Kobo’s CRM and Marketing Manager, Cristina Mendes, joins us for our 200th episode to give insight into the Kobo customer and how to effectively market your eBooks and audiobooks globally! Cristina covers a lot of ground in our conversation, including advice for selling on an international scale, the difference between Kobo’s eBook and audiobook customers, marketing tips for when you’re on a budget, and what makes Kobo (and our customers) unique!

• Cristina tells us about her role at Kobo as CRM and Marketing Manager, and she explains Kobo’s online promotions and how Kobo’s recommendation algorithm works 
• She gives us advice on how to effectively market internationally, including tips for global messaging, the importance of being universal but not generic, and the value in creating a global community of readers
• Cristina discusses what makes Kobo unique compared to other eBook sellers, and she breaks down the Kobo customer across different geos
• She explains the different tactics Kobo uses to market eBooks and to market audiobooks and some unique criteria to consider when you’re doing the same
• Cristina offers some great ideas on how to find new readers when you don’t have the resources to cast a really wide net, including finding your niche market, effective email scheduling, and looking beyond your usual audience for opportunities
• Christina tells us her predictions for the future of publishing and marketing, how digital books are gaining popularity (especially right now), and how more diverse stories and authors can thrive in a digital publishing world

Useful Links
The City We Became
N.K. Jemisin
Wow, No Thank You
Carina Press

Cristina Mendes is a Marketing Manager at Rakuten Kobo, in charge of Global CRM Communications and Online Engagement, and has been marketing books for over 4 years. She works with stakeholders around the world to determine the best way to showcase new, interesting, and relevant titles to the Kobo customer. She is currently reading Something to Talk About by Meryl Wilsner.