Internet Marketing For Writers & Businesses: [Book Marketing Expert] Facebook Marketing: How to Make the Most of the Latest Facebook Changes, Part 2 via @bookgal

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THE BOOK MARKETING EXPERT NEWSLETTER!

A newsletter all about SUCCESSFUL publishing and POWERFUL promotion.

June 7, 2012 Issue #274

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in this issue

-- Note From The Editor

-- Why Authors Shouldn't Respond to Bad Reviews

-- Feature Article: Facebook Marketing: How to Make the Most of the Latest Facebook Changes, Part 2

-- How To Sell Your Self-Published Book in Bookstores

-- AME Book Marketing Resources

-- Book Bits and Bites

-- Should You Take a Creative Writing Course?

-- Why Images Are Essential to Your Marketing

-- Listen to Powerful Book Promotion Made Easy

-- AME in the News

-- Hear What The Publishing Insiders Have to Say

-- The Beginner's Guide to LinkedIn

-- Webinar: Powerful Pinterest

-- Read Social Media Magazines - Compliments of AME!

-- 4 Steps to Making Your Own Book Trailer

-- Author Accolade: A Major Magazine Feature

-- Social Media Snippet: Spice Up Your Twitter

-- Social Media Snippet: Facebook Promotions - Know the Rules

-- Reader Tip!

-- WHO ARE WE

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Penny C. Sansevieri, Editor penny@amarketingexpert.com

Welcome to a new issue of THE BOOK MARKETING EXPERT NEWSLETTER.

You are receiving this newsletter compliments of Author Marketing Experts, Inc. To opt out, please scroll down to the bottom of this newsletter.

Note From The Editor

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Welcome to another issue of the Book Marketing Expert Newsletter!

Dear Author,

Welcome to another issue of the Book Marketing Expert Newsletter, we're so glad you're here. The AME team is in New York currently for BlogWorld and Book Expo America. It's a fantastic event and we're always so excited to be in this amazing city experiencing the wonderful excitement both of these events bring.

One of my favorite speakers, Amy Porterfield, is here teaching Facebook tips again and this week we have part two of her Facebook interview. She's always so gracious with her information, and we're pleased to have her back.

You know I always say what a packed issue we have, but this time it's even truer than ever. With everything from why authors shouldn't respond to a bad review, to Facebook tips, and an invite to a Pinterest webinar, we've got you covered. And don't forget to check out publishing news and the guest article, too.

If you're at BEA or BlogWorld, drop us a line, we'd love to say hi. If you're just here in spirit, we'll have a full update coming in our next issue so stay tuned!

Wishing you publishing success,

Penny, Paula, Amy and everyone at Author Marketing Experts, Inc.

Why Authors Shouldn't Respond to Bad Reviews

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No matter what, don't respond; you'll only hurt your reputation. Here's why: http://publicityhound.net/authors-why-you-shouldnt-respond-to-bad-book-reviews/

Feature Article: Facebook Marketing: How to Make the Most of the Latest Facebook Changes, Part 2

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Now that the Facebook changes have gone into effect, let's take a look at how you can maximize the "new" Facebook Pages. Back with us again is Amy Porterfield who will step us through some of the creative ways to boost your exposure and your page on Facebook.

Amy, now that we know we can use these fun applications, what are some marketing tips that folks can use to make the most of these?
Well, you can and should rename your applications. When you do, make sure there's a clear call to action, especially since the default welcome tabs have gone away, you can really use these to maximize your impact and get folks to sign up or whatever it is that you want them to do. You can also move these applications around.

So, how do you upload a custom thumbnail?
The first thing you want to do is collapse all of your applications so they all show up. And then, hover over the right corner of any of your applications and you'll get that little edit pencil that popped up when you moved the boxes around. Next, you'll get the drop down and you want to click on Edit Settings. Once you click on Edit Settings a box will pop-up here and you can add or remove the application, you can change the thumbnail image and you can name your application; like I said, put in a really good call to action - Enroll Now, Sign Up Here, Listen, or Watch or whatever you want to do.

How else can users customize their Fan Pages?
In the old layout we were able to use a default landing tab. Many of us used it as a default welcome tab where all non-fans would land before landing on our Wall. Now this option is gone. You can no longer set a default landing tab. However, the good news is that each custom app has its own unique URL so you can take that URL and then drive traffic from outside of Facebook into Facebook with that custom URL so they actually land on the tab you want them to land on.

