Tag: online

Optimize Your Amazon Author Page

Posted on by Sue L Canfield

UPDATED 2023

Do you have an Amazon Author Page? Is it optimized? Sometimes I see books on Amazon where the author hasn’t yet set up an Author Page or it doesn’t have complete information. This free page allows authors, whether your book is in print, Kindle, or both, to update content on your book page, update your bio and descriptions, and view your sales data and customer reviews of your book.

If you already have an Amazon account, you’ll use that same log in information to set up an Author page. Here’s where you’ll set up that page on Amazon: https://author.amazon.com/

Have these items ready to create or update your Amazon Author Page:

  • Headshot
  • Bio—fill out your bio with as much information as possible, including keywords

Include links to your website and social media accounts in your bio so readers know where to connect with you and contact you. Remember to add a link to your author page on your website.

A great advantage to having your author page set up on Amazon is that readers can now click the Follow button on your Author page. Once they do that, they will be notified whenever your book is on sale or when you publish a new book.

2023 Update

In the Reports and Marketing tab you can now:

  • see how many people follow you on Amazon. (After you’ve reached 20 followers.)
  • make book recommendations: let people know where they should start with your books and what other authors’ books you recommend.

Do You Really Need to Be Online?

Posted on by Joel D Canfield

The Dream

Every time social media as a marketing tool for authors comes up, someone mentions that famous author who doesn’t blog, the rich author who has no online presence whatsoever. The argument is that you don’t need an online presence, blogging, social media, to become rich and famous, or succeed in whatever way you define success, as an author.

Back to Reality

Yes, it’s possible to become a best-seller, rich and famous, without ever going online.

It’s also possible to cross the ocean in a rowboat. I’ve read about it. It’s not fun.

If you truly deeply hate social media, find other ways. But if you just don’t want to do the work of blogging and interacting online, or if you’re just being contrary, you’re making it so very hard on yourself.

Speaking in absolutes is always counterproductive (oh, I see what I did there.) But as a general rule, it is best if an author has a blog and posts regularly. It is best if an author has a social media presence and engages there regularly. It is best to make use of the tools that will engage with your potential audience where they are: online.

How do you keep up with all the changes in social media algorithms?

Posted on by Joel D Canfield

Short answer: you don’t.

For the long answer, watch this 1-minute video:

Join an Online Virtual Assistant Forum

Posted on by Sue L Canfield

forums for virtual assistantsJoin an online virtual assistant forum this year. Make it your goal to interact weekly at the forum. This is a wonderful resource for learning from other virtual assistants. You could also find other virtual assistants you want to collaborate with and even new clients.

Here are two active virtual assistant forums to check out:

Have you participated in any virtual assistant forums? How have they been of benefit to you and your business?

10 Goals for Your Virtual Assistant Business in 2014

Posted on by Sue L Canfield

10 goals for 2014

It’s that time of year again. We’re winding down this year and about to begin 2014. What are your goals for your virtual assistant business in 2014?

My husband and I take two weeks off at the end of every year and shut down our businesses so we can focus on our businesses instead of working in them. We evaluate what worked and what didn’t work. Then we make a plan for the new year. I suggest you take some time in the next few weeks to sit down and write down ten goals for your virtual assistant business in 2014.

To get your creative juices flow with ideas for goals, here are 10 goals you might choose to have for your virtual assistant business in 2014:

  1. Add one new client each month of the year.
  2. Raise your rates by 10%.
  3. Offer an added-value feature for your existing clients.
  4. Commit to posting at your blog regularly.
  5. Start using Pinterest. If you already are using Pinterest, create a new board with tips for your clients.
  6. Add 5 new connections to each of your social media networks every week.
  7. Learn a new skill that you can offer to your clients.
  8. Join an online virtual assistant forum and interact weekly.
  9. Create a procedures manual for your repetitive tasks and ask another VA to review them. This will come in handy if you need to take some time off and hand your tasks off to someone else for a bit.
  10. Plan to take a week off at the end of 2014 to plan your business goals for 2015.

I’d love to hear what your goals will be in 2014. Please share them in the comments so other virtual assistants can get some ideas as well.

Don’t forget to share this post on Google+, pin it to Pinterest, or write a similar blog post.

Let’s make 2014 the best year yet!