Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Want to Create more buzz for your book or ministry? Online Marketing is what is hot!

In 2010 We are introducing a BRAND New Ministry Marketing Solutions - teaching social media & internet marketing! Creating major Christian book buzz online!





The Web 2.0 World


Of course the latest to trend in the network and internet marketing community is the Web 2.0 world of blogs, YouTube, Twitter and the like. The use of videos in various social networks in order to communicate and establish a following with the subscribers has become ubiquitous. The net result of all this is that seemingly the most effective way to communicate with potential subscribers, or even to acquire subscribers and customers these days is probably through the use of videos.

Videos have a number of advantages, including the ability to present yourself as a sincere and a knowledgeable person in a face-to-face way. A potential subscriber or customer is more likely to buy from someone they they feel like they know.

So consequently, it’s almost imperative these days that you use the video medium in order to communicate with potential prospects to turn them into eventual customers.

Click here to join Easy Video Producer
This new easy video producer software system appears to offer a simple and easy, no cost way for the experienced, and particularly the relatively inexperienced non-technical networker to make effective use of videos for viral list building and business promotion. My new affiliate partner!


Written in part by Rich Keesling

Check it out! You can visit the site at bit.ly/ministryvideos

See http://www.pamperryprcoach.com/too and join http://www.chocolatepagesnetwork.com/!

Monday, December 21, 2009

My Prayer for Christian Authors in 2010




Heading into my first full decade of doing business as Ministry Marketing Solutions, I am happy for all that I have seen in the world of Christian publicity. But on the other hand, I am saddened by the ego-starved “gospel celebrities” it has created.  I mean, when did the authors and preachers try to outshine the TRUE Source?  
 

When I first stepped out of the corporate boat to this “calling” to help authors-with-a-Message market themselves, I struggled. I personally took a pay cut (really pay halt for the first few years) and personally sacrificed a lot to make it work.
But I knew God called me to this arena and I remained faithful giving the best I had to ministers, churches, Christian authors & publishing companies. My mission: To Market the Message in Excellence. I stay true to my mission – helping those who are serious to brand better, market more consistently and learn how to use technology to expand their ministry. (see http://www.ministrymarketingsolutions.com/)

But over the last decade, I have seen some things that would shock and amaze most.  Ministry Marketing has changed – it’s more competitive.  And when there is competitiveness, it breeds jealous and envy. And where there is envy, you get confusion and you know that’s where all evil work lurks.
My prayer for 2010 and beyond for those in the industry of ministry:

1.       To know that no matter how wonderful you write or how pretty your website is, if you do not have the right heart motive – it won’t fly.   If you are “Christian” because you think there is a “market” for your stuff and you’ll make a ton of dough – you’ll be in for a shock. God don’t like ugly . So, don’t try pimp or play with God’s people. Playing with fire will get you burnt.

2.        To learn how to represent JESUS in a contemporary, fresh and creative way.  Know that the standard you give to your “regular” job is even higher when you put a “Christian” label on it. Our “brand” can change lives. So, my prayer is that authors and ministry leaders take the time or invest the money to make it as professional possible. If vulgar hip hop artists spend tons of money on branding – why can’t a Christian? It just takes creativity and the right team. Image matters even when you are trying to attract people to Gospel. Who would want to attend a church that is broke down? Consequently, who would want to read a book with a cover that is “jacked up” or a hot mess? Step it up. Don’t copy the world – out do ‘em! Our God is greater.

3.         To learn how to work together and create synergy energy. There is strength in numbers – and an anointing when we combine God-given talents and resources.  So many ministries and Christian authors tend to think they are the only one hearing from God. Not true.  God wants His people to work as one body jointly fit together.  This is hard for many because they want to get all the credit or be in the spotlight – well, you can get the spotlight and miss the real applause from the one who matters the most - JESUS!  My prayer is that I quit getting so many emails asking me to help them get on the New York Times best-seller list or Oprah – and they concentrate on what God really told them do.  God will provide provision for the vision. Trust HIM. I pray that greed be removed from the heart of ministry leaders and they concentrate on doing purpose.  In doing purpose, it may take a team of folk to complete it – and that’s good.  It’s about a movement. It’s about unity. It’s about something bigger than you.  



