All Things Authorpreneur

Elle Fox shares how her experience of being a foster sister led her to become the author of her children's book Meatball and Birdie. If you'd like to hear true wisdom from a very young woman, this is a must listen!

Guest

Elle Fox, Creator of Elle Fox Art

ElleFoxArt.com

Highlights

In this episode you will learn:

· How a chance moment with someone helped Elle create her first book

· Where the characters of Meatball and Birdie come from

· How Elle got funding to produce her book

Book

Meatball and Birdie

Insert amazon shortlink – Suzanne needs to provide this

Recommendation for Every Entrepreneur

If there is something you want to do just go ahead and do it.

Favorite Book

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Links in this summary may be affiliate links.

In this episode, Suzanne answers one of the most common questions she gets from authors: "how can I expand my reach on social media?" Listen in for her four top recommendations!

Authors often want to know how they can expand their reach on social media. In fact, it is probably one of the questions I am asked the most.

In this episode, I'm going to cover some of the tried-and-true recommendations I believe support everyone, regardless of the platform you use. I'm not going to dig into any ONE platform, but I'll give some overview guidance I hope you'll find helpful.

My first recommendation is that unless you have a team to help you spread your wings, stick with just one platform until you have nailed the art of connection there.

Each one is different, and when you are attempting to create content that will work on all of them at the same time, you'll run yourself ragged if you don't REALLY know what you are doing.

For example, Instagram doesn't allow clickable links in posts. Facebook allows them, but your reach will be less if there is a link in your post, and on LinkedIn posts with links typically achieve reach more easily.

Another example is that LinkedIn is far more information based; the visual isn't as important. Conversely, Instagram and Pinterest are driven by imagery. And of course, you can't do anything but vertical video on Tik Tok.

Just from these couple of examples, I hope you can see that trying to master all platforms at once will be a challenge.

I found for myself – and I find for clients that increasing visibility and creating consistency on one FIRST, then expanding with the help of a team is best.

And I know the question in your head right now as you listen to me is: yeah Suzanne, but which platform should I start on?

I wish I had a simple answer for you, but I don't! The answer really depends on two things:

First, which one is most likely to have a lot of the people who are trying to reach? Where are your readers likely hanging out?

Second, which platform lends itself to your personality. If you like making short, quirky videos – by all means, hop onto Tik Tok or Instagram, but if you tend to be more serious and like to express yourself in writing…you should probably lean toward LinkedIn.

Feel that out, and by all means, reach out to me for a consultation if you feel as though you need some help deciding.

Once you've decided on your platform, I encourage you to be as present and consistent as you can be.

Ideally, you will post every day and have a clear set of topics and a variety of different styles of posts to choose from.

In reality, we all have down days, drop the ball, or simply don't feel like posting. Use the 80/20 rule for this, or have a selection of quotes, inspirations, or other items that can be used at any time to fill in the gaps.

This said, be as present to your audience as you can be. Use video of yourself. Get headshots and use them regularly with your posts. The more you show yourself, the more people see you, the more they will feel connected.

I recently connected with a coach who recommends going live every day for 90 days before a major launch. I don't mind telling you that the thought of doing that makes my head spin. But as a marketer, I see that it would have a huge positive impact!

Remember that when you are working to build your social media audiences, if you are only pushing out information at them, you won't build a relationship. Relationships are a two-way street.

It's really important for you to also be answering questions, connecting back to those who interact with what you are sharing, and checking in on those people who most closely align with you.

The last thing I want to share in this episode is the importance of following people who are leaders in your area of expertise, interest, or focus.

It may seem counter-intuitive to do so. You may be thinking – if I'm following someone who others might think knows more than me, why would they bother following me?

But think of it this way instead: when you meet someone who aligns with your values, the typical response is to want to hang out with that person more. Guess who you will meet when you start following someone you look up to…more than likely, a bunch of other people who align with your values.

And of course, in social media terms, hanging out means following, friending, and deepening the connection. This is exactly what you want to be doing with others who admire those you admire.

Gradually, you will learn which ones are simply going to be friends, and which ones might be your ideal reader. Or a potential client.

The other side of this, is that if you are able to build a relationship with the individual who is influencing or leading you and others, they may encourage the others to check you out.

If they are truly good at what they do and have a wide array of followers, they might be encouraging of you and your message.

Engaging in a leader's community is a great way to begin to build a relationship.

So, to summarize this episode:

· Select one platform that feel best to you and where you know you'll find your tribe.

· Be present by letting followers see and hear you there and be as consistent as possible.

· Remember that social media is supposed to be a conversation, not a lecture, and

· Connect with leaders in your space because their followers might become yours too.

Stephanie Dalfonzo and I discuss how quickly her book came to her, how she helps others tame their anxiety, and why a good minute might be the best way to begin just about anything!

Guest

Stephanie Dalfonzo, Anxiety Expert

stephaniedalfonzo.com

Highlights

In this episode you will learn:

· A simple way to integrate both sides of your brain and tame anxiety

· Why the notion of long meditations doesn't serve you

· How asking yourself "what's good right now?" can impact your hormones and mental health

Book

Goodbye Anxiety, Hello Freedom

Free Gift (If applicable)

5 of the 35 simple techniques from my book "Goodbye Anxiety, Hello Freedom"

StephSpecial.com

Recommendation for Every Entrepreneur

Be gentle with yourself.

