SCBWI NYC: Market Yourself!

My first session of the SCBWI NYC conference was with Jenn Bailey on The Real Deal About Viral Marketing and Promotion. For the most obvious reasons, these are important things to know if you're looking to publish a book--or even to build a blog following! Without further ado, here are Jenn's tips on Viral Marketing and Promotion.

Four Goals:
- Pass on a message
- Increase brand awareness
- Increase product sales
- Generate word-of-mouth

Jenn used Paul Revere as an example of someone who used viral marketing successfully. Historically, three men spread the news that the British were coming, but everyone remembers him. In his case, the man made the message.

Things we can learn from Paul Revere's success:

1. Build community.
- Where else do your interests lie? That’s your community too.
- Make connections. Kids, librarians, writers, dancers, agents, nerds, indy bookstores, editors, geeks, authors, parents, teachers, comic book fans.

2. Create a “Call to Action”
- Use an easy, basic message – it may change slightly, but it’s ok as long as it comes to the same end
- Relinquish control. You're depending on others to forward your message in their own way.
- Plant in fertile soil

3. Encourage conversation and sharing.
- Use embedded links
- Respond and encourage people who express interest in helping you or wanting to know you

4. Have some sort of reward.
- Doesn't have to be monetary.

5. Give 'em a sequel
- You have their attention, you can’t leave them hanging.

Jenn cited Cynthia Liu, Neil Gaiman, John Green, and Tammi Sauer as examples of modern Paul Reveres.

BUT...
Sometimes it doesn’t work.
WHAT CAN GO WRONG:
If you... don’t listen to your audience. Don’t respond to your audience. Make it too difficult to follow/participate. Or something else out of your control might get in the way and pull your audience away from you. (For example, an event that captures the nation's attention for a period of time.)

TO HELP YOU SUCCEED:
- Get into the right mindset. Know that you can set it up, but it might not go viral.
- Be patient – building your social media reputation takes time.
- Be a friend to get a friend. Be 80% about others, 20% about you. ASK for love! But earn it.
- Know your audience.
- Beware of TMI (too much information). Jenn advises, “Think twice, Tweet (or blog) once.”
- Be yourself – everyone else is taken.
- Listen to your “Jedi Council.”

Want more Jenn?
Website: http://www.jennbailey.com/, http://www.thesociallites.com/
Twitter: www.twitter.com/jennbailey
Email: jenn@thesociallites.com

Stay tuned for even more SCBWI NYC goodness!

Previous conference posts:
Networking night one.
Our first vlog!
Libba Bray's speech on Writing As an Extreme Sport - and Going Bovine CONTEST!