When you contact a marketing company – as with anything – pray first.  Know why you want to hire a firm and how much you’re willing to pay.  Keep your expectations realistic.  Don’t expect them to build your platform in 3 weeks. Anything that is sustaining will take time. There are no over-night successes.  And then, look at the company’s track record and see who they have partnered with in the past.  Their associations matter because you can see where you “fit” or if you will fit at all. You can tell a lot about a person by the company they keep.
Finally, select a company that will help you get to where you need to go based on what God told you – FOR this season. And honor that company by being professional and having integrity when engaging their services.  Stay true to the vision that God gave you, be diligent and He will bring it pass.  Remember, humility before honor.

Free resources: See http://www.pamperryprcoach.com/too and join http://www.chocolatepagesnetwork.com/com!
Pam Perry PR


Hear the Synergy Energy podcasts at: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ministrymarketingsolutions
Wordle: pam perry

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

5 Ways To Increase Your Website Traffic


Have you screamed, "I need traffic to my website!"? With over 500 million Google searches taking place daily: How do you get traffic to your website?



It’s evident that anybody could own a website because there are millions online today. With the internet being the fastest growing information vehicle everyone is taking it for a ride.


Think about it! How many people do you know are using the internet to sell their own products and services to reach their target market? How many of these individuals place strong efforts to promote their website with a low marketing budget?


Out of the millions of websites on the internet today, the vast majority aren’t experiencing continuous traffic all day through. What these individuals or businesses lack are the most essential factors of success – applicable and practical techniques that work.

I give kudos to those who have mastered the ability to capture website traffic every hour. However, should you be in need of assistance to increase your traffic, here are few affordable and practical techniques.




Search Engine Submission is one of the most basic and practical techniques anyone can implement.



This is an inexpensive method of traffic generation through the use of search engines. The action is just as it reads, which is submitting your website to search engines. There are two types of search engine submission – manual and automatic.



- Manual Search Engine Submission – the process of visiting each search engine and submitting your website, by filling out the required information.



- Automatic Search Engine Submission – completing the require fields, the software or web based service would forward the information to other search engines


A few other practical techniques to increase website traffic to your website are:

- Banner Advertisement

- Classified ads

- Text links

- Section sponsorship


These techniques will cost more, but these methods will help you reach your target audience wherever they frequent the most on the internet.

This is a process, so remember that the effects of these practical traffic generation techniques will grow over a time span, so be sure to monitor your website traffic to learn which methods and techniques are working.

The time is now; find an effective and affordable traffic generation technique to increase your current results on the internet today.




=================

About The Author

C.F. Jackson, author and website makeover trainer offers a free downloadable Website Makeover 101 Session at Get LinkedOut. Ms. Jackson has been interviewed on Writers Life Chat, Millionaire Monday Series by John Di Lemme, Millionaire Blue Print Now and Atlanta’s WVEE (V-103) radio shows, to name a few. Use LinkedIn to reach 1,000s of your target market's email boxes...weekly or daily
=================


What if you could increase your web traffic by 70%…. What would you do? It’s easy! Learn more about how to increase your website traffic using 8 simple steps on LinkedIn, C.F. Jackson invites you to claim your Free VIP training when you visit www.bit.ly/getlinkedout
 
 
 
Also get free Twitter training videos at www.brandingsuperstar.com

Tuesday, December 08, 2009

This is it: The #1 Solution to make 2010 better than 2009! Social Media Marketing Teleseminar


DON'T WAIT FOR THE MEDIA...BE THE MEDIA!





   



(get the mp3 replay)



I'm giving away my secrets about online branding & PR!







