Book Marketing Lessons From Trump

 

My very first blog post -- nearly 5,000 posts and 3.9 million page views ago -- was made on May 13, 2011. It was entitled: Donald Trump Branding Lessons for Authors. Here is the post for your viewing: https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/donald-trump-branding-lessons-for.html.

Though so much has happened since then, and regardless of what you think of Trump as a politician or person, I would say that what I wrote then still holds true today. He is the modern-day P.T. Barnum, ever-promoting and marketing his way to fame and fortune. 

The parts of him that can’t be admired are the ones he is on trial for – he is a big fat liar and a bully. Any one can be a con artist and just make crazy statements. There is little skill or honor in that. But Trump, when he follows the law, can be a savvy, energized, confident marketing machine. 

I have written about him over the years on a number of occasions. More recently, I wrote about his shameless marketing of a Bible (https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2024/04/trump-bible-is-blasphemy-could-it-be.html), but the commentary is always the same. I am consistently amazed how he is able to rally people to his cause, even when it seems like he doesn’t really have a leg to stand on. He teaches us to be aware of people like him, who can and will say anything in such a way that you could believe him – if you didn’t know better. 

Still, authors would serve themselves well to look at the aspects of Trump’s marketing style and to see what they can steal and utilize – not to sell us some lie or an inferior book, but to apply to their advantage to promote something justifiably good and useful. 

Need PR Help?

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, with 3.6 million page views, 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!

 

About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2024. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This award-winning blog has generated over 3.8 million pageviews. With 4,900+ 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 director of publicity positions 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 hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, 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. His first published book was The Florida homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.