Writers in the Storm

by Jenny Hansen

What happens when you hold your iPhone up and click that weird looking square on the left?

You see these in magazines, at the grocery store, on clothing labels, and YES, in the back of eBooks. What are they and how do you use this sexy little bit of free Techie gadgetry that’s all the rage?

After last week's chat about social media, a great follow up seemed to be a post about QR Codes!

I know, I know…QR just doesn’t sound sexy and, unless you’re more the nerdy type, “code” probably doesn’t either. But QR Codes are getting me hot these days. Seriously.

QR Codes are one of the EASIEST marketing tricks you’re not taking advantage of, especially if you’re a self-published author or a small business person. Sit back to bask in the warmth of a new piece of technology fun that doesn’t cost a thing!

What is a QR Code?

QR stands for Quick Response and was created by the automotive industry to help track vehicles during the manufacturing process. How is this sexy, Jenny? you might be thinking…

Well, I’ll tell you. A QR Code is a barcode that stores a web address of your choosing. If you scan the one above, you’ll go to our WITS Facebook page, where we hope you'll take a moment to click the "Like" button.

There are free apps available in both the Android and the iPhone that let you scan a QR code to quickly go to a website.

Note: To scan the code, you’ll need an app like QR Scanner [iTunes link] for the iPhone and iPod touch, or ShopSavvy for Android devices.

Uses for QR Codes…just think about this, folks:

• QR Codes are being used at grocery stores to give you recipes and nutritional information for products you’re buying in the store.
• To give you coupons, both in-store and on the internet.
• On business cards, signs and brochures. A simple little barcode allows you to give the info you need to on the card or sign and, with a single click, also help the person to visit the webpage of your choice.
• On clothing labels (Macy’s and other retailers are already using this) to tell you about that item and others you may like in the store.
• On anything with packaging, to push people to a website, Facebook or review page.

Why couldn’t my self-published and indie author friends use this on the front or back covers of their books, or hidden as Easter eggs in the pages? (Ex: Click here to get a free short story, or to submit a review, or to sign up for my monthly newsletter.) The possibilities are ENDLESS.

Are you juiced up yet? Cause I am.

Can I get a QR Code of my very own?

But of course! There are tons of free spots to generate a QR code. Bit.ly and Social Oomph are the two I use the most often.

To use Bit.ly:

• Visit bit.ly, write or paste in a URL address, click “Shorten,” and add .qr to the end of the generated bit.ly link (like so: http://bit.ly/tm90xj.qr).
• Copy the modified link into a new browser window to view the QR code.
• Once you see the code on your screen, you can print it out, send to your friends via e-mail, post on your blog, etc.

To use Social Oomph:

• You need to sign up for a free account, whereas for Bit.ly, you could sign in with Twitter (but it still asks for your email address).
• Once you’re signed in, l00k at the left navigation bar – “Shorten URL” is the fourth choice from the top.
• Click the Shorten URL shortcut and type or paste the address in to the “Long URL” box and click the Shorten button.
• There’s a box that says QR Code – copy the link out of there and follow all the same steps as above in the Bit.ly example.

I used Qurify.com for the code above. I've also used http://quikqr.com/.

From Wikipedia: Users with a camera phone equipped with the correct reader application can scan the image of the QR code to display text, contact information, connect to a wireless network, or open a web page in the telephone’s browser. Click here for more details than you probably want on how to work QR Codes.

UPDATE: In the weeks since I wrote this post, viruses have targeted QR Codes here and there. That doesn’t mean they aren’t safe but, just like email, watch where you click. More details here on how to avoid viruses.

Does this give you any new marketing ideas for your books, businesses or advertising? Are you already using QR Codes in your self-published books? What has your experience been? (Feel free to ask questions in the comments section!)

Jenny

 

About Jenny Hansen

Jenny fills her nights with humor: writing memoir, women’s fiction, chick lit, short stories (and chasing after her toddler Baby Girl). By day, she provides training and social media marketing for an accounting firm. After 15 years as a corporate software trainer, she’s digging this sit down and write thing.

When she’s not at her blog, More Cowbell, Jenny can be found on Twitter at jhansenwrites or here at Writers In The Storm. Every Saturday, she writes the Risky Baby Business posts at More Cowbell, a series that focuses on babies, new parents and high-risk pregnancy.

by Jenny Hansen

A while back, I attended a free two-hour seminar on social media provided by Constant Contact (my new BFF). While it’s true that I attended for my day job, writers are their own small business so YOU get to benefit as well.

Look at this article from Business Week back in 2008 – Social Media Will Change Your Business. Look at how far things have come since 2005. (Light years!)

Now compare it to this L.A. Times article from last Fall, Social Media Giving Small Firms A Boost, which cites social media as a portal to success for small businesses.

Again, all us writers, particularly those who self-publish are a small business in charge of billing, marketing, quality assurance and - yes - social media.

