by Shelley Hitz

As an author one of the things that can be both key to your success and your worst nightmare is social media. Having a strong online presence is a huge part of marketing your book. However if not used correctly, it can eat up all of your time and still not generate the sales you were hoping for. One of the most popular social media sites out there today is Facebook.

Creating a fan page for you or your book opens the door for hundreds to thousands of people to connect with you online, but creating a thriving page can sometimes be more difficult than you think.  There are so many pages on Facebook these days that if you want to grab and hang onto fans, you have to make your page stand out. Here are a few ideas to help you make your page thrive:

• Provide as much information on the info page as possible. Let people know what your page is about! Use key words and form a memorable tagline.
• Link your Facebook page to your blog and/or website, both ways. You want a place on your blog/website where people can connect to you on Facebook, and you want a link to your website/blog on your Facebook page.
• Provide quality content in a timely manner. You want to provide your fans with relative information, but you don’t want to overload them with it.
• Visit other peoples pages. This is key! You need to be getting out there and commenting on other pages from your page. This can real in new fans, while letting your current fans know that you care about them. Share some of their great content with your fans, and let them know about it.

These are just a few of the tips covered in “Get Your Facebook Page Done!” This amazing tool for authors walks you through the process of setting up a Facebook page and making it thrive. Covering topics ranging from the basics, to the common mistakes, to extra tools and applications, this course offers a step-by-step formula to getting your Facebook page done!

When you sign up for this series you get access to 4 videos (1 a week for 4 weeks) that will take you from the original set up of your page to regulating content and being confident about what you’ve produced, and the written lessons for those that prefer to read. Besides the lessons, you get a copy of the report “Facebook 101 for Authors”,  templates for you to use, and a list of questions that you can use to engage your fans. To top off this great package, you will be notified via e-mail if Facebook changes something that affects your page.

To learn more about “Get Your Facebook Page Done!“, visit Shelley’s website.  While you’re there, take a moment to check out her other products and free resources.

Click here to watch video

With your book or your business, you absolutely must know who you’re selling to, or else you won’t get anywhere.  My good friend, Shannon Cherry, shared with me a marketing tactic for nailing down my target audience and readers. It involves one of my favorite things – stuffed animals – so you know I just had to try it!

Build-a-Bear is one of the most fun retail stores for kids (and I must admit, adults) and can be a huge asset to determining your target market. Here are the steps for Build-a-Bear marketing:

Step 1: Choose your animal

I’ll admit it, I initially went to Build-a-Bear planning to choose a normal cute, fuzzy bear. Something that appealed to my tastes. However, this exercise was not about me, it was about my audience. So I had to go beyond that and decide, “What does my target client look like?”

Note: If you’re having trouble determining your target client or reader, think back on someone you enjoyed working with and model your bear after them.

As I looked at the options, a blue bear stuck out to me. Not your typical brown or tan variety, but a bit “off color.” And it dawned on me — I love working with “off color” entrepreneurs, those who not only think outside the box, but even insist there is no box. The type who were the geeks, nerds, not necessarily popular in school, but were not afraid (and are still not afraid) to be their own person and most of all use their gifts and talents to change the world. So I picked the blue bear.

Ask yourself, what does your client look like? Are they male, female, “off color,” ethnic, goofy, serious… think about it. And then pick out an animal to match.

Step 2: Stuff & love your bear

If you’ve ever been to Build-a-Bear you know they make you go through a ritual with a little stuffed heart while they stuff your bear. You have to do things with the heart like rub it on your heart so it feels your love, pat it on you knee to remind you your bear “needs” you, etc. It seems silly, but take a moment and think about it. Do you really believe your clients and readers need you? Do they need to hear what you have to say? Is your message important enough to scream it from the highest mountaintops? If you’re not that passionate about what you do, find another line of work you are passionate about.

