Tag: Amazon

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Platform and Branding

Amazon Advertisements: Essential

We all know how important Amazon when it comes to selling our books. Perhaps we don’t know just how important it is though.

This graph is from authorearnings.com, and is a bit outdated. Even a few years ago Amazon maintained roughly ¾ of US eBook sales, and its done nothing but grow since.

Kobo is still around. Apple is pushing to get back in the eBook market after their massive lawsuit for price-fixing a few years back. Nook is on its last leg, but might have a few tricks left up its sleeve.

All that said, Amazon is a behemoth. Books are sold on Amazon. And if we aren’t utilizing every resource at our disposal, our book sales will pay for it.

So how do we make our books succeed on Amazon then? Most authors measure the success or failure of their books by their Amazon sales, but yet we utilize ulterior sources for gaining sales. Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Google… the list goes on. But Amazon has tools too. And they can’t be ignored any longer. And I’m about to make the case for why.

The Competitors

Google has been alone at the top of the advertising world since they beat out Yahoo a lifetime ago. Facebook was a fast riser and has stayed at the top for awhile now. Twitter is a newer player in the industry, but things can go viral on there. And fast. They say that video is the most powerful and relevant form of internet marketing, and many authors have employed YouTube to that end.

But there is a difference between using these otherwise effective marketing platforms than marketing on Amazon. Why? People on Twitter and Facebook are scrolling, not shopping. People on Youtube are consuming content, not making a purchase. Those on Google are looking for information, a website or an article. Their wallets might not be nearby.

On Amazon though, every person is shopping. They don’t have to be redirected from laughing at cat videos and catching up with their high-school friend Jim. They’re already hunting for the next great novel or the how-to book that will change their life. Amazon is a search engine just like Google or Bing, but users aren’t scrolling, they’re shopping. They don’t have to be interrupted. They want what you have, they just have to find it.

While all of these various platforms are excellent platform builders and need to be part of every author’s marketing portfolio, Amazon is where books are actually sold. And therefore advertising on there will produce the greatest return on investment nearly every time (if your goal is to sell books rather the gain fans).

Amazon’s Mission

Recent history tells us a little bit about Amazon’s mission. They started out as a bookseller, and now they’ve branched out into just about every major industry you can imagine. Clothes, groceries, online video… you name it. Amazon likes being the best at everything they do. And for a very long time, they’ve lagged behind Facebook and Google.

For that reason it should be no surprise that in the summer of 2018 Amazon announced that they would be revamping their advertising structure so that it would become a major part of what they do. What was once known as “Amazon Marketing Services” is now “Amazon Advertisements” and even over the last several months we’ve seen update after update that reveals Amazon is making big changes. What was once a great tool for selling books on Amazon has now become a complete necessity. And here’s why:

Also Bought’s

Most published authors are familiar with the “customers who bought this item also bought:” section on their Amazon book page. Here’s an example:

This is a major discovery tool for us. Once we achieve some sales, our book will start appearing on other book pages in this “also bought” section.

So what does this have to do with Amazon Advertisements? Because Amazon has played around with removing them altogether. What would they put in their place? More advertisements (you can already see the “sponsored products related to this item” below, but Amazon might just include two rows of these ads).

Just because Amazon has tested removing the also-boughts section on certain servers doesn’t mean they actually will. They’ve also tested moving the also-boughts to the bottom of the book page, just above the reviews (where there is currently another row of ads). That might not happen either. To be honest, we don’t really know what Amazon will do as they roll out more updates in 2019. What we can infer from these tests is that Amazon is determined to push their ads until their advertising platform is competing directly with Google and Facebook. And since Amazon is where books are sold, that is something to take note of.

I hope I’ve thoroughly convinced you of the importance of Amazon Advertisements. They’ve been a major part of what allowed me to go from first-time author with no platform and a small marketing budget to an International Best Seller. And Amazon doesn’t play favorites. That can happen for you too.

If you’re interest in my online course on Amazon ads, follow the link here. Be sure to use the code A3AMS for 50% off!

Be sure to come back next month, when we’re going to jump right in to the different types of ads, where they’ll appear, and which ones are right for you.

Vincent B. Davis II is an author, entrepreneur, speaker, and soldier. His first novel “The Man with Two Names” was published in July 2017, and has since become an Amazon International Best Seller. He is passionate about helping authors improve their brand and platform. He works with publishing companies and individual clients to help them sell more books in the modern publishing environment. Vincent created Warrior Book Marketing Group in 2018 and he and his team would love to help improve your digital sales. Email him at vincent@warriorbookmarketing.com with any questions.

Categories
Platform and Branding

Amazon Advertising: Introduction

In October, we discussed keywords. There are two main goals when selecting your seven keywords: 1) to find words that are actually being searched for in high quantities and 2) words that aren’t so competitive that you can’t show up high in searches for.

