Most writers or business owners don’t plan a budget for their promotion. It’s not something I recommend, but it happens a lot with new authors or new businesses. As a matter of fact, I started SORMAG with no budget. Back in 2000 I didn’t know anything about online promotion. I didn’t know I needed a budget or what to even spend my budget on. I was clueless to promotion, but I was in for an eye opening experience.

I learned that promotion is very important to any business. If you don’t promote people don’t know you exist. That’s why commercials are popular. You see them on them on TV; you hear them on the radio. People are trying to get their product in front of as many people as they can.
You have to do the same.

One of the reasons I wrote Building Online Relationships was because I kept meeting writers and business owners, who didn’t have a budget for their promotion but didn’t know how to promote. My book is all about how I learned to promote SORMAG without a budget. Each chapter features different things I did to get the magazine in front of new readers.

Today I will share a few things, if you want more; I highly recommend you download a copy of the book. If you have the book, crack it open, I promise you will find some good tips to help you with your promotion. Remember the book can’t work, if you don’t implement the actions, just as these tips can’t work if you don’t put in the work.

This year I’ve been sharing with my clients the Promotion Kit. 10 tools you need to jump start your promotion especially when you don’t have a budget. Used together these tools will help you stay consistent with your promotion.

1. MAILING LIST

If you know me, you know I’m always preaching start a mailing list. It is the most IMPORTANT tool in your promotion kit.

This is how you stay in contact with your readers. If you are meeting readers and have no way of capturing them, you are promoting to the wall as I say. You don’t want to attend an event and meet 50 readers and then leave the event, without any way to get in touch with those readers.

2. WHO ARE YOUR READERS AND WHERE ARE THEY

If you know who your readers are and where they hang out. That helps you in where to promote. Get to know who your ideal reader is, then find them online and offline. Do everything you have to do get in front of them on a daily basis.

3. PROMOTION GOALS

Most writers set writing goals, but have you considered setting promotion goals. What is it you want from your promotion? What do you plan on doing with your promotion?

4. PROMOTION PLAN

Your promotion plan is what kind of promotion you plan to do for your book. If you’ve completed your goals for this book, it will help you create a plan. Your goals are you plan.

5. CALENDAR

Your calendar is an important part of your promotion.

This is where your promotion plan goes, so you can stay on track with your goals

I’ve learned a calendar helps keep you organized and it great to be able to see where you are or where you are going with your promotion.

6. EMAIL Address and EMAIL SIGNATURE

You want your readers to stay in contact with you, your email address with help.

Don’t make the media hunt you down, make sure your email addresses are listed on your website, blog, social media pages and your promotional items (bookmarks, book covers, business cards etc.

Most people sleep on this tool – Email signature. I call it your mini billboard in your email. This is the best form of free promotion you can have. You can be creative with it and you can change it up daily, weekly or monthly. Now that you are a published writer you never want to send out an email that doesn’t include a signature promoting your book.

7. WEBSITE/BLOG – YOUR HOMEBASE

You always want to be in control of your readers and you always want to have a place to bring your readers, your home not FB or twitter.

8. SOCIAL MEDIA

For me social media is like going to an online conference. I can have fun, I can learn things, I can share things, I can be inspired, I can be encouraged, or I can inspire or encourage others. You can do the same.

This a great tool for writers who find they don’t have in their budget to go to live events. You can meet readers and you can network.

Don’t sleep on the social media groups. They are amazing for meeting new people, collaborating with the members and for selling books or products.

9. ONLINE PROMOTION SITES/

These include: Blogs, online magazines, online radio, online book clubs, and online events.

You can be the featured guest. Share your wisdom.

Are you taking advantage of the sites for your promotion?

10. VIDEO/LIVESTREAMING

This is a new tool I’ve added to my promotion kit and it has open up a whole new market for me. It can do the same for you. What do you have to share that our audience needs?

I hope these 10 tools motivate you to start working on your own promotion kit. Yes it’s nice to have a budget for promotion but don’t let not having one stop you from promoting. There are plenty of things you can do to reach your readers. Create a plan, get to WORK and the SOCIAL BUTTERFLY you are meant to be.

How many of these tools do you have in your promotion kit?