Sample Marketing Plan for Limited Budgets

Sample Marketing Plan for Limited Budgets

With a small staff, it would be easier to establish several static marketing projects.

Static Marketing Projects

Requires little maintenance.

• Take digital pictures of facilities and amenities.
• Create a blog page (a website requires more maintenance) — a blog page is usually free and can be static or dynamic. Include photos, logo and slogan. Emphasize strengths and unique features.
• Let customers know if you do or do not take credit cards.
• Develop a Press kit. (See below.)
• Create a flyer listing products, services and contact information for customers, for distribution at various locations, or use as advertisements.
• Create small text advertisements and submit to: Yucatán Today, Craig’s List Yucatán, TacoList, Vivanunicos, Expat Blog, and other online websites with free classifieds.
• Build an email list of customers and other interested persons who want updates on your business. Send email announcements of upcoming events, news, and specials.
• Send out email with any new pictures, prices changes, new reviews, etc.
• Encourage guests to blog about their visit on TripAdvisor, Lonely Planet or other online forums.
• Create and post a YouTube video.
• Create outdoor signage.
• Offer special promotions in the low season.
• Team up with local merchants or nearby businesses for joint events or shared advertising. Consider tie-in promotions.

Dynamic Marketing Projects

Requires effort, planning, maintenance, and money.

• Create a marketing calendar to plan various marketing strategies in advance.
• Interact on one or two social media like Twitter, Instragram etc., at least once a month.
• Social Media can include: a blog or website, Twitter, Instagram, TripAdvisor, Foursquare, Linkedin, Travellerspoint, Tumblir, Facebook, and Wayn, for example.

• Target audience websites like budget travelers’ forums, foodies, or sites with shared interests, for example.
• Respond to customers’ reviews, with thanks, and note any criticisms.
• Have press kits handy for media requests for information.
• Create and mail a direct promotional piece, usually tied to a special promotion.
• Get imprinted promotional items like magnets or memo pads, pens or others as handouts.
• Hold workshops, readings or other events that appeal to customers.
• Contact local cable TV stations or radio stations for an interview.
• Put paid advertisement in local travelers’ publications such as Yucatán Today, or Explore.
• Get a paid radio advertisements or interviews
• Create online or print newspaper ads or articles
• Create online or print magazine ads or articles
• Sponsor an ad for event publication
• Attend conventions, as a panelist or attendee
• Contract billboard advertising

• Contract a booking service.

Recommendations

• Collect information about area activities, events, restaurants, art galleries, and more.
• Use a mix of static and dynamic marketing options.
• Limit use of interactive social media that require regular maintenance.
• Start with free marketing strategies before spending money on other marketing options.

• Advertise opening and special events.

 

My Self-Publishing Experiences

Recently, I revised two publications and submitted them as ePubs to Smashwords.

I also created a PDF/a using Libre Office of the revised RKFNC to submit to Lulu to create a POD.

Then, I formatted a new publication, Budget Guest Accommodations Opportunities Marketing Report, Mérida, México in Pages, created an ePub and submitted it to Smashwords.

But, the preparation of the revised publications took months because I struggled to format the manuscripts created in Pages, exported as ePubs, to get the format I wanted, or to convert to a docx to create a PDF/a format.

I had so many problems, I can't remember them all. But, most days, I would start out optimistically, thinking it would take a couple of hours to fix the current problems and then find myself at 10pm at night still trying to fix problems.

I tried Open Office to create a PDF/a format but never got past all the formatting errors. Then, I tried Libre Office. I finally figured it out when I formatted the revised RKFNC.

I had almost 16 versions of each manuscript in attempts to fix formatting and image problems. Conversions of previous manuscripts produced loss of formatting, changes in styles, and image disarrangements. In one conversion, I kept getting Arial microcode font which I never used.

The takeaway from these issues was the realization that even though I tried to use a clean manuscript, in some  cases, I was using a file that had been formatted for a particular use and using the same file for another format introduced errors in coding. Coding I could often not see.