If you’re passionate about your clients and readers, you’ll naturally go the extra mile for them. You’ll send them cards on their birthdays, add a free gift bonus in the back of your book and stay in touch with them regularly just to ask how they’re doing or to give them good content and tips that can make them better at what they do (not just selling to them). Take this moment in giving your new target-audience bear love and each time you see it you’ll remember what you should be doing for your clients and readers.

Step 3: Outfits & Accessories

This is probably the most fun and thought-provoking part of Build-a-Bear marketing. It makes you think hard about what your client or reader needs, what they like, the lifestyle they live, and more. For my bear, I chose jeans and a t-shirt for her outfit because my target client primarily works at home. Those who work at home like being comfortable. I also gave her a pair of sunglasses because she has a lifestyle that lets her enjoy the outdoors when she wants, whether at home or on the beach. Then I got her a “bear-pad” (iPad) because I enjoy working with people who know something about technology since my entire business model relies on using the internet and computers. And because they didn’t have a bear laptop computer.

Then I chose a second outfit (optional). My target client is a professional international speaker, so she also has a nice dress to wear on stage while speaking, high heels and a passport. I also chose to make her female because despite many of my clients being male, most of my clients are currently female.

Now think about your audience – what do they wear? What do they like? What accessories do they use? Where do they hang out? Browse around the store to get ideas. Look at all the accessories and answer these questions.

How to use your animal:

Yes, I expect you to build your animal and take it home with you!

When you’re doing anything for your marketing, whether it’s writing blog posts, creating workshops, or writing more books, keep your animal in front of you. Create your marketing materials for the person that animal represents. It sounds silly, but it works! And you’re going to see a difference in my marketing this year since I did this exercise.

The most important thing to remember at Build-a-Bear (besides heading there with a budget) is that your target audience is extremely specific. The more specific you can make it, the better! Other people who don’t fit that exact mold will still become your readers and clients, but the more you niche down to a specific person, the  more targeted your posts will be, and the more you’ll attract the types of people you enjoy working with the most.

Do you think you fit my target audience? Take this survey to find out, and as a thank-you I’ll send you a free digital copy of my book, 21 Ways to Write & Publish Your Non-Fiction Book!

The publishing industry was just thrown another curve ball, and no, it’s not a hoax. (Click here to read the original article.)

What’s interesting is how this article only lists “Stephen King” as an example author read on Kindle. 95% of eBooks read on Kindle are fiction. This type of store will be great for showcasing Amazon’s best-selling fiction, and as the article states, bringing offline readers into the online world by showing off Kindles the way Apple lets customers play with multiple Apple products. It will basically be an Amazon toy store – and you can bet it will be hot.

So what about non-fiction books? Non-fiction print sales are rising, much due to frustrated Kindle readers. Have you ever tried to remember where you saw specific non-bookmarked information and “flip” through Kindle pages to find it? It can be frustrating and take forever, especially if the Kindle version is plain text with no land-marking graphics to give you a clue as to where you saw that bit of information (most of us remember things by visual “landmarks”). For books used as reference, Kindle has a long way to go.

In my very humble (and rather expert) opinion, if people think by publishing through Amazon’s publishing house they’ll get in the store, they have another thing coming. Most CreateSpace authors are DIY – meaning they try everything themselves, often using poorly designed templates and zero editing. Quality matters more in a brick and mortar store setting than anywhere else. If a book isn’t properly edited and designed, it won’t sell, and Amazon knows that based on their own sales data. The average vanity “self”-published book sells 100 copies. The fact is people do judge a book by its cover… and its typos.

So my guess is Amazon won’t stock many print books, and probably only their top best sellers (real best sellers, not “Amazon best sellers”). What has me concerned is how many authors will jump on the cheap “easy button” CreateSpace bandwagon with false hope of getting into a brick and mortar store. If a book is published properly, there are many ways to get into brick and mortar stores.

But, by what the article says, it seems Amazon wants to shut down all other brick and mortar stores by giving authors a choice. It’s no longer Amazon.com and other retailers you can get stocked at. Now it’s Amazon or other retailers. And until Amazon takes over the book world, I’ll keep my books with other retailers – and Amazon.com’s online store.

