Have you, or are you planning to write a book in 2019? As you may know, writing a book is only half the battle. Employing a strategic marketing strategy will ultimately make or break your book’s success. Marketing, for most authors, is complicated. However, it doesn’t have to be.
To achieve long-term success from your book marketing strategy, you must stay on top of current trends that are working for other authors. To help you on your journey to critical acclaim and increased sales, here are a few book marketing ideas you can try in 2019.
1.) Create an Informative Content Strategy
If you’re an author, chances are that you either have a blog or a YouTube channel. Many first-time authors make the mistake of promoting themselves on these channels. The reality of this is that it doesn’t work and it can waste you both time and money.
People crave value in content, ultimately because they want to know what they’re going to get out of reading your blog or watching a few of your videos. Therefore, strive to create an informative content strategy instead of a promotional one. For example, if you’re a marketing expert, try writing a series of blog posts answering popular marketing questions your readers may have.
Eventually, you’ll develop a significant following who will be more interested in checking out your book because of your expertise. Ideally, let your expertise promote your book. Don’t waste your time on trivial content that won’t give your audience any value.
2.) Don’t Overreact with Social Media
While it’s true that social media is a great way to promote your book, it’s best not to get caught up in any aggressive social media marketing techniques. Why? Every audience is different. For example, if you are the author of a cooking book, you may receive more attention on Instagram than Twitter. However, if you spend the same amount of time and money on both networks, you’ll be hindering your own book sales.
It’s more effective to focus on one social media platform that resonates more with your audience instead of diverting your attention to multiple social media profiles.
3.) Guest Post More Often
If you want to fulfill your dream of becoming an industry authority, you have to get people to know you. Guest posting on other prominent websites can increase your reputation and expertise among your target audience. The more people know you, the better chance you have of selling your books. Besides, guest posting brings the opportunity of receiving quality backlinks which can boost your link-building efforts and provide your site visitors with more information about your work.
4.) Only Use Ads for Promotions
Are you marketing your book towards Millenials? If so, you need to avoid spending your money on excessive ads. According to Forbes, Millenials hate repetitive ads and won’t hesitate to tune you out if you are constantly promoting your book via social media and paid search ads. This doesn’t mean that you can’t advertise, but you should only reserve your ads for special promotions and book deals. That’s all.