When you only have seven keywords to choose from, you have to hit both of those metrics to remain relevant. But what if you could choose 1000?

With Amazon Advertising you can.

Essentially, Amazon Advertising works the same way as your keywords: you selected words or phrases that are related to your book, and when someone searches for them, they’ll see your book. What makes Amazon ads different is that you can select up to 1000 keywords (per campaign, and you can run as many campaigns as you like!).

Not only that, but you can target comparable authors and book titles in your genre. If you write Christian Living, how would you like to rank next to Max Lucado? Joyce Meyer? What about being the first result for “bible study” or “Christian living for women” in an Amazon search? You absolutely can with Amazon Advertising.

The only difference between Amazon ads and your seven keywords (despite the vastly greater number and the kinds of targeting you’re allowed to use) is the fact that you pay per click. You never pay when the ad is shown, but you’ll pay a marginal fee when a reader clicks on the advertisement and is directed straight to your book page.

The typical cost per click is around 10 – 20 cents, so depending on the price of your eBook/book, you can make a great return. If you make $2.00 per eBook, and your average cost per click is 20 cents, you can have ten clicks and only one sale to break even. If you covert more than that, the cup runneth over. Obviously the paperback or higher priced eBooks will give an even better return on investment.

But the real benefit of Amazon ads isn’t just making your money back. It’s about visibility. That’s the most difficult part about book sales right? We work our tails off planning for a book, writing it, editing, and then shell out money and time to get it prepared. And for what? Most of the time we launch our books not to applause but to crickets. Why? Because most people don’t know it exists.

Amazon advertisements solve that problem.

Whether you are a New York Times Best Seller or a first-time author with zero sales and zero reviews, you can be the first result in an Amazon search and appear on the book pages of your favorite authors and books. That’s how you get discovered: being visible to the right readers.

If you’re already sold on using Amazon Advertisements, feel free to follow this link and take a look at my comprehensive online course on Amazon ads: AMS (Amazon Marketing Services) Zero to Hero. As a special offer, use the code A3AMS for 50% off!

If not, stick around for next month, where we’ll dig into Amazon ads a little further, and gain a better understanding of not only why they work, but why they are crucial in the modern publishing environment.

Vincent B. Davis II is an author, entrepreneur, speaker, and soldier. His first novel “The Man with Two Names” was published in July 2017, and has since become an Amazon International Best Seller. He is passionate about helping authors improve their brand and platform. He works with publishing companies and individual clients to help them sell more books in the modern publishing environment. Vincent created Warrior Book Marketing Group in 2018 and he and his team would love to help improve your digital sales. Email him at vincent@warriorbookmarketing.com with any questions.

Categories
Things Every Writer Should Know Writer Encouragement

Getting Reviews Part 1

by Elaine Marie Cooper

Many authors, both new and the more experienced, get discouraged when hunting for knowledgeable readers to do advance reviews for new books. It’s all part of the marketing package that authors are expected to develop on their own: Finding folks to read and review their new book “baby.” It’s enough to prod some of us into the fetal position!

I inwardly cringe when I see a fairly new release wallowing on Amazon with a handful of reviews. It makes me want to buy their book and pray I can give it a four or five star review to show the author that I understand all the work that went into birthing their release. There are not enough hours in my day, however, to rescue all the forgotten books destined for an early demise. Readers like to see reviews, and lots of them.

So what’s an author to do? There is really no magic here. It takes planning months ahead—long before your book releases—to gather potential supporters who will help you out. Think of it this way: You would not wait to announce the upcoming birth of your newborn a couple of days before the due date. You would send out notes, allow your friends to give you baby showers, and rev up enthusiasm for the long awaited arrival.

And so it is with a book release. Invite your friends and others to be in on the celebration.

Caution: Do not allow your cat to post reviews on Amazon
Caution: Do not allow your cat to post reviews on Amazon

Start with your social media contacts, who are already excited about your writing. Expand your list to include other authors who write in a similar genre. Gather experts in the field of your topic. Think outside the box.

 

Private message them (or email them if you know their address) to see if they are interested in reading and reviewing, possibly endorsing your upcoming release. Give them a brief synopsis of the book and tell them the genre. If they say “yes,” ask them for their email address so you can send the PDF to them. Never send a PDF to someone who has not agreed to read and review. Unsolicited PDF’s in my inbox = rudeness. Be polite and gracious.

If there are any edit issues because you are sending it early (before final final edits!) be sure to apprise them of that.

Next month I will do Part 2 of gathering reviewers early. Come back in March for a very important letter that you should include with your PDF. In the meantime, start gathering your list of potential reviewers.

 

Green Typewriter courtesy of Just2Shutter via freedigitalphotos.net