Category: Build Visibility

Jan 28

Social Media Planner For Authors

chestshire cat

Did you know that the work you put in before your book launch determines the success of your book?

And like the cat says if you don’t know where you want to go or how you want to publicize your book nothing will get done which also means no success.

Of course you could wait for launch day, but you may be left wondering why the hundreds of sales you were expecting don’t happen.

Writing a book is a good start, but it’s not enough. You need to promote it too.

Promoting your book takes careful planning so you get the most out of your time and effort. And that’s why having a Social Media Book Marketing Plan is an essential part of the process.

Most of you probably already know that your author websites are considered the hub of your promotional platform and everything outside of this such as, social media, forums and events work at drawing viewers and readers deeper into your web, with the purpose of landing at your website or directly buying your book.

Things to think about

Why do I want to use social media to promote your book?

What I mean: to sell books, to connect with readers, or promote a Hangout

What do I want to accomplish with your social media efforts?

What I mean: gain followers to your social media, create a niche following for your books, or build an author platform.

How much time do you have to spend each day on social media?

What I mean: You must determine how much time you’re willing to invest on social media. Will it be 15 minutes in the morning and evening, one hour total per day.

You’ll need to make a commitment to your social media every day once you get started.

Two smaller chunks are better than one larger one so you can check on comments and activity.

The Social Media Planning Template helps you harness the power of social media marketing and amplify your ‘word of mouth’ marketing through your social network.

To keep you on track with your marketing, download a free social media planner. It will keep you organized.

 

 

Oct 14

Authors, 7 Reasons Why You Need a WordPress Website

7 Reasons Why You As An Author Need a WordPress Website

As an author you need a Website to develop a fan base and a platform from which to sell your books. I created a short video showing why you need a website.

Onto the 7 reasons why you need a WordPress website.

 

1.Ease of setting up a WordPress site.

The most important reason for creating a WordPress Website is  how easy and simple setting up a WordPress site is. You do not need to know coding such as html or css languages  because WordPress works with text. It was originally developed for easy Blog creation so you only need to use words to create it.  There are many plugins that help  with the software part of design features that enhance your WordPress site.

2. Themes

It is very easy to create a Professional looking Website with the use of Themes. Most of the Themes are customizable, which means you can add your own brand, colors and features that make your site reflect your personality. Some themes are free and some are premium themes that very in price.

3.Free to install

WordPress  is free to install on a large number of hosting sites. You don’t need to pay for the software. It is actually available on the hosting site. You only have to install it. You do have to make sure your hosting company supports WordPress installation. I use HostGator.com as they have great 24/7 support.

4. Short quick learning curve

Creating a WordPress site is easy to install and creating you site is relatively easy. There is lots of help online to help you personalize your site. . I offer a free course for building your WordPress Site. http://asksusanne.com. Also have created a softcover book WordPress Starter Guide For Authors: How To Use WordPress To Build Your Author Website.

5 Easy to add photos, video, music, and audio.

As an author your main goal is to market your book and having the ability to add images of book covers, audio recordings and video trailers and to be able to do this fast and professionally. This you can do with your WordPress blog.

6. Easy to add a shopping cart or add Paypal, Clickbank or another pay service.

WordPress using plugins allows you to sell your book from your website to generate income.

7.Plugins software programs that add functionality to your site.

There are so many Plugins that can supercharge your Website, such as the following:

  • Social Media auto-posting for your blog;
  • Form creation;
  • Photo Galleries; and
  • SEO for search engines
  • Create a Back-up for your site.

Building a Website is a necessity for any writer. When you publish a book, especially if you self- Publish, you need READERS!

The first steps to attracting readers is to build a Website, and start a Blog. There are many other ways to get in front of your readers, but a Website is a good place to start. Most new authors don’t consider that once the book is finished, they are in business.

If you need help or have a question, I would love to help. Just email me at susanne@asksusanne.com

 

 

Sep 04

Online Marketing Tools for Authors

 One of the first goals of an author is to develop their author platform as a way of growing their audience and generating more sales for their books. The good news is that there are now many digital publishing tools for authors, that can aid in book promotion, as well as book sales.

Your Author Blog or Book Blog is the hub of your online world. It is where you share your message, list book signings and conferences that you will be attending, and much more! You can also create written or multimedia blog posts and post links as to where people can order your books. It is easier today, than ever, to set up a WordPress blog yourself, or I can help you to set this up. . Your blog can be your official online hub or headquarters.

