When I first started my career in public relations, I was really lousy at asking for the sale. I always had great information, great data and (usually) a compelling story idea, but I wasn’t always good at asking for the interview, the article or the opportunity. I have learned a lot since those early days, and today, I’m asking for a very specific sale. I want you to buy my book.
How to Protect (Or Destroy) Your Reputation Online begins shipping today from online booksellers like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, IndieBound and 800-CEO-Read, among others. And it will be available in “bookstores everywhere” very soon.
I spent a tremendous amount of time and energy researching and writing the book, and I believe it has more information about online reputation issues and how to handle online problems than any other book ever written.
During the course of writing the book, I received great advice from a number of tremendous marketing minds. First and foremost, David Meerman Scott, who wrote The New Rules of Marketing & PR told me that I need to spend as much time promoting my book as I did writing it. So here’s more information on the book and why you should consider picking up a copy.
Why: You are vulnerable, and you may not even know it. Any business can be reviewed online, and I mean any business. Any person or business can be victimized by online complaint sites. The deep web and dark web create a whole new world of issues that give cybersecurity experts nightmares — your business may have online holes that you can’t even see. Hate blogs, revenge porn, and even honest mistakes can cause lasting digital damage. Honestly I think this is information that every marketer and business owner should have. If you don’t want it for yourself, then you should probably order a copy for members of your marketing team.
What: I learned from another excellent marketing mind that I need to be visible. From reading David Avrin’s book Visibility Marketing, I learned that I need to promote what is unique about my product and get it in front of the right audience. I have started speaking to business and civic groups and my talks have been met enthusiastically as I discussed reputation management for individuals, review sites for businesses and the covert ops of online reputation. I will be doing more of that, starting very soon.
- Speaking and signing books for the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce on October 27th.
- Book signing and reading at Books & Books in Coral Gables Nov. 1st.
- Officially presenting my book and participating on author’s row at the Miami Book Fair Nov. 19-20.
If you would like me to speak about online reputation issues at your group or event, let me know. More on that at http://onlinerepbook.com/speaking/
Who: From my friend Jeffrey Hayzlett, who wrote Think Big, Act Bigger, I learned that oftentimes you have to remind people through your actions who you are and why you are “the guy.” Online reputation is my topic. I know more about it than anyone else because I have been studying all aspects of it for three years. It’s complicated but I boiled it down and made it easy to digest. First, I tell you how we got to where we are today, then I explain your vulnerabilities and then I describe how to protect yourself. It has many interesting anecdotes and a bunch of case studies. And you can read my book in a day. (It’s 60,ooo words and 244 pages, but you can knock it out quickly.)
Where: From Brian Solis, the customer experience guru who wrote X: The Experience When Business Meets Design, I learned that I have to focus intently on my customer. While I can’t do much to improve the shopping experience for books offered online or in brick and mortar stores, I can put you within a click or two of making the purchase. You can find my book here:
Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Indiebound and 800-CEO-Read.
If you are interested in signed copies, I can handle small quantities myself and may even come to you in Greater Miami. My local bookseller, Books & Books (ask for Laura Deutsch), offers discounts for sales in bulk – including sending bulk orders of signed copies, which is pretty cool.
When: Today, please buy it today.
Thanks again to everyone who bought a copy and who has helped me on this journey.
–John