An author who blogs regularly, frequently and consistently, and who writes well about an interesting topic that relates to their book’s subject matter-should sell books. Blog posts with catchy headlines will get opened, the blog post will have said something interesting or shared something of value, and it will remind readers there is a book worth buying.
Okay, so that is the ideal plan. What happens in reality?
Authors will:
·
Fail to blog frequently
(weekly or bi-weekly).
·
Do it haphazardly (twice
this week, then none for three months).
·
Write on irrelevant
topics that don’t naturally lead to their books.
·
Forget to mention their
book.
· Not write with passion, conviction, or emotion.
Even when authors post something on time, of value, and is written well, they screw up by not obeying two key rules: always add a visual image and have a good headline.
Here are sample headline prompts that may work. Keep them short and to the point. You can have lists, ask questions, make an emphatic statement, play on words, comment on a trend/news story, or make people feel (fear, anger, laugh, love).
Check these out:
·
6 tips to ____
·
7 ways to ____
·
What (a specific group
of people) don’t want you to know
·
Why (something) will
never work
·
Why (someone) is a
(winner; loser)
·
How to find ____
·
4 keys to living your
dream
·
9 benefits of ____
·
How to avoid losing your
(money, mind, and husband).
·
Things your
(professional) will never tell you
·
Handy tips got ____ from
____
·
Essential steps to ____
·
The secret to ____
·
Signs you might ____
·
Trends in ____
·
The beginner’s guide to ____
·
How to succeed at ____
·
Avoid these 9 things
when ____
·
A foolproof way to ____
·
The cheapest ways to
____
·
Don’t make these 10
mistakes when ____
·
The 6 best ____
If you still are unsure what could work for you, borrow from other bloggers who have posted headlines that you find catchy. Look at magazine and newspaper headlines as well. Basically, your rule of thumb should be this: If your headline doesn’t grab you or isn’t clear, scrap it. Find what sizzles.
Notable Ad Slogans Timeline
“The Greatest Show On Earth”; (1881)
-Barnum and Bailey’s Circus
“Good To The Last Drop’ (1907)
Maxwell House Coffee
“It’s The Real Thing” (1970)
Coca-Cola
“Don’t Leave Home Without It” (1981)
American Express Card
“Where’s The Beef?” (1984)
Wendy’s Hamburgers
“Just Do It” (1993)
Nike
Need
Book 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. He has over 30 years of
experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him
be your advocate, teacher, and motivator!
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About Brian Feinblum
Brian Feinblum should be followed on Twitter
@theprexpert. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2023. 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
award-winning blog has generated over 3.3 million pageviews. With 4,400+ posts
over the past dozen years, it 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 2021 and 2018
as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com
as a "best resource.” For the past three decades, including 21 years as
the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and two
jobs at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time,
self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors
and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine
Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren
Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy,
Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for
Book Expo America, and has spoken at ASJA, Independent Book Publishers
Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod
Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, and
Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have
been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY
Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington
Post. He has been featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.
For more information, please consult: www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum.
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