When I converted BGAO from pages to an ePub format, I had fewer problems because I was using the original file even though I had revised the manuscript many, many times.

Converting the revised RKFNC from a docx using LibreOffice to a PDF/a was a little easier than creating an ePub. I did have to fix some formatting errors. But, generally, the process was fairly smooth.

For authors who only produce about one book a year, I feel that I have to learn how to use various software programs all over again.

While using Lulu was fairly straightforward, I made a few mistakes and lost some work and had to start over.

I use macbook with Pages, Word for Mac, Preview and PhotoscapeX. While I had a few other software packages just a year ago, it seems I keep losing them when I upgrade my devices. But, in general, I don't want to spend any more money on software just to produce a book.

Plus, I hope the big software developers realize their popup reminders are aggravating. I ignore them now. I delay updating my software because it means too much downtime while it reloads and often I lose some functionality in the updated software.

Below are charts I created to try and capture the elements of making choices when you choose to self-publish. These charts are incomplete as I continue to gather information. Also, these represent my personal experiences, I know others who use several of these online publishers and are happy with their services.

Because this process took so long, over that time, I began to sense changes in the eBook marketplace. Large eTailers seem to be abandoning support for free or low-cost publications. Other online publishers have increased their fees and costs.

Unless you wrote a bestseller, or are an established author, or a popular niche author, it will be hard to get eyes on your products.

While I have researched and attempted to tackle marketing, it is a huge endeavor to try and find your audience, especially, if you write eclectic books like I do.

 

Preorder - New Publication: Budget Guest Accommodations Opportunities Marketing Report, Mérida, México Update 1

This report, Budget Guest Accommodations Opportunities, Marketing Report, Mérida, México, grew from initial investigations on how to operate a budget accommodations establishment.

Mérida, Mexico is experiencing a building boom. New hotels, restaurants and other businesses are opening every day. But, sadly, many, in the span of a year, will close.

As I researched Mérida businesses, the ones that succeeded took certain steps to help their business grow, while the ones that failed did not invest time into various marketing analysis and promotional strategies.

My hope is that this report, Budget Guest Accommodations Opportunities, Mérida, México, Marketing Report can help more businesses succeed.

Based on extensive research and on-the-ground observations and experiences, the Budget Guest Accommodations, Mérida, México, Marketing Report offers low-cost market analysis and suggested marketing ideas for current and future BGA owners, managers and administration staff, to help their business succeed.

The report provides specific details on: running a successful budget guest accommodation, developing marketing analysis and plans including sample plans and press kit templates.

An extensive resource list is included and contains: management articles; economic and tourism reports; low-cost marketing services: tourism and trade association websites; as well as guides and handout suggestions.

You can find the report on Smashwords at: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/658440

Take a peek. See what works for your budget guest accommodation. Bien Dia.

Update 1:

I was a bit premature in making this post. The publication will not be available for preorders for a few days.

So Sorry.

Update 2:
Publication is still not viewable. Seems I have lost my touch in self-publishing on Smashwords.

Smashwords Forum Writers Anthology 2015 -- Seeking Submissions

Pre-Order Mocktails

At the moment, I use Smashwords more than other online publishing venues but I am still a novice at this game of epublishing.

So, I experiment a lot.

Smashwords has a pre-order option. You follow Smashwords' publishing guidelines like usual but you select a date in the future that the eBook will be available.

I choose to try the pre-order option when I published Mocktails because I felt it gave me time to work out any kinks in the formatting. I choose to create my own .epub because Mocktails has an image on almost every page, so keeping the page format was important.

Plus, using the pre-order option gives me more time to market Mocktails. You can offer a special pre-order price and then once the work is available, you can change the price.

So, Mocktails is available to sample and to buy at the pre-order price of .99¢ US. Once it is published on September 16, 2015, the price will be $1.99 US

Mocktails are drinks that resemble popular cocktails like a: Bloody Mary, Cosmopolitan, Golden Dream, Manhattan, Margarita, Piña Colada, Sombrero, Tequila Sunrise, and more, except there is no alcohol in a Mocktail.