In addition to traditional, mainstream social media sites, there are social media sites that showcase authors, as well as their books. Sites such as Goodreads, Shelfari and Library Thing are just a few examples. These sites also provide authors access to potential book buyers.There are many digital publishing tools that you can use to promote your book. The ones listed above will provide you with a foundation and allow you to gain exposure as you share your book and your message with the world!

If you need help or support creating your author blog you can contact me.

 

May 12

5 Common Questions–Create Your Own Website

Start Your Own Website – 5 Common Questions & Answers
It’s intimidating to start your own website. Especially with all the options and potential scams that can cause confusion and frustration.
These are the questions I get asked most often about starting a website:
1. How do you get a website address?
One of the things to understand about getting a website domain name is that you ‘register’ the domain and not buy it. It’s kind of like renting. So, what you need to do is find a domain registrar to rent the domain from and then find a place to ‘host’ it. It’s kind of like renting a car and then you need to find a place to park it.
You get your website address from a domain registrar.  is a registrar I use and trust.  I  use HostGator for  hosting my domains as it has 24/7 online support. If something goes wrong with your site it usually happens after hours ( usually in the middle of the night… if you work late like I do) and it is so reassuring to be able to contact a person and get help quickly.

2. How do I get a website?
There are many ways to get a website online and really this is one place you should do your research before just jumping in. The web host you choose or the designer you pick can have a big impact on how you move forward with your business on the internet.
You have a few options:
Learn to build a website yourself – time consuming and confusing if you go it alone but very rewarding once you master it!
Hire a website designer – you still need to do your research so you understand your needs with a website.
Use a website builder – Some website hosting companies come with built in website builders that help you get online but are very limiting when it’s time to grow and do other things with your website.
If you’re new here then you might not know that I teach people how to set up their own websites using a free software program called WordPress. It’s my absolute favorite way to build a website! Gone are the days where you have to be a programmer to make your own website. WordPress really puts the ability to build an online business into the hands of anyone with a great idea and the determination to get it done. For more on how to build your website with WordPress, check out my program here: WordPress 101
3. How do you take payments on the internet?
Even if you offer a service, instead of a product, taking payments online is a smart way to boost business and get new customers or clients when they’re ready to buy. The process of setting this up can be baffling to those new to the process.
Many people who sell on the internet will use a shopping cart system to actually collect payments even when they’re not there. The shopping cart is set up ahead of time and then when people come to your website, see something they like and are ready to buy, you don’t need to be there to help them make the purchase. It all happens automatically through the shopping cart.
One of the most common ways to take payment online is through an online system called Paypal. With Paypal you sign up for an account and hook up your bank account or credit card to the account. This way when you make a purchase the only one who gets to see your credit card or banking information is Paypal and you are a little safer than if you’re randomly surfing the internet marketing purchases.
You can also sign up for a merchant account to accept credit cards on your own website through a shopping cart system.
The shopping cart system I have hooked up to my own websites and business is called Amember. It’s more for digital products and not ecommerce.
4. How do you set up a business email?
You should have a business email that matches your website. Normally you will purchase this either with your website hosting package or as an add-on. It creates more professionalism to have an email coming from your own domain name then a local internet service provider account that you get when you sign up for the internet.
Once you have your hosting setup, it’s a fairly easy process to then setup your email. Most hosts (or good hosts) will have a program called Cpanel available to you through the hosting account. To set up your email you log into Cpanel and click on the email section and then follow the prompts. If you have trouble finding this you should be able to call or email your hosting company to ask them how to set up your email.
5. How do you get your website listed in the search engines?
Getting on the search engines doesn’t have to be a long or expensive process. There are some people who will charge you a lot of money to submit your site to hundreds of search engines. Don’t pay them. There is no need to submit your sites at all as they can be found naturally.
The search engines send out what are known as ‘spiders’ constantly. These spiders follow the links from one website to another. All you need to do is get yourself a link on a site that is already being ‘spidered’ and the search engines will find your and do what they call ‘index’ your site in the search engines.

Apr 11

Hello

The new era of publishing: Making it work for you

One of the biggest challenges an author faces is How To Publish your work.

With the development of new platforms such as Kindle and E-pub, it so much easier for an author to publish their own books and reach their readers directly.- bypassing the middle man of Traditional Publishing.
These new platforms demand time learning them and time to implement them.

