So the other day, I was on Amazon looking for a children's book to buy. I don’t know if it's just me, but I usually start with the bestsellers list (maybe Bezos’ algorithm has me hooked).
While browsing, I came across the book "A Little SPOT of Anger" by this particular author.
Her name?
Diane Alber!
She's an author-illustrator who started publishing children's books in 2017, according to Amazon.
Her first big hit was "I'm NOT just a Scribble...."
Since then, she’s published over 100 titles on Amazon.
Yep, you heard that right.
She's selling millions of copies because a great deal of her books are bestsellers.
Most of them focus on social and emotional learning.
So, I decided to dig into her marketing strategies.
Here’s what I found out:
Marketing Strategy #1: Her YouTube Channel
Diane’s YouTube game is strong, she’s got 104k subscribers and a total of 19 million views.
She posts everything from read-alouds of her books to behind-the-scenes footage.
But her most popular videos are the animated ones based on her books.
These animations have been pulling in millions of views, which has been great for promoting her books.
Here’s her strategy:
1/ She finds the main theme of her book.
2/ She creates content around that theme—like an animated video or a song with the book's characters.
3/ She posts it on YouTube.
For example, to promote her “A Little SPOT of Emotion 8 Book Box Set,” she made an animated musical and an animated educational series that help kids understand and express their feelings, featuring a character from her books named Scribble Spot.
These videos hit around 7 million views in total!
They work so well because:
They’re catchy and relatable, so people are more likely to share them.
They boost Diane’s "SPOT" series brand and make people interested in all her books.
Marketing Strategy #2: Utilizing Read-Aloud Channels
Diane also gets her books out there by teaming up with other read-aloud YouTube channels.
Many of these videos rack up hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of views.
This is a smart move in my opinion.
Why?
Because she gets more exposure and benefits from the influence of other creators.
And remember, marketing is all about the numbers.
The more people see your products, the higher your chances of making a sale.
Marketing Strategy #3: TikTok
Diane jumped on TikTok in 2019.
She shares a mix of content, like:
Behind-the-scenes glimpses
Animated shorts with her book characters
Updates about new releases
Her animated short form videos, just like the ones on YouTube, go viral very often.
Because they teach kids how to handle emotions in a fun and cute way.
These videos use consistent visuals and feature the same beloved characters and style, making it easy to recognize them as hers.
This is a great example of effective branding.
To turn her TikTok fans into buyers, she adds a link to her website in her bio.
Diane also uses TikTok to promote her animated music videos on YouTube.
Marketing Strategy #4: Mailing List
Diane really gets how important it is to build a mailing list.
Her approach to collecting emails isn’t totally unique, but it seems to be working well.
When you visit her website, a popup pops up offering a 10% discount on your first purchase.
Once you sign up, you'll get an email with the discount code, but it’s only good for 72 hours.
This creates a sense of urgency that makes you want to act fast.
She also adds a personal touch in the email by mentioning she’s a mom of two who gets the challenge of raising kids and teaching them about their emotions.
Why does she do this?
It’s simple, she wants to make her message more relatable and trustworthy.
Now, remember you’ve got a 10% off coupon to purchase her products.
If you haven’t bought anything yet, you’ll get a follow-up email about 16 hours later, offering free samples of her coloring pages (one of the products she’s selling).
When you're spending your hard-earned money, it's natural to have doubts. The biggest one is usually, “Will I be getting value for my money?”
That’s why she offers a free sample so you can see for yourself.
If you still don’t purchase, you’ll get another email, this time offering her “SPOT Puppet Activity Sheet” for free.
In the email, she explains how it helped teach her kids about emotions.
She then offers a higher discount—20% off her “A Little SPOT of Feelings & Emotions Educator Guide” (another product).
The reason is still the same, she wants to give you more value and reassure you about your purchase.
Marketing Strategy #5: Her Website
Diane’s website gets about 4.6k visits a month, which isn’t surprising given how much she promotes it.
Her most popular page is her products page because she does a great job of convincing people to buy.
For instance, on her page for her social-emotional learning (SEL) program, she includes a 12-week study with 883 students by Dr. Jennifer Cole and Dr. Brett Bessen, showing how effective the program is.
Plus, she displays testimonials from educators who’ve purchased the program.
This is effective because it gives real proof that her program works.
The study shows solid results, and the educator testimonials add extra credibility.
It makes her program look trustworthy and reliable.
Pretty smart!
Marketing Strategy #6: Affiliates
Diane has an affiliate program to tap into the enthusiasm of her biggest fans.
She offers rewards like a $50 gift card and a 10% commission.
Because she knows it’s 10 times easier convincing a friend of a friend than it is to persuade a total stranger.
It’s like having a team of super fans who are excited to spread the word about her books.
They promote her work because they genuinely love it, and they get rewarded for their efforts.
A win-win scenario.
Marketing Strategy #7: Website Popups
I know I promised 2 extra strategies in my Facebook post, but adding an extra one won’t hurt.
While I was on her website, I noticed popups that notify you when someone purchases her items or adds them to their cart.
There's a reason for this, and it all has to do with human psychology.
Humans are naturally influenced by peer pressure.
We tend to follow where most people go.
So, when you see these popups, it creates a sense of urgency and trust.
You think, "If others are buying, it must be good!" It’s a clever way to nudge potential buyers into making a purchase.
And that's one more tip to add to your marketing toolkit!
That’s it for this week.
You can view Diane's:
-Website here
-Amazon Author Page here
That’s it for today, see again next week!
Cheers,
Co-founder, Zuri Book Pros.
Struggling to find the perfect illustrator for your children's book? Let us handle it! We match you with the right illustrator, making the process stress-free.
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