Hey You!! Mr. or Ms. Publisher - What Do You Do With Someone Who Buys Your Products????

Talking with publishers lately, who are equally excited and wary about consumers and BookCon, there seems to be a lot of mystery as to exactly what the magic bullet is to get value out of engaging with consumers.  The best quote I can offer is from one publisher, who will remain unnamed: 'There is no downside to BookCon being a huge success'.  Still, that leaves room for a lot of ambiguity and many opportunities missed.  BookCon is tracking as promised, which means there will be 7,500 - 10,000 people who will buy a ticket and get themselves to the Javits Center on May 31st because they were excited and motivated to do so by something that is connected the world of books. 

So when you encounter that consumer and you want to make them excited about what you are publishing - here is a list to help you connect with the people who buy your products and will ultimately drive value for your company by continuing to be excited by your books and authors. 

Tips for Engaging Consumers

• Be prepared with your 15 second pitch 
•  Have some ‘If you like…’ comparisons 
•  Have a way to accept credit cards and have a backup to that 
• Have round number price points ($5, $10, $20) 
•  Make it seem like the Fan is getting a deal 
• Have free sample or excerpts of your work that clearly state where to buy 
• Contests or activities based on mailing list or social media signups 
• Badges are not scannable! Collect leads on iPad, Sign-up Sheet, etc.. 
• Prominently display your social media links 
• Plan to have something for kids to lure in parents 
• And don’t forget…thousands of TRADE and MEDIA contacts will be there! 
• They will have a paper badge with name and job title. Look for booksellers, retailers, librarians and press 
•  Have business cards, retail pricing, catalogs, etc.