I guess time will tell. We have a few years before Amazon opens stores nationwide, but all book sales statistics as far back as you go show quality sells off the shelf, not cheap-looking, obviously DIY books. To nab a spot on the Amazon shelf authors will still need to invest in proper editing and custom professional design, and Amazon’s sure to throw a few hoops in the mix for authors to jump through as well.

By Maruxa Murphy

In a world of logos, tag lines, and selling your unique proposition, doesn’t it sometimes feel like an endless cycle of trying to stay on the up and up to get your message out to the world?

Sometimes, it feels like even when we’re trying to get ahead, we’re back to square one, finding the next “big” thing to push us up back front.

What if today…I were to ask you to just STOP.

“Um, what?” or “Well, I wish I could but…” or “Really? YES!”…Any of those seem to ring true for what you’re thinking right now?

Whatever your answer would be to me telling you to stop trying so hard to push your brand out there, I get it. It’s scary and thrilling at the same time to try something that is new, that’s quite unheard of, and honestly, quite risky….

If you let it.

But what if you did stop? Stop trying to push, push, and push your message to your audiences?

What if instead, you approached marketing you and your book as an opportunity to romance and swoon your ideal clients to working with you?

What if your marketing was wanted, desired, and actually put a smile on the faces of your clients and customers? When they think of you, they feel great, inspired and ready to take on the world because they have you in their corner?

What if….?

As someone who planned to become a psychotherapist and chose to instead, move to work with business owners (many of whom are authors and speakers) to create freedom in how they use their brilliance to better serve the world, I fell in love with the new ways in which we can share our message that doesn’t feel pushy.

Of course, you can begin to share and grow with your audience through social media. Facebook and Twitter have become staples in our how-to marketing strategy to help our customers get to know us better. YouTube is a powerful way to engage our customers and clients to better understand our quirks, sayings, and of course, expertise. Google Plus now is a growing trend for many of us who see that Google’s searches are impacted by the content our friends on G+ are putting out there.

But, there’s one powerful set of strategies that most authors and speakers have not yet tapped into, and when they do…when you do…you will create a brand experience that your clients and customers can get excited about and eagerly seek to find you there.

The strategies are focused on mobile marketing.

What is mobile marketing? Mobile marketing is a suite of tools and strategies that help get your business brand seen, heard, and making you money through mobile devices – cell phones, smart phones and tablets like Kindle Fire, Apple iPad and the Samsung Galaxy.

No, it was not only created for local brick-and-mortar business. No, it was not only to push out messages to your customers.

This is a powerful way to keep connected to your audience and interact with them to grow your audience, make more sales, and create a brand that meets your clients and customers where they’re spending most of their time.

In June 2011, more people were using their smart phones and mobile devices than they were using their computers to surf online!  In fact, after my team and I worked on creating a mobile version of Kristen’s website, we were able to notice that 33% of her website visitors came from her mobile site on their smart phones and tablets! Here’s a quick view of what we did for her:

Before	After

 
Having a mobile presence is critical to your brand’s success this year and honestly, I can see this being just the start to what’s to come in the ever changing marketing space today.

Your brilliance can serve so many people, if only you’re able to be in front of your audience when they are looking for you – on their mobile devices. It doesn’t have to feel salesy, pushy, or annoying. You can actually build your brand in a way that feels right to you and connects you to the types of clients that want to hear from you on their mobile devices. This year, 2012, you’ve got gifts and talents that can impact the world for the better. Choose your branding strategies wisely and choose to grow your audience in a way that brings you joy.

About the Author:

Maruxa “Muh-ROO-Shah” Murphy is a speaker, author and international consultant for best-selling authors, speakers and trainers and the co-founder of No Slow Days, a company geared to support authors, speakers, entrepreneurs, and small business owners in using today’s most powerful marketing tools to get more clients, make more money and increase brand awareness.  If you’re interested in learning how to use mobile marketing in your business, register for the webinar  we’ll be doing together next week on Mobile Marketing For Authors: How To Use Mobile Marketing To Grow Your Brand, Make More Money, and Sell More Books.

