5 Things Long-term Marketing Isn't...

Note: This is but one marketer's humble, non-sugarcoated opinion. ;)

...about inflated numbers.

Don’t pour all of your time and energy into getting thousands of superficial likes and followers. Why? Because it’s better to focus on authentic relationships—built one reader, writer, or industry professional at a time.

“But Carrie, thousands of suddenly-acquired likes will get me more exposure to sell my books!”

 

Maybe. Or maybe they’ll turn off your notifications after they enter XYZ giveaway. Maybe they’ll accept your friend request, and then put you on a restricted list. Maybe they only sign on to Facebook or Twitter twice a month. Maybe they only check a certain follower list on TweetDeck. Maybe you’ll solicit-spam them to the point that they vow to never read your books, because that follower drive reeked of desperation.

Who knows.

The point is it's okay to spend time on social media, it's okay to add follow options to your giveaways, but remember: Instantly inflated numbers won’t help anything but your ego. You have to nurture those relationships, or else the numbers are useless.

...annoying the hell out of everyone on Facebook.

Speaking of spam, it’s not always direct. Imagine you belong to eighteen Facebook groups: a few that welcome book promotions, several intended to connect authors with reviewers, some specific to your genre, and a couple about your niche market. Good for you.

But if you’re plastering the walls of those groups with half-assed book teasers and promo pics, news of your latest giveaway, review pleas, unsolicited excerpts, and sale information several times a week... guess what? In our circles, group membership tends to overlap. The same people will see your advertisements clogging their newsfeed over and over again, each and every week.

You’re tainting your work. Cheapening it. Yes, it may get you a sales bump in the short term, but it is not helping your brand. Everything in moderation, my friends.

...assembling a spam squad under the guise of a street team.

A good street team has a manageable number of (typically hand-chosen) members. They work together with specific, reach-extending goals and guidelines. If an author creates one with the sole purpose of assembling a concentrated army of marketing minions, they're doing it wrong. 

Let these words describe and govern your actions: strategic, positive, resilient, and patient.

...reactive.

A tactic that works for one of your friends may not be a good fit for you. Take everything into account—category, genre, following, etc.—and decide whether or not this will impact your sales and/or standing in a positive way. Three years down the road, will you be glad you spent time and money on this? Are you just mimicking someone else’s efforts, when you could you think of a better idea or adaptation?

Don’t stay two steps behind everyone, just because you’re waiting to see what they'll do next.

...a race.

You don’t have to roll out every marketing idea right now. Give each strategy a chance to fly or fall before you move on to the next one. Take notes. Adjust your approach. Keep pressing forward. ;)

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Question of the Week: Do you have any marketing tips (or peeves) to share?

Have a great week! ♥