Get the free "Be The Media" mp3 download of David Mathison (author of Be the Media) with Pam Perry (of Ministry Marketing Solutions) discussing Web 2.0, PR trends and new media techniques.

www.pamperrypr.com

David Mathison is an internationally recognized media expert with more than 20 years experience in content distribution. Some of the world's largest - and smallest - publishers use his solutions to directly connect with massive audiences for maximum exposure. His legacy provides global citizens with free news, financial data, audio and video information on the web's most popular sites.

 ------------------------------------------------
Hey, you are going to love this!


Have you ever wondered why some artists, authors and entrepreneurs make a fortune, while others struggle financially?


Would you like to learn how to boost your business, spread your message to more people, and earn a lot more money based on your expertise, products, or services - without a lot of work or expense?

 
Well, I have great news. I'm doing a YEAR-END special teleseminar next Tuesday, Dec. 15 that will tell you how to market yourself like a media pro.



In this teleseminar you'll learn how to:


  • Infuse your traditional PR methods with new social media tools
  • Create PR campaigns that will extend your reach and coverage
  • Raise your online visibility and drive website traffic

This teleseminar will be loaded with practical advice and will include a downloadable workbook that will be your social media guide for 2010!





In other words, it's a terrific handbook for promoting your business, your ministry, or your book with the same level of professionalism a publicist might employ.



This YEAR-END Teleseminar with me will be the best way to learn how to "reinvent" yourself, brand better and help you build out your platform for the new decade!



  
Don't miss this important teleseminar and learn how to:


Self-publish your book, podcast, video, blog and leverage internet syndication, create radio and television shows and promote on social networks


Control your future by developing multiple streams of income from diversified sources


Deploy surprisingly easy strategies to get massive publicity and tons of media exposure


Discover simple things you can immediately do to dramatically increase the profit you make from your books, products and services



I will reveal my secret on how to get on the first page of google!

 
Order now, and get FR.EE one-hour mp3 of me and David Mathison, author of "Be The Media." You'll learn how Mathison pre-sold 5,000+ books on Twitter and secured a slot on the radio dial with a major network through Facebook.


But wait. There is even more!




Get The Synergy Energy book by me and the Obeys.


ALL FOR JUST $47.00


 Order and get access the mp3 download NOW:


http://www.pamperrypr.com


You will be glad you did!


PS: I am so confident that you will be satisfied with this mp3 teleseminar that I am offering a MONEY BACK GUARANTEE. So, you have NOTHING TO LOSE!








 God bless - follow me on Twitter & Join my fan page. :)


Pam Perry, PR Coach & Social Media Expert


http://www.ministrymarketingsolutions.com/


www.twitter.com/pamperry


www.facebook.com/pamperryfanpage









See http://www.pamperryprcoach.com/ too and join http://www.chocolatepagesnetwork.com/!

Wednesday, December 02, 2009

So, you want to Self Publish A book....

Social Networking - Grow Your Business
Click and hear branding super star Guest blogger: Lashanda Henry on Blogtalk Radio SYNERGY ENERGY SHOW from Dec. 2, 2009. Here's her post:

As a Black Entrepreneur, finding the finances to fund your project is often easier said than done. It is for that reason that self-publishing my first book sounded like a great idea to me and possibly the same holds true for you. Having self-published several books, I've learned a few things along the way that I thought might be of interest to any writer interested in entering the world of self-publishing.



This is the first of several of my featured posts entitled 'Black and Self Published.' In these posts I'd like to share with you everything I've learned as a young author/ Black Entrepreneur. I'm going to show you how I published my first book, what resources I used, why I both love and hate self-publishing, and the valuable lessons that I have learned along the way.


First and foremost I want to point out that self-publishing is not for everyone. I chose to self-publish for a number of reasons. I had very little startup capital. I didn't want to spend months or even years sending my story to publishers. I had the word processing/graphics skills to design my own book and I was really eager to see my work in print. In hindsight, I now realize that rather than seriously planning a business strategy for publishing and marketing my book, I was more focused on printing the book at a price I could afford. At that time, it seemed like the best thing to do, but honestly you can never go wrong when you sit down and seriously device a plan that is both realistic and will benefit you in the long run. I'll go into more detail about this a little later, but I wanted to start off by making it clear that self-publishing isn't an easy alternative to creating your book. Like mosts things it has both benefits and drawbacks.


