Your Author Website: Make a Dynamic, Yet Personable, Connection by Debbie Gonzales

Debbie Gonzales has been keeping us updated on all things Pinterest, and we invited her back to share additional tips for marketing and promoting our books. How do you draw readers to your website and keep them there? Here's Debbie:

Pinterest Marketing Basics: Keep It Simple, Authentic & Fun

By Debbie Gonzales

 

I firmly believe that all book creators would benefit by establishing a visibility platform on Pinterest, this goes for pre-published authors and illustrators, as well. Not only is the process in establishing a viable platform highly effective as a marketing tool, Pinterest shines an authentic light on who we are and what we embrace as creatives. This reflection is digitally achieved by intentional connections between one’s Pinterest platform and their website. 

Here’s how the magic happens.

Pinterest is a tool to amplify a message of service, inspiration, and encouragement for our audience. It’s a visual search engine on which parents, teachers, librarians, millennials, and teens use to find answers, products, and inspiration. Gone are the days when we had the luxury of chatting up a potential buyer at a bookstore or festival. The reality is that purchasing relationships are developed digitally. Our challenge is to first understand how our services and books meet their needs, then establish a pathway for them to land in an intriguing place where they are compelled by a desire to want more than a one-off purchase. We want to make a dynamic, yet personable, connection through our websites. Tall order, yet relatively easy to do.

Too often we focus on embellishing our websites rather than focusing on their functionality and purpose. Slow-loading websites adorned with gizmos dancing across the screen have lost their appeal. Pinterest users want what they want when they want it: 

• If the website seems buggy or confusing, they’ll bounce. 
• Conversely, if they land on captivating content they can connect with, chances are they’ll poke around the website with curiosity. 
• Better yet, they find the content living on the site to be so intriguing, they bookmark it! Bingo! The first steps toward a happy digital relationship have been established!

Here's an example:

Award-winning author Barb Rosenstock not only knows how to write award-winning picture book biographies, she’s savvy regarding how to maximize her web presence to assist in marketing her books and programming. Her website layout is one to consider, for sure. 

• The website is packed with practical content to benefit teachers and librarians, while being organized in a clear and succinct manner. 
• It’s attractive, loads easily, and is extremely user-friendly. 
• Though not glitzy, Barb’s website is a shining example of inspiration, education, and of service to those who have the good fortune to land on it. 

Much like the revision process, refining our marketing message takes time, especially if we seek to establish something that is genuinely authentic. Our audience is looking for books that resonate with young readers. Take your time to become acquainted with those you desire to market to. Discover the type of content that appeals to them, then experiment with formatting that messaging on your website. The best news is that Pinterest is a long game. It’s a slow burn, which allows plenty of time to thoughtfully establish marketing strategies that edify one’s audience. Most importantly, have fun while doing so! 

 

Debbie Gonzales is an author, educator, and a Pinterest Marketing specialist. She’s the host of Guides by Deb, a website consisting of over 300 standards-aligned educator guides for all genres. If you’re interested in learning more about Pinterest marketing, reach out to Deb. She loves talking about all things Pinterest! 

Did you miss Deb's other posts? Catch up or revisit them below:

What's the Buzz about Pinterest?

https://scbwimithemitten.blogspot.com/2020/11/whats-with-buzz-about-pinterest-by.html

Painless Self-Promotion: Confidence

https://scbwimithemitten.blogspot.com/2018/12/painless-self-promotion-confidence-by.html

Painless Self Promotion: Creating Content

https://scbwimithemitten.blogspot.com/2018/11/painless-self-promotion-creating.html

Michigan KidLit Advocate: Debbie Gonzales, Creating and Utilizing Book Guides

https://scbwimithemitten.blogspot.com/2017/06/michigan-kidlit-advocate-debbie.html

Coming up on The Mitten Blog:

Equity & Inclusion Corner, Book Birthdays, Writer Spotlights, Ask the Editor, and more!

The Mitten Blog is looking for a new editor! Learn more here, and email current editor Kristin Lenz with any questions.

What’s With the Buzz about Pinterest? By Debbie Gonzales

Pinterest is so, so, SO much more than a quick reference for great recipes or DIY projects. The marketing potential on this dynamic platform is phenomenal! Studies show that Pinterest is the largest website traffic driver in the world. Thoughtfully crafted content has the potential of becoming 80% more viral than on any other social media platform. When it comes to Twitter, Pinterest is 3 times more effective in establishing connections and building relationships. Yet, currently, the Kidlit industry lacks a vibrant representation on the platform. We need to change that. I am eager to show you how. 

