Small Local Business Marketing with Amazon Kindle

(Disclaimer: Please read through this post before you stop because you think writing a book – and marketing with Amazon Kindle – would take too long, cost too much or be a waste of time and money because you are only interested in results.)

Marketing with a Book? Are You Crazy?

Credibility!  Writing and publishing a book (don’t say you can’t until you’ve read this post) helps establish you and your business as “Expert” in your field.

Customer Service!  A book you give your customers can provide a lot of customer service and therefore, customer satisfaction. A small, information rich book can answer your customers’ FAQ’s (frequently asked questions) and provide new product support.

Customer Loyalty!  Your book becomes a super sales partner as it helps prospective customers discover you via established customers. Your book is like a HUGE business card yet has TONS of information that helps your customer “fans” rave about you.

Increased Sales!  People who know what you can provide for them and know you are an expert problem-solver in your field will buy more products or services from you.

Marketing Fuel!  A book helps spread the word about your business (best kind of “word of mouth”) AND can put a fire under your marketing efforts. It keeps your business in front of your prospective customer so that when they need the products or services you offer, YOUR BUSINESS is the one they think of and visit or call.

Small Local Business Examples

Your business is glass. Your book could answer questions: What kind of glass should I choose? (How about a table that looks like this: Type of Job/Type of Glass)? Highlight other products and services: If I choose to install my glass myself, what kind of tools and products do I need? (do you sell them? sure!) Keep your business if “top of mind” with a handy free worksheet: How to Clean Any Glass, Anywhere.

Your business is toys. Your book could answer questions: What kind of toys are non-toxic for toddlers? What is an appropriate toy for a 3 year old niece? Offer product support: Best Way to Clean Plastic Bath Books.  Highlight other products and services: Free Advice for Parents of Pre-School Children (on Wednesdays). Keep you in front of your prospective customers: Tear out book plates or book marks with your store hours and telephone number.

Your business is dentistry. Your book could answer questions: What age is good time to start my child’s visits to the dentist? Are dentures inevitable? Offer after-care and preventative care instructions: How to maintain your clean teeth for months after your visit; Best dental care products for mid-life patients. Highlight additional services: The best way to glamorize your smile; Do adults straighten their teeth?

Your Small Local Business Community: How About Some Cross Promotion?

Your book is the perfect place to promote the other small, local businesses in your area. There are probably some “perfect fit” businesses for the type of business you are in. For example, if your business is glass (see example above), you might include a “plug” or coupon for the glass cleaning products offered by your locally-owned hardware store. If your business is dentistry, could you include other dentists who specialize in something you don’t or a coupon for some product or equipment offered by a locally owned business. If you are in the toy business and you get a lot of gift shoppers, how about a gift promotion in the back of your book, promoting the other main street businesses near you where gifts could be purchased.

How To Get Started with Your Small Local Business Book to Market with Amazon Kindle

Get started with your book to market your small local business by — BRAINSTORMING. Make a list as long as you can (quickly, without evaluating what you put on the list) of the topics you might cover in your book. Pick 6-12 topics for sections and then see if you can jot down 3-6 sub-sections (or chapters).

Decide whether you are going to publish hard copies of your book. The easiest way to get started with a book is to write your book in Word, then save as a PDF.

Don’t forget to include:

• Cover page
• Copyright and Disclaimers page
• Table of Contents (with links to sections and chapters).
• Links from Sections and Chapters in the TOC to the sections/chapters in your book.
• About Page (a bit of a story about you and your business with at least one photo with people in it – yes, including you!) including information like your address, hours, parking, online ordering, your website, telephone number, etc.
• Promotions page (including cross promotions, special offers, coupons, etc.)
• Disclaimers

Once you have saved your book as a PDF document, you can:

• Send it out as an attachment to email
• Print it and hand it out
• Give it out in exchange for getting the information you need to add people to your mailing list
• Put a link to it on your website or blog (great excuse to send an email or postcard getting people to visit your website)

Why Amazon Kindle?

The instructions for Getting Started (above) help you produce an e-book (the PDF version of your book which can be downloaded or sent via email). But, you may enjoy even greater value for the time spent if you publish your book via Amazon Kindle. Here’s why:

• Get your ideas and expertise out to a wider audience. ( “eReaders nearly doubled from December 2011 to January 2012. 1 in 4 Americans are now using some kind of tablet (iPad, Nook, Kindle) that is capable of reading eBooks (The Kindle reading app is also available on nearly every smartphone… CopyBlogger.com”)
• Fuel your other online marketing efforts.
• Get Amazon’s help with marketing.

The opportunities to grow and expand your business or ideas through publishing an eBook are limitless. With a insightful, compelling eBook, your words can instill valuable wisdom, actions, stories and ideas that can build trust and relationships with your audience.

Relative to other options (e.g. iTunes) getting a book published as a kindle book is easy.

Marketing with Amazon Kindle — Your QuickStart Book Action Plan

1. Start your brainstorm TODAY!

2. Think about cross promotion and which other small local businesses are a fit for your (first) Kindle e-book.

3. Get started with your (quick) first draft in Word.

4. Take some photos that will make good images for your e-book.

5. Do a revised draft of your book following the guidelines in the articles linked to below in the Resources section of this post.

6. Publish and promote!!

 

D0-It-Yourself Resources

• How to Publish Your Book on Amazon Kindle by LifeHacker
• Self Publish Your eBook on Amazon.com’s Kindle by Denise Wakeman
• The Ultimate Guide to Publishing Your eBook on Amazon Kindle’s Platform by Copyblogger
• Write a Book in a Weekend by Donna Kozik