.
In order to successfully sell your ebooks on the Internet, you must accept credit cards. In addition, you must make the ordering process as simple as possible. With today's technology, even the smallest home-based business can now accept credit credits almost instantly. Visit one of the web sites mentioned above and get your web site set up today. Your success depends on it.
Setting Up an Affiliate Program
When you begin marketing your ebook on the Internet, you can dramatically increase your sales with an affiliate program. An affiliate program will enable you to recruit an entire sales force to market your ebook for you. The great thing about having an affiliate program is that your affiliates work for you on a commission basis. They are paid a specified percentage for each sale they make. If they don't make any sales, they won't get paid.
The key to obtaining affiliates is to offer a nice commission for each sale. The higher the commissions, the more affiliates you'll recruit.
There are thousands of affiliate programs on the Internet. In order to be successful, you must sell your affiliate program just like your product. In other words, your affiliate letter should be written like a sales letter. You must persuade your visitors to join your affiliate program by packing your affiliate sales letter with benefits. Tell them exactly what your affiliate program will do for them, how much commission they will receive and make the sign-up process simple.
Setting Up Your Affiliate Program
When you're ready to set up your affiliate program, there are basically two options. The first option is to purchase an affiliate software program. Affiliate software will track your affiliate sales and enable your affiliates to view their stats. This option requires that you run your affiliate program and you are responsible for accepting payment and sending out commission checks.
The second option is to use a third party affiliate tracking company to run your affiliate program for you. These companies will track your affiliate sales, enable your affiliates to check their stats and send out commission checks for you.
Affiliate Tracking Software
AssocTRAC
http://www.web-source.net/cgi-bin/web/jump.cgi?ID=2333
Pro-TRACK
http://www.affiliatesoftware.net/
Affiliate Tracking Companies
ClickBank
http://www.web-source.net/cgi-bin/web/jump.cgi?ID=196
Commission Junction
http://www.commissionjunction.com/
Increasing Affiliate Sales
The key to developing a successful affiliate team is to keep your affiliates motivated. Set up an opt-in list to enable them to subscribe and receive new promotional methods, sales letters and articles to assist them in making more sales. This will not only increase their sales, but it will also enable you to keep in contact with your affiliates and introduce new products.
Nobody knows more about your ebook than you do. Set up a page on your web site and provide your affiliates with all of the promotional information they'll need to market your ebook. This information might include all of the following:
- Banners
- Sample ads
- Articles
- Reviews
- Sales letters
- Autoresponder courses
To further increase sales, create a sample or limited version of your ebook. This ebook should be used to intrigue and persuade your readers to purchase the full version. This can be accomplished by allowing your readers to only view a portion of your ebook. In order for them to gain full access to your ebook, they must purchase the password.
The key to using this technique successfully is to enable your affiliates to customize the sales links within the ebook with their affiliate information. This will provide your affiliates with a viral marketing tool that they can freely distribute and earn commissions for years to come.
Creating a Customizable Ebook
In order to create an ebook that can be customized by your affiliates, your ebook must be in HTML (EXE) format. In addition, you must have a special ebook compiler. This compiler will enable you to specify certain areas within your ebook that may be customized. When your affiliate downloads your ebook, they will also need to download an additional software that will be used to place their affiliate information within your ebook. There are very few compilers on the market that use this technology.
Here are two that I recommend:
Ebook Edit Pro
http://www.ebookedit.com/
Activ E-Book Compiler
(Recommended)
http://www.ebookcompiler.com/ (Free Trial Download Available)
Both of these compilers will enable you to create an ebook with customizable fields.
Developing your own affiliate program will not only enable you to increase your sales, but it will also drive targeted traffic to your web site. Even if your visitor decides not to purchase your ebook, they may be interested in some other products your web site offers.
Take your time and select the best affiliate option for your business. If you'd rather not take the time to run your affiliate program, you may want to use one of the third party affiliate companies. This is the easiest route and will enable you to concentrate on more important things -- like making more sales and writing new ebooks.
