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As in most – if not all – things in life, there are no short cuts or Magic Bullets that will miraculously take you to a successful conclusion of whatever you are busy with.

A lot of people promise you quick returns for hardly any effort (especially in internet marketing). Don’t believe them. You get what you pay for!

In the Christian life, it is exactly the same. There are no instant secrets to becoming mature in the faith. The “Super Spirituals” SOUND great, but the fruit on the Tree of their Lives is what counts. Integrity, faithfulness, self-control and all the Fruits of the Spirit together with the powerful Gifts of the Spirit makes for Spirit-filled living. How do you get to that place? An old Sunday School song puts it concisely:

Read Your Bible
Pray Every Day
And You will grow.. grow.. grow..

Talking to the Lord on a daily basis and having Him talk to you through His Word is the only “secret” you need. There are no Magic Bullets.

That’s true for writing books too – and (far harder!) selling them!

I will be introducing my Internet Mentorship Programme soon which will help a lot. Email me if you are interested and I will keep you informed.

No Magic Bullets

Success takes hard work, knowledge applied, and perseverance.

Val

From His Eye Is On The Sparrow
365-Day Devotional

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The internet has opened up tremendous opportunities for anyone who wants to have their own online business.

Previously, people dreamed about owning a business, but became discouraged at the high costs involved.  Technology has now made it possible to run an online business with very little financial capital. In fact, some very successful online businesses have been built, quite literally, out of “thin air”.

The lifeblood of internet business, whatever type of model you use,  is TRAFFIC. You can have the best website, the sharpest squeeze pages, the greatest products in the world, but if no-one comes to see them, you’re dead in the water. If you’re willing to do some work using the right methods, you can go a long way to getting that traffic!

There are basically 2 ways to get the traffic. You can BUY it, or you can ATTRACT it. Many have worked hard at advertising an online business and ended up with little more than a maxed out credit card for their trouble.

Here are some methods you can use:

1. Viral Marketing
2. Giveaway Events
3. Membership Sites
4. Article Marketing
5. Squidoo
6. Forums
7. Traffic Exchanges
8. Joint Ventures
9. Ad-swaps
10. Free gifts with affiliate links

If you want more information, I recommend Phil Morgan’s “Minimum Budget Maximum Traffic” audio course, where he shares some free (or almost free) techniques on how to attract traffic to your product without breaking the bank.

Mimimum Budget Maximum Traffic

More information here:  Minimum Budget Maximum Traffic

Remember, no one will buy your product if they don’t know it exists!

Blessings!

Val

From His Eye Is On The Sparrow
365-Day Devotional

The writer of the Book of Ecclesiastes said, “Of making many books there is no end” (Eccl. 12:12).

“Making them” is the first part of the journey. Selling and distributing your books is a major obstacle course, but it can be done with some planning, lots of prayer and much perseverance.

The only way to get people to buy your books is to make them aware they are available. Internet Marketing is a vast subject, but well worth researching because there are literally millions of buyers online at any one time.
The best way to learn how to succeed online is to learn from the experts. Patience, discipline and perseverance are the keys to succeeding online.

How to Effectively Market and Sell Your Product on the Internet
Available from Pilgrim Publications SA

How To Effectively Market and Sell Your Product On The Internet

Market Research

Identity your readers.  Are they young, old, rich, poor, educated, urban, rural, Christian?

Locate your readers.

Where do they congregate, shop, worship? What magazines, newspapers, literature do they read? What radio programmes do they listen to? Where will you find them on the internet? Are they computer-literate? Concentrate on these areas as you consider the best way to promote your book.

Pricing

When setting the retail price, it is important to take into consideration that bookshops normally require 35-40% discount, after which they add VAT. They do not take kindly to being undercut by the author.

Preparation of advertising material

• Catalogues – print in colour for distribution to bookshops.
• Extra cover copies – to use as advertisements, especially for bookshops. Keep in mind marketing agents do not carry loads of books into the bookshops, but sell from covers.
• Quick order forms.
• Posters.
• Collect testimonials and endorsements.
• Distribution.
• Christian bookshops.
• General bookshops.
• Specialty stores.
• Online bookstores (internet),
• Libraries.
• Non-traditional markets (places you don’t normally find books).
• Offer incentives.
• Consignment stock.
• Ask your friends to purchase their books from your outlets.
• Bookshops make books available, but rarely promote them.
  So … Advertise.
• Internet marketing.
• Web presence.
• Email lists, newsletters and ezines.
• Email to personal friends and contacts.
• Blogs.
• Social sites, e.g. Facebook.
• Press Releases.
• Newspapers and magazines.
• Local suburban papers.
• Radio and TV advertising and interviews.
• Book Reviews.
• Pre-Publication promotions.
• Special offers.
• Send review copies to magazines.
• Write magazine articles on topic of your book.
• Leaflets.
• Postal mailshots.
• Postcards – for “snail mail.”

Next time I’ll talk about online marketing in a little more detail and how to get noticed on the internet almost immediately.

Until then..

Let’s Reach Our Generation One Book at a Time!

Val

From His Eye Is On The Sparrow
365-Day Devotional