Follow-Up Techniques for Writing & Marketing Success, Part 2

by Karen Whiting @KarenHWhiting

In my last post, Connect with Readers Through These Follow-Up Strategies for Writing and Marketing Success, I talked about basic strategies for following up with people you meet. I ended with mentioning setting up goals on following up. Goals should include building a stronger network, deepening relationships, and making the most of opportunities to get leads, contracts, and increase marketing. Let’s consider each type of goal and ideas that will maximize the power of the connections.

Strengthen Your Network

You need more than an echo chamber of like-minded people in your own genre for a strong network. That means you need to spread out and make connections with people in different areas of publishing and even different genres. 

Getting to know people who are more technically oriented can broaden your horizons of what’s new and on the cutting edge that could make your work more productive or marketing easier. If you’re a fiction author then getting to know nonfiction authors helps you connect with people who write profiles. Have other methods to research topics, or give you insights into other editing practices. If you write nonfiction, the fiction authors can share techniques on the power of story that helps your anecdotes and examples come to life.

Connecting with agents and editors help you understand the bigger picture in publishing and what trends may be coming. Expanding your network to add more speakers helps you find more opportunities to speak. 

Beyond that, you can also work to build the right levels of connections. Like the relationships between Paul, Barnabus, and Timothy, we all need to know people who are further along the writing journey to learn from, encouragers who are following a similar path and understand where you are at, and less experienced writers who need advice and encouragement. Inventory your close connections to see what you might be missing. Then pray for people to fill the holes and be on the lookout for people who will help strengthen your network. Set a goal to have three to five connections with people at the level you want to reach, five or more authors who are at about the same level to encourage one another to move forward, and a few you can support who are less experienced. 

Deepen Relationships

Going from an acquaintance to a mutually beneficial connection takes effort. It’s estimated that it takes five to twelve touch points to build a viable connection. That means to focus on relationships you’d like to develop and be aware of people who are trying to build a relationship with you, with people of the same sex.

Make a keep in touch plan. List a few names of people with whom you’d like to build a deeper relationship. Follow them and comment often. If you notice certain people often comment on your posts, be sure to reply and ask about chatting with them. Go beyond merely talking about writing and marketing, to getting to know their interest, family, lifestyle, how God is working in their lives, what’s been exciting for them, and more. Essentially, become a friend and get to know them personally. 

Schedule a day each week or two to catch up with these people on social media or email. See if there are conferences you will both be attending and plan to meet up. If someone is local, and it’s great to seek out some local connections, plan a time to get together for a work meeting or just to chat.

Appreciate the Benefits 

Keep notes of how you benefit from various relationships. Some may become friends who support you during a struggle or loss, Others may provide publishing or marketing opportunities. 

Life is busy, and those who stay in touch are remembered more. I’ve built friendships with editors and that’s grown my publishing credits, but also my understanding of the publishing industry. This past month I had someone I helped when they were starting out open the door to a wonderful marketing opportunity. As they wanted a PDF related to a new release, I contacted my editor who had it done in-house, and she created it and added color to the pdf. 

I also sought out my web developer who has become a friend. I wanted to add a quiz and other things to my website to increase marketing my books including my upcoming Growing a Peaceful Heart. He gave me great advise and asked me to write some content for pay. We’re still working on it all, but it’s been a good experience.

In practical ways, my connections have given me leads on other magazines looking for writers, media hosts who might want me as a guest, and other opportunities that worked out.

I became more professional over the years in building friendships with other writers and industry professional. I have people with whom I could ask questions of how to approach someone or how to improve my handouts and other materials. We share ideas and come up with better ones or refine the ones we have.

Most of my connections help me grow and become a better person, better writer, and better marketer. Hopefully I impact others in a positive way also. May you be blessed with great connection too.

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Follow-Up Techniques for Writing & Marketing Success, Part 2 from author @KarenHWhiting on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Don't Miss the Other Posts in This Series

Connect with Readers Through These Follow-Up Strategies for Writing and Marketing Success, Part 1

Karen Whiting (WWW.KARENWHITING.COM) is an international speaker, former television host of Puppets on Parade, certified writing and marketing coach, and award-winning author of twenty-seven books for women, children, and families. Her newest book, The Gift of Bread: Recipes for the Heart and the Table reflects her passion for bread and growing up helping at her grandparent’s restaurant. Check out her newest book Growing a Mother’s Heart: Devotions of Faith, Hope, and Love from Mothers Past, Present, and Future. It's full of heartwarming and teary-eyed stories of moms.

Karen has a heart to grow tomorrow’s wholesome families today. She has written more than eight hundred articles for more than sixty publications and loves to let creativity splash over the pages of what she writes. She writes for Crosswalk. Connect with Karen on Twitter @KarenHWhiting Pinterest KarenWhiting FB KarenHWhiting.