I was hanging out on Facebook when I saw this status update from my friend William, “I have a burning desire to make my book go worldwide when it comes out. I want to change mindsets and people’s lives with my story.” Of course any status with the word “book” in it – my not-so secret addiction – grabs my interest like a triple chocolate sundae smothered in hot fudge.

In other words, I had to comment. Wanting to keep this future author from falling into an easy button trap, I replied with, “Make sure your distribution options are open, then… Nothing like choosing the wrong company & finding out a year down the road you can’t make any international sales! (BTW, I regularly sell books in the UK & other parts of the world.)”

This quick interaction prompted a private discussion where William asked me to expand on that comment. He found my response so helpful, he thought I should also share it with you…

There are a lot of companies that will “self-publish”  your book for you and claim they get you into distribution (make your book available to order through online retailers and any bookstore). But what they don’t tell you is that bookstores have specific requirements to host you for a book signing and stock your book on their shelves, and not a single one of those companies can meet all of those requirements.  The biggest requirements are price point, wholesale discount and returnability. Some companies require the purchase of a $5,000 “Pro” publishing plan plus an $800/year fee just to list the book as returnable. This only meets one of the bookstore’s requirements, and honestly if someone’s going to pay $5,000 to get a book done they can do way better than a vanity “self-publishing” company.

There are other publishers called “custom” publishers that create beautiful books and can meet bookstore requirements, but they usually require hefty setup fees for the book’s production, as well as a minimum order of 3,000+ copies of the book. Since most authors don’t have a few spare rooms to house books, they conveniently offer their warehouses for $100/month to stock and ship books. Usually these options cost in the $40,000-50,000 range to get a book produced and printed. They are a good option if you’re a major international speaker and can move thousands of books in a matter of a few months, as the price-per-book is lower than a print-on-demand style book.

Then there’s your average book printer that will print a nice book for you, but it’s up to you to register the book with Amazon Advantage ($99/year) to get it listed online, and that only gets it to one retailer, not in the distribution channel for bookstores.

Basically there’s currently one back door to get access to bookstores without a lot of red tape – and that’s an industry trade secret. Then again, if you don’t need access to bookstores one of the above options might work well for you – if you’re willing to give up your distribution rights, the single rights that will enable you to get a traditional publishing contract someday. (If your goal is not a traditional contract and your funds are limited, vanity publishing might be a good option for you.)

I personally am an entrepreneur used to being in control of my business, so I prefer to have my books registered 100% in my name, all rights controlled by me (including distribution), and 100% of profits from book sales in my pocket… plus access to major distribution channels that typically are only open to big traditional publishers.

If you’re interested in learning how to write and self-publish a book that will rival those on the traditional bookstore shelf, check out my upcoming class “6-Weeks to Self-Published” starting February 13. It’s a small investment to make to learn tons of writing and publishing secrets companies want to keep you in the dark about!

It’s tough for me to succinctly articulate what writing books has done for my career. By way of background, people only saw me until 2008 as a technology consultant–and a very specific one at that. So, in this post, I’d like to cover my four stages of bookdom. (Yes, I am published author, and as such I get to make up new words. This is one of the chief benefits. Take note.)

Let’s go.

Stage 1
In 2008, I told people that I was writing a book.

“Good for you,” many folks told me, half expecting that it would never happen. After all, you probably know a few folks who “have a book in them” but, for whatever reason, it never comes out. After publishing Why New Systems Fail, more than a few people were surprised.

I’ve always been a reader, and there was nothing quite like first holding my book in my hands. One could say that it was even addictive.

Stage 2
After publishing my first book, I got the bug. When the book reached number 91 on Amazon after a Slashdot review, I nearly broke my finger hitting refresh for my browser on my keyboard.

“Hey”, I thought, “Maybe I can actually write books that sell.”