Another way that I drive traffic to my applications is by designing a timeline cover image that draws the eye down to a specific custom app. For example, I used my Timeline cover to draw attention to a "Webinars" custom app. If someone clicks on my "Webinars" app what they'll see is an opt-in opportunity to sign up for my upcoming webinar. So it is essentially a lead generating opportunity.

Here's what's cool, in this instance I used a tool called Lujure and this tool allows you to pull in a web page outside of Facebook and have that function inside your custom tab on Facebook: http://www.amyporterfield.com/tool

So, other than the new Timeline cover image and no default landing tab, what else has changed? What are some tips for increasing Fan engagement?
With the new Pages rollout - first impressions really matter! The goal is to get people coming back for more. Having an impeccably branded Facebook page is important; it's got to look good in order to attract people's attention. That's where your cover image comes into play. Also, on your Wall, I encourage you to use more eye-catching images and video. Video especially is a great way to build authority and build a stronger relationship with your fans.

Tell us about some of the new features for building fan engagement?
There are some exciting new features, let me explain. First of all, there's something called Recent Posts by Others that is now on your new timeline. When someone writes on your wall or tags your page, posts are not always prominently displayed on your wall. It's really weird how they've done it now. Posts by others are actually grouped together. You want to go out of your way to make sure you answer any questions they have and respond to their comments. Remember to make it a habit to reach out to those who have commented on your page.

In addition to encouraging more engagement on your Facebook page, there are two really cool things that you can do with posts now. If you wanted to really draw attention to a post, what you could do is hover over the right corner of a post and you'll see a star and a little pencil. The little pencil is to edit the post; the star is to highlight it. Click that star and what happens is the post expands across the timeline. Instead of it being in one of the columns it takes up both columns. Now when people are scanning down your timeline that post that will stand out more than the other posts. This is a great thing to do with just a select few posts that you want to draw attention to and highlight.

The only problem with this is that as soon as you put up a new post, it will be pushed down on your wall. One way to keep a post at the top is to pin it. Pinned posts have a small, yellow ribbon in the right corner of the post - that's how you know it's pinned to the top of a Facebook Wall. Pinned posts allow you to feature your most important content at the very top of your wall. When you pin a post, it will stay there for 7 days and then Facebook will automatically unpin it.

Here are five quick Timeline strategies:
1) Make sure you create calls-to-action with your thumbnails and name your applications with strong words that encourage your fans to click on them, such as: Enroll, Watch Now, and Sign Up Here.
2) Be strategic with the three apps across the top - remember any Facebook page you go to, you'll see the Photos application and then three boxes next to it. Be strategic with those three applications because those are the ones that everyone will always see.
3) Make a mindset shift - start focusing on quality interactions, more engagement, more lead opportunities versus more likes.
4) Make your Timeline visually appealing (while invoking real action)! Choose words and graphics that will get your fans to pay attention.
5) Bonus Tip! Use Facebook Ads to drive traffic to your applications. Facebook ads can be very inexpensive and get you huge results when you experiment with them enough to really understand how they can work for your business.

How to Use Milestones
Milestones are basically Facebook's way of allowing us to highlight different important dates in our business. We have this on our profile, as well - where you can do a Milestone; let's say you had a baby, attended a class reunion, graduated college or something very significant has occurred; those are considered your personal Milestones. For your business though it might be a grand opening, notifying your customers when you earned your first dollar, or perhaps hosting a special event; things like that are Milestones in your business. You might want to list when something has been developed, all that good stuff!

What I love about this is if you're going to do a Milestone, make sure that you really take advantage of it. A Milestone appears across the page just like a highlighted image. See I've got the two columns below this but a Milestone stretches across the page, it is always there, it always stays stretched out across the page and it's a great way to allow people to understand how they can do business with you; what products you offer, types of services and how they can find out more about you. Take advantage of these Milestones whenever you have an opportunity to do so because they really allow you to get more exposure.

