Okay, I’m running an experiment, and Earth Day is the Guinea pig. So what’s the experiment? Marketing, that’s what. Actually, I’m running two experiments: one with Facebook Ads; another with StumbleUpon Paid Discovery.
Facebook Ads
Because of the CPC (Cost Per Click), Facebook Ads is less likely to make me any significant money. Okay, I’ll be losing money. However, that’s not the point — it’s an experiment! So, as a learning process, I’ll gradually feel my way into things. And by setting a reasonably low budget, I won’t suffer from any runaway dead-end clicks that soak up every last penny.
I’m using the Amazon listing of Earth Day as the target page. Also, I’ve been very specific about my target audience — I’m using “Science Fiction Books” and “Apocalyptic and Post-Apocalyptic Fiction” as the interests.
StumbleUpon Paid Discovery
Here, I’m pointing the visitors to the actual post for Earth Day, right here on the Wayne Smallman website. StumbleUpon is a very different proposition to Facebook Ads. First of all, it’s much cheaper. Secondly, if my post proves interesting, the paid aspect will be overtaken by the Stumblers liking my post, which will drive a natural flow of visits from other likeminded Stumblers. That’s the idea, anyway.
Goodreads Self-Serve Advertising
On the 25th, took out two adverts with Goodreads via their Self-Serve Advertising. After some investigation and a little thinking, this seemed the logical option.
Goodreads is an intended destination of the marketing effort, along with Amazon, where I request that reader share what it is they’re reading and write a review. So it is logical to skip one step (slightly) by taking out adverts on Goodreads, where the members are already conversant with the idea of sharing what it is they’re reading.
This process of sharing is, in itself, a kind of word-of-mouth marketing. And if the reader is so compelled, they may write a review. Should the review or the act of sharing prove compelling, or the member be sufficiently influential, my books would benefit.
Add finally…
There are several incidental but nevertheless very important details worth mentioning at this point, that could have a major impact on the outcome of my experiments. Firstly, I am now the proud owner of 10 ISBNs, one of which has already been assigned to Earth Day.
Also, I’ve recently made a number of changes to the back matter of Earth Day (and Lucidity), so that they include an appeal to the reader, asking of them — should they have enjoyed reading either of the aforementioned — to share their thoughts on Goodreads and / or write a favourable review on Amazon.
Let the games commence!
