Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Free online promo, either it sucks or I suck at it--veinglory
I am half way through May. First here is what I have done. Suggestions for more things to try very welcome. In fact desperately needed.
Now some people may Google the book. But whenever I could give a link it was to my blog, which was up 'til now pretty inactive with less than ten hits a day. This is what I have done so far:
Feature on my blog, Spottt ad, cover swap with Shelley Munro, joined entrecard, joined AuthorsDen, updated DeviantArt page, joined Red Room, promoted at the AbsoluteWrite forum in various ways, put a coverspot on the main EREC website, featured the book on my own website index page, listed at bloggitizer and blogdirectory.org, changed avatar and sig line at romance divas, posted to the homopromo yahoogroup, featured the book on my librarything page.
Here are the unique visitors to my blog in May:
1) entrecard.com 253, entrecard.s3.amazonaws.com 183--This ad system is based partially on traffic exchange. So this looks good but I don't know.
2) blogger.com 62
3) erecsite.com 33
4) (direct) 26
5) podpeep.blogspot.com 10
6) spottt.com 9
7) wwforums.com 7--weird, I haven't visited this site in months
9) google 11
10) catauniversity.com 5
11) dietpulpit.com 5 (via entrecard)
12) blogdirectory.org.uk 4 (found via entrecard)
13) samhainpublishing.com 4
14) shelleymunro.com 4 (cover exchange)
15) absolutewrite.com 3 (probably my new sig line)
16) emilyveinglory.livejournal.com 3
17) gadgets.gotoscience.com 2
18) monicajackson.com 2
19) typepad.com 2
20) virtualme.110mb.com 2
...then a bunch that gave 1 click, mainly blogs I found via entrecard and some old blog directories I joined ages ago.
My conclusion so far is as that I haven't achieved much. If you reckon maybe one sale for every hundred clicks that would mean maybe 6 sales. But traffic exchange clicks generally have to be discounted so that would suggest maybe 3. We'll see at the end of the month. The goal for it to be worthwhile is 20. So I need a few good ideas here! ¶ posted at 6:11 PM by Emily Veinglory
I am half way through May. First here is what I have done. Suggestions for more things to try very welcome. In fact desperately needed.
Now some people may Google the book. But whenever I could give a link it was to my blog, which was up 'til now pretty inactive with less than ten hits a day. This is what I have done so far:
Feature on my blog, Spottt ad, cover swap with Shelley Munro, joined entrecard, joined AuthorsDen, updated DeviantArt page, joined Red Room, promoted at the AbsoluteWrite forum in various ways, put a coverspot on the main EREC website, featured the book on my own website index page, listed at bloggitizer and blogdirectory.org, changed avatar and sig line at romance divas, posted to the homopromo yahoogroup, featured the book on my librarything page.
Here are the unique visitors to my blog in May:
1) entrecard.com 253, entrecard.s3.amazonaws.com 183--This ad system is based partially on traffic exchange. So this looks good but I don't know.
2) blogger.com 62
3) erecsite.com 33
4) (direct) 26
5) podpeep.blogspot.com 10
6) spottt.com 9
7) wwforums.com 7--weird, I haven't visited this site in months
9) google 11
10) catauniversity.com 5
11) dietpulpit.com 5 (via entrecard)
12) blogdirectory.org.uk 4 (found via entrecard)
13) samhainpublishing.com 4
14) shelleymunro.com 4 (cover exchange)
15) absolutewrite.com 3 (probably my new sig line)
16) emilyveinglory.livejournal.com 3
17) gadgets.gotoscience.com 2
18) monicajackson.com 2
19) typepad.com 2
20) virtualme.110mb.com 2
...then a bunch that gave 1 click, mainly blogs I found via entrecard and some old blog directories I joined ages ago.
My conclusion so far is as that I haven't achieved much. If you reckon maybe one sale for every hundred clicks that would mean maybe 6 sales. But traffic exchange clicks generally have to be discounted so that would suggest maybe 3. We'll see at the end of the month. The goal for it to be worthwhile is 20. So I need a few good ideas here! ¶ posted at 6:11 PM by Emily Veinglory
Comments:
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1. MySpace. If you really work it, you'd be surprised at how many hits you'll generate.
2. Yahoo! Lists. I belong to a couple hundred - LOL. Become a regular participator on a few, and hit the others with announcement emails (they all have PROMO rules...make sure you follow them) any time you have any news/updates/new releases.
3. Work the Internet. Comment on blogs, etc. and always leave a link back to your site.
4. Forums - same deal. Participate and link back.
5. Network with more fellow authors. Guest blogs, book cover exchanges, etc. Do link-exchanges. All this stuff will will increase your ranking with the search engines.
6. New content. Give them a reason to visit and keep coming back.
I'm working on a booklet that'll cover all this stuff, and MUCH more, in detail. I'll be handing it out to all new Noble Romance authors. Be happy to send you one, Emily, when it's finished.
Jill
2. Yahoo! Lists. I belong to a couple hundred - LOL. Become a regular participator on a few, and hit the others with announcement emails (they all have PROMO rules...make sure you follow them) any time you have any news/updates/new releases.
3. Work the Internet. Comment on blogs, etc. and always leave a link back to your site.
4. Forums - same deal. Participate and link back.
5. Network with more fellow authors. Guest blogs, book cover exchanges, etc. Do link-exchanges. All this stuff will will increase your ranking with the search engines.
