eCards, the digital equivalent of traditional book postcards, can be highly effective vehicles for marketing your book. A well-planned eCard campaign can boost book awareness and potentially increase sales.
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Announce Your Book, Digitally:
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Keep eCards Simple. And eCard is just that — the equivalent of a simple postcard. Don’t try to cram an entire Web site onto the card.
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Focus on the Book. Present a few key message points — enough to compel someone to buy the book. If your book is a novel, include an enticing “teaser” line that piques the eCard viewers’ curiosity. If your book is a how-to or self-help work, list the top three or four benefits and include one or two testimonials.
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| Include Vital Information. Your eCard should have purchasing links to online book sellers, your email and website info, and the “specs” of the book: publisher, ISBN number, format (hard or soft cover), page length, and price. |
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| Use Purposeful Animation. The Web is overflowing with gratuitous animations and sound effects. Use multimedia that makes a point relating to the theme or content of your book. |
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| Own the eCard Content. Images, music tracks, or sound effects on the Internet are NOT free. Unless permission is expressly granted by the site owner, assume that any content you find is NOT available for use on your eCard. Contact the owner or purchase royalty free content. |
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| Provide a Sound On/Sound Off Option. If your eCard incorporates audio, give people the option of viewing the card with or without sound. This will be especially appreciated by recipients who work in office cubbies! |
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| Open with a Link. eCards can be sent as links in plain emails (the link opens a Web page with the card graphics) or in “HTML” format, so the card appears in the body of the message. The latter is much more satisfying. But SPAM filters often block HTML emails. The link approach is definitely the safest approach. NEVER send the card as an attachment to people who don’t know you! |
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| Plant the Seeds for “Viral” Marketing. An eCard is most effective when people pass it along to others. Ideally, your card will have a “share with a friend” function. If not, add a line at the bottom of the card or include a suggestion in the email accompanying the card to forward it to a friend or colleague. |
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| Select Your Mailing List Carefully. Don’t bulk email your eCard to lists of people if you aren’t sure of the quality and origins of the list. If you use bulk mail, comply with federal laws for unsolicited bulk mail. (See www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/buspubs/canspam.htm for information). Start off with lists that you compile yourself, made up of friends, family, and colleagues. Include a function on your site that allows people to sign up for your mailing list. Third party services such as Bravenet.com make it easy to do so. |
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Email Once. Don’t resend your eCard to the same recipients. Send another card with your next book.
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