Hello everyone!
In the last twelve months, I have had the opportunity to chat with many struggling writers and authors. One thing has become very clear to me. Most of them have a hard time promoting themselves because they do not know their audiences.
As some of you may know, I worked as a social media coach for about a decade. So, I would like to help as many of you as possible. That is why I have decided to start publishing (occasional) social media / marketing tips on this blog again. I hope you will find them useful.
Today, I wanted to start with a very basic difference: Tactics vs. strategy. These two words are often mistakenly used to mean the same thing.
According to BusinessDictionary, a strategy is "A method or plan chosen to bring about a desired future, such as achievement of a goal or solution to a problem." A strategy presents your objectives and mission statement based on short, mid and long terms. It answers specific questions that will allow you to successfully sell your books.
A strategy is not a one-size-fits-all thing. What works for one author may not work for you. You need to create a plan that factors in your ideal readers, their needs, their favorite bookstores and book formats, etc. It also has to be flexible enough to be adjusted when need be - or at least once a year.
Some people will tell you not to be specific when creating your strategy. But I beg to differ. A detailed strategy will help you remain focused.
This is especially important when writing your objectives. Pay careful attention to the words you use. Saying that you want to sell 1,000 copies of your book in three months does not mean the same thing as reaching 1,000 potential readers within the same time frame. The former is all about selling and the latter implies connecting with people. While you might end up getting the same results, the techniques will be very different.
That is when tactics come into play. They are subsets of a strategy, every action you take to achieve the goals outlined in your strategy. Examples include a short Facebook campaign, a newsletter blast, a press release, a series of blog posts, a giveaway, etc.
I hope this very brief introduction will help you get started on the right track!
Need more help with your social media strategy? Check out The Little Big eBook on Social Media Audiences: Build Yours, Keep It & Win!