As a former bar maid, I fell in love with the cocktail glassware, fancy garnishes and flourishes like salting the glass rims. The alcohol held less attraction. That is why I love Mocktails.

In the tradition of Recipes from the Kitchen of a Frugal Non-Cook, many of these Mocktail recipes are a bit frugal and do not require fancy equipment or exotic ingredients.

Enjoy a Cosmopolite, Juanita, Mock Champagne, Piña Loca, Sunset Cooler, Stone Cold Sober, Taíno Bay, Virgin Mary, & more.

Have fun making your own Mocktails.

Consider investing in one or two fancy glasses. A beautiful glass adds elegance, while garnishes add color, flavor and fun to these Mocktails.

Enjoy making over 15 Mocktail recipes in this booklet.

Mocktails, the eBook, is available on

Smashwords, Barnes & Noble and other online retail outlets.

Smashwords Forum Writers Anthology 2015

Smashwords Forum (SWF) writers are planning to publish an anthology of short stories and Chapters from existing works in 2015.

The anthology will be published on Smashwords for free (but there is some discussion on pricing it at .99 and giving the money to charity.)

We are doing this to promote SWF writers. It will be used as a marketing tool by the participating authors to reach a wider audience.

But, whether we publish or not will depend on how many writers participate.

If you are a self-published author and have published on Smashwords, consider joining Smashwords Forum. You will meet a lot of talented people with lots of great ideas. You can learn from their experience about topics like: how to market your work, how to avoid various self-publishing problems, and more.

Becoming a member of SWF is free.

Surprise! People Like My "Recipes from the Kitchen of a Frugal Non-Cook" (RKFNC) eCookbook

Smashwords has added a new feature: A Daily Sales Report.

My novel El Sueño de Gina has had low sales but after spending months promoting the POD, I went over to Smashwords to see how things were going.



That's when I discovered the Daily Sales Report. To my surprise, it was RKFNC that had some sales from some surprising places:  Sony, Apple, PageFounder, Diesel and the big surprise was Barnes and Noble.

It was such great fun creating the cookbook that I am working on a second edition.




As I have said before, I give Ted Summerfield (The Backward Approach to eBook Success) credit for the idea of creating an eCookbook as a way to promote my novel.

Ted also created Smashwords Forum for Smashwords authors. It's a great place to find out how to publish on Smashwords and some of the formatting and marketing issues SW authors have encountered and much more.

Options for Buying Gina's Dream/El Sueño de Gina (Dual Language Book) -- POD or eBook

Two difficulties presented themselves when I began to market Gina's Dream/El Sueño de Gina, a dual language book, I found that Amazon.com.mx does not ship physical books or support PODs and if you live outside the United States shipping charges and delivery times can be a deterrent. In addition, Gina's Dream/El Sueño de Gina the eBook is not listed on Amazon.mx yet.

Where to find Gina's Dream/El Sueño de Gina:
Partial list of outlets available.

Amazon.com -- POD only

(not listed under author, Ria Stone, search by title)

http://www.amazon.com/Ginas-Dream-El-Sueño-Gina/dp/0991652886/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424481816&sr=8-1&keywords=El+Sueño+de+Gina

Check international shipping charges and delivery times.

Barnes & Noble -- eBook and POD

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ginas-dream-el-sue-o-de-gina-ria-stone/1121183868?ean=9780991652884

Check international shipping charges and delivery times.

The Write Place -- eBook and POD

http://www.thewriteplace.biz/bookstore/product/56-gina-s-dream-el-sueno-de-gina

Generally, ships within the United States. Check regarding international shipping options.

Alibris.com -- POD Only
http://www.alibris.com/Ginas-Dream-El-Sueno-de-Gina-Ria-Stone/book/30458814?matches=1

Check international shipping charges and delivery times.

BooksAmillion -- POD Only

http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Ginas-DreamEl-Sueno-Gina/Ria-Stone/9780991652884?id=6244831864861

Except for Canada, international shipping is not available.

