**CAMPAIGN STRATEGY DOCUMENT**

**Campaign:** The Last Herbalist Launch  
**Client:** [Author Name] / [Publisher]  
**Document Owner:** Maya Chen, Director of Marketing Operations  
**Date:** [Current Date]  
**Team:** Maya (Operations/Email), Leo (Creative/Visual), Zara (PR/Comms)

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### 1. PRODUCT SUMMARY
**The Last Herbalist** is a historical fantasy debut set in 1890s Edinburgh, following a dismissed botanist who discovers her grandmother's encrypted herbal journal contains actual magical properties—remedies that can heal the sick or poison the powerful. Combining meticulous Victorian scientific detail with atmospheric magical realism, the novel targets readers who loved *The Lost Apothecary* and *The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue*, offering both escapist gothic aesthetics and sharp commentary on erased women in scientific history.

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### 2. TARGET AUDIENCE

**PRIMARY: "The Aesthetic Reader"**
- **Demographics:** Women 25–45, urban/suburban, household income $50K–$100K
- **Platforms:** Instagram (Stories/Reels), TikTok (BookTok), Pinterest
- **Purchasing Triggers:** Visually stunning cover, "dark academia" vibes, strong female protagonist overcoming systemic barriers, FOMO from trending BookTok reviews
- **Emotional State:** Seeking immersive escape from digital overwhelm; desires books that feel like "treasures" to display and discuss

**SECONDARY 1: "The History Purist"**
- **Demographics:** Women 35–60, book club members, library power-users
- **Platforms:** Facebook (Groups), Goodreads, LinkedIn (articles), email newsletters
- **Purchasing Triggers:** Historical accuracy, book club discussion potential, themes of scientific ethics
- **Emotional State:** Nostalgic for craftsmanship and detail-oriented storytelling; intellectually curious

**SECONDARY 2: "The Wellness-Curious"**
- **Demographics:** All genders 22–40, interested in herbalism, witchcraft, sustainable living
- **Platforms:** TikTok (WitchTok), Pinterest (infographics), Instagram (carousels)
- **Purchasing Triggers:** Practical herbal knowledge wrapped in fiction, spiritual/ancestral connection themes
- **Emotional State:** Seeking grounding rituals and connection to nature in uncertain times

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### 3. MESSAGING PILLARS
*Every asset must reinforce at least one pillar:*

1. **"Science and Sorcery Are Sisters"** – The tension between empirical Victorian botany and inherited folk wisdom; both require rigor, curiosity, and courage.
2. **"Grandmothers Leave Maps, Not Just Memories"** – Intergenerational female knowledge transfer; the idea that what seems like "women's work" is actually archived power.
3. **"Every Remedy Has Its Price"** – Ethical complexity and consequence; nothing is purely good or evil, only costly.

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### 4. CHANNEL PLAN

| Platform | Content Type | Frequency | Owner |
|----------|--------------|-----------|-------|
| **Instagram** | Grid: Moody flatlays (herbs + antique tools); Reels: Stop-motion "journal opening" sequences; Stories: Polls/quizzes on Victorian medicine | Grid: 4x/week; Reels: 2x/week; Stories: Daily | **Leo** |
| **TikTok** | Transition videos (modern lab to 1890s apothecary); ASMR page-flipping; "POV: You're brewing a dangerous tincture" | 3x/week | **Leo** |
| **LinkedIn** | Long-form articles: "The Real Women Botanists Victorian History Erased"; Author posts on research process; Industry discourse on genre-blending fiction | 2x/month | **Zara** |
| **Email (Warm List)** | Welcome sequence (3 emails); Launch announcement; Exclusive deleted scene; "Herbalist's Monthly" newsletter | Campaign: 2x/week; Ongoing: Monthly | **Maya** |
| **Press/Media** | Review copies to 25 outlets; Author interviews (podcasts/lit magazines); Bylined essay placement in literary culture pubs | Burst at launch + 2 follow-ups | **Zara** |
| **Pinterest** | Infographics: "Plants in the Novel & Their Real Uses"; Mood boards: 1890s Edinburgh; Character aesthetic boards | 5-7 pins/day | **Leo** |
| **Goodreads** | Giveaway (100 copies); Author Q&A in Historical Fiction group; Reading guide upload | Giveaway: Week 1-4; Q&A: Month 2 | **Maya** |

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### 5. CAMPAIGN PHASES

**PHASE 1: PRE-LAUNCH (Weeks -2 to 0)**
- **Teasers:** Leo creates "journal page" graphics with encrypted text; Maya schedules countdown emails
- **ARC/Early Access:** Zara distributes 50 advance copies to BookTokers with >10K followers and historical fiction Bookstagrammers
- **Influencer Outreach:** Zara pitches "Herbal Care Packages" (book + dried herbs + vintage bookmark) to 15 micro-influencers
- **Lead Magnet:** Maya launches "Victorian Herb Glossary" PDF for email sign-ups