Designing Your Sales Page
Writing and designing a great ebook is an essential part of your success. However, it is only a small part of your overall strategy. In order to be successful, you must develop and implement a strategic plan that includes all of the following:
A great ebook
A web site specifically designed to sell
Persuasive ad copy written with passion, excitement and benefit
An easy ordering process
A powerful marketing strategy
Each step will play a very important role in your overall success. You must plan each step very carefully and develop your strategy to its fullest potential. If even one step fails, your sales will suffer.
Designing Your Sales Page
When you're ready to design your sales page, keep in mind, the most important part of your page is your sales copy. Fancy web sites and graphics don't make sales...words do.
Your sales page should have one specific purpose -- getting your potential customer to take action. It should be simple in design and focus on one specific product.
Design your page in standard HTML and avoid using Flash or anything that requires fancy plug-ins. You want your page to load as quickly as possible and draw your visitor's attention to your text.
Another consideration of great importance is the Search Engines. You must specifically design your page to rank high in the Search Engines. Including good META tags is a step in the right direction. However, META tags are only a small part of preparing a page for the Search Engines. Your page design, title, text, link text and image alt tags all play a very important role in determining how your page will rank. Visit Search Engine Watch to learn more. http://www.searchenginewatch.com/
If you'd like a head start on designing your sales page, you can find some free templates here: http://www.freesitetemplates.com/, and here: http://www.websitetemplates.com/
Writing Effective Sales Copy
Your words are the most important part of your entire marketing strategy. Every word, sentence and headline should have one specific purpose -- to lead your potential customer to your order page. Pack your copy with all of the benefits your ebook has to offer. Tell your potential customer exactly what your ebook will do for them. Identify a specific problem and promote your ebook as the solution. Write to persuade -- that's the bottom line.
Your sales letter should begin with a powerful headline that DEMANDS ATTENTION. This headline might be in the form of a question that identifies a problem, or it may be in the form of an intriguing statement. Your headline is the most important part of your entire sales copy. If it doesn't immediately grab your visitor's attention, they most likely won't read any further. Developing a great headline should take more time than writing your entire sales letter. It's that important.
Display your headline in a large, bold font that demands your potential customer's attention and intrigues them to read on.
In order to keep their attention, use subheadings (headlines) throughout your sales letter. Subheadings should provide highlights of each section and capture the attention of those who just scan your text. Display your subheading in a large, bold font.
When you begin writing your sales copy, write as if you were talking with just one person. Write your copy with passion and excitement and tell that one person exactly what your ebook will do for them. Write your words so that they seamlessly flow together from your beginning headline through to your order page.
Testimonials
In addition to using a killer headline and sales copy, you must also include some powerful testimonials. Make sure you don't create a separate page for your testimonials, as they most likely won't be read. Place your testimonials throughout your sales letter to ensure their visibility.
Free Bonuses
Another powerful tactic used to increase sales is to include free bonuses with the purchase of your ebook. Many times, you'll find that a customer will purchase your product just for the bonuses.
If you're in need of some great bonuses you can offer with your ebook, visit the following web address:
http://www.ebookstarter.com/ultimate/
Guarantee
Completely remove your potential customer's risk by including a money back guarantee. If they're not completely satisfied with your product, for any reason, you'll refund their money. Internet users are apprehensive when it comes to making purchases on the Internet. You must put their mind at ease by building their confidence in you and your products.
PostScript
The final part of your sales letter should include a PostScript. When your visitor scans your sales message, chances are, they'll read your headline, subheadings and your PostScript message. Place your most important benefits within your P.S. message. It will get read.
Take your time and develop your sales page to its fullest potential. It is an essential part of your success. You may have a great ebook, however, if your sales copy is poor, your sales will be minimal. A great sales page sells.
You have permission to publish this article electronically, in print, in your ebook or on your web site, free of charge, as long as the author bylines are included.
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