Favorite Book

The Choice: Embrace the Possible by Dr. Edith Eger

Links in this summary may be affiliate links.

Hanne Brøter shares what inspired her not only to write her book, but to develop Brøter School of Design where she teaches entrepreneurs, authorpreneurs, and those who work with them how to create better designs without formal graphic design training.

Guest

Hanne Brøter, Founder

Yourbrandvision.com & Brøter School of Design

Highlights

In this episode you will learn:

· How design affects our feelings about a brand or author

· One of the most important elements of book cover design

· Why Hanne began teaching non-graphic designers to design graphics

Book

Brand Boxes™: Your 9-Step Process to Create a Visually Compelling Brand Insert https://amzn.to/3BwRpMZ

Free Gift (If applicable)

Take Hanne's Visual Brand Assessment Quiz which lets people know where they stand with their visual branding. https://yourbrandvision.com

Recommendation for Every Entrepreneur

Practice articulating what you do and who you do it for. You'd be amazed how many entrepreneurs can't do this!

Favorite Book

Bleak House by Charles Dickens

Living the Brand by Nicholas Ind

Links in this summary may be affiliate links.

Donna Cravotta shares what her author clients were always missing and why she knew she needed to make a shift to support them, why it is so important to use stories in your marketing, and how marketing can be so much easier than many of us make it.

Guest

Donna Crovatta, CEO and Founder of Cravotta Media Group

CravottaMediaGroup.com

Highlights

In this episode you will learn:

· Why marketing always comes back to stories

· An excellent idea for how to find the right stories to market your book with

· Why vulnerability is always one of your biggest marketing gifts

Recommendation for Every Entrepreneur

Make very careful investments.

Favorite Book

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

Links in this summary may be affiliate links.

Margaret Martin shares the challenge that led her to write her book, the experiences she had with narcissists and the feeling she had when she hit send on her manuscript. All great stuff for writers with a message!

Guest

Margaret Martin

MargaretMartin.com

Highlights

In this episode you will learn:

· The concept of a challenge you might want to consider for yourself

· How it has come to pass that Margaret's spoken at several prisons

· What prompted her to write about The Chatter That Matters

Book

The Chatter That Matters: Your Words Are Your Power

Recommendation for Every Entrepreneur

Set boundaries in keeping with what's important to you.

Favorite Book

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

Links in this summary may be affiliate links.

In this episode, Suzanne discusses why some authors resist using email marketing but should do so despite their hesitations, how to go about getting people to join your list using permission-based marketing, and what to do once your list begins to build.

Many elements of business and marketing can be confusing and overwhelming. Others, we just don't like. I find lots of clients feel BOTH is true when it comes to email marketing.

My goals with this episode are to:

• Demystify why email marketing is so important,

• Provide some strategies on how to get people to choose to get your emails,

• Help you understand what you can achieve with an email marketing list,

• One of the best things about email marketing and how it relates and all the endless possibilities it affords.

Many clients believe that the connection they have with followers through their social media platforms has taken the place of email marketing for them. They don't understand why they need to ALSO communicate through email marketing, or why they need to encourage their followers onto their email list.

But there is one thing that social media will never give you, and that is ownership of the communication channel. When you are using any social media platform, the content and your connection to followers is owned by the channel, not by you.

At any time, a social media platform can decide that you are not using their platform as agreed to, and they can delete your account entirely. Platforms can also decide incorrectly that your content is untrustworthy, and they can remove or disable links to your website. I've had clients experience both of these issues and known big time marketers whose accounts were halted or shut down.

You may have noticed that Customer Service for social media platforms is relatively non-existent, so if you do have a problem, in can take weeks to resolve it.

This is why you MUST transition your social media followers to being members of a closer tribe – namely the tribe on your email marketing list.

Of course, it wouldn't be fair of me to make the recommendation that you convert followers without giving you some guidance as to how!

Generally, those who get the best results with email marketing do so when they use the principle of permission-based marketing.

Permission based marketing is marketing to contact WHEN HE OR SHE HAS GIVEN YOU PERMISSION TO DO SO.

We do this, not by getting business cards or adding email addresses we collect to our list, but by offering contacts something irresistible that makes them willing to sign up for our list.

For example: If you head to allthingsauthorpreneur.com, you'll see an invitation to download a free guide called Seven Success Principles to Shift from Author to Thought Leader.

People join my list by accepting this free offer.

They do so from the podcast website, they do so from my primary website, suzannetmoore.com AND, I regularly invite social media followers to download a copy.

HOPEFULLY you already have something like this in place, but if you don't, let's talk about what you could offer to help transition fans from your social profiles to your email list.

No matter what kind of book you have written, or author you are, you could easily offer a free chapter or two of your book (or one of your books) in exchange for an email address.

You could also offer something that is a good companion to your book.