To raise visibility on Pinterest, a marketer must nurture three variables – content, consistency, and community.  Like a sturdy three-legged stool, each element supports the other. Fresh, relative, audience-centric content is the foundation of a successful platform – authentic messaging that is unique to your brand and intriguing to your audience. Pinterest users come to the platform looking for something specific in mind. Because of this, literary pinners must shift focus from impressing and entertaining their readers to discovering ways to solve a problem or to meet a need. By consistently showing up with engaging content designed to educate, inspire, and motivate others, a savvy Pinterest marketer is destined to build a loyal following, one that frequents their website on a consistent basis. I know this to be true. I’ve done it. You can, too. 

I discovered the power of Pinterest in early 2018 while working on the pre-publication marketing campaign for my debut nonfiction picture book, GIRLS WITH GUTS: THE ROAD TO BREAKING BARRIERS AND BASHING RECORDS. I wanted to try news ways to promote the book, so I studied the strategic principles and tools of relationship marketing. Along with tons of social media hacks, I learned about the community fostering effects of the e-newsletter, how podcasting exponentially magnifies messaging, and about the robust marketing potential of Pinterest. I figured out to launch the e-newsletter and podcast on my own and hired a professional to manage my Pinterest platform. I’m so glad I did. My Pinterest specialist has now become my mentor. Under her tutelage, I’ve become even more astonished by the platform’s potential than ever before. There is a learning curve involved in establishing and maintaining a Pinterest platform, one that is well worth the effort to master. Especially now, in these uncertain times, when traditional modes of relationship marketing such as school visits and book festival signings are out of reach. 

Author Tami Lewis Brown is new to using Pinterest as a marketing tool and here’s what she has to say about the experience. “Pinterest is a visual encyclopedia of ideas and can offer all kinds of different experiences, depending on your needs and interests. Parents, teachers, and other adults already use Pinterest as a resource for everything from popsicle recipes to anti-bullying techniques to bulletin board ideas. I write non-fiction picture books and I love how Pinterest allows me to tap into that, to offer tie-ins, to build awareness and to promote interest in other books that young readers should know about. I have two new books, PERKIN’S PERFECT PURPLE and ART IS LIFE coming out this fall and it would be challenging (to say the least) to get the word out without Pinterest.” 

Like Tami, I’d like to invite you to consider how you might promote your work on Pinterest. Explore creative ways to connect with your audience. I’ll be sharing a few more posts to help you do just that. Until then, take some time to examine Tami’s Pinterest platform then ask yourself the following questions (Take notes, if you’d like. They could become in useful as you apply the information presented in the upcoming blog posts):

• Instead of merely showcasing your book cover and purchasing information, are there ways you might encourage more engagement with your topic and, perhaps, yourself? 

• List ways you might be able to educate your audience about your topic or services you offer.

• Is there an inspirational way to create content founded on your messaging that might encourage, uplift, or simply brighten someone’s day?

• Consider ways to keep your branding solid but your message fun and fresh.  

Your response to these statements can become the foundation for the first leg of your Pinterest stool – content! Then, by consistently posting pins crafted with your audience’s needs in mind you, too, can slowly-but-surely build a vibrant community on your engaging Pinterest marketing platform.  

You’re off to a great start!

Debbie Gonzales is an author, a career educator, and a Pinterest marketing specialist. Being passionate about the marketing potential of Pinterest, Deb delights in leading on-line or in-person workshops, managing client platforms, and coaching Pinterest users in one-on-one sessions. She has created and established the Guides by Deb website, a free resource consisting of over 300 standards-aligned teacher guides crafted for some of the finest kidlit books in the industry. Deb is the author of GIRLS WITH GUTS: THE ROAD TO BREAKING BARRIERS AND BASHING RECORDS. She earned her MFA in writing for children and young adults from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. Learn more about Deb by accessing debbiegonzales.com or guidesbydeb.com.

*Note: This post is one in a series of three first published on the Cynsations blog. Click the links below to read the other two posts. To take a deeper dive into Pinterest for authors, Deb is hosting an online 3 Day DIY Pinterest Hands-On Workshop on Dec. 9, 2020.

https://cynthialeitichsmith.com/2020/09/guest-post-debbie-gonzales-on-pinterest-analytics-you/

https://cynthialeitichsmith.com/2020/09/guest-post-debbie-gonzales-on-personal-versus-business-pinterest-accounts/

SCBWI-MI News:

Attention Illustrators!

