Our friend
Chel Wolverton helped me connect with award-winning novelist J.C. Hutchins to talk about promoting on little or no budget. I thought small businesses could take some lessons from his success.
J.C. is best known for his high-tech
7th Son thriller
trilogy, which he released as free serialized audiobooks from 2006-07.
With more than 5 million episodic downloads of his fiction -- and
approximately 100,000 downloads still occurring each month --
7th Son is the most popular "podcast novel" series in history.
Thanks to savvy "zero budget" promotion and relentless evangelism from his fans, the series’ first novel,
Descent, is now in print from St. Martin’s Press. J.C. has been featured in
The New York Times,
The Washington Post, NPR's
Weekend Edition, TIME.com,
OMMA and
Blogger & Podcaster magazines, and the BBC.
Certainly.
The "zero budget" marketing I've used to promote my novels hails from
necessity -- like most small businesses, I simply don't have the cash
to hire a fancy marketing company to spread the word about my work. So
I bootstrap it by using free online services (such as my website,
blogging, podcasting, Twitter and Facebook) to boost awareness for my
fiction. Further, I use these tools to personally engage with my
customers -- making them more than customers; they become fans -- and ask them to help spread the word about my product.
Most businesses understand the importance of advertising and outreach. But
so many fail to recognize that their satisfied customers are the best
marketers money can't buy. By turning your customers into fans, you
transcend a mere transaction-based relationship and become something
far more significant in their minds.
2. Are there any necessary first steps to making a zero budget promotion work? For example, how necessary is it to have a plan?
A
business can certainly benefit from a plan, but I encourage low-risk
experimentation -- especially when businesses are using social media
tools (like Twitter and Facebook) for the first time. There's no need
to break the bank here, from a time and effort perspective. Start out
small and slow, and see what resonates with your customers.
The
key element is providing value. Value, value, value. Make it worth your
customers' time and effort -- and then make it effortless.
For
instance: A local retailer can create a customer-centric Twitter
account or Facebook page. This takes minutes to do, and is free. (It's
easy to become consumed with fancy designs, bells and whistles -- but
forget that stuff. Bare-bones it.) Promote these pages with some
low-cost in-store signage, and talk it up to customers ... even slip
self-printed paper promotional "postcards" in each checkout bag.
Encourage customers to visit those sites.
Why?
Because there are online-exclusive deals that can be found there. Or
perhaps there are quick tips that cater to your customers' needs. With
$20 and 10-minute time investment, you can provide valuable coupons for
your customers, or priceless expertise. In a way, you bring your
business to them. These things create value and customer loyalty --
they'll come back to those pages for more. They'll come back to your
store, too.
And if your customers don't visit
those sites? You're out $20 and 10 minutes. That's chicken feed, even
for the most strapped businesses. You can implement similar strategies
with blogs or podcasts, but start small and see what works.
3. What are the top 2 or 3 most successful techniques you've used so far?
In
the online subculture in which I operate, I've found that loss leader
products, cross-promotion, and leveraging customer enthusiasm deliver
the best "zero budget" results.
Loss leader products
I
give away my novels for free in serialized audio and text formats, and
encourage my customers to share that free content with their friends.
This sounds insane; how can I make a profit if I'm giving away my
stuff? But these loss leader products get folks into the door, and
invested in what I'm doing. They enjoy the free stuff, and are willing
to hear me promote the "print" editions of my novels, which are for
sale. Further, the low barrier of entry attracts customers who would
not have otherwise discovered by books. I've seen a tangible connection
between my strategy and successful book sales.
Brick-and-mortar
retailers -- or any other business, for that matter -- can benefit from
this strategy. I mentioned online-exclusive deals/coupons and "expert
tips" articles. There is little monetary downside to these loss
leaders, as it either drives customers in-store, or delivers invaluable
insights that lend credibility to your business ... which brings people
in-store. With minimal modification, this strategy can work effectively
for industries well beyond retail.
Cross-promotion
Small
companies can also benefit by creating short- or long-term partnerships
with other local businesses. Better still, these alliances need not
cost a dime. This cross-promotion can occur online, or in
brick-and-mortar locations. This works best with businesses who have
customers with overlapping interests.
For
instance: Let's say your town has a locally-owned hardware store and
bookstore. The hardware store can feature low-cost in-store signage
that promotes the local bookstore as "the best place" to learn more
about decoration, remodeling and other DIY endeavors. Meanwhile, the
bookstore has signage in the appropriate sections that promote the
local hardware store as "the best place" to buy the tools customers
need to get the job done. It's a dirt-cheap promotion which lends
credibility -- and drives business -- to both stores.
Leveraging Customer Enthusiasm
Transcend
the traditional transaction-based relationships with your customers.
Make them fans with superior service and value! Identify your happy
repeat customers and ask them to help spread the word about your
business. Provide them with a few flyers (which provide value via
deals/coupons/etc.) to pass out to friends and family. Or ask them to
mention your Twitter or Facebook pages. Since they're already invested
in your success -- they enjoy doing business with you -- they'll likely
accept your low-pressure offer.
And if they don't? Hey, no sweat. You only spend a few bucks printing those flyers.
4. You are targeting a fairly tech-savvy audience with your writing. How
well do these tactics work when your target isn't that technically
minded?
They can
work just fine; in fact, several of the "zero budget" tips I've
mentioned are designed for the "real world," and not the Internet. All
it requires is an absolute love and belief in your business, and a
willingness to pursue the slightly unconventional in your outreach and
customer relationships. If you love what you do, that passion will
spread to your customers -- and to allies with whom you can partner.
Photo courtesy of J.C. Hutchins
New here? Take the Guided Tour. Like what you see? Subscribe.
South African BLANKbottle has gone a step further. The boutique winemaker's founder, Pieter Walser, sent 20 cases of its latest premium white wine Moment of Silence to loyal customers on consignment, asking them to evaluate the wine and then pay him what they thought it was worth. They paid up to ZAR 90 per bottle (USD 11.80 / EUR 7.50), and the average price came to ZAR 50. Since BLANKbottle aims to exceed customers' quality vs. price expectations, the wine went on sale to the public at a price of ZAR 40.