For example: Those who have purchased my book Hang on Tight! Learn to Love the Roller Coaster of Entrepreneurship are invited back to my website to download a free companion workbook. This is a great way for people who are interested enough in me and what I do to get a little something extra and to join my email list.

If your book is full of a description and case studies of action items people could take and how they benefit, you could offer a simple download of the basic action items…and invite people later to purchase the book for more information.

My favorite "Irresistible Free Offers" are simple and easy to put together and provide instant value to the individual who obtains them.

While it is easy to fall into a trap of feeling you need to GIVE a lot, the truth is that too much information leads to lack of action and lack of benefit, so it is much better to keep yours simple but make it pack a punch.

Once you have your free offer ready, you'll want to promote it generously. An invitation for followers to obtain can and should be shared EVERYWHERE and OFTEN.

Let's talk about what EVERYWHERE MEANS:

• Add a link to it in the bio of your social channels

• Reference it regularly when speaking

• If you are being interviewed invite listeners to get a copy.

• If you create value-added content videos make it your call to action at the end

• Regularly posting on your blog? Create a graphic for underneath the posts inviting people to grab your free gift

• You can put a reference to it on the back of your business cards

• Or at the bottom of any other marketing materials you have

• If you have a new book coming out…you can put an invitation to it in the back

Be creative and keep finding new ways to share it.

As mentioned earlier in the episode, clients are not only often confused by email marketing, they simply don't like it. Hopefully you've already heard enough reasons to like it throughout, but I'm going to give you one more.

Email marketing is the least expensive investment you can make for marketing your business with the highest rate of return.

Most email marketing systems will cost you very little to run and maintain. On the low end, you can do it for FREE on the high end – for entrepreneurs, we're talking a couple hundred dollars per month.

However, once your list is growing, your opportunities for sales grow too! You now have people who are engaged in your big message.

It is a platform that allows you to do work ONCE and reach unlimited people.

These days, that kind of reach on social media is only available through advertising – a much more costly and inconsistent alternative.

So instead of fretting about the fact that you don't like receiving too many emails, focus on making sure that your list receives value in each and every email they get.

AND focus on how to use this connection and engagement.

How will you get your followers to invest in you, your business, your solutions?

What do you or can you offer them that will provide them with a result they're willing to pay for?

You now have an audience that you can provide a consistent narrative to and that you can connect with over and over again, regardless of algorithms.

Do you want to run a program to teach in depth the concepts in your book? Do it!

Would you love to work one-to-one with clients supporting them with your knowledge? Do it!

Are you working on another book you'd like to pre-sell? Your audience awaits!

Do you need testimonials or reviews for your earlier book? ASK your email list.

Are you wondering what program would serve your followers? Send out a survey.

The possibilities are endless, and are far more directly available to you than through a casual social media connection.

All marketing solutions have their place…but email is one of the very best and cost very little in comparison.

Judy Kane shares how writing her book helped her to commit to her own beliefs about what she does and the four truths that everyone must believe to find success in life.

Guest

Judy Kane, Founder

AlignedConsciousness.com

Highlights

In this episode you will learn:

· What prompted Judy to write her book

· What the four truths are that must be in place to allow for success

· How Judy is using her book to continue to build her business

Book

Your4Truths: How Beliefs Impact Your Life

Recommendation for Every Entrepreneur

Listen to your inner wisdom. If someone recommends something and it feels wrong know that it is wrong for you.

Favorite Book

The Soul of Money: Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Life by Lynne Twist

Links in this summary may be affiliate links.

Heike Martin and Suzanne discuss the organic way Heike's book Owning Our Game came about and its message of visibility and finding oneself through our endeavors.

Guest

Heike Martin, Visual Story Expert, Photographer & Author

heikemartinphotography.com

Highlights

In this episode you will learn:

· How finding something you love can help you overcome challenges

· Why overcoming fear of visibility in important

· Why challenging your skills is a way to uplevel your game

Book

Owning Our Game: Female Athlete Stories of Strength, Beauty & Athleticism

https://heikemartinphotography.com/book-owning-our-game/

Free Gift (If applicable)

A Guide for Brand Shots That Sell

https://heikemartinphotography.com/

Recommendation for Every Entrepreneur

Do your research. Understand your market, understand yourself and understand what success means to you.

Favorite Book

The City of Joy by Dominique Lapierre

Links in this summary may be affiliate links.

Jill Celeste shares the inspiration for each of her books and for starting Virtual Networkers, a multi-chapter all women's networking group she started long before the world shut down for the pandemic.

Guest

Jill Celeste, Author, speaker, founder of Virtual Networkers

JillCeleste.com

Highlights

In this episode you will learn:

· The importance of long-tail marketing

· What prompted her to write each of her books

· Why she started a virtual networking group long before the pandemic

Book

Loud Woman: Goodbye, Inner Good Girl!

That First Client: Find and Attract Your First Ideal Client

Both books can be found at https://JillCeleste.com

Recommendation for Every Entrepreneur

Become part of a community.

Favorite Book

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Untamed by Glennon Doyle

Links in this summary may be affiliate links.