Marketing Advice from a Pro

It may seem kind of silly to write about marketing on a blog that showcases information about children and young adult writing ... but I say that a writer needs to understand how the marketing world works if she hopes to be famous!

I watched one of the most informative videos I've ever seen today, starring marketing wunderkind Seth Godin. He said that people only notice something if it's remarkable. Not just unique, but something to remark about. This idea is just another way of saying, "It's not what other people say, it's what they repeat."

Seth also says that no matter what we do for a living, we're in the fashion business. It's about change, it's about trends, it's about fads - it's about what's new and different. It doesn't have to be aesthetically pleasing, it just has to be unique. This is all for the purpose of spreading new ideas.

I want to be in the fashion business as well. I love new things and I even go to fashion websites over and over, looking at the newest stuff. Why? Because it is unique. In fact, I used to love J. Jill because their fashions were kind of quirky and artsy. But now they've become just another upscale women's boutique, their palette has changed to more dull colors, they've gotten rid of their unique pieces ... and I don't like their stuff as much anymore. I go to Etsy all the time to browse the clothing and the new remarkable items I've never seen before. I may not buy from that person, but they've caught my eye.

Market products to innovators and early adopters, people who are NOT part of the mass market. The mass market is average and tired. But the fringe groups, the niches, the geeks and nerds and steampunkers and fantasy geeks and 'unaverage' groups eat it up. They WANT things that are custom-tailored to their niche, and they'll pay for it.

Once I market to this group of innovators and early adopters, this niche group, then they tell their friends and the idea spreads. Obsession is the new thing in products, and even in books, too. Harry Potter and Twilight fans are obsessed. The more obsessed they get, the more products they buy in relation to their obsession - movies, clothes, jewelry, Etsy stuff. Obsession leads to buying, because obsession is actually a sign of caring. These obsessed fans CARE about what they're buying. Super-dedicated fandom is the way to go.

It's about them BECAUSE it is a niche product. Average people don't buy geeky stuff, but geeky people buy geeky stuff and love that someone took the time to make something for them. Comic-book fans eat up the new movies, because they're finally being honored with great material. And so, what happens is that the niche market tells their frends and brings non-fans to see the movie. But the movies are good! So the non-fans start telling others that the movie is good ... and the market expands to include extra people.

Honor your fanbase by creating well-executed quality products (stories, movies, etc). They will eat it up, then tell their friends, and their friends will tell others outside the fanbase - and pretty soon, your niche market has expanded. Go from the inside out, and don't try to be universally appealing to everyone. Just nail your fanbase.

It's actually counter-productive to be 'safe' and try to make something or tell a story that appeals to all people. This is the big mistake I've been making. I've been trying to meet everyone's needs. But what if I became obsessed about ONE thing and then talked about it ad nauseum to my fanbase? It's less risky, I'll reach more people, I'll spread my ideas, and I'll sell more books. The big thing to watch out for is boring. Deliver well-executed and remarkable products that will be talked about by a loyal fanbase.

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As an example, let's look at the Batman movies. The first Batman from 1989 with Michael Keaton was pretty decent and was certainly a change from the cartoonish TV show with Adam West. Batman Returns, from 1992, was different but kind of scary and certainly didn't overshadow its predecessor. The quality was getting slightly weaker and the product was not as well-executed. Batman Forever was weaker and Batman & Robin was so weak it lost money. Yikes!

So this amazing story that was SO incredibly popular with its comic book and TV show fans, this immensely obsessed fan base - wasn't getting its proper treatment of the story. The story was ridiculous and cartoonish, not dark and Gothic like it really needs to be. The animated series was better than the movies!

Understandably, the franchise was scrapped and no studio wanted to put out the money for making another Batman movie. Years passed and, though Batman was still incredibly popular in comic books and animated, no movies.

Then, along came director Chris Nolan who wanted to revamp the entire persona. Make it darker, make it Gothic, make it gritty -- and bring in the acting talent! Cartoonish antics and ridiculous villains were set aside and Batman Begins emerged, resetting the tone for the story. Nolan knew the fanbase was still there, as evidenced by the comic book popularity. They just needed to come out of hiding and spend their money on a project that delivered the goods.

Batman Begins was a top-grossing success, surpassing all expectations. Dedicated fans came out in droves, then they brought their semi-dedicated fans, and those semi-dedicated fans brought newcomers. The niche market of comic-book readers mushroomed into a huge mass market based on the strength of Batman Begins. Quality product met niche market obsession and won everyone over.

Needless to say, the Batman Begins audience came out again in droves for The Dark Knight. Chris Nolan nailed it with a stellar cast, a gripping script, amazing score and fabulous production. It's a pleasure to watch, not just for the obsessed fan base, but for other target markets like myself, who appreciate darn good storytelling. I love the Dark Knight and thought it was one of the best movies I saw in 2008. I don't read comic books, but I sure recognize an awesome story when I see one.

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For a bad example, all I have to do is mention the Star Wars prequels. My husband (along with several billion other people) fell in love with the original movies when he was just a kid. They're an amazing mix of science fiction and fantasy, and are rock-solid examples of the Hero's Journey, something every writer should know. I'm not as obsessed as Erik is, but I'll watch them simply because I like the good stories they portray.

However, the Star Wars prequels, especially The Phantom Menace, were terrible. George Lucas has one of the most obsessive and loyal fanbases in the world - Star Wars fans. And he didn't do his fanbase justice by putting out a well-executed product like they wanted. He under-delivered, to such an extent that it tarnished the Star Wars name, most 'true' Star Wars fans rarely talk about them, and it ruined a lot of the magic and mystique about the Star Wars franchise. It was an enormous letdown and, even though the prequels made money, they didn't reach even a fraction of the success of the original three films - all of which are in the top grossing movies of all time.

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So, as a writer, to be successful and create something of extraordinary value and popularity, start with your niche group. Start with the fanbase first. What can you give an obsessed fanbase? Whatever answer you come up with, make it a well-executed product. Put in the time and effort to really craft your story well - memorable main characters, cool plots and interesting settings.

Once your story is the best it can be, market it to its niche group. Be enthusiastic about your story and go right to the people who will become as obsessed about it as you are.

If you get enough people talking, then they will tell their friends about it ... and if you're lucky, your target market will begin to expand. Little by little, your story will go viral, until you end up with a successful and popular book.

Then, if you get even more lucky, you'll be able to keep writing and giving your obsessed fanbase the awesome stories that they want and not only retain your popularity, but watch it grow even larger.

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J. K. Rowling's niche started out as 8-10 year old kids who went to a British boarding school and read fantasy. The quality of her Harry Potter books was so well-thought and executed that her niche eventually mushroomed into millions of readers.

Stephenie Meyer's niche started out as normal teenage highschool girls who felt lonely and wanted a sexy awesome boyfriend. Her fanbase is totally obsessed about the Twilight books, catapulting the author into massive popularity.

Nicholas Sparks's niche started out as female romance readers between 18 and 25 looking for a deep lasting love. Nowadays, his massively popular books satisfy his obsessive fanbase again and again, while expanding his market.

Pixar's niche began as animated movies for 7-12 year old children. They nailed their fanbase and also satisfy other movie viewers: the children's parents. Pixar's winning combination of excellent storytelling and animated fun drives their box office sales through the roof.

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Do NOT write just to please someone. Write about what you love, then find the niche where your story fits.

Do NOT write for the general public. Be unique. Be original. Being safe and writing for the general public is boring.

Do NOT skimp on the quality of your story. Give the story legs it has to stand on. Keep writing and keep writing better.

Find the niche where your story fits - and there's where you'll find your success!