Book Marketing with Social Media

Interview with Social Media Marketing Expert: Scott Meyer of 9 Clouds

Posted on October 17, 2011 by Kelly Schuknecht

On Mondays I post an interview with a social media marketing expert. My blog focuses on using social media to promote books (particularly self-published books), and I believe authors can really learn a lot about successful social networking by following the experts.

This week we meet Scott Meyer, COO of 9 Clouds. You can read all about Scott and the 9 Clouds ”mediarologists” here: http://9clouds.com/mediarologists/

KS: Tell me about your company – how it was created and what you do.

SM: 9 Clouds was created when my brother John and I were home on Easter break. I was living and working in Norway at the time while he was in Minneapolis. When we arrived home our mom wanted to order pizza and started flipping through the phone book. We just looked at each other in amazement and knew that she needed help using technology…and if she needed help there were probably thousands like her who could make their lives easier with technology.

With the goal of improving what we call “digital literacy,” 9 Clouds was born. We now teach businesses to effectively use technology through an online educational product called DigSandbox.com, one-on-one trainings and corporate workshops and the creation and implementation of inbound marketing strategies.

KS: Who do you feel can benefit from a social media marketing strategy?

SM: Any business that feels the stress of time and wants measureable results can benefit from a social media marketing strategy. By identifying who the ideal customer is, businesses can focus their online efforts to attract the greatest number of customers with the least amount of investment in terms of time and money. You wouldn’t start calling people on the phone promoting your company if you didn’t know who you were talking to. The same applies online.

KS: How long have you been blogging and what is the primary focus of your blog?

SM: I have been personally blogging since 2003 when I traveled to Tanzania. Since that time I have been blogging on a variety platforms. We started a business blog as soon as 9 Clouds began, and we focus on inspiring and educating our readers to push their frontiers in business, learning and travel.

We provide a number of free educational tools for those looking to teach themselves more about digital technology and hope to encourage readers to dream big personally and professionally and use a little digital literacy to help them realize those dreams.

KS: What is your favorite social networking site? Why?

SM: I love LinkedIn because it cuts the noise out of social media and provides me contact with the decision-makers that can become my customers.

KS: What is your #1 piece of advice for social networking newbies?

SM: Think about how you best express yourself. Is it through the written word? Are you an out-going person that’s great in front of a camera? Through photos? Your preferred method of communication might point to the social network that will work best for you. If it’s writing, probably a blog. Good with a camera, try YouTube. Like photos, Instagram or Flickr might be the place. Want to have conversations online just like you do in your store, try Facebook. Knowing what you enjoy and are best at will help you avoid feeling overwhelmed or out of place on a social network.

To find out more about Scott Meyer and 9 Clouds, visit:

Website: http://9clouds.com
Blog: http://9clouds.com/blog
Twitter: @9Clouds

Posted in Expert Interview | Tagged 9 Clouds, blogging, dig sandbox, expert interview, scott meyer, social media | 1 Comment

The argument against connecting your social media accounts

Posted on September 16, 2011 by Kelly Schuknecht

In the following recent posts I’ve talked about connecting your social accounts:

Connecting Twitter and Facebook
Connecting Your Blog with Twitter
Connecting YouTube with Twitter
Connecting Twitter and LinkedIn

Now that you know how to do this, I’m going to give you another perspective and you’ll have to decide what makes sense for you. Many people who are active across multiple social media platforms choose to connect their accounts and auto-post from one to another. There are also those “experts” who believe that auto-posting and connecting accounts makes the interactions impersonal.

I believe that it isn’t simply “one size fits all” when it comes to social media. What works for one person or company may not work for you. If you are a beginner, I recommend connecting accounts (at first) and as you get more comfortable you can start modifying those connections and your interactions within the different platforms. Until then, connecting your accounts might help you get over the fear of these new networks and focus on creating the content that is necessary to build your followers.

DISCUSSION: To connect or not to connect – what are your thoughts?

Posted in Integration | Tagged blogging, Facebook, Integration, LinkedIn, twitter, YouTube | 1 Comment

Meet Margaret, Outskirts Press Personal Marketing Assistant (via Self Publishing News For Self-Publishing Authors)

Posted on September 15, 2011 by Kelly Schuknecht

A Personal Marketing Assistant can help you in your book marketing efforts regardless of where you published your book. Margaret is one on our team of Personal Marketing Assistants. She is an idea woman! You give her a book and she will give you a list of targeted marketing ideas. Not only that, but she knows how to carry out those ideas and produce results.

