Book Promotion Case Study: Biology Now, Fourth Edition
In this portfolio, I will be highlighting the various creative aspects of the marketing campaign that I designed and executed for promotion of Biology Now, Fourth Edition as the Marketing Manager for W. W. Norton. This textbook is an academic title for the non-majors biology course. Through this case study, I hope to demonstrate my most recent experience with promoting a new edition of a book and explain why I made some of the decisions I did.
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The marketing plan, as essential per my philosophy of promoting books, focuses on selling benefits over features and highlighting the user experience (in this case, the target market is college professors who would be using our book and digital materials with their students). All promotional decisions were made through strategic analysis of what our competitors are doing, what the demands of instructors are, and trends in the higher education landscape. Through extensive SWOT analysis, refinement of a clear story and message of the new edition, and strategic budgeting, this marketing plan was born to help create demand, foster an inclusive community, and increase brand recognition.
01
Landing Page
Landing pages are an essential experience for customers if they are informative, easy-to-use, and message-focused. The landing page is almost always one of the first things that I design so that users can sign up for early access. I have experience using a variety of web-based design platforms for websites. Click here to see the landing page.
02
Poster & Student Quiz
One creative project that I enjoyed with this promotion was a poster focused on "We Trust Science" which draws from a goal of the book to increase students' scientific literacy. The poster is a promotional print piece for instructors (potential customers) to hang in their offices. To make it more interactive and fun, I also created a Buzzfeed-type quiz where students can find out their biology dream job. The quiz combines elements from the book with fun question types to make it something students would enjoy while still telling a compelling message about the book. Click to view the poster or take the quiz here.
03
Print Ad Pieces
Printed advertising pieces are some of my favorite promotional materials to design because they require thinking creatively about what would capture your audience's attention in a positive way. Here, you can see that I wanted to be playful on this postcard that would be mailed to all instructors teaching the non-majors biology course. With a cute pun and image, I was able to make some people laugh and create a memorable experience with the book. Design is an important part of promotion, and I have experience using Photoshop, InDesign, Knak, and Canva. View the postcard here.
04
Paid Book Reviews
Book reviews help us get customers into our content and they are a great way to source feedback and quotes that can be used for advertising purposes. Most people don't want to purchase something unless they see the value (or intrigue), so reviews help demonstrate to a reader why they should use a textbook in their course, in this example. (More on reviews for trade books in section number 12).
05
Email Campaigns
I can't say enough about emails. Having a solid email campaign is one of the most efficient ways to reach a large audience. Through a variety of email types, CTAs, and new material, emails are a great way to build engagement, get sign-ups, and generate interest. Brand voice is crucial in emailing, as are regularly scheduled emails. I have experience with a variety of platforms, including Pardot (now Account Engagement) through Salesforce, Mailchimp, and Substack.
06
Promotional Videos
Video is an increasingly important medium for promoting books. I have seen book trailers on the rise and videos that can quickly convey your message are crucial. Part of Biology Now's story is the strength of the author team, so I worked with a media company to shoot seven author videos to use in email campaigns. I also created a graphic-type video that explains the benefits of our media package. You can view that here.
07
Virtual Workshops
I love hosting workshops and getting creative with the topics and themes that we focus on. Workshops are a fantastic way to show that your company is involved in the community in a big, meaningful way (so having workshops that add value are ideal). They help create a feel-good attitude toward your company in a genuine way, but still promotes your book in a subtle way. You can watch an example here.
08
In-person Networking
I attend biology conferences during the year as an effort to expand our community and better promote our brand and books. I run focus groups, talk with instructors at the W. W. Norton booth, and help promote the book with in-person audiences that receive various promotional material and swag items to keep the book (and company) at the forefront of their minds after they leave the conference.
09
Sales Tools
A big part of promotion comes down to how well sales reps are talking about and selling the book. One thing that I do is ensure this message is easy to share through various PDFs that can be printed and shared during in-person calls. It's important to have promotional materials that can be left behind so that the potential customer can remember the key selling points. See an example here.
10
Catalogs
A printed catalog is a great way to increase brand recognition and easily show potential customers what books we have for-sale. These can be used during cold-calls, at conferences, or as a leave-behind after an in-person meeting. See the catalog here.
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11
Blog Posts
Blog posts are a great way to grab the attention of someone who isn't explicitly shopping for a product. Through blog posts that help address a concern or need that your target audience has or is interested in, you can hold their attention and warm them up to eventually making a purchase. Plus, they are a great way to build community and attract a diverse range of readers and writers. Read an article here.
12
Sending exam copies/galleys
I would be remiss not to mention getting early versions of your book in the hands of people who can influence your sales. For trade publishing, this can mean sending galleys to "influencers" with book blogs or active Goodreads sites in exchange for a review on their site. In academic publishing, this means sending a free exam copy to instructors that teach the target course. If they like it, that turns into student purchase.
