Carla King – Build Your Online Platform
Build your email list, create a lead magnet, a website, and engage in social media
Marketing begins now, at the very of your publishing efforts, and your website is the foundation of that marketing effort.
Your website is a storefront and a scrapbook, a place to attract, inform, connect, collect, and communicate. Your website is “You-Central.”
Here’s what you’ll learn
Understand your website building options and choose a solution
Choose a domain name and web hosting company
Get a personalized email address
Make your website a “high-converting” website
Choose an email marketing service
Create a lead magnet
Incorporate a consistent brand across the web
Understand and use metadata and Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Create a social media presence
There will be homework, worksheets, to-do lists, and other extras to help you adjust your strategy and realize the vision you have for your book and your future as an author. Ask questions, get feedback, encouragement, and community in our Facebook group.
You have questions about your domain name, web hosting, WordPress or SquareSpace or Wix, GoDaddy or BlueHost, MailChimp or Constant Contact, landing pages, lead magnets, metadata, and SEO.
THIS COURSE HAS THE ANSWERS
Your domain name
Branding! Are you kidding? Your name is your biggest brand so don’t be shy. Get your name. I’ll show you how.
Web hosting
A web hosting company handles all the geeky tech stuff for you so you can build your website. You’ll learn how to choose one.
Website building
Your web hosting company may have WordPress theme builder service built in. You can choose one of their themes to off, just because it’s easy, or upload a premium theme. You’ll learn where to purchase premium themes and how to hire a professional if you need to so that your website markets you and your writing. You’ll also learn about a low-cost service I recommend to do it all for you.
Your blog
Your blog is an extension of your website. There’s no need to choose a separate blogging service.
Your email marketing list
The most important function of your website and blog is to create a connection with readers by getting them to hand over their email address. When they give you their email address, they have given you permission to contact them directly.
The ethical bribe
Website visitors are tired of being sold to, so entice them with an “ethical bribe.” This could be a free story, tip sheet, or anything you can think of that has informational or entertainment value to your audience.
Easy, but maybe a little tedious
This module will take the mystery out of creating a website, blog, and email marketing newsletter so you can get ed or improve the site you have today. There are several solutions including one that takes about one hour to build. I’m not kidding.
Web marketing is the easiest marketing you’ll do
Let the power of internet search help you market your book. Your web presence and proper SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is “passive” book marketing. It’s the easiest book marketing you’ll do! Let Google and Amazon search lead readers to you and your book.
This course helps you set up a cohesive, branded, internet presence. You’ll learn about do-it-yourself and do-it-for you website options in various price ranges. You’ll learn how to set up an email list and deliver a lead magnet. You’ll learn how to create branded website and social media banners, too.
Take this step toward succeeding in your career as an author now. Let’s do this!
Your Instructor
Carla King
Carla King is the founder of the Self-Publishing Boot Camp educational series of books and workshops. With a background in technical writing and a passion for travel, she ed self-publishing her bicycle and motorcycle adventure travel books in 1994. Since then, Carla has helped many others in their writing and publishing journeys.
King has been known as a leader in self-publishing education since 2010 with Self-Pub Boot Camp courses and books and her Destination Published concierge services. She organizes the self-publishing and technology track for the San Francisco Writers Conference, works as an industry advisor, speaks at publishing conferences, podcasts, and other events.
As the author of many books (on adventure travel) and as a publishing consultant, her firsthand knowledge makes King one of the most trusted guides in the industry. Her Self-Publishing Boot Camp Guide for Authors is the most comprehensive how-to manual for independent authors today. Authors and publishers around the world also count on her Consumer’s Guide for Self-Publishers with reviews of the tools and services that help independent authors publish.
Course Curriculum
Introduction
Course Overview
Resources
Websites, Blogs, and Domain Names
Introduction
Linda Lee: Websites, Blogs, and Domain Names (26:02)
The elements of an author website
How to choose web hosting for your site
PubSite: A turnkey solution
Why you shouldn’t use free web hosting
Your WordPress hosting solution
SquareSpace hosting and site builder
What you need to know about SEO
What else do you need to know?
Domain Names: Your Address on the Web
Choosing and using a domain name
Landing Pages
Create a landing page to collect email addresses
Create a landing page to deliver your lead magnet (freebie)
All About Email
Choose an email marketing service
How to build an email list (28:45)
How to get your own personalized email address
How to import your contacts into an email list service
An overview of MailerLite
Lead Magnets
How to create a lead magnet
Social Media
Diving into social media
NAMW
Three Easy Ways to Grow Your Email List (90:22)
Next Steps
Congratulations!
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