With publishers and retailers increasingly relying on email communications as a critical part of the way they reach consumers, and with more and more Canadians using computers, tablets, and phones interchangeably to access their email, mobile-friendly email design is no longer an afterthought.
Google Trends and Top Charts
Google Trends today launched Top Charts, a monthly view (US-only for the time being) of the top searches on Google, broken down by some broad categories—like books, cars, athletes, and many more. Here’s what might be of interest to bookish folk.
Hey Girl, Learn Sales Analysis
Publishers have access to a huge amount of data about their titles, but knowing how best to use that data to give your business a competitive edge can be tricky.
Erin Creasey is the sales and marketing director for ECW Press, one of Canada’s largest independents, where she has access to data from sources including SalesData, BookScan, and traditional and ebook retailers. “I’m always looking for the story behind the numbers,” she says.
An Inspiring Example of B2C Marketing: blogInk
A Closer Look at 360
Yesterday, HarperCollins Publishers announced a new “global publishing program”, called HarperCollins 360. In their press release, HarperCollins said: “The goal of the initiative is to ensure that all books published by any division of HarperCollins around the world are available in print or digital format in all English-language markets.”Native Apps vs. HTML5: To the Victor Go the Users
Thinking B2C: Is Scaling Back Imprints Enough?
In a post on Monday, Mike Shatzkin advised publishers to reconsider the number of imprints they currently have as they shift focus from B2B branding to B2C branding. Shatzkin reminds us that imprints were originally used to brand titles to buyers, librarians and media—not consumers. Having an established imprint helped a book get its foot in the door and increase the chances of wider media coverage and stocking.
It seems that somewhere along the way some of us forgot this.
It seems that somewhere along the way some of us forgot this.
So what are the branding opportunities and challenges presented by imprints, and what are the implications for publishers?
Using Custom Reports in Google Analytics to Inform Marketing Decisions
Measuring the value of your marketing efforts is a constant struggle for businesses because there are so many factors that indirectly affect sales. On top of that, online marketing can drive offline sales and offline marketing can drive online sales. All of these factors make it difficult to really know what is influencing a sale. What then is a publisher to do?
Monique Sherrett of Boxcar Marketing leads us through Goals and Custom Reports in Google Analytics to give you insights into the two things that the people holding the marketing purse strings care about: Sales, and Things That Lead to Sales.
What's in a Name? Using a Nom de Plume
Yesterday’s piece in the New York Times about the author who used a pen name to sell a manuscript is piquing the curiosity of authors, literary agents and publishers. But using a nom de plume to find a new audience is nothing new.
We take a look at the PR implications for publishers of the pen name.
Penguin Canada's Groupon Reconnaissance
This week, Penguin Group (Canada) ran a Groupon offer offer for one of their most popular series, the Millenium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson. But as bestseller lists attest, the Millenium Trilogy is not having any difficulty selling. So, why run a Groupon?