Advertising Cookbooks
Like most book publishers, cookbook publishers have seen a decline in sales over the past few years. As margins in book publishing have slipped, so have the budgets for marketing and publicity. To combat these reduced budgets, cookbook publishers have sought strategies to create hype when launching a cookbook. This is why we’ve recently begun to see publishers advertise new cookbooks online. Are you getting on Top Ten lists like the New York Times Top Ten list with your Advertising Cookbooks strategy?
In our experience with advertising cookbooks, the campaign length is short (mostly 4-6 weeks long), high budget and the highly focused on getting results as quickly as possible. Which is why we target the cookbook to the most relevant audience.
The key to Advertising Cookbooks online is to quickly create hype around the cookbook release and sell as many copies as fast as possible.
Our 3 Step Strategy to Advertising Cookbooks Online
Pre Release Phase
As online retailers such as Amazon begin to offer pre-release sales, an initial soft campaign should be launched on relevant and related sites. So for example, a BBQ cookbook, then running across BBQ websites and content (see BBQ Recipe Targeting). The Idea here is to engage and educate highly relevant audience. At this stage the advertising campaign should only serve just a few ad impressions per user per day, looking at 10-15% of the budget. The key of this phase is to create general awareness and pre-sales in the weeks to the lead up of the release.
Launch Phase
The day of the release of the cookbook, a two-week intense advertising campaign should be commenced. Targeting should be broadened, layered together with high Viewability targeting. Using 60-65% of the budget this phase is about driving significant users to click and buy.
It’s important that a Retargeting element should be include for those that clicked in the Pre Release but didn’t buy. The ideal creative at this stage should be varied, from imagery of the recipes, through to video interviews of the cookbook author. It’s about gaining attention and engagement with consumers.
This sort of intense advertising activity will generate a great deal of interest and sales, providing a quick return on investment for the publisher and author. Whilst the primary goal is online sales, some consumers will still buy the book in a typical bookstore. Online Advertising is about getting the cookbook title and cover out there to an audience of consumers.
Post Launch Phase
After the initial 2-week Launch Phase, we suggest a 4 week campaign with the remaining 20-25% budget which should see a return to running across highly relevant content together with Retargeting. Be sure to implement frequency capping to maximize budget
Sounds a lot of activity for advertising cookbooks? Well not really. Compare this to taking outdoor, newspaper and magazine advertising and you’ll be surprised that cookbook advertising online is much more cost effective compared to other mediums. Remember the strategy hasn’t been to promote the cookbook to everyone. The advertising has been highly targeted at possible consumers and in this case, regular viewers of food websites and food blogs.
Online Advertising through a channel such as Gourmet Ads is ideal for any cookbook or cooking magazine release. So, if you’re a publishing executive and you’re currently charged with developing a publicity and media plan for a cookbook release, Request a Proposal from the team at Gourmet Ads for Advertising Cookbooks.