As I mentioned above, dealing with publishers was the last thing I wanted to do so that first thing I did was goolge 'publishing your own book', which quickly opened my eyes to the world of self-publishing. Of the many websites I stumbled upon the two that stood out were iUniverse and lulu.com. I was impressed by iUniverse when I learned that several well known authors started off from the site, but I ultimately chose to go with lulu.com because I wasn't interested in paying for an editor/cover designer/etc. I planned on doing that stuff for myself and I honestly didn't have a couple of hundred of dollers to invest in their services. Though their program wasn't right for me, it might be right for you if you need that extra guidance and support.


Once I signed up for lulu.com, I was ready to transform my ideas from pen to print. Lulu.com is a premier self-publishing website. It is free to join and they provide print-on-demand services. The great thing about print on demand is that you only need to pay for the books that you order to be printed, which is a great way to cut your initial startup costs. However, what I learned later is that the less you pay initially for the printing of your book, the less you gross back in profit. Print on demand books tend to cost more to publishing because generally speaking, the orders are smaller.

In other words, the more you order in bulk the cheaper the cost per book. This is why many self-published authors tend to invest several hundred dollars into initially printing a bulk of books. In doing so they can charge less for their books without needing to markup the price to make up the profit. This is why print-on-demand books tend to cost more money, especially illustrated books printed in color. It is almost impossible to publish children's books through print-on-demand because the cost per book is just too high. But again, apart of cutting printing costs is being able to shell out the cash required to print larger quantities of your book.



As for my book, I was more than satisfied with lulu's services. Being able to pay for copies on an as needed basis and selling my books on lulu for a small fee, was perfect. My biggest expense was purchasing the book's isbn number through lulu. An isbn number is basically a unique tracking number used by retailers to identify your book. Beyond selling your book online or at select events, you can not sell your book in bookstores or to large online retailers like amazon.com without an isbn number.



Once I purchased my isbn number I was ready to take my work offline, which was truly an eye opening experience. Contrary to my initial dreams of having my book sell big numbers on amazon or generate huge sales in the store of my choice, promoting one's book as a self-published author is very different from what I expected. Most bookstores generally get their inventory through book distribution companies, which specialize in selling published books to stores. I quickly learned that in order to get my book on the shelf, for some stores, my book first had to be on the list of one of their distributors.

As luck would have it, though I was able to avoid the process of dealing with publishers, I was going to have to begin an almost identical process by mailing distributors, requesting that they distribute my work to their stores. In some cases, I did find a few stores that work with self-published authors, but they generally do so through consignment. This means they initially take a few copies of your book (say 5 for example) to see if they sell, and if they do sell, then the store will take more. When books are sold the store gets 60% and you get 40% of the sale. Ultimately this means that there is no initial big lump sum of money sent your way, you have to first pay for the printing, supply the stores with copies, and then wait for payment of profit when books are sold. If no books are sold, stores generally give the books back, which is why the chances of you finding a store that will pay for your books upfront is pretty slim.


A similar concept holds true as far as getting your book on sites like amazon.com. Getting listed is only half the story. Initially amazon.com will take only one or two copies of your book, and if you don't put in the effort to get that copy sold, they won't request more copies of your book. Again, the process starts with printing costs, and book sales, before the possibilities of profit. When I understood this very important piece of information, I came to realize the other, less talked about side of self publishing. It might seem like initially you aren't putting in much money, but you might find you ultimately have to spend more than anticipated to get your book in the right places to be sold.

 This is why it is very important to set aside a budget, however small for your publishing project factoring your printing costs, book price, and estimated return after all expenses are paid for. Last but not least you have to factor in the cost of marketing as well as how you plan on developing a marketing strategy. Of course this question is completely determined by your motivations for creating a book. Is it enough for you to see your book printed, sell a few copies, or do you have dreams of writing the next best seller?



