Book Marketing is not a one-size-fits-all plan, so mimicking other famous authors' strategies "just because…" will fail.
After countless hours of writing and editing, you finally published your book. But, after those first few weeks of excitement wear off, you might begin to wonder if your promotional strategy could have been more effective. You feel that you did everything correctly and followed the expert advice given to you, but your book hasn’t taken off as you expected. Thus, you ask yourself: was it all for nothing? Will readers notice my book?
It does not matter how much money you spend on promotional efforts and advertisements; your book will stay unnoticed if you are not crystal clear on who your ideal reader is and cannot pinpoint their motive to buy your book. When someone checks your website or social media pages, they are looking for evidence of who you and your core message are, and if you aren’t certain or are not presenting yourself the way you want to be presented, they will be forced to make assumptions.
Book Marketing is not a one-size-fits-all plan, so mimicking other famous authors' strategies "just because…" will fail. Your book has a unique combination of knowledge and purpose that is intrinsically linked to who you are; therefore, that is also how your marketing plan should be. Before you write blogs, post on social media, or jump on podcast interviews to help sell books, reflect on the following topics for as much time as needed.
The more time and thought you put into this, the better your results will be.
What is the reality of your potential reader? In which mental, physical, and spiritual state are they at the moment? What are the biggest struggles and difficulties that they might be experiencing? What is the most important thing they can address and improve in their lives, and how can your book help them do that?
How should your reader feel after reading your book? What are the immediate responses and the long-term improvements they can achieve? Do you offer them follow-up motivational messages or extra resources to help them keep on track when working on themselves or their issues?
Avoid the "easier said than done" feeling. Why are you entitled to give such advice? How can you show your audience that you have gone through similar situations that your readers might be living in? What are your go-to stories you can share that will help them get closer to you as if you were someone they could rely on and have known for a long time?
Is your book written to help the reader directly, or can it be valuable to a secondary audience? For example: how to deal with anxiety versus how to deal with an anxious partner? Is your book helpful to both types of readers? If so, how do you communicate with each group in your audience separately?
Are you focusing on things you love? The more excited you are about a particular subject, the more it makes your potential audience feel you are authentic and care deeply about it. Find a way to share with your audience why you genuinely decided to write the book and who you had in mind when writing it. Ask yourself: am I conveying the message that I live what I preach?
With a clearer vision and answers to these questions, it will be far easier to figure out what to say to readers and be able to create a monthly direction. Create a weekly theme and then break it down into topics, choosing where to direct your attention and creating better content based on a cohesive message. If you struggle to find your voice and message, have someone you trust to critique your content with fresh eyes. Sometimes, someone not so involved with the content can help you with a perspective closer to your audience.
Once you better understand your purpose and message, your audience can quickly understand it. You will attract the right readers to read your book organically and implement a more effective marketing strategy.
Visit PRESStinely to schedule a free discovery call or to learn more about book publishing and marketing.
Kristen & Maira
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