One of the biggest problems I have running marketing here at tippclassical.com is trying to figure out efficient ways to let people know how great audiobooks actually are.
We’ve done qualitative research and conducted a survey that gives us overwhelming evidence that word of mouth is critical. There’s simply nothing as effective as getting a book from a friend and being told to listen to it.
But audiobooks aren’t inherently viral – unlike cellphones and bottled water, they are not consumed in public.
Another big non-visible product, 70% of Netflix customers come from word of mouth referrals (their statistic).
About 15% of ours come from word of mouth. This sort of mirrors the overall market penetration of DVD movies and audiobooks, so it’s not terribly surprising. But it’s clear that audiobooks could do with a lot more show and tell.
We’re starting a beta program internally to promote word of mouth, and it’s not a simple extension of our current referral program. We’ll see how it goes and I’ll report on it later in this blog.
Any suggestions people might have on plans of action on this front (alerting people) would be MUCH appreciated. More people should listen to audiobooks. They’re ridiculously great!
How did you first get started on audiobooks?
It’s funny, but mine was when I first got married and my wife was working. I, uhm… wasn’t. I wanted something to do while riding the stationary bike and no one was coming out with good albums back then so… Da Vinci Code it was… and I was smitten… With Audio Books!
J.
My first audiobook…I was in highschool…maybe 9th or 10th grade. It was pretty memorable because it scared the crap out of me. “Rosemary’s Baby” on cassette. I’d listen on my Sony Walkman after everyone had gone to bed (my parents would kill me if they ever caught me with that “kind” of book). That’s the beauty of audiobooks — they’re discreet. So I’d listen under the covers, scaring myself silly, and not daring to fall asleep out of pure fear. Highly addictive and (sadly) highly traumatic. I didn’t touch another one until I came to work for SAB. Now I stick to comedy.
Frank Muller’s narration won me over, my first audio book being Stephen King’s The Gunslinger. If you haven’t heard Muller narrate, you haven’t heard the best that the format has to offer. I’d listen at night, usually in bed. I liked the idea of being told a story with my eyes closed and my imagination let loose.