Six Steps to Ensure Stellar Holiday Sales

There are a little more than 120 days until Christmas. Are you prepared to make your sales goals? Do potential buyers — readers and gift givers — know who you are and what you write about? 

Here are six steps to help you get ahead of the game and ensure you generate stellar holiday sales.

1. Begin Your Drumbeat Now! Now is the time to let potential buyers — and existing ones — see your author brand. You have less than three months to build and strengthen your connection with members of your target audience. Start reaching out to them on a daily basis today… so they will remember you when they go to purchase books for themselves or others.
2. Leverage Social Media. The best way to find and connect with your readers is to be visible where they hang out online. Social media provides the opportunity to connect with hundreds of thousands of people who need and want to get to know your author brand. Make connections where authors hang out online—you will find other readers there, too. Create Facebook campaigns and/or other online promotions. Participate in Twitter chats with other authors. The opportunities are endless. 
3. Be Consistent. The number one rule of sales is to tell them what you’re going to tell them, tell them and then tell them what you told them. In other words, you must consistently reach out to potential buyers to be memorable. You need to reach out to them often — not just every once in a while. If you plan out your social marketing messages months in advance — you can proactively get your message out and stay top of mind with your readers. 
4. Grow Your Reader Community. Engage with your readers and respond to them. Research shows that genuine online social engagement is as just as powerful at creating connection as in-person experiences. Be accessible. Let readers know who you are and why you write. Build relationships with them without the hard sales pitch. Trust me—they will buy your books once they get to know and love you and your author brand.
5. Recognize Multiple Holidays. Keep in mind that social networks are global, and there are many holiday traditions celebrated — Christmas, Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, Yule, Kwanzaa and Boxing Day, to name just a few. Spread some cheer by recognizing each, and building an author brand that is truly global. This short list gives you eight promotional opportunities to leverage. In each instance, socially showcase why your book is a perfect gift for that particular holiday.
6. Enlist A Tool to Help. To be successful you need a tool to help you reach your readers. Bublish’ Authorpreneur Dashboard helps you connect and engage readers by sharing enriched book excerpts called book bubbles that let you tell the story behind your story AND actively engage readers with calls to action. Readers can purchase your book, share your bubbles, and follow you for more updates. Real-time metrics let you see when and where readers are engaging and going to buy your book. Bublish makes it easy to promote your work and build a dynamic author brand that drives book sales.  

The winter holidays will be here before you know it. NOW is the time to actively pursue your target market. So what are you waiting for… get started today!