Thoughtful Thursday

Sorry I haven't posted much this week, my lovelies. I've decided to re-think my Teaser Tuesdays for a while, because I don't know what to tease you with. Promise is out and I think I've already teased the hell out of it, anyway. And until more people read Promise, I don't want to get into Purpose. So...I'm thinking of replacing it with something else, but haven't figured out what.

And yesterday I had a post completely written in my head. I even had a title for it: Whiner Wednesday. Because that's all I was doing: whining. Complaining about not having enough time, money, space and sleep. Whining about everything I had to do, which keeps me from doing all those things I really want to do. Sharing my envy for all of you who get to read a lot and write reviews and manage beautiful book-blog sites...or those of you who get to write without a deadline or are so involved in your writing, you think of nothing else and wishing I was in that place again but there's just too much to do...or those of you who have been taking trips - whether long or short, nearby or far off - because it's been so long since I've traveled for fun.

Yes, it was all about whining. And who am I to whine right now? Sheesh! My first novel has just been released. I'm living my dream! So I mentally spanked myself and put myself into gratitude mode.

Because I am so thankful for all the blessings I have - my family, my friends, my day-job that pays the bills, a roof over my head, vehicles that get us all from point A to point B safely and reliably (perhaps without A/C, but at least we're safe), the ability to purchase school supplies and clothes for my kids, and, of course, my writing and all the people who have supported me, past, present and future. We're all generally healthy (although it's football season so that can change quickly), my kids stay out of trouble and do well in school, we both have jobs and aren't suffering nearly as badly as many during this economy. God has truly blessed us.

I'm also thankful for all of you, who check in here to see what nonsense I have to share. Who have read my book and suggested it to others. Who comment here or on Twitter or Facebook or email or real-life. Thank you for reading my ramblings and joining me in the celebration of Promise's release. Thank you for sticking with me for what's to come. *Love and hugs thrown at you all*

So...what are your thoughts for this summer's day? What are you thankful for? Or, if you feel like it, what do you have to whine about today? Go ahead, I don't care. Sometimes we need that bit of time to let it all out. It helps us to release it from our souls and then to regain perspective. So use this opportunity to whine, if you'd like. We can all whine together and offer cheese to each other to go with it, and then move onto better thoughts.

Monday Marketing - Part 3: The Target Customer

It's been a while since we've done a Monday Marketing. Last time, we talked about the Marketing Mix - the 4 P's & 4 C's of marketing, which all revolve around the Target Customer.

I said we'd get into the first P - Product today, but I lied. After reading that post, I realized that we needed to spend a little more time on the Target Customer. It's the most important part of the Marketing Mix, after all, because without a customer - a reader, a buyer, a spouse or child or employer - there's no reason for the rest. You need a Customer but, more specifically, you need to identify a Target Customer. (Yes, seriously think about your customer having a target on their head because you really are aiming for it. Well, actually, the heart. Put the target on the heart because you want your customer to lllluuuuurrrrvvvveee you.)

For just about anything you're trying to market - your book, your blog, your need for a raise, household chores - you have more than one type of customer. The rest of your Marketing Mix changes, depending on which customer you're targeting. For example, if you'd like your husband to take out the trash, the "price" and promotional message are going to be different than if you ask your kid to do the same thing.

Or perhaps your book is a mystery with paranormal and romantic elements. Your readers (and possibly potential agents) could prefer any of those genres. But when you're marketing - querying or deciding which websites to advertise on - you have to pick your Target Customer and aim the rest of the Marketing Mix at that particular customer. So your query letter discusses the Big Murder Mystery when targeting an agent who represents mysteries. You know romance readers will love your book, so you put an ad on the I Love Fabio forum that emphasizes the romance (I have no idea if that forum exists, so please don't ask where, no matter how much you're dying to know).

Sometimes your product even changes. Perhaps you get this great idea for a paranormal story and you decide it would be most enjoyed by Young Adult readers, but you've always written adult mainstream. You have to make adjustments to your style, your choice of words, sentence structures, pacing, etc., to meet the needs and desires of this new audience. If you've already started writing before you realize it would be better as YA, then you may even need to make changes to the character and some of the plot.

Book bloggers often start additional blogs to create a new product for a different Target Customer (or target market - same thing, different word). On one blog, they review YA novels, on another they emphasize adult reading and perhaps even on another they do erotica or noir thriller. They probably don't want their YA audience on that last one. The looks of each blog are probably going to be very different and the style of writing may be as well.

If you have experience in both retail sales and computer programming and you really just. Need. A. Job., you'll probably apply for both types. You're not going to use the same resume, though. One will emphasize your sales experience and the other your techno-geek stuff. When you go in for an interview at Hoity-Toity Boutique, you're not going to tell them all about how you can write  video-gaming software. You're targeting your Marketing Mix to the customer.

The point is, you must know your Target Customer and their needs and desires, and then create a Marketing Mix specifically for them. And yes, that may mean you have multiple Marketing Mixes for the same product or for the same customer.

Your customers all tune into WIIFM - What's In It For Me. This applies to potential employers, spouses, kids, readers, buyers - anyone. It's just human nature. They want to know what they're going to get from you. Not what some other person with different likes and interests will get. What they will get. So you target everything toward them specifically.

All that to stress to you that you must know your customers and then you must really know your Target Customer. Know their needs, desires, what keeps them up at night, what they dream about, what they fear, what their biggest problems are, what makes them happiest, etc. Know everything, or at least as much as possible. Think of someone you know who is your Target Customer and study them. When you know your Target Customer, then you can tailor the rest of the Marketing Mix to them and see success.

Questions? Shoot 'em at me!

Five for Friday

Friday is more than half over, although there's still Friday night. That's the best part, right? ;-) But today has just been full of really cool and crazy things:

1. First, it's Friday! Cool all by itself!
2. I found out one of our day-job clients is married to a prolifically published author! I hope to meet her one day very soon. That's just too cool.
3. We got tickets to see Aerosmith in Tampa tomorrow. I've never seen them and I'm really looking forward to it. Especially to the fact that I won't be the oldest in the crowd. LOL Recently, we've been to Breaking Benjamin, Three Days Grace and 30 Seconds to Mars and we've always been the geezers. Now I'll be the baby. :-)
4. My son got inked! Yes, it's frawesomely cool. But he's 16 and he's my son! A part of me weeps, but I like it and I'm glad he got something that will still mean something to him in 25 years - he'll still be Irish. LOL And it refers to a Bible verse, so that's pretty cool. It's very well done and if I decide to get an Amadis tattoo, I know where I'll go now (if not Miami Ink). What is Amadis? You'll have to read Promise to find out. ;-)
5. And last but definitely not least...Promise has been selected as a finalist for the Royal Palm Literary Award by the Florida Writers Association! Woohoo!!

Many reasons to celebrate. So I'm going to do just that. Have a cool and crazy weekend, lovelies!