| When it comes to marketing the choices are clear: | | | | often regional media will surf this site looking for events |
| market to your reader. But the where to find your | | | | they can cover, so get yours listed there now! |
| reader has changed as more and more of our lives | | | | * Virtual networking: its not just for trading business |
| migrate online. A recent article on how offline media is | | | | cards anymore. If youre trying to gain platform or gain |
| succumbing to the Net talked about a flurry of | | | | media exposure, heading on over to sites like can be a |
| newspapers diving into online content, online ad | | | | good way to start your network and gain additional |
| placement, and online forums to push more of their | | | | exposure. Also, sites like MySpace have gotten a bad |
| feature pieces, reviews and editorials into a virtual | | | | rap as predator sites, but only a marginal portion of |
| medium. | | | | people on this site are there for nefarious reasons. |
| Even industry standards like the Wall Street Journal | | | | While the MySpace age does tend to skew younger, |
| and the New York Times are moving more and more | | | | theres virtually a place for everyone and every |
| of their content to the website. So what does this | | | | message on this site. Not a MySpace person? Try |
| mean for you? Well, it means that the lines between | | | | instead, this site targets the over 50 crowd and offers |
| on and offline are becoming even more blurred. It used | | | | another great place to market your book and |
| to be that if you had a few select publications that you | | | | message. |
| were pitching you could contact their on and offline | | | | * YouTube: this site isnt just for singing pancakes; in |
| departments and possibly be considered for interviews | | | | fact, more and more authors are moving snippets of |
| or feature pieces in both of them; thats not the case | | | | signings, speaking gigs or other visual promotion tools |
| anymore. Sometime an online feature means that you | | | | to this hot new resource. Its a great link back to your |
| can kiss your offline exposure goodbye, so its good to | | | | site. |
| ask before you start pitching. Much of the online | | | | * Social bookmarking: have you been doing your social |
| content is now pulled from the offline source, so while | | | | duty lately? Posting to sites like could really help to |
| this could work in your favor, better to be certain if you | | | | spread your message like wildfire. Sometimes a few |
| have your eye on print coverage. That said, you might | | | | sites is all it takes to start the buzz going in your |
| be better off being on their website, where youll get | | | | market. |
| lasting exposure. | | | | * Consider the overlooked media: As the bigger |
| But media promotion isnt the only factor in marketing, in | | | | papers are moving their content online and vying to |
| fact, theres a lot you can do without even heading into | | | | keep readership interested, the smaller overlooked |
| the media realm. Consider these ideas: | | | | papers like The Bastrop Daily Enterprise in Louisiana |
| * Craigs List: have you been on this site recently? If | | | | and Arkadelphia Daily Siftings Herald in Arkansas are |
| you havent, take a few minutes and run through the | | | | booming. Their readership is loyal and their papers |
| listings for your city. Its a great place to promote | | | | always hungry for content. Have you poked around in |
| yourself but be careful, the Craigs list people dont like a | | | | the smaller regional newspapers yet? If you havent, |
| salesy type of pitch but prefer something more folksy | | | | you might want to. You might find that while its great |
| and casual. If you surf the site for a while youll see | | | | to have an online presence, the further we get into |
| what I mean. You can use Craigs list to promote your | | | | Web 2.0, the more these publications are overlooked |
| event, your product, even your service, but they key is, | | | | by pr people. |
| dont look like youre promoting. Also, keep in mind that | | | | |