Author Amber Schamel is back to provide more wonderful advice about book launch teams. If you missed Part One, be sure to check it out here. -- Sandy
Amber: Hello everyone! Amber Schamel here again and I'm so happy to
be back on Seriously Write with you today to share more about the incredible
marketing asset of Launch Teams. If you missed the first post on October 9, be
sure to check it out. I got some really good questions from you and I'm going to answer as many of those as I can.
How do you
communicate with a Launch Team?
You can set up your Launch Team as a facebook group, email
loop, yahoo group, or many other methods, but I've found that the Facebook
Group works best. From there you can list events, blog appearances, answer
questions, and talk to your team.
What's in it for
them?
In order to entice people to be a part of your launch team
and to keep them engaged, it's a good idea to offer something special to your
team members. This would usually be a free copy of your book (so they can read,
rant and review) and can also include things like a drawing for a gift card or
basket, a little something that relates to your book/genre, something you
handmade (if you're crafty) etc. It's
also good to mention that they will get exclusive access to the author and
behind the scenes tidbits. You can share these tidbits, etc in your group. Be
creative, experiment a little, and find what works best for you and your
budget.
How long do you keep
your launch team?
That's really up to you. You could give them a range of
dates for the launch, or you can keep them indefinitely. With my team, I told
them that most of the action would be during these certain months, then when my
next book comes out, I'll give them the option to leave, or stay on board.
Keeping your launch
team engaged.
Just like with any team, you'll have your superstars, then
you'll have those that aren't engaged. Probably only 20% of the team will be
actively engaged. With that said, there are some important elements towards
holding your team's attention and giving them an enjoyable experience.
1) Be the leader.
They are looking to you for instructions on what they should do, how, when etc.
Initiate conversation with those on your team. Ask them questions about
themselves, their likes. Lead them in a prayer at the beginning of every week.
2) Give the group a
team feel. Some ideas for this would be to allow everyone to introduce
themselves, and then ask them all a question every week that they can discuss
and answer. I also think it's a great idea to post prayer requests not just for
you, but also for your team. Another thing I did was make a special button for
their website/profile that identifies them with us. It's kinda like a
cyber-jersey. :)
3) Give them simple,
step by step instructions. For example: Today we have a blog interview!
Please stop by and leave a comment for my host, and share with your friends.
I hope you've enjoyed this series on Launch Teams. Are there
any questions I've missed answering?
~~~