Surprisingly, prices vary on each site.

"Love is Universal" First Smashwords Forum Promo - Get 50% off Gina's Dream, 1st ed./English only

Gina's Dream
by Ria Stone

Get a 50% discount off the 1.99 retail price of Gina's Dream -- First Edition, English eBook, that includes a Bonus Article: My First Editor, as part of the First Smashwords Forum Promotion.

Go to Smashwords Forums to get coupon code.
http://smashwords-forum.proboards.com/thread/1421/love-universal-first-authors-promotion or http://smashwords-forum.proboards.com/board/38/ebook-coupons
(discount promotion ends 2/28/2015)

Interested in a POD of Gina's Dream (& El Sueño de Gina)?  Find it at The Write Place:
www.thewriteplace.biz/bookstore/product/56-gina-s-dream-el-sueno-de-gina

For more about Ria Stone, visit: riastoneblog.blogspot.mx/


Gina's Dream/El Sueño de Gina
Press Release

Ria Stone, has published Gina’s Dream, a science-fiction/romance, in print and as an eBook as a dual language book with The Write Place: (www.thewriteplace.biz/bookstore/product/56-gina-s-dream-el-sueno-de-gina)

In Gina’s Dream, Kit Brennan, SETA’s (Space Exploration Through Astronomy) Assistant Director, meets an unusual woman at a convention. She claims she is an alien. What is he to believe? What is he to do?

Kit’s co-worker sees her as a threat, first to his friend and then to humans. The co-worker seeks to discover Gina’s secrets to stop her.

Gina has broken the emissaries’ primary rule by telling Kit who she is. But, she is here to defend her world from a future invasion by humans. As Gina’s safety is threatened, what will she do to defend herself?

Caught in the middle between his co-worker’s fears and her defense, Kit has few choices but to let Gina follow her dream.

