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Last year, Thomas Nelson Incorporated, launched a program targeting avid book readers. 

In short, after enrolling in the program, you select a book (from the Thomas Nelson catalog), receive the book for no charge (free!), and in return are expected to write a 200-word review of the book to post 1) on your own blog and 2) on a retailer’s website.

It’s an interesting strategy I think is worth exploring further.

For the reader, they receive a free book – and for those who still enjoy reading – it’s like a Christmas gift.  After reading, they write a review (good, bad, or otherwise – which for some readers is a dream job) and then begin the process over again.

For Thomas Nelson, they receive a bit more.  To enroll in the program, you’re required to submit your name, mailing address, e-mail address, and blog web address.  So at the very front of the campaign – it’s a prospect data collection goldmine!  They’ve received (with permission) the contact information of willing, able, choose-to readers — their target market.

On a secondary level, they continue to benefit from the program with (repeated) media exposure on large retail sites they didn’t have to pay for!  Plus, when bloggers post on their own sites, Thomas Nelson’s books are being promoted to an audience that might not normally be exposed to such products. 

For Thomas Nelson, it’s a win, win, win situation — and a fantastic campaign.  For reader’s, it’s a win situation as well – they receive a free book and are “required” to write a review.  But they don’t care – I’m quite sure they’d post 4 reviews if they still received a free book, let alone 2.  
The dedicated business book arm of the Penguin Group, Portfolio, recently offered the same opportunity (to bloggers, media contacts, etc.) via Twitter.  Bloggers were offered the chance to select from a variety of new and upcoming Portfolio releases with the hope the blogger would then post a review of said publication.

For the media, they’re obviously a bit against these types of campaigns.  No longer is the media considered the one-stop authoritative source for information pertaining to new “news.”  Instead, housewives, students and entrepreneurs are broadcasting their own ‘authoritative’ opinions.

But the media isn’t your customer – and if you can reach your customer in a more direct, testimonial approach – I’d seize and leverage that opportunity.