Against that backdrop, I began writing my second book in mid-2009, The Next Wave of Technologies. Buoyed by an esteemed publishing company and more connections than a year ago, my expectations were sky high.

Lamentably, though, those expectations were never met. For a bunch of reasons not worth getting into (get a few beers into me and that may change), the book did not do nearly as well as I would have predicted. The price of the book had a great deal to do with it ($60 retail–ouch). Stubbornly, though, I persisted. I was convinced that I could use my books to advance my career.

People began to think of me differently because I had done two books in a very short time. I started doing podcasts like The New York Times and getting some additional exposure. A few speaking inquiries came my way. People started asking for my advice about different publishing methods, book covers, editing, the publishing process, and the like.

Was I becoming some type of expert?

Perish the thought!

Stage 3
In the last 18 months, I wrote two more books: The New Small and The Age of the Platform. To get my message out as soon as possible without sacrificing quality, I started a publishing company. I even published one of my client’s books (101 Lightbulb Moments in Data Management).

No, I don’t sleep much. I have moderation issues. I type fast. I have too many opinions. I’ve heard them all before.

But I persist because I enjoy it and because I’m convinced that they result in good things for me. Writing books has led to keynote speeches, guest posts in The Huffington Post and other high-profile media outlets, and connections with some fascinating people. I’ve consulted successful authors on their own publishing endeavors like Scott Berkun–a friend of mine. Every day is an adventure–and I love the unpredictability of it, even if it means the occasional negative review or snarky blog comment.

Stage 4 and Beyond
Where will my books take me next? I honestly have no idea, but it’s going to be one hell of a ride.

Phil Simon is the author of four management books. His fourth, The Age of the Platform, is his most ambitious yet. A recognized technology expert, he consults companies on how to optimize their use of technology. His contributions have been featured on Huffington Post, The Globe and Mail, Fast Company, the American Express Open Forum, ComputerWorld, Technorati, ZDNet, abcnews.com, forbes.com, The New York Times, ReadWriteWeb, and many other sites.

This is sorta funny. I was explaining to a friend that I’d really like to take the time to get to know people on my list much more because I get notes from folks saying things like, “Your newsletter is the best” and “Whoever designed my book totally ROCKED!” But I feel bad because sometimes I don’t know anything about your life or business, especially if we don’t have that close client-vendor relationship yet.

I want to remedy that.

But my friend said, “Kristen, you are really cool to chat with, but do you think people will just to pick up the phone? You gotta have a reason.”

So I went into my marketer mode -
She is right. People won’t just call to connect. I know from working with tons of clients that in marketing I need to give a compelling REASON, should name the session something sexy to make it appealing, and I need to spell out the return on investment for them.

UGH! My energy just sank when I thought of it this way. I want to connect with PEOPLE, not just sell them something!

Then I went to my heart -
As I move into 2012, I want to be talking about what’s more real. That means sharing about stuff beyond getting your book written and published. It means in addition to achieving your dreams, it involves having conversations about YOU, your LIFE, and your deeper dreams. I am making a decision to “suck” out of you the next version of who you need to be in order to create a business that will make you happy, and give passion to your dreams of getting those books done.

Some of you may be resonating here and so for you….Lets have a chat.

I want to know YOU.

I want to hear what inspires you and what challenges you.

And this is not a pitch, a marketing ploy, or connected to any agenda other than to find the tribe of like-minded peeps. I’m looking for folks who are a bit sick of the hypey marketing practices and who are looking for a place where it’s ok to speak about the personal side of your life.

So if you are game, pick up the phone.

What the call is – a chance to get to know each other better. I don’t consider it a coaching conversation, but if there are a couple of suggestions I can make to support you in your book creation journey, sure… I’ll share ‘em.

What the call is NOT – any form of sales pitch. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. No offers attached, no trick “strategy session” designed to lead you to a sale. There’s not even an opt-in for another autoresponder series! Just two people sharing their journey.

Are you game? I’m opening up slots now for the first few weeks of January. Just go to http://TalkWithKristen.com and grab yourself a 15-minute appointment.

