Chapter 10

Advantage Marketing and Promotional Tools

Because Amazon makes a large portion of its annual income from selling books and other published materials, the company offers a number of different ways that authors can market their books to customers. Spend a few minutes traveling around the Amazon Web site, and you will quickly see examples of the promotional vehicles.

With the rationale behind the “Search Inside!” feature on Amazon, you can allow customers to preview the content of your book. The potential customer must either have purchased something from Amazon previously or needs to register in order to use this feature. “See Sample Pages” takes readers to different sections of the book, such as the cover, index, or contents page; “Surprise Me” gives them an excerpt from the book. “Search Inside!” gives the customer the chance to see all the listings of the searched word and read those specific pages. Advantage vendors are automatically approved for “Search Inside.”

“The unit growth for the titles enrolled in this program [Search Inside!] usually outpaces those that aren’t in the program by several percentage points, so we encourage authors and publishers to enroll.” — From the Amazon.com Web site.

Amazon, Amazon.com and the Amazon.com logo are registered trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.

Since its introduction of the Kindle reader, Amazon has placed more of an emphasis on digital books. The “Upgrade” program not only lets customers view sections of the book through the search mode, but also the whole book online if they decide to order it. While they are waiting for their book to arrive in the mail, they can read it via Amazon’s Web Services. Sometimes, Amazon may include additional materials other than the book; with literature classics, for example, the reader may get a CliffsNotes™ study guide.

Building community is a common theme when discussing Amazon and promotional tools in general. Amazon has a following of millions of dedicated buyers who respect and laud Amazon for its customer service. This is the community in which you want to establish yourself. The first thing that you will do as an author is to sign-up for AmazonConnect®, where you will include your biography and any other information you have included, such as ListmaniaSM and “So You’d Like To…Guide.”

AmazonConnect also gives authors the online ability to post messages directly to their own product detail pages and individual Amazon blogs. It showcases the three most recent posts by the author/artist. Amazon also features an AmazonConnect Directory, where authors are listed alphabetically and readers can find the detail pages of their favorite artists. This is an effective way for you to increase readership by building a better relationship with your community of readers.

When you create your profile page, any customer information associated with your existing account will be available, including reviews, wish lists, and registries. If you already have a blog outside of Amazon, you can use Really Simple Syndication (RSS) to connect your existing blog directly to your Amazon customers. In your profile, you will be mentioning your books and other information that promotes you as an expert. You should also add a photo of yourself and/or any other images that depict your interests or geography. This profile is very important because it will be on all the pages where you comments are included. Below is a sample of Steve Weber’s profile.

Amazon, Amazon.com and the Amazon.com logo are registered trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.

Weber’s Plug Your Book is all about such opportunities. He covers the many different ways to market your book to your specific targeted customers. Says Weber:

“Word-of-mouth is the only thing that can make a book really successful. And this has always been the challenge: How can the author break through? Until recently, it usually required ‘pull’ — connections with powerful allies in the publishing food chain. Today, creative writers can connect with readers directly. The only requirements are a link to the Internet and the will to plug in. Now, for the first time, authors and readers can ignite word-of-mouth using online communities to spread the word about good books. Anyone with the skills to write an e-mail can publicize a book worldwide effectively and economically.”

Other information that can be added to your author profile are your reviews of different books or products. These consist of the one-to-five star rating that summarizes everyone’s feedback. Reviews that are helpful rise to the top of the list. In addition, the “Listmania” list shows how you, personally, would categorize items based on a specific theme. You can use this tool to promote your book by choosing merchandise that will interest your target audience or individuals who are interested in your topic or want more information. It will not only appear on the page with your book, but with any other book that is on your list. It considerably adds to your exposure, especially if you have a lengthy list of books. You will want to continually update your lists with the most popular books listed.

Make sure that the title of your list specifically lets the potential customers know exactly what the list will entail: for example, “How to Start an Online Business: Perfect for the Novice.” Your product will be among those listed, but not necessarily first. There may be books by more known authors or higher sellers. Right after the headline, you will be able to write a very brief comment. This comment should provide the reason why you are an expert in this field and why these books are worth reading. It should motivate them to look closely at what is listed. For example, “E-commerce is growing like wildfire, but successful online merchants understand the medium and how to gain the greatest benefit. These books will provide that foundation you need before taking that first big step.” You will also be making short comments on each of the books, including your own book. Customers can vote on the helpfulness of your book, and Amazon shows how many people have viewed your list. The better you do on the rating and readership, the more people will see your book.

A similar opportunity that Amazon offers are “So You’d Like to…Guides” Using the same example as above, you could have a “So you’d like to start a successful online business.” A Guide is a much more comprehensive and informative vehicle than Listmania. Rather than just listing books, you will be commenting about these books and the topic they are addressing. For example, you may have a list of books about whether or not an online business is right for you. Should you quit your current career and jump into e-commerce? Your Amazon Guide will discuss some of the issues involved with this, some of the books written, and other Web sites that may be of interest. You will want to write a number of different guides, as this will build your image as an expert and increase exposure. Be sure to provide solid, knowledgeable information. Fluff or cut-and-pasted information from something else that has been written is unacceptable. You also want to make sure that your author profile, which shows your area of expertise, is relevant to this topic.

Because you are an expert, you should also be writing reviews of other books in your field. This takes time because you are not going to review a book that you have not actually read. Also, one-liners will not do. You want to have at least 150 words that provide insight into the book. Your review will include your “signature,” which is a brief overview of your expertise, such as “…author of … (your book).” The more reviews you write, the more exposure you will receive. In the book Sell Your Book on Amazon, author and case study participant Brent Sampson recommends 100 reviews, just as a starting point.

Another way for authors to increase their customer base is to promote their shorter works, allowing readers to get a feel for style and theme. Many authors write in shorter literary form in addition to full-length books. “Amazon Shorts” sells previously unpublished, short-form literature. Your fiction and nonfiction pieces on just about any topic in a digital format sell for $.49, either as a PDF download or on Kindle. This is a productive way to keep in touch with your readers on a frequent basis. All Advantage authors are eligible to submit work to this program, but it is not available at all times.

Amazon also gives a couple of options for paid advertising for merchandising purposes. Personalization is a very well-known aspect of Amazon. When a customer logs in to the Amazon homepage, he or she is immediately greeted with works that may be of interest based on prior buying history. When requesting a specific book or book subject, Amazon recommends other possible products to consider. One of the programs built on this concept is “The Buy X, Get Y (BXGY) Program” or the Amazon co-op, which gives you the opportunity to feature your work in the “Best Value” or “Better Together®” part of a different product’s detail page.

In this promotional tool, your book is paired with a similar theme or subject matter of another work on Amazon, even a bestseller. They are advertised on that book’s page with a direct link to your title and an additional 5 percent discount.

Amazon, Amazon.com and the Amazon.com logo are registered trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.

Advantages and Disadvantages of “Better Together”

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Ways to Increase Amazon Advantage Sales

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