Marketing

Episode #721

November 26, 2022

The most effective marketing is word of mouth.

Advertising delivers the message.
Amazon algorithms bring attention to the masses.
But word of mouth convinces.

To all my readers who have bought “Technically Human” and/or “Skydivers Know Why Birds Sing,” thank you. It is the highest compliment you could have given to me.

In the 14 years I have been writing this bLog I have never advertised. With the publication of my books, I broke that rule. I now advertise my two books at the end of each episode.

The bLog has always been free to read. It began as a service to my clients, giving tips about how to use their Apple products. As technology dragged us into life on the Internet, the bLog topics were more about how to survive on the world wide web. As I reflected on our digital lives, the bLog became about a technician’s take on the human condition. Growing my readership was easy. Word of mouth is the best form of marketing.

This human view of technology gave birth to my book, “Technically Human.” It is a tale of how we can embrace technology and also when we should not.

Since it was my first book, my marketing was limited to spreading the word on this bLog and among my friends and relatives. Sales were not stunning, nor were they disappointing. Amazon algorithms need history to bring readers from popular authors to new comers like me, so I was mostly on my own.

“Skydivers Know Why Birds Sing” has a built-in audience of the skydiving community. Its sales have been ferocious. And because I wrote the book to communicate with non-skydivers, it has been purchased as a Christmas gift for skydivers’ non-jumping friends and relatives.

Amazon’s marketing algorithms are working better for me now. If someone follows me on Amazon as an author (Ricki T Thues), both books appear on my author’s page. People who bought one book get Amazon recommendations for the other. “If you like this book,” says Amazon, “you might like this other.” Thus, one book promotes the other.

Like my consulting business, the most effective marketing is word of mouth. So many of my clients said to their friends and relatives, “You should call the iMentor. He not only fixed my problem, but taught me how to fix it myself the next time.” This was the secret to growing my business all those years.

So I ask those of you who have already bought one of my books to leave a review on the purchase page for each book on Amazon. 
5 Star reviews supercharge the Amazon algorithms.

Also, If you send the link to this bLog page to your personal mailing list, technology will assist your word of mouth.

Lastly, the purest form of word of mouth is to give someone one of my books. It is almost Christmas and these books make great presents.

Ok… there it is. If I tell someone about my books, they will tell someone and they will tell someone and so on and so on.
Thank you for your words.

NOW AVAILABLE:
“Skydivers Know Why Birds Sing” by Ricki T Thues is now available on Amazon.
It is a Love story of Rick and Paula Thues and their 35 years of Skydiving.

Great as a Christmas gift for skydivers and non-skydivers alike.

Click HERE to buy the paperback or Kindle ebook at Amazon.

Follow Ricki T Thues on Amazon HERE.

ALSO AVAILABLE:
“Technically Human” by Ricki T Thues, the iMentor, is available on Amazon.
It is a compilation of selected episodes from this bLog which tell the story of Humanity through the eyes of the iMentor.

Click HERE to buy the paperback or Kindle ebook at Amazon.
The ebook version of “Technically Human” is also available on Kobo. Click HERE.
For you Barnes and Noble Nook readers it is available for Nook. Click HERE.
The “Technically Human” ebook is also available on Apple Books . Click HERE.