**PHASE 2: LAUNCH WEEK (Week 1)**
- **Social Blitz:** Leo executes daily TikToks (unboxing, "day in the life of a botanist"); Instagram takeover by early reviewer
- **Email:** Maya sends blast to 5K subscribers (Tuesday 10 AM) with exclusive author note
- **Press:** Zara distributes press release; coordinates 3 podcast interviews
- **Paid Ads:** Retargeting campaign for email clickers who didn't purchase (Maya monitors)

**PHASE 3: POST-LAUNCH AMPLIFICATION (Weeks 2–8)**
- **Review Mining:** Maya aggregates quotes for "Praise For" graphics; Leo designs testimonial carousels
- **Community:** Maya launches Facebook Reader Group "The Herbalist's Society" with weekly discussion threads
- **Retargeting:** Maya sets up abandoned cart sequences for direct-to-consumer sales
- **User-Generated Content:** Leo reposts reader shelfies with branded hashtag #LastHerbalist

**PHASE 4: LONG-TERM EVERGREEN (Months 3–12)**
- **Seasonal Content:** Leo creates "Winter Remedies" content tied to book themes (November); Maya pitches "Summer Reading" roundups (June)
- **Backlist Bridge:** Maya includes first chapter of author's next book in newsletter; Zara pitches comparative essay linking to similar titles
- **Community Maintenance:** Monthly "herbalist challenges" in reader group; anniversary edition push at Month 6

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### 6. SUCCESS METRICS

| KPI | Baseline | Target | Measurement Tool |
|-----|----------|--------|------------------|
| **Social Engagement Rate** (IG/TikTok combined) | 3.2% (industry avg) | 6.5% | Native analytics + Sprout Social |
| **Email Click-Through Rate** | 12% (current list avg) | 22% | Mailchimp/HubSpot |
| **First-Month Unit Sales** | N/A (debut) | 5,000 copies | Nielsen BookScan + DTC dashboard |

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### 7. EXECUTION TASKS & ASSIGNMENTS

**MAYA (Operations & Email)**
- [ ] Build campaign Asana timeline with all deadlines
- [ ] Write and automate 5-email welcome sequence (Lead magnet → Nurture → Soft sell → Launch → Urgency)
- [ ] Design launch announcement email template and A/B test subject lines
- [ ] Set up Goodreads Giveaway (100 copies) and monitor entrant data
- [ ] Create "The Herbalist's Society" Facebook group structure and moderation guidelines
- [ ] Establish weekly analytics dashboard (tracking engagement, email CTR, conversion)
- [ ] Coordinate with publisher on inventory alerts for retargeting triggers
- [ ] Write backlist marketing plan for Month 6 push

**LEO (Creative & Visual)**
- [ ] Shoot "Herbal Kit" prop styling package (30 Instagram grid posts featuring book + dried lavender/wormwood/antique tools)
- [ ] Produce 15 TikTok videos (scripts, filming, editing): Include "Grandmother's Journal" POV series and Victorian dress transitions
- [ ] Design 50 Pinterest pins (infographic style: "5 Plants from the Novel & Their Real Uses")
- [ ] Create 60-second book trailer (mood: candlelight, ink, pressing flowers)
- [ ] Design downloadable PDF "Victorian Herb Glossary" (lead magnet aesthetic)
- [ ] Style and shoot author photos (mood: scholarly, slightly witchy, Edinburgh backdrop)
- [ ] Create "Praise For" graphic templates for review quotes (15 variations)
- [ ] Design Instagram Story quiz templates ("Which Remedy Would You Brew?")

**ZARA (PR & Communications)**
- [ ] Draft press release (angle: "Rediscovering Victorian Science's Erased Women")
- [ ] Assemble media kit: Author bio (3 lengths), high-res headshots, Q&A sheet, excerpt selection
- [ ] Research and pitch 25 media targets: LitHub, Tor.com, Historical Novel Society, 3 major newspapers book sections
- [ ] Write 3 LinkedIn articles: (1) Research rabbit holes, (2) Women in STEM history, (3) Why we need optimistic witch stories
- [ ] Curate list of 100 BookTok/Bookstagram influencers (prioritize 10K–100K range with high engagement)
- [ ] Manage ARC distribution and follow-up for reviews (track spreadsheet of who received/posted)
- [ ] Book 3 podcast interviews for Launch Week (target: literary fiction and history podcasts)
- [ ] Prepare author talking points for interviews (key messages aligned with 3 pillars)

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**NEXT STEPS:** Team kickoff meeting scheduled for Monday 9 AM. Leo to confirm prop delivery; Zara to finalize influencer tier list; Maya to verify email list segmentation. Campaign goes live in 14 days.