Street Teams (#2)

Last time I began sharing about street teams and showed a picture of my favorite readers reading my books. This time I’m continuing writing about street teams, and I’m sharing another picture, this time with their faces showing. Shameless of me, but it’s a mother’s prerogative, isn’t it?

So, I started my street team. In my latest newsletter, I asked for interested readers to go here  to complete the application form. I also created a Facebook group, Hope’s Helpers, exclusively for those readers. My next book is scheduled to release in May, 2020, so I have time to grow this group if I want more members and time to get to know the group also.

These readers, Hope’s Helpers, will have some special jobs to promote the new book, but they’ll also receive some special gifts like a complimentary book and other items. Once I have the book cover, I can print post cards and/or book marks to send them in starter kits so that they can begin sharing with family and friends.

Right now I’m working with a creative friend to come up with other gifts that are special, useful, and help promote the book, too.  I can give away the gifts for completion of challenges like showing pictures of the book on social media or tweeting about it or providing honest reviews. I can have random drawings for members who’ve completed challenges for special gifts. I can also give gifts just because they’re on my team!

Besides the gifts, I can share exclusive information in the Hope’s Helper private group. Readers love to interact with authors. They want to get to know them, have fun with them, find out what happened over the weekend, what’s on the TBR pile.

Members, in turn, can exchange ideas, get to know each other, give feedback, and help each other.

I’ll share the book cover and the back cover copy here first. I can share recipes, pictures. and what’s going on in my private world as well as my writing world. I plan to make this Facebook group, a safe, fun place to be. I want the members to feel special with information they get first. 

Basically, I want to connect with my readers and hope they enjoy the experience of being on my team.

I’d love to hear from readers who are on a street team now. What worked for you? What didn’t work?

About Hope

Hope Toler Dougherty holds a Master’s degree in English and taught at East Carolina University and York Technical College. Her publications include three novels as well as nonfiction articles. A member of ACFW, RWA, and SinC, she and her husband live in North Carolina and enjoy visits with their two daughters and twin sons.