Question

Topic: E-Marketing

E-marketing Service/person Needed--academic Press

Posted by MossPublishing on 9/6/2011 at 12:56 PM ET 125 Points
We are strong on development and technology in academic publishing of literary titles with a unique spin for college market, but we are in need of e-marketing strategy/execution for modest funds, since we are still a start-up (although we are building considerable traction now). Any people/ideas for how to fill this need?
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by Gary Bloomer on 9/6/2011 at 8:21 PM Accepted
    You need a social media presence (Facebook, Twitter, Youtube), a blog in which you post at least twice a week, and some kind of offer to attract people to sign up (you then market to these people over time).
  • Posted by Gary Bloomer on 9/6/2011 at 8:21 PM Accepted
    You need a social media presence (Facebook, Twitter, Youtube), a blog in which you post at least twice a week, and some kind of offer to attract people to sign up (you then market to these people over time).
  • Posted by MossPublishing on 9/6/2011 at 8:59 PM Author
    We do have Facebook, Twitter, a blog. We need to work more on making an attractive offer. Thank you.
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 9/7/2011 at 12:53 AM Accepted
    Are you publishing hardcover, softcover, or ebooks (including Kindle-like readers)? For your target market, I'd suggest ebooks "at a great deal".
  • Posted by Harry Hallman on 9/7/2011 at 2:17 PM Accepted
    Social media is only one aspect of your business. You need to have an integrated program to be most successful. I suggest you contact 2 or 3 specialist, like myself, and have them provide a general proposal based on an interview with you and a review of what you have done. Pick the one you like and who can meet your budget guidelines. Do them and yourself a favor by stating your budget guidelines up front.
  • Posted by Gary Bloomer on 9/7/2011 at 6:59 PM Accepted
    As for an offer, who are you serving and what's their pain point? What value can you offer in a small package that would be tempting enough to entice people to pay more in terms of attention and money?
  • Posted by Krista on 9/8/2011 at 12:18 AM Accepted
    First of all, is your audience/customer/buyer using social media to make decisions about your company? Are you going online to educate them about your offerings or are you starting with the direct offer? Are you creating conversations about your products or are you going straight into selling?

    Whether it is social media or not, it is best to create trust first. Only then can conversations start about your products.

    Find areas where you can start conversations to build trust first. Only when you have gained a certain amount of trust can you start telling people what you offer and why you are unique.
  • Posted on 9/8/2011 at 5:19 PM Accepted
    Have you considered an intern? With your academic focus, a local college or university student may be interested in getting experience without the expectation of a competitive salary.
  • Posted by MossPublishing on 9/9/2011 at 3:57 PM Author
    Hi,

    We've considered much of the great ideas you suggest. We have not yet worked with an intern. The hard part seems to be getting people to know that we exist without spending a lot of money on the whole process. Developing a targeted email list seems to be part of the answer. Any other ideas? We're looking at ads on social network sites vs. ads on Google, etc. But translating audience awareness to sales is a big concern too.
  • Posted by mgoodman on 9/9/2011 at 5:16 PM Accepted
    The limited budget, while certainly understandable, is concerning. Do you have a business plan? If you were an investor, would you invest in your company? How much would you need to execute your business plan? How long would it take to recoup your investment? What kind of ROI would you expect?

    I hope you didn't go into this business without a plan. That's the kiss of death. You knew when you started that marketing was going to be an issue, right? How much did you budget?

    Finally, what is a new customer worth to you? How much would you be willing to spend to get a new customer? How many new customers can you afford (at that rate)?
  • Posted by MossPublishing on 9/9/2011 at 5:22 PM Author
    Yes, we have a business plan, that we have been modifying as we go along, given developments in the field and the economy. We seem to be on a promising path now. Yes, the limited budget is concerning. But it's reality right now, because of all the adjustments we've had to make along the way in development and in target market. Coming up with a modified marketing plan seems to be in order now.
  • Posted by MossPublishing on 9/14/2011 at 2:21 PM Author
    Thank everyone for all the great input!
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