Fifty Shades of Grey started out as a fan-fiction based on the Twilight Series but then later changed due to copyright issues. The book was originally released solely as an e-book and a print on demand book. Surprisingly it is now a bestselling paperback with no sign of giving up that spot.
Once the craze started a few months ago I began to ponder how an erotica, romance novel could grab the attention of almost every woman worldwide. I figured there must have been some brilliant Public Relations and marketing plan behind it.
Little did I know that word of mouth, has sparked this revolution. Word of mouth is the best marketing technique because consumers trust other consumers opinion and with the emergence of social media accessibility to people worldwide of all ages, word of mouth has become very powerful.
Another cause of the "mommy-porn" book phenomena is the acceptance of the E-readers. E-readers are not necessarily brand new technology but recently they have become more user-friendly and affordable. E-reader sales increased dramatically due to this book. E-readers allowed for instant downloads of this novel when there were no physical copies available. Women were buying e-readers solely to download this book.
Not only do the e-readers allow for instant access to a copy of the most-wanted book, it also allows for the reader to indulge privately. It saves the consumer embarrassment from going to a bookstore, asking for the book, and also the reader is able to read discreetly anywhere!
This erotic trilogy has shown the shift in technology and marketing. Either the author is a mastermind or she just got lucky.
Good points made, for women especially word of mouth is the best form of advertising, plus the ereader is so much easier on your eyes.
ReplyDeleteYes if the president of the PTA can read fifty shades of grey any woman can!
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