Thanks for reading. I appreciate you being on my list and look to be of service to you and your dreams. Here’s to reading YOUR new book in 2012!

With much gratitude and best wishes for 2012.

If you have already published one book, chances are you have one of two mindsets… One is, “I never want to do that again! It was way too much work!” The other, “This is such a rush! I can’t wait to start my next book. Feels like this one’s just not complete without another!” Even if you haven’t published your first book yet, some of the mistakes listed below and how to avoid them will apply to your current project.

Mistake #1: Waiting too long
Most readers want to see more information from you within the first year your book comes out. If you have more to say, and especially if you’re getting a lot of questions from your audience that you don’t cover in your current book, you should seriously consider getting your next book released within that first year.

If your first book is out, you probably already experienced an increase in your business, clients and expertise. The credibility the first book brings to you as an expert is elevated with each book you write. For example, in early 2011 I wrote 21 Ways to Write & Publish Your Non-Fiction Book. Later that year I published the next in the series, 21 Ways to Powerfully Network Your Business. While the first book brought credibility to my business in the form of new paying clients, the second book got me noticed as a paid speaker, telesummit expert and a book signing with a captive 300-person audience. The first book was great for credibility in my field. The second took me to a whole new level and got me in front of masses of people rather than small one-on-one meetings.

How to avoid this mistake:
Keep track of what readers and your audience (those you speak with at a book signing who haven’t bought your book yet) are asking you. Write those questions down in a small notebook you carry with you. If the questions aren’t answered in your current book, they are the key to what to write next.

Use those questions to start an outline immediately after your first book is out. If you don’t feel you have enough material to write and publish an entirely new book (and if you think you don’t, I can probably prove you wrong), then consider a companion to the first book such as a workbook or small book of “tips.”

Mistake #2: Choosing a random topic
I have seen an author with broad interests write their first book on a subject like dog sitting, then the next about marketing a business online. Keep in mind everything you do reflects on you as an expert. Do you want to be a pet expert? Or an expert on business marketing? This is why traditional publishers will often discourage authors from breaking across genres unless they’re writing about the same topic. For instance, a fiction writer might also write a non-fiction book about how to write fiction. This is still within the topic area he currently writes, so it reinforces his expertise rather than confuses readers who may question if he knows what he’s talking about.

How to avoid this mistake:
If you have more than one book idea, consider how you can make it flow into a series. A series creates a brand, and a second book in a series can cause the first book to experience viral sales.

If you’ve already written your first book, explore broadening your current topic. Use the questions from others as a launch pad to create another book in a series that fills gaps the first book left open. And believe me, every book has gaps, even those that are 1,000+ pages long! Also consider creating a brand like I did with “21 Ways.”  The “21 Ways” have started creating their own brand and their own loyal following of readers. And the best part is, when we publish a new “21 Ways” book, the rest of the books in the series are made aware to potential buyers!

Mistake #3: Ignoring the marketing
I have seen it time and time again. An author who plans on writing more than one book from the start of their career will forgo marketing until the next book is out. Then they procrastinate as they continue to write the next book. And so on. I blame the traditional publishing industry for this “closet writer” mentality. Yes, old-school publishing taught us that writers should write and publishers should market, but changing technologies and a changed system have changed the rules of marketing.

How to avoid this mistake:
No matter what, continue creating your brand. Market your current book as you write your next one. Your publisher will expect it, and if you self-publish you’ll have to do it anyway. Keep in mind that book sales from your second book will spill over to your first book and vise versa, so start promoting the second book before it is even out! You’ll be surprised who will buy the first book just because you’re pre-marketing the second. The current rule of marketing is always always always market – even before your first book is released!