Getting More From The 'About' Section
Speaking of more engagement, I want you to optimize your About section. First let me go to that section so you know exactly what I'm talking about and then I'll come back here. Here we are on my Facebook page and the About section I'm referring to is right here. Where it says: Product/Service - Check out my latest training program FBinfluence with the link to it. That's the About section that everybody will have on their Facebook page.
There are a few things to take advantage of in this space. First, know that it varies by category, meaning I'm featuring a product or service but if you are a local business then your business will actually be the default and have information pulled in there for you; the name of your business, your location and your telephone number. If you want to get your website in there you have to delete the telephone number and then it will pull in the website. Just know for a local business it's a little different. For most everybody else, you'll get to type in the About section what you want placed there. When you do that you want to stay around 165 characters so nothing gets cut off. When it gets cut off then your hot link address won't work.
Let me give you some examples: First off, you want to remember to make it a call to action. Use that About section if you can as a way to call action to something specific. For me, I said: "Check out my latest training program, FBinfluence" with the link to it. Another thing is you can just explain what your company does re: Full service digital agency helping businesses evolve in the digital world - with a link to your website.

Amy Porterfield is the co-author of Facebook Marketing All-In-One for Dummies and a Social Media Strategist for entrepreneurs and small businesses. With 12+ years marketing experience, Amy has worked with mega brands like Harley-Davidson Motorcycles, along with Tony Robbins International where she oversaw his content marketing team and collaborated on multiple online marketing campaigns. She currently creates online programs to teach entrepreneurs and small businesses how to leverage social media to gain greater exposure, attract quality leads and turn their fans and followers into loyal customers. To learn more about Facebook and social media for your business, check out Amy's blog: http://www.amyporterfield.com

How To Sell Your Self-Published Book in Bookstores

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Learn how you can sell your book at some independent bookstores around the country: http://workflowwriting.com/664811/how-to-sell-your-self-published-book-in-bookstores.php

AME Book Marketing Resources

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Put AME in your circles on Google+ at: https://plus.google.com/u/0/117877257839352379062/.

"Like" our Facebook Page for marketing articles and tips, YouTube videos from our book marketing channel, notices about upcoming webinars, Publishing Insider shows, and more: http://www.facebook.com/bookmarketingame.

Need book marketing content? Visit the articles page on our AME website and you'll find a range of articles by Penny, which may be used along with her byline (provided at the top of the page) at no cost. The complete list is at: http://www.amarketingexpert.com/articles/.

Watch "How to Accelerate Your Social Media" with Arnie Kuenn and much more on AME's Book Marketing Channel on YouTube. New videos are added regularly to keep you up to date on all things book marketing! http://www.youtube.com/user/BookmarketingAME.

Book Bits and Bites

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* Get Ready to Read - The summer books preview from USA Today: http://www.usatoday.com/_common/_noflash/_horizontal-immersive/20120522-summerbookspreview/index.htm

* Self-Publishing Stats - 'Under 10% of authors earn a living:' http://www.thebookseller.com/news/self-publishing-under-10-authors-earn-living.html

* Who Knew? - Everyday words that were invented by famous authors: http://www.flavorwire.com/291507/everyday-words-that-were-invented-by-famous-authors

* Publishing Know-How - How a book is born: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/15/book-publishing-infographic_n_1518948.html

Should You Take a Creative Writing Course?

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Most authors exploring a book marketing website won't be thinking about the merits of a creative writing course. Aren't you beyond all that? If your book is in its tenth draft, if you've got your cover design chosen, your blurb written, your marketing under development - aren't you beyond learning the ABCs of writing?

Well, maybe. I used to think so. I should say that I'm a working writer myself. I've been published by HarperCollins, Random House, Bloomsbury and others. I've had novels become bestsellers and others make prize-shortlists. I've been published most places that matter between Japan and New York - so I've been around the block. I'm not a newbie any more.

But the notion of a creative writing course isn't so foolish, all the same. For one thing, most writers just charge in to their first novel. I did. Bash your first draft out on a laptop convinced you're Dan Brown / Stephen King / Nora Roberts / Jonathan Franzen. Mess around with it, trying to get the darn thing into some kind of shape. Send it off to a literary agent. Hope you get lucky. (And I did.)

Yet somewhere along the way, you realise that although you might have got one published, you never actually learned how to write a novel. Your first book worked, if it did, through inspiration, but that rush of creativity won't always be there. And one day - quite likely some day soon - you'll run into a creative problem that you don't know how to solve.

