MARKETING YOUR SELF-PUBLISHING MATERIAL
You can market your material in several ways. One would be via advertising and, at least for starters, this is the preferred way. Another method would be via direct mail. This is acceptable, but only if you are quite certain that the list you are renting represents the interest group you are selling to and is of recent vintage. Lastly, you can market your material as an enclosure with other orders you are shipping. This is called "back-end sale".
Advertising would be the most effective. It is suggested you run a classified in any of the major monthly Business Opportunity magazines. Here are the names of some of the best known of such publications: Entrepreneur, Money Making
Opportunities, Income Opportunities, Business Startups, Opportunity Magazine. These are just a very few of the many large publications and there are even more smaller publications available.
Your ad may read something like the following:
INSTANT-PUBLISHING. Enormous Profits. Free details on reproduction rights; or
SELF PUBLISHING. Over 1000% profit. Wide selection. Free details.
Ads such as the above or one similar will bring you inquiries. It is your marketing task to turn as large a percentage as possible into buyers. To be most effective and to outdo your competitors, you must meet these criteria. Your product must be priced properly. Your sales literature has to be appealing.
When pricing your product, first take a look at what the competition does. You can find out by responding to similar ads. In that way, you will not only learn about pricing, but also see a variety of presentations and selections. Don't be
greedy. Stay a little below the competition but allow yourself a fair profit. Remember, your mark-up has to pay for advertising, printing of your sales material, postage and miscellaneous overhead cost, not to mention your time and effort.
Some of these products are sold at ridiculously low prices and, on the other hand, some at extremely high prices. Neither is effective. If you are too low, you will be suspect of offering something substandard; if you are too high, your material will be trashed. The idea is to stay a little below the average selling price. There is no quick fix in finding out what the averages are. You simply have to take the time to write to as many competing offers as possible. If you are buying material from a publisher who provides you with sales material and
suggested retail prices, you may want to stay below the suggested price. In this way, you do not have to redo the promotions material. Also, the public is very attracted by perceived deals.
If you product is priced correctly and your ad is in the right magazine (under the right heading - general business opportunities), the only thing left is your sales literature. It is also the most important. Remember, in the field of home-based
business, for instance, the customer cannot see, smell or feel the product before buying it. It is therefore absolutely of the utmost importance that your material looks impeccable. This point cannot be stressed enough. In my own testing over the years, I have determined that the same product at the same price but
represented by an excellent looking package will outsell the same product represented by a less than average package at anywhere from double to triple the cost - and therein can be your success or failure.
When you are relatively new to our business, you will generally be charged with enthusiasm, which is great because it is the energy that will propel you to success. But your impatience and enthusiasm has to be controlled or you
will make costly mistakes and you may become discouraged. So, take your time and be sure your material looks first class. This is the wrong place to save a few bucks.
Here are just a few suggestions to help you in achieving success with the presentation of your piece:
1. Unless you are using a ready-made circular or brochure which you received when buying your reproduction article and it satisfies you in every respect, have your piece laid out by a graphic designer or experienced desk-top publisher. In most medium and large cities, there is an ample supply of these professionals. Many of them operate out of their residence and charge reasonable prices. Before you select one, visit several and look at what they have done for others. If you don't like what you see, keep on looking. Remember, the person you choose
can make or break you. Prices for layout of a single page may vary from $20 to $50. Since your promotional piece will generally only consist of one or two pages, this is a small price to pay for success.
2. Have the written word used in both your sales letter and promotional piece checked by someone who is absolutely competent in the use of the English language. Your best bet there is a reputable word processing service that has been around for a while.
3. Have your sales literature printed by a professional printer. Cheap copying obs are fatal.
It must be obvious to you by now that I feel extremely strongly about the subject of first-class sales literature. When your prospective customer pulls your material out of the envelope - or, does he even open it - (experts tell us he does that anywhere from 30 to 100 per week) - and looks at your material
(again, experts tell us it is an 8 second look) before he decides whether to trash you, boom, there goes the whole damn effort into a waste can in a split second.
So give yourself a break and do things the right way. Make it look professional. Modern technology enables your literature to look just as good as the literature from a large corporation.
The components of your sales piece should consist of the following items:
1. The circular, brochure, flyer, etc: This can be from one to several pages in length, depending on how many items you are featuring.
2. A sales letter: A good sales letter requires sweat equity on your part. There is no easy way out. You cannot have someone else do the work for you. They can help you but not do it completely. A good sales letter should be friendly in tone, full of benefits for your prospective buyer, must have a good headline. explain the features of your product, and say as little as possible about you. Your customer does not give a damn about you; he wants to know what's in it for him. And lastly, every sales letter must ask for the order.
3. An order form that can be separate or built into a promotional piece.
4. A return envelope: It is not necessary to use prepaid envelopes. My own research indicates there is no difference in conversion rates between prepaid and non-prepaid business return envelopes.
5. Your mailing envelope.
As you progress in your business, always be on the lookout for new material to be offered to your previous customers. Stay in touch with your previous buyers and inquirers. At least four mailings a year are appropriate. In your follow-up mailings, you should offer additional self-publishing material as well as books. Non-buying inquiries should be dropped from your mailing list after 12 to 15 months. Previous buyers should be dropped within 18 months after their last purchase. As your mailing list increases in size and you keep on a schedule of regular mailings, your revenues and profits will dramatically increase.
Self-publishing products may be your start into the information business or may increase the size of your business if you have not previously offered this type of
material. Some of the most successful mail order entrepreneurs have never sold anything but self-publishing products and have made a great deal of money doing it.
Wishing you success and remember, before you can earn you must learn!
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