Yes, it’s that time of year (again) – Happy April Fool’s Day!
And why not embrace it? Sure, this little tidbit of not-entirely-unbelievable goofiness is all in the name of good fun, but just how unlikely is it?
Big corporations change the rules all the time. Amazon introduces new reader programs (like Kindle Unlimited) and throws the world of self-publishing into disarray.
Facebook makes changes to its algorithms so your organic reach drops to near-zero levels. Google introduces new strategies to penalise what it considers “spam” sites…
All these things are done in good faith – but, like all things business, the ultimate goal is to serve the needs of their shareholders.
Eg: make more money, reach more people.
The good news is, those are your aims too. And while companies like Amazon, Facebook, and Twitter (and others) are continually moving the goal posts, the upside is that your business can grow alongside theirs.
If you know how to make the most of the opportunity…
Now, if your marketing plan consists of:
(1) Write a bunch of books, and
(2) Upload them and let Amazon and the other stores do the work
Then chances are you’re not going to get very far. Sure, some authors find success with this approach, but it’s a tiny percentage of a tiny percentage (read: they got lucky).
For every 1 author who sat back and “waited for the best” there are tens of thousands who worked their butts off and got nowhere – despite having great books and a decent publication schedule.
So, what to do?
Like any successful business, your income and your marketing needs to be diverse. That means not relying on any one source of income (or traffic, or email subscribers, or sales, or whatever).
Because when that 1 source of income changes the rules, your business needs to adapt quickly – or die.
And, guess what… most suffer the latter.
This is why I’m always recommending authors build their own readership and email list, take more control over their sales, and steer their businesses they way they want – meaning no more relying on 1 or 2 sources of income over which they have no control.
One essential plan of action is developing an advertising budget – and using that budget to grow profitably.
This might mean starting off with a dollar or two per day, measuring and managing that into a positive ROI, and then scaling up slowly.
For most, that’s the perfect starting point.
And right now it’s easier than ever to get started – you can set up advertising accounts and start seeing results with less than $10 in your pocket and immediately get your books in front of tens of thousands of people.
When you make that budget work positively for you, you’re taking back control. And that means more freedom for you.
To get you started, I’m hosting a free online webinar on April 3rd with Mark Dawson, who’s going to show you how to use Amazon “AMS” ads to grow your readership and sales profitably.
Spaces are limited and filling up – make sure you grab your spot right here before Monday:
Click Here to Register (and get the replay if you can’t make it live)
Hopefully, see you there!
Nick Stephenson
