By Harriet Hodgson
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I’ve been a freelancer for decades. My recent work focuses on loss, grief and recovery. Sooner or later, everyone experiences loss, and you may think this niche is a broad one. It isn’t. Americans tend to avoid grief and buy books about reconciliation and recovery when they are in the throes of sorrow. As one reader told me, “I wish I had bought your book sooner.”

Marketers used to call name recognition “branding” and many still do. But the Internet has shaken things up and “branding” has evolved into something called Recognition Marketing. This marketing is similar to branding, but it also differs in significant ways. The short story is that marketing has changed.

In past years, the building blocks of book marketing were Product, Price, Place and Promotion, according to David Miranda. As he explains in his Recognition Marketing website article, “The New 5 Cs for Successful Marketing,” these building blocks have changed. Today, they are Consumers, Context, Convenience, Convergence, and Community.

How did this happen? Miranda says consumers have changed and “market power has shifted from the seller to buyer.” Today’s consumers want to search, shop, and compare on the Internet and do these tasks quickly. Context is important, too, and manufacturers target customers with website content, services, products, and with those pesky emails you keep getting.

The Convenience block speaks for itself and free shipping is a welcome convenience. Convergence, according to Miranda, is the meeting of media and distribution channels. Community refers to social media. I’m on Facebook, LinkedIn and specialized websites, but they haven’t garnered the results I expected. Freelancers like you and me have the same question, “How can we get our name out there?”

Leslie McKerns, of McKerns Development, a PR and Branding firm, weighs in on the Recognition Marketing issue with her website article, “Branding Your Company — Top Tips to Increase Name Recognition.” Hers is no wimpy list; it is a compilation of 25 proactive steps. I read the list and discovered I had followed many of them. But one tip, developing a mission statement, was so obvious I missed it.

This discovery led to immediate action. My mission is to research, develop and write reliable health resources for the general public and the bereavement niche. What is your mission?

I missed some other key tips, including developing a timetable for people/groups I want to reach, issuing press releases regularly, and updating my website at least four times a month. Cost is the problem with the last tip. Every time I update my website it costs me at least $200 bucks. While all of McKerns’ tips don’t apply to me, most of them do, and I know I have to be more proactive.

So, as a former Girl Scout leader, I made some pledges to myself. First, I’m going to sit down and create a personal Name Recognition Plan. Second, I’m going to develop new workshops, Third, I’m going to submit these workshop ideas to at least two national conferences. Fourth, I’m going to tap more community networks. Fifth, I’m going to spend the money and update my website again.

Since I can’t predict the future, I don’t know whether these steps will be successful. For me, the important thing is to try, and I bet this is important for you. If you haven’t made a Name Recognition Plan, today is the day to start. Create the best plan you can with the resources you have.

Harriet Hodgson has been an independent journalist for 35+ years and is the author of 30 published books. Her two newest books, 101 Affirmations to Ease Your Grief Journey and Real Meals on 18 Wheels: A Guide for Healthy Living on the Highway (Kathryn Clements, RD, co-author), are available from Amazon.

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Related posts:

1. Turning a Personal Book Marketing Plan Into Recognition Marketing
2. Top 5 Book Marketing Tips Authors Can’t Ignore
3. Book Marketing Tips – 4 Must-Have Points for Authors

freelance, marketing General