Marketing Idea Shop

How Do I Get Advertisers for My Mail-Order Book Catalog?

Recently, Toni from Beaconhill Books Catalogue, asked for this help: "I circulate a book catalogue by mail displaying ads from self- and small-press published authors and writer-related businesses. These same ads are also published FREE on my website. I have trouble getting enough authors/advertisers signed up to finance the mailing. I would love some tips on how to achieve this. I have been on list-servs for self-published authors for the last couple of years. Thanks for whatever advice you can share."

Joan Stewart, The Publicity Hound writes: You must explain the benefits of advertising with you. Here are ways to do that:

--> In your catalogue, include testimonials from ad buyers who have gotten great results from their ads. Tell them to be specific when offering testimonials. How much more did they sell as a result of the ad? And be sure to use their real names and where they're from. Anonymous testimonials are worthless.
--> Include a sales page at your website listing all the benefits of advertising in your catalogue. How many people does it reach? Are they decision-makers? What kinds of products and services do they buy?
--> What's the benefit of the catalogue? Does it simply list books for sale? Or does it also include great free content that will help the catalogue readers solve a particular problem? Once the catalogue becomes more valuable to the readers, they will start paying more attention to the ads.

And Lois offers this...Authors and publishers often have little money to spend on advertising, but they are willing to do it if the return looks like it will be worth it. I have a few ideas for you.

==> Create a contest with the grand prize a high-value advertising package. Publicize it to your in-house list, through other ezines, and on PRWeb .
==> Get to know other companies whose target market is the same as yours. Create a creative, joint marketing effort.
==> Start doing a one-topic (therefore, not too burdensome) ezine (opt-in, of course) and promote your book catalogue in each issue.
==> Create an announcement of your soon-to-be published catalogue and submit it to Dan Poynter for inclusion in his newsletter.
==> Advertise in ezines that have a similar target market.
==> Get to know Annie Jennings, Dan Janal and other PR consultants who work specifically with authors and publishers.
==> Create a compelling direct-mail postcard campaign and send it to small publishers.
==> Attend tradeshows that small publishers and authors attend. Get on a speaking panel, if possible.You can also learn lots of ways to help you improve your selling by reading the ebook I wrote with Jim Wilson, "Sales Success! Strategies for Women." Click on the link and read more about it or download it and be learning new ideas in just minutes.

posted by Lois Carter Fay @ 2:58 PM