Authors Should Employ This Old-School Marketing Tool!

 

Telemarketing is so 1970s. Direct marketing mailers and catalogs are so 1980s.  Newsletters and infomercials are so 1990s. Emailing is so 2000s. Texting is so 2010s. What will dominate the 2020s? How about handing out fliers to promote your book?

One rule of thumb in marketing is to do what others don’t. Less competition that way. Plus, you will stick out. Well, handing out fliers may just fulfill the need for authors seeking an edge.

Why not? It is:

*Inexpensive
*Measurable
*Targeted
*Proven

Now, I haven’t lost my mind, and I know an author still needs to embrace technology and to pursue commonly used tools such as social media, speaking, traditional media, awards, etc, but why not go back to basics and diversify your book marketing with old fashioned fliers?

For well over a century-and-a-half, stores, activists, politicians, and entertainers would take to the streets with paper handouts and seek to get people’s attention with an offer they could not refuse. From Most Wanted reward posters and Missing Cat fliers, to advertisements for a product, cause, service or event, America inspired all kinds of activities and purchases by way of an ink-on-paper handout.

Today’s megaphone largely passes through the massive but clogged arteries of a mobile device. What happens when we get screen fatigue, overwhelmed by the digital bazaar of offers and solicitations mixed with work, bills, memes, blogs, TV, and notes from friends? We cling to a digital box but wish for emancipation. And what happens when spam filters take your missive and block it from getting a readership?

We need to reach people beyond our handheld computers. Marketing requires multiple contacts through a variety of touch points. If so much flows through one source, why not go where few seem to be soliciting?

Fliers can be:

*Handed out on a street corner, in a parking lot, or at a event location.
*Tucked in a door handle.
*Placed on a car windshield.
*Left in public places — tables, bathrooms, parks.
*Left on a counter of a participating store.

They can be shared outside of:

*Bookstores
*Libraries
*Schools
*Malls
*Coffee Shops

Identify your book’s targeted reader demographic and then hand your flier out where such readers tend to circulate.

Considering you can print fliers from your computer, your cost should be five cents a page. Maybe it’s even less at Kinko’s. For 50 bucks you can certainly create 1000 fliers.

How many books do you need to sell to recoup that investment? Even if 98% reject you, 20 books will be sold. Could be more.

If you have multiple books for sale, this method will have an even bigger pay-off. If you have paid seminars, online courses, products, or services to sell, fliers will be sure to provide a worthwhile return.

So what should your flier say?

*Headline
*Sub-headline
*One to two short paragraphs
*5-6 bullet points highlighting benefits
*An image of your book cover
*Your photo — if attractive
*Mention your website and order info

Your goal is not just to sell a book, but to develop a relationship. Have them sign up for your blog or newsletter. Get them to connect to your social media. Create an interest and lure them to your website, where you can give a bigger pitch and upsell other books, services, and items.

Handing out fliers puts you in touch with your potential readers. Take yourself out of your house and stand up from your desk. Go out there and press the flesh a little. The pandemic is still heating up before things wind down, so let’s peg the time to employ my strategy as June 21. Stores and minds will open up by then. More than half the nation could have at least one vaccinated shot by that point. Summer will arrive and life will be good again.

The way to move forward is to revive a relic of the past. Tweet all day and night if need or habit demands it, but leave some time to hand out your fliers. It will feel like you just printed money.

Contact Brian For Marketing Help!!

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com He is available to help authors promote their story, sell their book, and grow their brand.

Learn, Grow, Succeed!!

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About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on Twitter @theprexpert. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2021. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America. For more information, please consult: linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum.