Road trippin' promotion may not be for you if you don't want to or can't travel, but it's a concept that can work if you put some good planning and creative thought behind it. This marketing method can be done in many different ways so it all depends on what resources you have to work with and who you have to work with you.
What I'm talking about is taking your promotion on the road to bring it directly to a wider audience. Staying within your own community can severely limit your ability to reach out to customers on a face to face basis. For example, if you're an author, a tour of book signings and speaking engagements can have a lot of impact on your sales numbers. When you manage to get onsite engagements it can be easier to secure radio, television, or other media interview slots. Making your rounds geographically in person gives you some real marketing advantages.
The ideal situation is to have an agent or marketing rep who can set up all of this for you--something that most of us don't have. So how can you do something like this? Travel is an expensive proposition when you factor in transportation, accommodations, food, and anything else you require while on the road. How can the average person do something like this?
With relatively modest means a person can take to the road on their own. Put a tour plan together that entails visiting places that might be open to letting you set up a table, speak to a group, or participate in a special event. It's best to check out possibilities on the internet or other resources and contact people ahead of time. Start with a 100 mile radius from your home to test your abilities and the market. If things go well you can widen your circle. You can set up a schedule for fixed period like a week or two or just experiment with weekends.
Another possible approach is to squeeze some promotional time into travel that you were planning to do anyway. This may not appeal to everyone, but usually there is some down time during a vacation that can easily be used for promotional work. Especially if you're driving and not in too much of a hurry, you can discover small shops that might be an ideal outlet for your product. The hotel where you're staying might work. And don't forget restaurants. See what people are willing to do to help you. You might be surprised.
An author friend of mine tells the story of when he was flying somewhere and he left cheap promotional copies of his book on every seat in the plane. That didn't work so well, but if he had focused on people whom he saw reading and struck up a conversation with them leaving them a book or even a bookmark he might have gained a few new readers. Gumption and opportunity is the key. If you've got 'em then use 'em.
There is so much more that I could say about putting travel and promotion together, but I need to keep this blog post relatively short. I realize that this is a method that might not work or appeal to all of you, but if you like traveling and have something to promote you might want to brainstorm on this concept. It might be easier and more fun than you think. Dreaming about it won't hurt. Putting a road trippin' promotion plan into action might be just the thing you need to kick off sales in a big way and have fun traveling at the same time.
It's bold but it is workable.
Do you like to travel? Can you organize trip details well? Do you mind mixing business with pleasure?
Hi Arlee,
ReplyDeleteThis is a great idea,
i read few wrote about this in the last year's challenge, but somehow I missed it, hope this year I can make it. Have a wonderful week ahead and a great Road Show too.
Best
Phil
Good Advice. Wish I had more gumption.
ReplyDeleteLeaving a book with everyone isn't effective. You need to reach out to those who read and those who read your genre.
ReplyDeleteI think I'm lumbered with my book.
ReplyDeleteAmazon have changed their selling procedure since me selling my last book. Couldn't understand their ways, so took it off. Must think of another way to sell them too much hard work and time went into that book.
Yvonne.
I love to travel and make travel plans but i've never done it for business before.
ReplyDeletePV -- I think you are referring to the Post Challenge Road Trip which I probably should have promoted in this post. Thanks for bringing it up.
ReplyDeleteCatrina - You do have what it takes, but you just have to dig it up and cultivate it.
Alex -- I agree. Honing in on your audience will make the marketing effort more apt to be received.
Yvonne -- Don't give up. You will still find a way to do it.
JoJo -- Most of my travel has been paid for by business and I've been very fortunate in the travel opportunities that I've had.
Lee
Unless my publisher sponsored me, I wouldn't use my travel to promote my books. I enjoy seeing new places and prefer not to mix that pleasure with business.
ReplyDeleteHI, Lee,
ReplyDeleteI like this concept. When my book comes out, I think I may like to do this. I love to travel... Not to mention we have blogger friends all over the globe. Contacting them in their areas may give great insight on where to promote!
As you say, your friend's idea was in the ballpark, but not actually on the field. He would have done better to approach folks who were reading and offer them (in person) a free copy of his book. That way the person would have a face to associate with said book... and he would have hit the target audience (readers). I bet the next time he does it, he gets the ball on the field.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like an interesting way to get your book out there. With the proper research and planning, there could also be some fun sights to see along the way.
ReplyDeleteJulie
Getting the book out there is important, and I agree a road trip is one great way to handle it. I love to meet people at book events, so I'd be likely to join up with other authors and be with them as they tout their books. Having several authors together guarantees at least someone to talk to and a few family and friends in the audience. :-)
ReplyDeleteA driving tour of some book stores would probably be a lot of fun. But, then, there are kids.
ReplyDeleteSusan GK -- A lot of folks think the same way. If you get the mindset that promoting can be fun as well as profitable then it can work.
ReplyDeleteMichael -- I can totally picture you doing something like this.
Robin -- My friend has already admitted that his approach didn't work well. He learned a lot with his first book.
Julie -- I'm totally for this idea because I've done something similar and it was great fun.
C.Lee -- Strength in numbers has a lot of advantages. A combined tour could be very effective.
Andrew-- Yeah, when you have kids the dynamics change. You could train them to be salespeople. Or you could dress them like they're really poor and maybe people would feel so sorry they'd buy your books. Or they might call child welfare and get you in trouble. Then you could write a book about that experience.
Lee
It's a great common sense, and fun, plan. I like that you suggest giving yourself a radius to first market, then move from there.
ReplyDeleteThe View from the Top of the Ladder
Hello there.
ReplyDeleteI love to travel, but for pleasure. There are so many wonderful places to visit...wish I could afford to go to all of them! Thanks for sharing & for visiting my blog. All the best with the challenge!
Entrepreneurial Goddess
It's a nice thought, but sometimes not practicle for some of us. Would like to try it though.
ReplyDeleteI think combining it with a vacation trip which you planned anyway is an excellent idea.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to promote my books by the indie bookstore in Sarasota when I visit my aunt and grandparents, and in the Pittsburgh and Latrobe area when I'm visiting my other grandmother. At the moment, I don't have the kind of time or money to go to places I have no connections to, though it's definitely something I'd like to do in future.
ReplyDeleteI love road trips and am definitely good at travel planning! If I ever get my book(s) written, it would be cool to take them on the road. ☺ Why not? They used to shill bibles that way in the old days. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteDebbie @ The Doglady's Den
Hey Lee,
ReplyDeleteSome of the best times I ever had were on road trips. I was thinking about having a road trip blog hop. Get in my car and travel all over the place and promote the wonders of a road trip blog hop, or fest, if you so wish.
I recall going on a road trip from Vancouver to Montreal with my girlfriend. Was a great trip and no business was involved. Okay, maybe a bit of monkey business.
Take care, Lee.
Gary
Su-sieee --- It's not a bad to test the waters in order to learn the ropes.
ReplyDeleteEG -- Maybe with planning a person can do the travel and finance it at the same time. I've seen people do it.
Wendy --It's practical if you make it practical.
Jo -- Sure why not? Sometimes it's as basic as talking to people at the places where you already are.
Carrie-Anne-- If you're going somewhere anyway test the idea there. Have a relative or someone at your destination set up a few things for you or at least provide some contacts for you.
Debbie -- My dad put himself through college selling Bibles!
Gary -- Don't give me any new blog hop ideas!
Lee
Love travelling,but could enjoy it only if well planned.And this idea of yours didnt strike me ever...Yeah people do business travels as well but this is appealing.
ReplyDeleteI love to travel and am looking forward to talking about my book with strangers all across the world.
ReplyDelete