It’s a covert marketing tactic of sorts, a type of back door marketing strategy.
Randall has had success in the entertainment industry. He’s now written a book about that success, a guide to the trappings and pitfalls for those aspiring to his dream career. His book details his twenty-five year career, covering everything from the movies he’s worked in to the album he recorded in Nashville.
To get the word out about that book, Randall has stepped outside the box, his nontraditional methods gaining some momentum. Craigslist has become fodder for Randall’s exploits. For those unfamiliar with Craigslist, it is a local classifieds and forums site - community moderated, and largely free. You can find most anything on Craigslist, including jobs, housing, goods, services, romance/sex, local activities, and advice. Craigslist gets about twenty billion page views per month, with more than fifty million persons in the US alone utilizing the site. Randall posts daily listings to promote his book but his listings have nothing at all to do with him or his writings.
Recently as I scanned Craigslist ads for a discounted electronics item I became quite excited by the prospect of finding said item for a fraction of its retail value. I couldn’t hit the message send button fast enough to inquire about its availability. In response I received the following autoreply message back:
Thank you for contacting me, I'll respond to you as soon as possible. Until then please check out my book here on my website. Respectfully, Randall
Needless to say I’ve never heard anything else from Randall about that electronics item that I now know he doesn’t really have, but I was intrigued enough to check out his website. I wasn’t, however, motivated enough to actually make a purchase. Being played left a bitter taste in my mouth.
But Randall, his book, and his method of drawing attention to himself hasn’t left me. It continues to play in my mind which ultimately makes what he did quite successful.
Marketing my newest book, RESTED WATERS, has been my nemesis, wholeheartedly challenging me. I’ve paid for advertising, made use of as many free promotional venues as possible, passed flyers out on the corner, sold books from the trunk of my car, and I am just now beginning to see some momentum but definitely not the results I had hoped to see.
So I’m thinking I may need to pull a Randall. Clearly, I need to be more imaginative with my marketing ideas instead of falling back on more traditional methods. I need to navigate my way outside the box.
Randall has had success in the entertainment industry. He’s now written a book about that success, a guide to the trappings and pitfalls for those aspiring to his dream career. His book details his twenty-five year career, covering everything from the movies he’s worked in to the album he recorded in Nashville.
To get the word out about that book, Randall has stepped outside the box, his nontraditional methods gaining some momentum. Craigslist has become fodder for Randall’s exploits. For those unfamiliar with Craigslist, it is a local classifieds and forums site - community moderated, and largely free. You can find most anything on Craigslist, including jobs, housing, goods, services, romance/sex, local activities, and advice. Craigslist gets about twenty billion page views per month, with more than fifty million persons in the US alone utilizing the site. Randall posts daily listings to promote his book but his listings have nothing at all to do with him or his writings.
Recently as I scanned Craigslist ads for a discounted electronics item I became quite excited by the prospect of finding said item for a fraction of its retail value. I couldn’t hit the message send button fast enough to inquire about its availability. In response I received the following autoreply message back:
Thank you for contacting me, I'll respond to you as soon as possible. Until then please check out my book here on my website. Respectfully, Randall
Needless to say I’ve never heard anything else from Randall about that electronics item that I now know he doesn’t really have, but I was intrigued enough to check out his website. I wasn’t, however, motivated enough to actually make a purchase. Being played left a bitter taste in my mouth.
But Randall, his book, and his method of drawing attention to himself hasn’t left me. It continues to play in my mind which ultimately makes what he did quite successful.
Marketing my newest book, RESTED WATERS, has been my nemesis, wholeheartedly challenging me. I’ve paid for advertising, made use of as many free promotional venues as possible, passed flyers out on the corner, sold books from the trunk of my car, and I am just now beginning to see some momentum but definitely not the results I had hoped to see.
So I’m thinking I may need to pull a Randall. Clearly, I need to be more imaginative with my marketing ideas instead of falling back on more traditional methods. I need to navigate my way outside the box.
Comments
Left you a message on the front page! Oh, and did you miss that comment moderation has been enabled and must be approved by me? Just an FYI, I will NOT be approving you. GET A LIFE!