Next year, SCBWI-MI is offering two illustration mentorships. One is for picture book illustration with mentor Dow Phumiruk. The other is for middle grade or young adult illustration with mentor Brittany Jackson.

To learn more, go to the mentorship page on the SCBWI-MI website.

The submission window opens May 17, 2021. We look forward to hearing from you.

For questions, contact Ann Finkelstein, SCBWI-MI Mentorship coordinator. 

Pinterest: An Introverted Marketers Dream Platform

If you’re not currently familiar with the marketing potential of Pinterest, you ought to be. It’s not only one of the most powerful social media platforms on the planet, it’s free, easy, and great fun to use. All of this and it was recently reported that over 300 million people worldwide are using Pinterest! My friends, it’s time to join the Pinterest parade. We all stand to benefit by doing so.

Infront.com defines Pinterest as being a “social media network that allows users to visually share, and discover new interests by posting (known as pinning) images or videos to their own or others’ boards (a collections of  ‘pins’, usually with a common theme) and browsing what other users have pinned.” In a nutshell, users find or create images that represent their interests. These images are then posted on their personal Pinterest platform, intentionally creating a display to be shared by other like-minded users. A savvy marketer adds valuable content to their pins, helpful information that ultimately guides users to purchase their books and services.

I’ve been using Pinterest regularly since 2016 as a platform to showcase books I’ve had the honor to create teacher guides for. Since January of this year, I’ve made a concerted effort to use Pinterest strategically as part of my book launch marketing plan and, I have to say that, I’ve been thrilled with the results. Using Pinterest in this way has broadened the reach for both the Guides by Deb projects and my debut picture book. With time and patience, whether you’re pre-published or a super star, Pinterest can do the same for you, too.

As I see it, there are basically two approaches to using Pinterest as an author or illustrator – one being to create a visual representation highlighting aspects of one’s works in progress. Is your protagonist a mountain climber? Then find and post breathtaking images of the heights she scales. Are you deep in research focused on the brilliance of butterfly wings? Or, are you steeped in a scientific breakthrough or a historical setting of some sort? Whatever your interest, Pinterest can support it. Create themed boards, search the web for stunning images, and pin to your heart’s content. Then invite those who visit your website to stop by your Pinterest platform to be wowed by your masterpieces!

The second approach involves a more systematic plan to attract specific users to one’s platform. In my case, I want educators and homeschoolers to discover the books and guides offered on my website. I also desire to invite those individuals, as well as female athletes and organizations that serve them, to purchase my book. In order to do this, I consistently post and tag what are called “rich pins” that consist of valuable content – blogposts, podcast episodes, videos – that, hopefully, users will find to be informative.  Truth be told, using Pinterest in this strategic way does require more planning and some additional tech background, but I’ve found the end result to be incredible! My once little, lost and lonesome www.guidesbydeb.com website is now host to a large number of hits every single day!

So what do think? Are you ready to give Pinterest a whirl? Create an account. Make some boards. Share some pins. Join in the fun!

Debbie Gonzales is a career educator, curriculum consultant, former school administrator and adjunct professor, and once served as the SCBWI RA for the Austin Chapter.  She's the author of six “transitional” readers for New Zealand publisher, Giltedge, and the forthcoming non-fiction picture book Girls with Guts: The Road to Breaking Barriers and Bashing Records (Charlesbridge, 2019). Deb creates teacher guides for new releases and is the host of The Debcast, a podcast dedicated to the tenacious spirit of the female athlete. Deb earned her MFA in writing for children and young adults from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. Subscribe to her podcast on iTunes and/or stop by www.debbiegonzales.com or www.guidesbydeb.com to check out her painlessly promotable content.

Want to learn more? Come to the SCBWI-MI Shop Talk in Ann Arbor for Pinterest Basics for Authors and Illustrators this Saturday, Sept. 14th, 10am - noon.

Debbie Gonzales will give an overview of Pinterest, show you how to manage your own Pinterest platform, and teach how to use a Content Calendar to manage your professional social media. Read more about this free workshop at: https://michigan.scbwi.org/events/scbwi-mi-ann-arbor-shop-talk-11/

Coming up on the Mitten Blog:

It's time for our quarterly Ask the Editor feature where editor Katherine Gibson answers your questions about publishing for children. See you Friday!