If you do want to gain noticeable exposure for your book, understand that there are tons of ways to go about book promotion.

NOTE:  Get the "Get Out There kit" at http://www.e-junkie.com/pamperry

 It's up to you to do your research and find out what works best for you. Some authors enjoy the extra income and additional exposure than comes with doing speaking engagements or book signings. Some sellers opt to invest in vendor tables at book fairs, expos, and trade shows. I've met a number of self-published hustlers who hit the streets, get their vendor permits and sell their books on corners, with promotional t-shirts, postcards, or bookmarks in hand. While others promote strictly online by setting up blogs, sending out press releases, writing articles related to their work, advertising on sites that cater to their target audience,freely distributing short excerpts of their work, or developing a fan base on social network communities like myspace.

Whatever marketing strategy you use choose, remember that sales made by self-published authors are 50% up to them and 50% up to readers actually being interested in their work. As for my own work, I've probably tried each of the above mentioned strategies at least once. Trying to get a sense of the pros and cons of each, and which strategies work best for me not just as an author, but as a sales person and business woman. It goes without saying that as a self-published author, you will wear many hats and play many roles. In hindsight, I would have spent more time better understanding each of these roles before I started the publication of my book, but again it is because of my wrong choices that I learned so many right lessons along the way.



Of all my lessons the most important is this, whether you choose to self-publish by investing the capital to print in bulk,to self-publish through print on demand, or to use the more traditional route and submit to publishing companies, at some point you can not avoid having to pay. You are either paying for initial print costs and marketing fees or your paying as far as the time you put in to get your work noticed by publishers or readers using whatever marketing strategy available to you. On the flip side, choosing to find a publisher requires you to roll up your sleeves, develop a thick skin and be prepared to deal with waiting for responses, possible rejection letters, and learning to navigate through the world of publishing. And in the event that you do receive that acceptance letter that every aspiring writer dreams of, you can enjoy the benefits of book signings and signing bonuses without worrying about production costs or setting up promotion.


Just keep in mind that the more costs your publishers take care of, the smaller your percentage of the profit. One of the pluses of self-publishing is that you retain a larger percentage of the sale, but if you are getting 80% of 10 books sales vs. 15% of 1000 plus sales, which one is really better in the long run. Ultimately it all depends on three things from two perspectives, how much money, time, and skill (as a writer/sales person) are you looking to both put in and get out of your publishing experience.

If you can put in all those three things and then some with 200% of your best effort then perhaps self-publishing is the best solution for you. But if you are more interested in increasing your chances of getting those three things out of your experience, then you might want to focus more on getting into a publishing company that can help you promote your work on a bigger scale and give you access to professionals that can help you better perfect your craft.



As for me, I love being black and self-published. It's a lot of work, and sometimes I honestly do put in more money than I get out, but the thrill of turning the pages of my own books and making a sale at an event, well that is priceless. But just the same, I have presently decided to invest my time into more lucrative projects until I can either put more time/money into self-publishing, or research publishing companies that I would like to work with. But that is a another chapter, in my book, for another time. As far as your own work, there is no better time like the present to learn more about self publishing. Whether you sit on the floor in Barnes and Nobles, go to the library, signup for a seminar, or search the internet, it's important that you educate yourself about this process before investing your time and effort into getting your book published. Of course there is no process without having an actual book, so at least start working on an outline or your first draft as a means of personally committing to the task of seeing your work published.

Web Entrepreneur LaShanda Henry talks about how she self-published her books for FREE using Lulu.com and creates eBooks for Web Entrepreneurs, which is one way she makes money online. Get her Ultimate Online Kit

Click here to view more details for her awesome tool for authors & ministries! The Ultimate Money and Marketing Course 

I love her stuff!!! She inspires me. Success leaves clues. Click all the buttons....you are on click away from awesome.

So, are YOU Ready to go to the next level?  See http://www.prbootcamponline.eventbrite.com/ too and join http://www.chocolatepagesnetwork.com/!