Jan 10, 2017 |
Turning a Bad Review into Good Marketing
by Molly Jo Realy @RealMojo68
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Turning a Bad Review into Good Marketing
Have you experienced a bad review? I say experienced because that’s really what it is, isn’t it? You don’t just read it and move on. Not if it’s about your book. Am I right? A while back, I had such an experience, and was able to use it as a Cinderella moment. Grab yourself a glass of tea while I tell you a story.
First, the set up.
Last summer, I set up one of my Kindle books for a two-day free giveaway. Good marketing, I thought. It would get The Unemployment Cookbook, and my name, into a few more households, and hopefully lead to some better sales down the road.
And then, the conflict.
The plan was working, as more four- and five-star reviews were left on the page. That is, until, well, let’s just say someone forgot to put some honey in their tea that morning. Not only was this particular review negative, it was personally directed at me. By someone who didn’t know me. This troll bashed my recipes, my cookbook, and me without one hint of compassion or understanding.
I tried to let it go. But it kept gnawing at me like a tic on a dog. I wasn’t brave enough to comment on the review and tell the troll how wrong he/she was. How he/she had obviously not read the intro or understood why I wrote the Cookbook to begin with. Nor had he/she bothered to look at my notes for each recipe which allow for the cook to fix it to fit their own family, wallet and taste. No, I didn’t say any of that. I just stewed. (See what I did there?)
And then the resolution.
A few days later, I made a small comment on Facebook. I wasn’t looking for affirmations or kudos. I just wanted to share how words, especially unearned harsh ones, can be a speed bump on our happy road.
After a matter of minutes, my Swarm came to my rescue, unbidden and unbeknownst to me. Hours later when I checked my social media stats, I had emails and Tweets and comments and shares. Good review after good review poured in, contradicting the bad one. Comments and rebuffs countered his/her position. The more the reviews came in, the more I thanked the readers on the Facebook post stream, which boosted visibility of the original post, which created more reviews in my defense.
The happy ending.
At the end of the day, that one bad review led to over ten good reviews, and The Unemployment Cookbook was listed in the Amazon Top 100 Paid Reference Books. Not only that, but because I had waited until the giveaway was over to post anything, the new attention garnered a few unexpected sales.
The takeaway.
You can’t stop people from being, well, people. There’s bound to be one bad apple in the barrel now and then. What you can do is be real. Thank your Swarm for the good reviews, and share with them the bad. Then watch them buzz to back you up. It’s a sweet thing to have a community.
CLICK TO TWEET: Frankly, My Dear . . . : Turning a Bad Review into Good Marketing
With some sweet tea and a spoonful of honey,
~ Happy writing.
Molly Jo
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
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Nov 20, 2016 |
Ways to Support Your Favorite Author
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
Nov 14, 2016 |
Cooking. Crafting. Scheduling. Podcasting. Editing. TV fall premieres.
Everything but writing.
That’s what’s had my focus lately. That, and Paradise Bay’s Tradefest.
Tradefest Level Seven, baby!
Oh, like y’all don’t play games on your phone! Get over it!
Here it is, mid-November. Say whaat? Is that even real? Didn’t we just start this year? And yet, I know that can’t be true because I’m getting ready to put up my Christmas tree this weekend working on next year’s award-winning media presentations already.
More Media Mojo!
In case you missed it, I’ve been back in touch with Winco. Yes, that Winco. The Winco of my food post dreams. Guess who’s on the list to create some fantastic new (or at least revamped) recipes? Yup, that’s right. That would be This Girl.
And I have some new budgeting tips for my overcoming debt posts. A few editing projects just completed, and a few more lined up for the new year. I thought I told you all this already, yes? No? Oh, honestly, dear. We simply must start getting together more often, shouldn’t we?
It really all stems from my word for next year. Which I can’t tell you yet, because it’s not next year. I can tell you, I didn’t seek it. It found me. Here I was, writing feverishly editing intensely watching MacGyver when I realized what was needed was a change-not-change. How’s that for a tease, a hook, a keep-’em-coming-back-for-more statement?
Did I mention I have plans to blog far more frequently than the current, soon to be previous, year? Will that make you happy?
Because, after all, if you’re happy, I’m happy. Aww, we work well together, yes?
We’re talking some sweet Scarlett O’Hara stuff. A regalia of recipes. A plethora of podcast posts. I double-dog dare you to say any of those five times fast.
Oh, and did I tell you I have the ending to NOLA all figured out? Guess what I’ll be doing the next six weeks . . . ! [By the way, for a sneak peek, check out the video on the top right corner of this blog page. Turn up the volume and watch my YouTube video: Meet Momma Tristan.]
So buckle your seatbelts, love. This Girl’s getting back in the driver’s seat.
How do you like them apples?
“Give them a reason to care about you. Then they’ll care about what you write.” ~ Molly Jo Realy
With an open book and a mug of sweet tea,
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
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Sep 28, 2016 |
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
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Jul 4, 2016 |
For realz. Who doesn’t love photos of cute kittens? (Which begs the question: Are there ever any ugly kittens? I think not.) And better ratings? And smart, helpful people? Those social bees will be swarming all over for a piece of this sweet pie.
Five Kittens
Just like with books on the bookstore shelf, a post on the blog is competing with many more like it. The reality is titles are the money-maker. You could have found the cure for the common cold, but unless your title gets the reader’s attention, no one else will benefit from your wisdom.
Hooking your readers feels a bit like putting together a jigsaw puzzle while blindfolded but like any puzzle, once you get the border established, the rest will fall into place.
Kitten Puzzle
Take a look at the title for this post. Got your attention, didn’t it? Let’s break it down into manageable morsels and get you some title honey to help attract your Swarm.
- The Popularity Contest. Social media is interactive. Become a Bee Ninja and learn from the masters. Then share and share alike. Cross links, reposts, and mentions are a great way to let others know you recognize their sweet social media savvy, and they may return the favor. At the very least, your readers will know you do your research.
- It’s a Numbers Game. “Five Easy Solutions” or “Ten Alternate Ways” gives your readers a selection to choose from. They may not agree with everything you say, but who doesn’t love counting the seconds when the Big Apple falls on New Year’s Eve? Give your Swarm a reason to see if their favorites made your list. And then ask them to leave a comment of what they would add.
The Numbers Game
- Keep it Simple. Notice how often the words “easy” and “simple” are used in countdown titles. Would you read a post that offered 25 Complicated Steps to Brushing Your Hair? How about 31 Ways to Confuse Yourself in the Kitchen? Remember your Swarm is made up of worker bees. You want them to have time to promote you, not get frustrated and fly away. A short list plus easy options equals a happy hive.
- Yes, I mean kittens. Cute, cuddly, attention-grabbing kittens. Do you have any idea how many posts generate kitten memes? I don’t either, but I hear it’s, well, a lot. Find something specific to your brand or subject matter that others will buzz about then stand back and watch them play.
- The End Goal. Imagine a large stadium or court with the clock ticking down. Tick. Tick. Tick. The ball snaps or bounces and you leap out of the impending rush of opponents. Your teammates cheer and buzz as you reach the goal, make the pass. Even the visitors have to admit, you have what it takes. And you sweetly take the win.
MoJo Says: Five Simple Ways Counting Kittens Can Boost Your Blog Traffic
Not every posts needs every element, but a good title will draw your Swarm in. A great post will keep them buzzing.
With some sweet tea and a spoonful of honey,
~ Happy writing.
Molly Jo
