(or unorthadox ways to get publicity with an oversize business card)

Guerrilla marketing has been around for quite a while. Guerrilla marketing, as in Guerrilla warfare has certain attributes.  According to an entry on Wikapedia, the strengths of a guerrilla strategy are are:

1. Never attacking the enemy’s main force preserves resources.
2. It is very flexible and can be adapted to any situation, offensive or defensive.
3. It is very difficult to counter with conventional methods.

Taking these strengths into consideration, you can begin to develop a crafty (and legal) means to promote your work.  You may already be using the internet to apply these methods, but do not forget that printed web addresses are also a means of driving traffic to your site (see http://almanack.prwp.com/website-marketing-20050830.php to see how you can use your vehicle to help with this.)

The Traditional Bookmark

Beyond my business card, I wanted to have something easy to hand to folks that could actually be used, especially by avid book readers.  In many of the trade shows I attend, many of my contest givaways are books, so naturally, I wanted an associated inexpensive give-away to hand out as well as place inside the books.  So, I developed a larger sized bookmark showcasing my business in an attractive design.  Both front and back are presented below.

This is a nice card to present along with a business card because of it’s usability and size.  There is also pleny of room to describe your book(s) as well as space for a prominitely places web address.  But what else can a card of this size do?  Here are some things I have done:

1. Enhance the use of gas station displays by adding your bookmark to the credit card brochure holders as well as any card holder displays they may have.  As someone pumps gas, they can grab one of your attractive bookmark cards while they wait.  Even if they put it back, the domain name on the card may stay with them.

2. Drop a few on one of those tables you find in libraries, coffee shops, and bistros that tend to have lots of reading material nearby.  Dont forget those cafe areas in the big bookstores as your book-related bookmarker may appear to be a store promotion (sneeky).  In a less roguish approach, you may want to actually ask the establishment to place your bookmarks there as there may be an added benefit for them as well.

3. This one seems rather nefarious, but drop a few into the book holders in the pew backs at your particular house of worhip.  If you feel guilty, just increase your tithing. Know your audience first.  If your book is about something satanic, sexual, or of a nature that would offend the avaerage person, this is not the venue for you.

4. I was involved in a campaign where a few week before Halloween, about 4000 partents and children made their way through a large outdoor park where businesses were givien deignated spots along the park trail to give out candy and advertising.  The event was free for businesses to participate, though each had to spend a few hundres dollars on candy.  I placed the bookmark into each candy basket along with a piece of candy.  Something for the kids to pull out and give to their parents.  This was better than a paper ad as most of those get thrown away.

5. Ever see a line of people? Of course you do.  You may be diss’ing a fellow author with this one, but during a booksigning, walk down the line handing out your bookmarker to the folks in line and thanking for coming.  This is rather underhanded, but is deffinitely a guerrilla tactic.  If you want to maintain a good professional relationship with the author who’s book signing it is, instead use another line of people in a different venue.

6. When handing them out, be sure to give the recipient at least two - theirs plus more to pass on.

DON’T put them on automobile windshields. It is more intrusive and will probably lead to more litter as people, after finding out it isnt a parking ticket, will chuck it away.  “In your face” methods can work, so long as they do not have the appearance of being “in your face.”

A Good Print Shop is Key!

Even though I created the designs on the bookmark, I needed a service that take care of the printing, cutting, and laminating required to make my bookmark stand out.

The transition from digital media to print ready media can be a headache. The print shop may desire specs the designer is not familiar with. The designer may not understand their requirements. The file may be too large to attach to an email. There are numerous problems that can present themselves. That is why I used PrintingForLess.com to handle those details for me. Click here to learn more about their services as you create print materials to market your book.

Good luck.  I would love to hear other ideas on this as well.

Last 5 posts by BiblioScribe

• Guerrilla "Bookmark"-eting - February 18th, 2008
• Missing your Book Cover at Amazon.com? Here's the Solution - February 18th, 2008
• A Press Release Service That Links Directly to Your Books - December 29th, 2007
• Free Book Marketing & Free Press Release Services on the Internet - December 29th, 2007
• Creatively Expanding the Possibilities of Free (or low cost) Book Marketing - December 28th, 2007

Tags: Book Marketing, bookmarks, guerilla book marketing, unorthadox book marketing

This entry was posted on Monday, February 18th, 2008 at 7:50 pm and is filed under Book Marketing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.