Advertise Your Book!
by Lilou DuPont
Tomorrow, Monday, August 6, Crimson Romance will publish my debut novel, Dangerous Love.
In Dangerous Love, Laura quits her job in the advertising world for an adventure in Eastern Europe. I wrote about what I know. My “day profession” is advertising sales. I thought I would use my slot on Ladies in Red to discuss online advertising for our books.
We’ll start with some basic terminology. Website performance is typically tracked by the month.
Page Views – Total number of pages on the Website that were displayed on all computers and devices
Impressions – Number of times your ad was displayed
CTR – Click Through Rate – Percentage of impressions that results in a click on your ad
Conversion Rate – Percentage of clicks that results in a sale (or another measurable action)
ROI – Return on Investment
Are you considering advertising on a niche, romance website? Good choice! These are questions that you should ask the site’s marketing person.
1. How many Page Views does your site receive each month?
2. Will my ad be displayed all of the time or will it rotate among other ads?
3. If my ad will rotate, how often will it appear?
4. What are the Click Through Rates for your various ad sizes and positions?
My manager has a saying: “Sculpt the client’s expectations.” Here’s an example of why:
A Website receives 100,000 page views per month. Your ad will be displayed on every page. The rate is $50 per month. Sounds like a deal, right?
First, these are not 100,000 people or “uniques.” This is okay. You want to be reinforcing your ad message to many of the same people.
Second, the average for Click Through Rates is 0.1%, that is, one-tenth of one percent. Your ad that receives 100,000 impressions will be clicked on 100 times. For fifty dollars? That’s not too bad, you say.
Conversion rates vary by industry, but I have read that 2 or 3% is the norm. Given the low price point for eBooks, let’s assume a 10% conversion rate for your book on Amazon. Ten sales @ $4 (gross) X 30% = $12. What is your return on investment? Minus $38.
I am sure you are wondering, how does Lilou DuPont sell any ads? She earns a living doing this?
I do not sell by touting ROI. I sell benefits. What are the benefits of advertising if you are (initially) going to lose money? I am sure that you can tell me! Here are my thoughts:
Any incremental sale resulting from your paid ad is a sale you would not have had otherwise. It should improve your Amazon ranking.
You can have your ad link instead to your blog. Change the action goal from making a purchase to leaving a comment (engagement). Figure the conversion rate based on that new metric.
A book repeatedly displayed on a popular website strengthens awareness of the title, imagery, and author name. Potential buyers may recognize your book if and when it comes up in searches on Amazon and elsewhere.
With your author visibility, you are building the audience for your next book.
* * *
In Prague, Laura feels that she has met her soulmate. Yet how can her soul merge with the son of a Nazi?
After being passed over for a promotion at a Chicago advertising agency, Laura cashes in her stock options, quits her job, and moves to Prague. There, she begins an erotic romance with Byron, only to discover that he is German and his father was in the Hitler Youth. As an observant Jew, Laura has deep misgivings about becoming involved with the son of a Nazi, but the attraction between them is so strong that she cannot resist.
When a woman from Byron’s past – the darkly exotic Zsa Zsa – comes between them, can the true love of Laura and Byron survive?