As an author you want to spend your time writing rather than
promoting and marketing your book.

My name is Susanne, I am a Virtual Assistant and Certified Online Book Marketing Specialist based in the middle of British Columbia, but working globally.  I work with my clients to help them achieve their goals by freeing up their time so they can get on with what they do best… and enjoy the most.

Why work with me?

Like you, I have a great interest in books, and as a Community Librarian I had the opportunity to set up and host visiting authors for their book tours.
Most importantly, I have the time and expertise to promote your book online, so you don’t have to worry about doing it.

How can I help you?
The key to really making your name known is having a successful PLATFORM (more readers = financial success).

Your platform consists of:

Having a great looking Author blog, customized to reflect the look and feel of your book is an essential part of marketing online

These are just two of the services I can offer you.

What about actively promoting your work through a Virtual Book Tour, without even leaving your desk?  I can arrange (virtual) locations, create the itinerary, and put together a campaign to make sure that everyone knows about it!

Regardless of where you are in the publishing process, it is never too early to start working with Sues complete Web Solutions to promote and market your book.  So why not get in touch with me today and together we can bring your book to the world!

Treasure of My Heart Book Blog

Apr 11

SEO Tool

Just wondering around my hosting c-panel and noticed that they offered free SEO Tools.  They even create a site map of your website and submit this to search engines including Google and Ask.com.

Another great tool is Attracta!™and they claim they are the   World’s Largest SEO service. They offer One-click Malware and Google Blacklist check
and they  Build  Back Links so that you can get more traffic from Twitter and Facebook. Attracta crawls your website finding all of its pages, including pages that can’t be found by search engines’ crawlers, to create an XML Sitemap and SEO dashboard report also they help you find and fix SEO errors.Attracta provides a step by step check list that is very interactive. and give you a site  score that grades  your site  based on Google’s Webmaster Guidelines for increasing search traffic from 0-100.

My c-panel also has SEO video tutorials and tips. I didn’t realize there was such great resources right at my fingertips.  I really appreciate Hostgator as a hosting company. They sure give good service. Does your c-panel have free SEO tools? Go check it out.

Apr 10

How to Get Your URL to Say https:

Https

This is a great question.  One that I am frequently asked.  Especially now that Facebook requires a secured  socket Layers – SSL  Also,  a client  who uses an affiliate system hosted on her own domain was a bit concerned about the requirement for affiliates to enter their social security numbers of Employee Identification Number. She wanted to make her potential affiliates feel safe about entering the information. She knew that sites that began with https:// are *usually* secured.  She wanted to know how to  get that.  Entering https:// on her own site gives an error.

When a web page is hosted on a server enabled with the SSL (Secure Socket Layer) protocol via a security certificate, content sent between a user’s browser and the server hosting the secure web page is encrypted, and no one can intercept confidential information such as credit card numbers, Social Security numbers or any other information you type into your browser.

All web hosting companies offer security certificates in most of their hosting plans, either a shared SLL certificate, where all sites on a single shared server are sharing a certificate, or a private SSL certificate, available to websites with a unique IP (web address). For Facebook page admins, the shared SSL is a low-cost and workable choice.

To get https:// on your server you will need:

  1. A static, dedicated IP address (not the same as dedicated web host although dedicated hosting comes with an IP). You can usually purchase this as an add on from your web host. You’ll probably pay a few dollara more every month to have a special IP number just for you to use.  I use Hostgator for this
  2. A Secure Sockets Layer certificate or better known as SSL certificate. You can purchase this from your web host – many do provide this service. It is a yearly fee and cost anything from $80 a year to thousands a year.

Once you have the two above, your web host can install it for you. I don’t recommend installing it yourself. I’ve done it and it can get confusing. The web host can and should get you set up and running within a day or two. I recommend HostGator who are fabulous in helping you out with this.

To use your brand new secure URL simply point the page you want to ‘secure’ to the https version. For example, if your regular URL is:

http://mydomain.com/order.html

Then just link to:

https://mydomain.com/order.html

If the certificate is installed properly you will see the lock on your browser. If you are using WordPress you might also want to ‘force’ those specific page URLs to https so that people don’t get on the unsecured URL unintentionally.  If you have anything on that page – Images, linked files etc remember to use https so the browser will not complain that some items on the page are not secure.

You have to keep in mind that the https does not mean this information, once on your server, is secure. The https only protects the transfer of the information from the user’s computer to your server. Once on your server it is your responsibility to take steps to keep that data safe.