At that point, you need technique. You actually need to know the ABCs of writing. If a plot isn't quite working out, you need a set of tools that will help you analyse the problem, identify the core issue and fix it. Sure, inspiration is an indispensible ingredient of any great writing, but technique is there to support, not replace, that original creative impulse.

Or take another issue: prose style. I'll bet that you still write today in more or less the same way as you did when you first picked up a pen. You'll have tightened up, got better at avoiding cliché, been more economical with your words - but I'll bet you still sound the same. That might be because you just happened on a great style when you first started writing. Or it might be because you cling, like a limpet to a rock, to the very first thing you got to work. You want to guess which of those two options is the more common?

And those really are the two reasons why existing writers might want to think about learning, from scratch, how to write a novel. You do it to build technique, to give you a set of tools that will halve the time it takes you to get your work right. Measured out over, quite possibly, an entire career of writing, that saving of effort could be enormous.

And the second reason is that a course offers you a 'safe play' area. You can try stuff on a course you wouldn't have the nerve to do for real. Try different styles. Push yourself. Experiment. Imitate. Mix things up. You wouldn't want to start a whole novel like that, but if you scribble out a short story on a course that really excites you - well, that excitement could possibly be the start of something big.

In terms of which course to pick, I'm a massive fan of online writing courses. They slot into your ordinary life and your ordinary working rhythms without having to disrupt a thing. If you need plenty of time for a particular exercise, working online will give you more freedom to take that time than you'd have if you were sat in a classroom. And naturally, the quality of a writing course depends a lot on its students. If a class fills its places by choosing from a narrow geographic location, you're at risk of not being sufficiently challenged and extended by those you're with.

Like countless authors, I've ended up running my career backwards. Launching myself with my first novel, taking time to figure out that I didn't know what I was doing, picking stuff up piecemeal along the way. And life doesn't have to be like that. You could actually choose to do things in the right order. Get your skills, launch your career, build from there. It's funny how much simpler that would be.

Harry Bingham runs the Writers' Workshop, http://www.writersworkshop.co.uk/, which offers a variety of online creative writing courses, including a how to write a novel course.

Why Images Are Essential to Your Marketing

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Six powerful reasons why images are important in marketing! (Are you using images in your blog?) http://www.jeffbullas.com/2012/05/28/6-powerful-reasons-why-you-should-include-images-in-your-marketing-infographic/

Listen to Powerful Book Promotion Made Easy

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Sign up for AME's podcasts on iTunes, covering everything from book marketing and promotion to the latest Publishing Insiders show: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/powerful-book-promotion-made/id139245590

AME in the News

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* Kellie Gardner interviewed Penny for her blog, and they discussed Red Hot Internet Publicity: http://kelliegardner.com/the-hottest-ways-to-promote-your-book-on-the-internet-are-revealed/

* Smart Author Sites includes a tip from Penny in "10 Creative Ways to Build Buzz About Your Book:" http://www.smartauthorsites.com/authorsblog/2012/05/10-creative-ways-to-build-buzz-about-your-book/

* Keep up with Penny's latest articles for Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/penny-c-sansevieri

Hear What The Publishing Insiders Have to Say

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Be in the know and hear what the publishing insiders: Penny Sansevieri, CEO of Author Marketing Experts, Inc. - and her guests - offer in terms of tips and insights into the industry! Listen here. Publishing Insiders is now available on iTunes, so you can keep up with the show wherever you go!

Upcoming show:

What's Going on With Google Updates? on Tuesday, June 12 at 4 p.m. Pacific: Special Guest Susan Gilbert

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thepublishinginsiders/2012/06/12/whats-going-on-with-google-updates

Have you heard of Google Panda? The update was meant to give Google's algorithm more integrity by giving lower ranking to sites that repurpose content in favor of sites that produce high-quality, original content. Since then, Google has continued to tweak its algorithm, and we've invited Search Engine Optimization Expert Susan Gilbert to talk about the changes and what they mean to you.
About our guest: An entrepreneur since 1987, Susan Gilbert has evolved years of traditional business experience into several cutting edge projects, which includes her Web 2.0 Internet Business. As co-author of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Starting and Running a Coffee Bar," she understands book promotion and has also been a regularly quoted resource in USA Today, Entrepreneur, Inc Magazine and many more.