What would you do if you met an alien?

~~~~~~~~~~~

Gina’s Dream began as an idea after reading several research papers, in the early 1990s, where basic life functions were being manipulated for singular purposes without regard for the universe’s ecosystem.

Several characteristics run through Ria’s stories. Characters confront moral dilemmas with honesty, truth, fairness, self-responsibility, compassion, common sense, respect for science, curiosity, hard work, and optimism. Characters question the status quo. Spirituality, dreams, faith, and a belief in contributing to community and society to improve the lives of others now and in the future are underlying themes.


Category: Fiction
Genre: Science-Fiction/Romance/Predictive Fiction/Social Commentary
Audience: 12+ Adult
Length: Novelette
Word Count: 23, 180
Language: English/Spanish
No illustrations

*Pen Name

Read more: http://smashwords-forum.proboards.com/posts/recent#ixzz3QKeyfgDO

Set Your Own Price on Works by Ria Stone

I started publishing with Smashwords, a great site for new authors, in 2013. Founder, Mark Coker offers great advice on writing, formatting and marketing your eBook.

The Smashwords author dashboard is chock-full of choices. One important choice you will make is setting the price for your works. Smashwords' graphs give you an idea of the fees, and royalties you would receive to help you make a choice.

One pricing choice is letting the reader set their own price.

So, I altered the prices on my two books: Recipes from the Kitchen of a Frugal Non-Cook (RKFNC) and Gina's Dream, the first edition, (English only/eBook) to the Readers Choice.

As you can see by my posts, researching and writing RKFNC was fun. So much so, I am working on another cookbook for non-cooks.

I can't boil water but Amy Dacyczyn's Tightwad Gazette challenged and encouraged me to learn to cook and to shop economically.

Learning to cook is like learning a foreign language. I still feel like an alien in the kitchen. I mean what does "braise" or "roux" mean? I still don't know.

One appliance that saved my budget and gave me confidence was the crockpot. After several successes, I began to collect recipes I had adapted. 

After publishing Gina's Dream, I polished up those recipes, researched, cooked and tested many more to create RKFNC.

I am developing a passion for recipe research and adaptation. Remember, all I have is a finicky, electric two-burner stovetop, a crockpot, and a microwave with one setting: high. So, not only do I have to modify recipes in terms of portions, I also have to adapt the recipe for the stovetop, crockpot, or microwave.

Gina's Dream is an attempt to tell a "normal" love story with one exception, Gina is an alien. Gina's Dream is also a manifesto, a call to action. People need to start making changes in order to save our planet and ourselves. I can't believe people do not want to survive.

Researching, writing, and marketing Gina's Dream was fun and a major education in publishing.

There are tons of stats out there regarding publishing. One statement runs like this "50% of eBook authors make less than $500 a year." -- (Ted Summerfield) 

It is important as an author to do research and stay grounded in reality, at least for the bookkeeping.

Visit Smashwords and take a look at RKFNC and Gina's Dream. I hope you enjoy them.

WorldCons - World Science Fiction Conventions and more

Every year since about 1939, science fiction fans, writers, artists and more gather to honor some of science fiction's favorite authors and artists.

If you are an author of science fiction, going to a WorldCon is a great experience and a marvelous opportunity to promote your works.

In 2015, the World Science Fiction Convention will be held in Spokane, Washington, USA from August 19-23, 2015. The Sasquan SF WorldCon is the 73rd SF world convention (http://sasquan.org/)

It is at the world convention that the city for the world SF convention to be held two years out is selected. So, at Sasquan, the city for the 2017 WorldCon will be selected. Helsinki, Nippon, Montreal and Washington, DC are the candidate cities.

Kansas City, MO is the site for the 2016 WorldCon to be held from August 17-21, 2016. For more information, go to: http://kcin2016.org/

For more information on WorldCons, go to: http://worldcon.org/.

There are many other science fiction conventions around the world. They are usually smaller and more focused on local authors or particular genres like Star Trek or fantasies. See this site for listings: http://upcomingcons.com/science-fiction-conventions.

As an author, you have many promotional opportunities. These are just some of the opportunities: participate in a panel discussion, rent a table in the Dealers Room to sell your books and such, leave flyers on the various information tables, and more. But, you need to plan in advance and you need to be invited to participate in the panels.

Happy New Year !!! El Sueño de Gina is officially published by The Write Place!

Happy New Year 2015!!!

I am bringing in the New Year with a Dual Book in English and Spanish, Gina's Dream/El Sueño de Gina. Published by The Write Place (http://www.thewriteplace.biz/bookstore/product/56-gina-s-dream-el-sueno-de-gina).

It has been a pleasure working with The Write Place. They are a full-service publishing house. The staff are knowledgeable, talented and responsive to author inquiries and suggestions.

From now until January 8, 2015

Gina's Dream/El Sueño de Gina is 30% off in print or ebook formats.

In Gina’s Dream, Kit Brennan, SETA’s (Space Exploration Through Astronomy) Assistant Director, meets an unusual woman at a convention. She claims she is an alien. What is he to believe? What is he to do?

Kit’s co-worker sees her as a threat, first to his friend and then to humans. The co-worker seeks to discover Gina’s secrets to stop her.

Gina has broken the emissaries’ primary rule by telling Kit who she is. But, she is here to defend her world from a future invasion by humans. As Gina’s safety is threatened, what will she do to defend herself?

Caught in the middle between his co-worker’s fears and her defense, Kit has few choices but to let Gina follow her dream.

What would you do if you met an alien?

El Sueño de Gina

Traductor, Ileana Silva

En El Sueño de Gina, Kit Brennan, asistente del director de SETA, se encuentra con una mujer excepcional en una convención. Ella dice que es un extraterrestre. ¿Qué es lo que creer? ¿Qué ha de hacer?

Un compañero de trabajo del Kit la ve como una amenaza, primero a su amigo y luego a los humanos. El compañero de trabajo trata de descubrir los secretos de Gina para detenerla.

Mientras tanto, Gina ha infringido la regla principal de los emisarios diciéndoles Kit quién es. Pero ella está aquí para defender su mundo de una futura invasión por los seres humanos. Como se ve amenazada la seguridad de Gina, ¿qué va a hacer para defenderse?

Atrapados entre temores a su compañero de trabajo y la defensa de Gina, Kit tiene pocas opciones pero para dejarla seguir su sueño.

¿Qué harías si te encontraste un extraterrestre?

(PR crédito: Google Traducir)

~~~~~

Gina’s Dream began as an idea after reading several research papers, in the early 1990s, where basic life functions were being manipulated for singular purposes without regard for the universe’s ecosystem.