I f you have any questions about HTTPS please contact me

Apr 08

Submit Your Site to Article Directories..Why?

Have you submitted your site yet to the many web directories online?
Well if you haven’t you should.  TC8266RCDP6E

Here’s why.

Inclusion in a web directory is a necessary step as web directories act as a referral system for businesses on the internet and the more referrals your website gets, the more traffic your site will receive.
This  increases y traffic to your site  which leads to more sales.

Directory submissions give you one-way links

Search engines give importance to the number of inbound links to your
site and from web directories you get one-way inbound links.

Directory submissions allow the anchor text of your choice

When you submit your links to web directories they allow you to enter
a site title (site title is different from the URL) that can contain
your keywords. This generates SEO anchor text for you and this helps
you improve your search engine rankings.

Assures Search Engine Indexing

It’s the search engines that discover your website by following the
backlinks from alternative sites. Once the search engines locates your
link on the directory sites, they’re going to follow these links which
will take them to your website, thereby hiking the probabilities of
your website being indexed in search engine information bases.

So you see there are overwhelming reasons to submit your links to
the various web directories.

TC8266RCDP6E

Apr 08

Polka Dots

Polka dots are back

Polka Dots are back! The question is did they ever really go? Admittedly the words do conjure up specific pictures in the mind and are especially reminiscent of 1950’s fashion, and of course that memorable song ‘Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polk Dot Bikini’ but Polka Dots have been around much longer than that, and although they drift in and out of the forefront of fashion to a greater or lesser extent they are always visible in one form or another.

it was not until the nineteenth century that they first started to be used on clothing and with the rise in popularity of polka music there would appear to be a strong connection between the two. The term “polka dot” first appeared in the New York Times on 21 Sep 1866.

At the peak of the polka craze, between 1840 and 1890, there were numerous manufacturers who were very quick to cash in on the public’s polka-passion by creating a multitude of polka inspired products. Polka hats, polka gauze, polka socks, polka curtain ties, and, of course, polka-dotted fabrics; these products had little or nothing to do with the dance, but still they were extremely popular and remained so for a number of years. The polka dot pattern itself however, had staying power, and over the years has been used in a multitude of ways across a wide range of products.

The 1950’s were without doubt the biggest decade of the twentieth century for the polka dot with everyone from movie stars to housewives dressed from head to foot in brightly colored polka dots. The polka dot really defined the 1950’s as a decade of color, fun and optimism after the austerity of the war years. They made a brief appearance again in the 1970’s when designers took their inspiration from previous decades and put them together to create some of the more wild and wacky fashions we associate with the seventies. The optimistic eighties saw the polka dot return again but this time primarily adorning the accessories that were associated with iconic singers Cyndi Lauper and Madonna.

What do you think,,,,do you have anything Polka Dotted?

Apr 06

Why Business Owners Need to Pay Attention to Pinterest

What is Pinterest? It’s a virtual pinboard and a social photo sharing website that allows users to create and manage theme-based image collections. It’s also hands down the hottest new social network out there.

Unlike other flash-in-the-pan social networks, Pinterest is definitely worth paying attention to–and not just by visually-oriented business owners like retailers, but B2B and B2C businesses as well.

Before you groan that it’s just another way to waste time on the web, there are a few things you need to know about how this tool can work some incredible marketing magic for YOUR business in 3 main areas: branding, traffic and conversion.

If you’re stumped about how to begin benefiting, here are some ideas for you:

1) Use it to showcase visual elements from your business: info product graphics, striking images from your best blog posts, info-graphics related to your industry and testimonials.

2) Use it to give people a peek behind the scenes of your business: perhaps photos of yourself with clients, snapshots from live events, your workspace or team members.

3) Use it to grab traffic: include your business name in your username, add your URL to your profile, fill out the About section thoroughly, connect your account to Facebook and Twitter and link business-related visuals to your site or a landing page, particular blog posts or product pages. Also, don’t forget to include your business name or URL in your pin and/or board descriptions.

Just as with other social networks, build goodwill and engagement by commenting on, liking and re-pinnining others’ content and encouraging others to follow and connect with you on Pinterest.

Your to-do?  Create your profile and begin strategically creating boards using the tips I’ve just shared. Then, use the feature that allows you to follow your Facebook and Twitter friends automatically and begin having fun!

Share your Pinterest link .