Shows available for download include:

* No Money Out of Pocket: Shooting Your Book to Stardom
* Secrets to Creating Book Titles That Sell
* How to Create a Brand-Building Buzz with Media
* Book Reviews: Do You Need Them?
* Special Guest Amy Porterfield on The New Facebook Page
* All Things Pinterest
* "Like" My Stuff
* Secrets to Creating Children's Book Apps
* Lead Without Followers with Dave Ursillo
* Facebook Facts from Social Media Expert Mari Smith
* Special Guest Mike Stelzner on social media marketing
* Special Guest Amy Porterfield on Facebook Marketing
* Special Guest Chris Brogan on Google+
* How and Where to Sell Your Self-Published Book
* Speaker Tips for Authors
* How to Get Your Book Reviewed
* The Future of Author Events
* What Authors Must Know About Book Cover Design
* SPECIAL GUEST Seth Godin: Poke the Box
* Smart Self-Publishing: Why Book Design & Editing Matter
* Smart Self-Publishing: Making Money with eBooks
* Smart Self-Publishing Series: Becoming Your Own Publisher

The Beginner's Guide to LinkedIn

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LinkedIn has become a powerful networking tool. Learn how to get the most from the site: http://mashable.com/2012/05/23/linkedin-beginners/

Webinar: Powerful Pinterest

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Is Pinterest more powerful than Facebook? When it comes to marketing, many think so!

You've probably heard of Pinterest, but beyond a few glimpses at the site (and the great photography pinned there) you may not have spent that much time - or had that much time - to spend on the site.

This presentation led by Penny Sansevieri on Wednesday, June 13 at 2 p.m. EST / 11 a.m. PST will show you not only the basics of using Pinterest, but how to use the site to build some great visibility for your book using some incredibly easy tools!

You'll discover:
* Tips for setting up a Pinterest page that will get followers
* Pinterest boards you must have
* How to use keywords and hashtags on your boards
* How one simple image can get hundreds of links to your blog or website
* The kinds of images that will get you the best results
* How to measure whether Pinterest is working for you
* Got video? How you can supercharge your message using video on Pinterest

This webinar is available only to Authors Academy Gold members and higher. All Authors Academy members will have access to the recording of the webinar and will be able to participate in the exclusive members-only Q&A discussion the following week.

Not a Gold member already? To claim your spot alongside the world's most forward-thinking authors and get instant access to the four-webinar series, "Secrets of Highly Paid, Highly Successful Authors," as well as full access to this month's presentation, go to: http://www.authorsacademy.com/join

Read Social Media Magazines - Compliments of AME!

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Read Penny's interview with bestselling author David Meerman, who offers insights into getting the most out of social media: http://socialmediamags.com/google_magazine/april-may-2012?promo=ame

Get your free copies of Social Media Magazines, compliments of Author Marketing Experts:

http://socialmediamags.com/emails/customs?promo=ame

4 Steps to Making Your Own Book Trailer

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Book trailers can be great promotional tools - when you know what you're doing. Ask these questions before you proceed: http://selfpublishingteam.com/4-steps-to-making-your-own-book-trailer/

Author Accolade: A Major Magazine Feature

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Congratulations to author Robbye Schroeder - the June 5 issue of Inside Weddings will feature her book "Managing the Marriage Purse" in its Discoveries section.

Social Media Snippet: Spice Up Your Twitter

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Discover how you can liven up your tweets: http://socialmediatoday.com/excelamktg/512425/give-get-how-spice-your-twitter

Social Media Snippet: Facebook Promotions - Know the Rules

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Facebook allows you to run contests if you have a business page. But make sure you know the rules; otherwise, Facebook could take your page down: http://socialmediatoday.com/genevieve-lachance/512417/facebook-promotions-know-rules

Reader Tip!

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If you've got a Reader Tip you'd like to share, please send it to penny@amarketingexpert.com with the subject line "reader tip." Submissions should be 75 words or less.

WHO ARE WE

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Author Marketing Experts, Inc. is a full-service book marketing, promotion, and publicity company. We serve authors at all stages of marketing and promotion. We offer a full range of packages and services to choose from.

To see a price list or schedule a free consultation, send your e-mail to penny@amarketingexpert.com with the subject line "Author Services Info." You can also visit our website at www.amarketingexpert.com.

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