Have you ever tried to move a wagon with two people pushing in opposite directions, or pulling in opposite directions? What happens? It doesn’t move, right. Or maybe worse, it tips over.
In marketing the same is true. If all you’re doing is pushing or all you’re doing is pulling, either your sales will not move or you will tip the strategy over completely.
When you think of marketing and promotions, you have to think in dual terms: pulling AND pushing. That’s how you create a strategy that works.
Pulling
Most people, when they begin to market, miss this step completely. All they do is push, push, push. Ever heard of a “pushy” salesman? Why do we call him that? Because all he does is PUSH his product on us, and if you’re like me, you will be figuring out a way to LEAVE as quickly as possible–or to get him out of your living room if that’s the case. The same is true of pushy online people.
Further, pushing alone doesn’t work because you can’t sell to people who aren’t there, and you don’t want to be the one everyone runs from when they see coming.
That’s where the concept of “pulling” comes in. Pulling put simply is anything you do to reel readers in to you. Then give them a reason to read more by putting out something they enjoy reading as a sample. Now you can do this many ways.
You can give away Free Previews of your book, or you can write a blog that has great content. On Twitter, you can use quotes, sayings, Bible quotes, etc. to accomplish this. On your blog, you can host guest bloggers who will hopefully send their audience to you to read the post. You can also host interviews and do reviews on that same premise.
Think of things that PULL you in. What gets you to RT something from someone you don’t know? Why do you want to send it on? The plain truth is we very rarely RT anything from people we don’t know if it PUSHES anything. So tailor some of your tweets and Facebook posts to simply giving great information–books you’ve read that you loved, articles that you read, sayings that touched you. All of these have the potential of reeling new readers to you.
Pushing
Once you have potential readers coming to you, now you can do some pushing. Notice I said SOME. If all you do is push, they will leave. So remember to keep up pulling even after you’ve gotten readers. The real secret to pushing is actually pulling. Pulling attracts people like a magnet.
Have you ever been on Twitter and figured out that someone only posts Push-type tweets? After awhile, do you even read those anymore, or do you just skim right by them even if you don’t delete them as a follow? Me too. There are several that try to work their title into every post and it gets annoying! After awhile, I just skim right past them.
The other thing to remember in marketing is to not talk about yourself even in your push marketing. Talk about what the reader will get out of it. Talk about how your writing will help them. Talk about what they will learn or why this story is so fascinating they can’t possibly pass it up. This is sometimes easier said than done, but it works. Which would you be more apt to click on:
Check out my new book, FIELD OF DAISIES.
OR…
What secrets does the past hold? FIELD OF DAISIES. When you go in, can you ever get back out?
So remember, in all marketing: Pull constantly and consistently, and pull even when you push!
Staci Stallings is the founder of Grace & Faith Author Connection. To join the group, send your Name, Email Address, Twitter handle (if you have one), and/or Facebook page to staci_stallings at hotmail dot com (altogether!) with the subject: G&F New Member, and Staci will let you know what your next step is. I hope you will join us for this new and exciting marketing adventure!
Deborah H. Bateman (@DebBat)
/ November 14, 2011Stacy, thanks for sharing your post. We are all in a learning process and whatever we can do to help each other is great. I appreciate you sharing this article with the rest of us. Blessings, Deborah H. Bateman
Tracy
/ November 14, 2011Great post – and excellent reminder. It reminds me of my days as advertising salesman. I was successful not because I was a “guerrilla” type salesman, but because I built relationships with my clients. They learned to trust me and knew I wouldn’t hard-sell them, but worked to promote their business. By making it all about them, it helped me provide for my family.
Author Gina Gates
/ December 18, 2011Staci, thank you for “pulling” us other writers in with your wisdom. 🙂
NikeChillemi
/ January 4, 2012Excellent article. For me the pulling part includes engaging individuals in social media. Getting to actually know a few people and engage w/them.
I’ve often heard that I’m a hoot, or I’m funny. I didn’t start out intentionally to pull, but rather to meet people and enjoy the process. But the effect has been that I’ve pulled them to me.
fictionbypalmer
/ January 5, 2012To pull, to enhance value in your blog to the point others gravite to it in natural reaction, not reject it. Back in sales school with Purina mills, we called this relationship selling. Get to know the prospect, know the family, even the dogs name, kids names, etc. When you’ve learned this, (takes time), then you as salesperson can tailor a proposal suited to their mindframe, not just a canned approach, so that they see what you present from their perspective ’cause you’re standing in their shoes, right with them and next to them. – Purina Mills Inc.
Still hard to do when I ‘feel’ my passion for my message blurt out ahead of my courtesy. Fictionbypalmer