Here are eight low-cost tips to help you expand your social media footprint:

1. Voicemail If you haven’t added your Facebook address and Twitter username to your voicemail, you are missing out on some cheap easy marketing. Hundreds of people hear your voicemail each year and it could be the push they need to connect with you online.
2. Your website Does your website have clear links to your Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn page? What about to your blog? If someone finds your website, you want to make it easy for them to find the rest.
3. Printed materials Do you have your social media information printed at the bottom of each letter and brochure you put out? What about on your business cards? It’s easy to make room in the address block for something so important. Try including this the next time you print any materials.
4. Email Signature Do you have all your social media info in the signature blog on your email? It’s amazing how many people will click that link if you make it easy.
5. Email marketing It’s a good idea to build an email list and use it for some email marketing. I didn’t say spamming. Once a month is fine for connecting. Once a day is not. Be sure to include all your links as well as a periodic promotion. You’ll be surprised at the results. Tools like Constant Contact can track this for you.
6. Signage Do you have a sign up at bookstores or tradeshow events telling your customers readers how to connect with you via social media? It’s likely you’re missing out on some contacts you could have made. When people are browsing these places, you’ve got a pretty captive audience. I’m discussing QR codes next week to expand this idea.
7. Business presentations Do you do any public speaking? Your social media contact information should be on each slide, in any handouts you provide and should also be verbalized at the beginning and end of the presenation.
8. Cross-promotion between platforms It’s a very good idea to be sure that your  customers readers can find you anywhere. The easiest way to do this is to list your social media information on each platform – Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and your blog.

Remember, “Content is King” – nothing will replace good content (i.e. great books). But Social Media is Queen these days and small businesses writers should cast their social media net as widely as they can.

Are there any social media marketing tips you’ve found helpful? Which social media platform has worked best for you? What part of social media do you like or dislike the most? (p.s. I'm happy to answer questions down in the comments!)

Jenny

About Jenny Hansen

Jenny fills her nights with humor: writing memoir, women’s fiction, chick lit, short stories (and chasing after her toddler Baby Girl). By day, she provides training and social media marketing for an accounting firm. After 15 years as a corporate software trainer, she’s digging this sit down and write thing.

When she’s not at her blog, More Cowbell, Jenny can be found on Twitter at jhansenwrites or here at Writers In The Storm. Every Saturday, she writes the Risky Baby Business posts at More Cowbell, a series that focuses on babies, new parents and high-risk pregnancy.

By Laura Drake

I’m only beginning to come out of my post-conference fog, and to get my head around all the work I have to do! Before I jump into that though, I wanted to tell you what I learned from this conference. Hopefully it will help you decide if conferences are worth your time and money.

RWA National, Washington, D.C.

My first conference was the RWA National, three years ago, in Washington, DC. I was at the sophomore level then, having completed two books, and was pitching my most recent for the first time. It was an overload to the brain. I was a hyperaware, fangirl, sponge. Craft workshops, keynotes, networking, pitching, I soaked it all in, and went home with a sense of being part of a community of writers, and a renewed belief that I could do this!

Spring forward three years.

We were lucky enough to have the National RWA Conference in our backyard this year, ten miles from my house. I expected my experience to be a bit different, since I’ve now sold, but I didn’t realize just how different.

I’d planned out my time, chosen the career-track workshops I wanted to attend, and was organized. I thought. Well you know what they say, “Man plans, God laughs.”

Being the President of the Women’s Fiction Chapter made it even better – and crazier. We’d planned a packed mini-conference that didn’t have much “mini” to it. A twelve hour agenda seemed like a great idea in the planning stages; in reality, it was crazy!  Thanks to Fae Rowen and a ton of hard-working WF volunteers and great hotel staff, it came off almost without a hitch, and I think everyone got something from it.

We had two knowledgeable panels of authors, editors and agents, who discussed the market for women's fiction.  Margie Lawson was brilliant in her two hour craft session, and Kristen Lamb’s Social Media Keynote was riveting – galvanizing a crowd that had been thinking hard for eleven hours (not to mention myself, who had been up for twenty hours at that point.)

The rest of the conference was a blur of lights and action, like squinting your eyes on a Merry-go-round. I met with my agent for the first time, and both my editors. I literally ran from one thing to the next, and still missed a Pajama Party, Meet & Greet, and most of the workshops I wanted to attend. I’m not complaining – I made it to a publisher dinner, the GH/RITA ceremony, and the Harlequin party!

My WITS roommates helped me dress up each night for an event (you know I’m not a glitter-gal, right?)

I felt like Cinderella, the entire week!

To make it even more exciting, I'm so proud of my local Chapter! OCCRWA was well represented at the Awards Ceremony: Diane Pershing received a Service Award, Kara Lennox (monthly WITS blogger!) was a DOUBLE RITA Finalist, and Tessa Dare walked away with a RITA!

Well, Cinderella is now home, facing a two foot wall of laundry, a sink full of dishes, and a $57 dry cleaning bill. Sigh.

My point to this rambling though, is that no matter where you are in your journey, writer’s conferences are invaluable. There is a lot available for everyone, at any stage of their writer’s journey.

Kudos to RWA. The Marriott Hotel was superb, the staff friendly and helpful, the food on time and delicious. I can’t imagine the logistics and grunt work that goes into putting on an event of this kind. And they did it without breaking a visible sweat. Great job!

So, what do you think? Have you attended an RWA conference? Another Organization’s conference? What was your experience?