Some practical ways to market both your first and next books:

• Offer pre-sales on your second book. If your second book is part of a series, it will drive awareness – and sales – to your first book.
• Bundle your two books in a package and sell them together (autographed, of course) at a discount. This can be combined with pre-sales.
• Ask for reviews on your second book after it’s released, and if it is the second of a series you’ll see sales spill over to the first book in the series
• Outsource your marketing. If you desire to write a series like I have done with the “21 Ways” books, you will find there’s not enough time in the day to market and write. To be truly effective, consider outsourcing some of your marketing, including (but not limited to) blog and newsletter scheduling and posting, social media posting, PR to media outlets, etc.

I hope knowing about these mistakes and what to do to avoid them will help you be the successful author I know you can be! For more information on how to create a four-month marketing plan for your book in less than one hour, check out MarketMyBook.com. I’ll see you with a successful selling book soon!

Most individuals think that corporate sponsorships are only for nonprofits, associations and little leagues. But here’s the thing: if you do any kind of promotion (including book promotion), you’re leaving money on the table if you aren’t benefiting from sponsorships.

Even big name celebrities have sponsors. People including Madonna, Kobe Bryant, and Justin Bieber… And we know they aren’t charities.

Okay, so you’re not nearly big rock star or sports legend. Is it possible for you, a small business owner and/or author, to get sponsorships?

Yes!

You see, the reasons why a company would sponsor a celebrity are the same reasons they would sponsor you.

It used to be that companies would underwrite the costs of a sponsorship for good will. Times have changed. Today, sponsorships are now a valuable marketing tool, and corporations looking for a better return on investment than just that it ‘feels good’ to help out.

The sponsor’s goal is often to get access to a specific target market, so if you can answer these questions, you can get a support for something you are already – or planning on – doing:

1. Do you have a visible following? Think about your subscriber list, your social media, your connections with traditional media. If you can clearly prove you have a following, a sponsor will be interested. This doesn’t mean you need substantial figures. It’s the quality of the following, not the quantity that makes a difference. (See the next question to understand this more.)
2. Can you prove an affiliation with your following? Sponsors will want to see if you have a bond with the people in your ‘tribe.’ Can you establish that you can influence these fans? Influence means you can give them a call to action, and they will respond.  This is exactly why the quality of your following is more important than the quantity. There’s no return on investment if you have 50,000 followers on Twitter, but only two people are actually reacting to your tweets.
3. Are YOU willing to invest in a sponsorship relationship? If you think the sponsorship is over as soon as the company has handed you the hard or soft money, then you’re ill prepared for sponsorships. The key is building a lasting relationship.
4. Can you verify that your sponsors will get a quantifiable return on investment? There’s a right approach and a wrong approach to this. And without help, it can be hard to see what will work. (And by the way, what will work for one potential sponsor may not for another).

If you want to get your share of the $17 Billion in corporate sponsorship available, check out Sponsorship Made Simple. It’s a highly specialized home study curriculum that’s a little differently than most how-to programs out there. You will learn everything needed to secure sponsorships the RIGHT way, including:

• Find the right sponsors for your projects to pay you thousands of dollars a year
• Understand the different kinds of sponsorships and why you want both in your sponsorship plan
• Discover the real secret to knowing what makes a sponsor take notice of your proposal
• Avoid the top mistakes most people make when approaching a sponsor
• Leverage the media to attract sponsors
• Discover the top benefits you can offer a potential sponsor.
• Craft a winning pitch letter and proposal. And know why you need both to make sponsors say ‘Yes!’
• Manage the sponsorships to get them coming back year after year
• And much, much more

Click here to check out all there in the Sponsorship Made Simple Academy!

Shannon Cherry, Your Creative Relationship Marketing Expert, helps you do just that by creating a powerful presence to make more money. Her background as a PR and marketing pro, as well as a TV reporter and anchor, combined with a unique ability to see through the clutter, gives her the expertise to build your exposure, increasing your credibility and visibility.

A note from Kristen: I have Shannon’s course and am working through it right now. I have to tell you I’m impressed! I’m learning a ton and getting ready to talk to two very large companies (hint – you probably buy their products regularly!) about sponsoring my speaking and books. You can get a sponsor for your next book and have all the production costs paid for, plus extra in your pocket for marketing!