Successfully marketing a book can be a lot of work. A Personal Marketing Assistant (PMA) is ideal for authors who want marketing assistance that is personal and specific. Some things your PMA can assist you with include: Soliciting book reviews Contacting local bookstores Completing the verbiage on an author’s webpage Improving your Amazon tactics Scheduling/coordinating book signings And much more! These services are available to both Outskirts … Read More

via Self Publishing News For Self-Publishing Authors

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged book-blast, margaretf, marketing-options, Outskirts Press, personal-marketing-assistant, pma | Leave a comment

Interview with Social Media Marketing Expert: Robert Murphy – Online Campus Pastor @CCCOmaha

Posted on September 12, 2011 by Kelly Schuknecht

This week we meet Robert Murphy, Online Campus Pastor at Christ Community Church (@CCCOmaha). His bio on Twitter reads: Husband | Father | Information/Pop Culture/Sports/Truth Junkie | Former Missionary | Follower of Jesus

Read more about Robert Murphy on his blog here.

KS: Tell me about your company – how it was created and what you do.

RM: Christ Community Church was founded in 1921 by R.R. Brown. For a church that has been around 90 years, it continues to grow and remain relevant in the community. This past July, I began my role as an Online Campus Pastor. I will be serving and interacting with an online audience that is increasingly living their life online than offline. Before my current role, I was an Art Director for five years. During my time as the Art Director, I started my organization’s social media presence. It was something I had to do on my own, at first, because some of my leaders didn’t understand it and thought it was a waste of time. Now, they encourage all staff to utilize social media because they’ve seen the results of my social media efforts.

KS: Who do you feel can benefit from a social media marketing strategy?

RM: If you are trying to reach people online to some degree, then you can benefit from some sort of strategy.

KS: How long have you been blogging and what is the primary focus of your blog?

RM: I have been blogging, personally, since 2005. It grew out of my writing and journaling, which I’ve been doing since high school. I use to be a missionary, so I’d travel a lot. I’d often fill composition books with long form writing of my experiences. Usually, I blog about whatever I’m interested in. A “small” sampling of topics would be: my work (as an Art Director and now Online Campus Pastor), the show Lost, Husker football, my family, Jesus, the church, addiction, Pearl Jam, marketing, getting older, minimalism, media and more.

KS: What is your favorite social networking site? Why?

RM: I consider it more a service, but Twitter is my favorite. Through it, I’ve met countless new people, made new friends, established a deeper connection with the community I live within and am able to have my fingers on the pulse of what is going on around the world.

KS: What is your #1 piece of advice for social networking newbies?

RM: Pick a service and start using it. (I would encourage Twitter.) You’ll learn a lot more by doing than reading up on it. Have the account be a true reflection of you, or your company, and not just PR. Consistently use it, get ideas from a variety of people/accounts, engage in the conversations around you. 6-9 months later you’ll really see a return on your use.

To find out more about David Risley and PC Media, Inc., visit:

Website: cccomaha.org
Blog (personal): ramhatter.com
Blog (work): cccomaha.org
Twitter: @ramhatter

Posted in Expert Interview | Tagged blogger, blogging, CCC, Christ Community Church, expert interview, RamHatter, Robert Murphy, social media | 1 Comment

5 Book Marketing Tips for September

Posted on September 6, 2011 by Kelly Schuknecht

My Friday post on the Self Publishing Advisor blog has been moved to Wednesdays. Here is a sneak peek at tomorrow’s post for those of you who are always looking for new ways to promote your book:

★★★

It is back to school time! Now that summer is over, it’s time to get back the business of promoting your book. Here are five easy ways to promote your book this month:

I’m a little late this month, but Labor Day was on Monday. What better to do on Labor Day than sit back with a cup of coffee and a nice book to read? Remember that next year. ;) Labor Day weekend is a great time to ask friends, colleagues and other potential book reviewers to read your book and write a review for you.
Make a list of local independent bookstores you will visit to pitch your book or author event. To find your local independent bookstores, visit: http://www.indiebound.org/indie-store-finder
Create a CD Media Kit to send out to the media and book buyers. Be sure to include a high resolution image of your cover, an author bio, synopsis, any recent press and your contact information.
The Beijing Book Fair takes place September 29th through October 2nd. Even if you’re not travelling to Beijing this month, pay attention to the buzz in the publishing industry and keep yourself informed about what’s going on throughout the event.
Use FreeConference.com to record your own teleseminar. You can do this to promote your current book – present on a topic related to your subject matter – or record yourself discussing a different topic and have the recording transcribed into your next book!