Today’s Guest, Alex Strathdee
Alex Strathdee is the founder of ShelfLife (formerly Advanced Amazon Ads) a company dedicated to helping authors maximize their book’s potential through strategic marketing. With extensive experience working alongside renowned authors and business leaders, Alex has mastered the art of turning a book into a powerful marketing vehicle. His upcoming book promises to offer a comprehensive blueprint for authors looking to successfully launch and market their books.
Interview Takeaways:
1. Books as Strategic Assets
The conversation highlights the strategic use of books as marketing vehicles for businesses. A book is likened to a ship, with its success dependent on the quality of the content (the material of the ship) and the marketing efforts (the propulsion mechanisms like sails and rockets) that drive it forward.
2. Comprehensive Launch Strategy
Alex emphasizes the necessity of a robust and well-thought-out launch strategy. This involves setting clear goals, such as the number of copies to seed into the market, rather than focusing solely on achieving fleeting bestseller status on lists that can be gamed.
3. Building a Support Team
The importance of assembling a dedicated team to handle various aspects of the book launch is discussed. This includes hiring virtual assistants to manage tasks like podcast outreach and social media engagement, thereby allowing authors to focus on high-level strategies.
4. Engaging a Street Team
A street team is crucial for generating early momentum. Alex shares innovative strategies such as involving readers by offering to include their names in the book, thereby creating vested interest and encouraging them to spread the word and provide reviews.
5. Long-Term Marketing Perspective
Moving beyond the traditional focus on launch dates, Alex advocates for a long-term marketing approach. This involves sustained efforts over several years to maintain sales momentum and leverage organic growth through platforms like Amazon.
6. Diverse Marketing Tools
The episode explores a variety of marketing channels, including podcasts, corporate bulk buys, and social media influencers. These tools are tailored to fit the author’s specific audience and budget, ensuring a broad and effective reach.
7. Quality Content as a Catalyst
The quality of the book itself plays a pivotal role in its success. A well-crafted book can continue to drive sales through word-of-mouth and organic discovery, underscoring the need for content that truly resonates with readers.
8. Adapting to Change
The discussion also touches on the evolving digital marketing landscape, highlighting the need to stay current with tactics, such as using TikTok for affiliate-style promotions, to reach new audiences effectively.
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About The Show
Business Processes Simplified
We interview industry experts and have them share their best small business systems and processes. This is the quickest, easiest and most efficient way to build a systems centered business.
