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Try and try again. Seriously. It’s not a new message. In fact, we’ve already devoted blog posts upon blog posts to the importance of persistence in marketing. And I think it bears repeating just one more time.
You post something of Facebook expecting a positive engagement. Maybe it’s an announcement or blog post. You were expecting some likes, maybe a few congratulatory or encouraging comments. But what happens is no one even seems to notice. Your friends list is uninterested, or unnoticing. And there’s really nothing you can do about it is there?
You could go to your friends and ask them for help, but that’s a bit like begging. You could pay to boost the post but that’s really not something you understand spending money on. And really, if not one of your friends noticed or cared, why would anyone else. After all, it’s just you and your authorial efforts. You’re just asking for a little attention.
Because without their attention, what marketing plan do you even have?
Unfortunately, that’s going to happen.
Some people already have supportive networks built into their lives. These are the people who will share every post, like every update, repost, retweet, and any number of social media assistance. Those people are important, because in this digital age, social media is one of the main drivers of a small business like self-published books. Those people are the cornerstone of a home-grown campaign, and usually, you don’t even have to ask for their help.
But not everyone is so fortunate to have that built-in fan base. Some people simply are social-media oriented. They don’t post pictures of their vacation or share stories about their family. And sometimes, their friend circle just isn’t the uplifting type.
You might realize you are one of the people. And even if you aren’t, the takeaways are the same.
-You must keep trying- and -Use the tools available to you-
Let’s tackle the second point first.
You might have to pay for some help. It might just be the $15 for a boosted post of Facebook, or it might be taking out an ad in the newspaper for self-promotion. It might even be purchasing one of the promotion packages available here at SOOP.
But there are tools available to you, and some of them cost money. Don’t be afraid or dismissive of these tools. There’s a reason people charge money for them. They usually reach a greater audience than you could on your own. They might come with support that would help you craft your message so that it best fits your chosen channel. They might help you make the best use of the multi-faceted marketing world we live in.
But you also have to be prepared for the possibility that these tactics might not deliver the result you expected or needed.
And that leads me to -You must keep trying-
Sometimes campaigns, well thought-out, tailored, expertly executed marketing campaigns just do not work the way the you expect them to, especially in the digital world.
The digital world is fickle, and often doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. What works in one city may not work in another, and vice versa. And you must be aware that some of your marketing initiatives are not going to result in a success.
But you must keep trying. If only for the reason that what didn’t work Tuesday might work on Thursday. And I’m not saying disregard the research, the background materials, and the reason Target does all their discounting on Wednesday. What I am saying is that just because something should have worked out but didn’t, don’t give up. Don’t look at it as failure. It’s just something that didn’t work.
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