Several characteristics run through Ria’s stories. Characters confront moral dilemmas with honesty, truth, fairness, self-responsibility, compassion, common sense, respect for science, curiosity, hard work, and optimism. Characters question the status quo. Spirituality, dreams, faith, and a belief in contributing to community and society to improve the lives of others now and in the future are underlying themes.

Category: Fiction

Genre: Science-Fiction/Romance/Predictive Fiction/Social Commentary

Audience: 12+ Adult 

Length: Novelette

Language: English/Spanish

No illustrations

*Pen Name

Contact:

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/RiaStone

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BitsBitesBooks

Blog: eBooks & More (http://riastoneblog.blogspot.mx)

Amazon: Author Page

Email: Ria.Stonemail@gmail.com

Whew, in the Home Stretch for Publishing Gina's Dream/El Sueño de Gina as a Dual Book POD and eBook

Being a writer, you make alot of choices. It is especially hard if you don't have an expertise or skill in a particular field of writing.

While I have always loved writing, my writing was usually work-related. I have written and designed newsletters, user manuals, news articles, press releases, letters-to-the-editor, essays, resumes, business cards, and stationery, and a movie review blog.

I had a stash of fiction stories in various stages of development, but, I never planned on publishing my fiction. Then, in 2011, when I found myself with a whole lot of time on my hands, I decided to jump in and publish one of my fiction stories, Gina's Dream.

What a trip this has been. Two and a half years in writing, researching, editing and negotiating with an editor and a book cover artist. Plus, I had to learn the publishing software for Smashwords, Library of Congress's copyright software as well as setup a website and blog. I think there were at least four other software packages in the mix.

Then I pushed the button on Smashwords and published Gina's Dream as an eBook October 2013.

Then, I went straight into marketing and promotion.

While I struggle to "find my audience", I had some wonderful adventures during my research. I wrote an article about writing for Boomer Cafe and also interviewed an amazing author, Antoinette G. Lane, who wrote a biography of Guy Williams, an actor best known for starring as Zorro for Disney's TV show in the 1950s.

A suggestion many marketing columns and books suggested is 'offer something free.'

So, I dragged out an old cookbook I started and worked to created an eCookbook. That process is a whole other story but I published it on Smashwords and on Amazon, another software package and TOS to learn.

The eCookbook, Recipes from the Kitchen from a Frugal Non-Cook was very popular when it was free. When I put a price on it, $1.99, most of that interest faded.

I joined several forums, including Smashwords Writers Forum, and met more fascinating people, including an author of erotica. I setup a Twitter account and tried to learn how to approach that media. One major downfall was I fell into a Twitter hole for weeks. Already addicted to print, Twitter is a whole new addiction.

Because several people wanted Gina's Dream in print form, I made the decision to get Gina's Dream translated into Spanish and get a POD as a "dual book." I got lucky. I met a wonderful woman, Ilena, who translated Gina's Dream for a price within my budget.

Now, I had self-published an eBook and a eCookbook on two venues.

This time I choose a small publisher, The Write Place, to get a "dual book" POD and eBook of Gina's Dream/El Sueño de Gina. I was lucky. Things went pretty smoothly, just a few minor changes. The process is in the final stages, hoping to offer a pre-release promotion soon.

I won't list all my expenses but it would probably take 100 years to recoup my costs at the current rate of sales.

The research continues. Marketing never ends.

This has been a major learning experience and one I will never regret.