6. New content. Give them a reason to visit and keep coming back.
I'm working on a booklet that'll cover all this stuff, and MUCH more, in detail. I'll be handing it out to all new Noble Romance authors. Be happy to send you one, Emily, when it's finished.
Jill
I read your blog via the RSS feed so you won't see any click-through from me. I use Bloglines and it shows that you have 13 subscribers on the Bloglines site alone. Google Reader is another widely used RSS reader. I'm sure you have more viewers over there. That's not even counting people who read feeds through browser or email add-ons. Click-through count might not be an accurate gauge of your readership since RSS viewers are getting your posts passively.
As long as promo doesn't get in the way of your writing, it can't hurt to keep your name out there. :D I saw you posted comments at SBTB! I looked through your list of site referrers and I haven't visited any of those. But, honestly, I don't think I have actively visited a publisher or author website in over a year unless the comments were all esploding with kerfluffle goodness and I wanted to see what was up.
Dae
P.S. I own ten of your books. :D
As long as promo doesn't get in the way of your writing, it can't hurt to keep your name out there. :D I saw you posted comments at SBTB! I looked through your list of site referrers and I haven't visited any of those. But, honestly, I don't think I have actively visited a publisher or author website in over a year unless the comments were all esploding with kerfluffle goodness and I wanted to see what was up.
Dae
P.S. I own ten of your books. :D
Jill, when it comes to this sort of thing I need all the help I can get. On this blog I am happy. the goal of EREC is overall a sensible and helpful one. My personal blog however was dying the death because even I am nbot that interested in me.
Dae, I love you already, of course. I am out there omn the internet being a general web-addict. But the issue of pushing a specific title is harder for me. And so,e of the poor bakclist darlin's are languishing a little (ones without vamps and weres, for the most part).
Dae, I love you already, of course. I am out there omn the internet being a general web-addict. But the issue of pushing a specific title is harder for me. And so,e of the poor bakclist darlin's are languishing a little (ones without vamps and weres, for the most part).
p.s. tryong to get the banner on this blog to work properly is driving me crazy. Anyone know how to do that?
A note about this: ". Yahoo! Lists. I belong to a couple hundred - LOL. Become a regular participator on a few, and hit the others with announcement emails (they all have PROMO rules...make sure you follow them) any time you have any news/updates/new releases.
"
I would be careful about spamming Yahoo! lists. I had a conversation with another author (far better seller than I) and we both agree that it does make the spammer look bad. In fact, not only did I put Topaz Promotions in my junk mail listing, but most of those authors went on my "do not buy list" because of the horrid spamminess of the Topaz emails. That, and posting promo repeatedly during a list mom day. I tend to be harsh on those offenders, epseically repeat ones.
The consensus was if you could play on your publisher loops, your own loops, and a few others, that was great. But otherwise be very careful about mass emailing Yahoo groups.
I see this in some of the other groups I'm on too (mostly WAHM groups.) My spam filter gets a workout, and to say I'm not impressed with those companies is to say the least.
Sorry!!! I think it's great what you're doing here... just make sure to write! :)
"
I would be careful about spamming Yahoo! lists. I had a conversation with another author (far better seller than I) and we both agree that it does make the spammer look bad. In fact, not only did I put Topaz Promotions in my junk mail listing, but most of those authors went on my "do not buy list" because of the horrid spamminess of the Topaz emails. That, and posting promo repeatedly during a list mom day. I tend to be harsh on those offenders, epseically repeat ones.
The consensus was if you could play on your publisher loops, your own loops, and a few others, that was great. But otherwise be very careful about mass emailing Yahoo groups.
I see this in some of the other groups I'm on too (mostly WAHM groups.) My spam filter gets a workout, and to say I'm not impressed with those companies is to say the least.
Sorry!!! I think it's great what you're doing here... just make sure to write! :)
# posted by 
: 3:51 AM
: 3:51 AM
I totally agree with Anonymous. Be careful with the lists. Definitely read the group's policy on posting promos, and adhere to their rules. If you're not sure, write the list owner and ask. I've done that plenty of times, and most often, I get a really kind response. And like I said before, pick a few and become a regular contributor to the conversations.
Emily, your personal blog doesn't have to be all about personal things. You could post helpful hints (on almost anything), surveys, contests, etc. Here again, the lists come in handy. Send a brief post to the lists when you're running a contest, survey, etc. and ask people to come over to your blog and participate and/or give their opinion. On the Internet, promo is best when it's interactive. :-)
Emily, your personal blog doesn't have to be all about personal things. You could post helpful hints (on almost anything), surveys, contests, etc. Here again, the lists come in handy. Send a brief post to the lists when you're running a contest, survey, etc. and ask people to come over to your blog and participate and/or give their opinion. On the Internet, promo is best when it's interactive. :-)
I am also an RSS reader. One of the ways you can get people to actually come to your sight from RSS is if you shorten your post with more under a link. So we have to go to your site to see the rest of the article.
one of the sites that does this that I religiously follow is www.smartbitchestrashybooks.com if you want to look at how they do it.
one of the sites that does this that I religiously follow is www.smartbitchestrashybooks.com if you want to look at how they do it.
However, I'm one of those people who are less likely to read an article if I have to click through. So I think that read-more option cuts both ways.
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