The Day of Education got off to a rousing start Monday morning with Cindy Ratzlaff of Brand You Marketing presenting "19 ‘Money Spots' to Promote and Sell Your Book on Facebook and Other Secret Strategies" in PowerPoint to an audience of approximately 200, many of them authors and self-publishers. "The goal is to help the people likely to buy your book find you," she said, explaining that while some of her strategies might seem insignificant, when conducted in tandem, they could have "breathtaking results."
Many of Ratzlaff's 19 strategies emphasized using apps and images in promoting one's business on Facebook. Noting that Facebook users can install up to 12 apps on the bottom of pages, Ratzlaff urged the audience to "take advantage of the real estate" available to them on Facebook by creating customized apps. "You can put your entire Web site under an app," she said, "People can purchase a book without leaving Facebook." Facebook's new Timeline feature with its integrated apps and milestones was also recommended for heightened visibility, as was Facebook's targeted advertising program, in which ads can even be placed on one's competitor's fan pages.
It's essential to engage one's fans, to interact with them, Ratzlaff explained, in order to not just capture their attention, but also their loyalty. "Create the illusion and the reality for your fans that they're part of your insider club, you love them more than you love anyone else." She advised creating an Avatar that would capture the essence of one's brand, as Facebook users who "like" a fan page don't always return to that page. "The only time they'll see your content is in their newsfeeds," she noted. Fans must interact with a fan page within two weeks for content to appear in their newsfeeds. Ratzlaff suggested that authors and others should ask questions of fans and regularly post provocative images, in order to maintain interest. "Talk to everyone who talks to you, answer every question, and respond to everyone by name," she said, to build up a fan base of "evangelists."
While she focused upon Facebook, Ratzlaff also praised Twitter as an effective tool in book promotion, suggesting that authors use both Facebook and Twitter in a "digital marketing circle" to promote themselves and build up their fan base. "You want people who are interested in you to be able to find you on the social platform they prefer," she said, "It is your responsibility as an author to keep yourself as visible as possible."
