Writing and publishing a book is an achievement in itself. That’s one of the toughest parts of the author’s life. But you can take that story into the hands of the readers; that’s the real achievement. Curious why? Because writing or publishing are just the baby steps, but the real deal is encouraging people to purchase it.
That’s where book marketing comes into the picture! It’s an essential factor that plays an important role in the life of an author. The reason is its ability to increase visibility, sales, and unimaginable success.
With so many marketing strategies, you may get overwhelmed about which one to pick. Consider this blog your roadmap to choosing the best ones.
The Core Marketing Strategies Every Author Needs
Every author wants their book to reach the pinnacle of success, but they often find themselves with a tight budget and a small team. First thing, you must understand that being a one-man army isn’t a restriction, nor do you need a massive budget to make your book a hit.
What matters most is using the right tools and strategies. This is why we have shortlisted eight of the most practical strategies that are part of every great book promotion services out there. Let’s have a closer look at it:
1. Build a Strong Author Brand
The first thing you must do is build a solid author brand. Basically, it’s how your readers recognise you. It could be your style, tone, visuals, or the overall theme or message of your work. If you have a strong brand, you will have a better market reputation and trust.
To strengthen your author brand, you have to keep your messaging consistent and craft content around the genre you’re famous for. Like, if your comfort genre is romance, your visuals, messages, and overall brand identity must align with that same message or vibe.
All this effort is to improve your market reputation, so your book can achieve positive results in the form of high sales.
2. Optimise Your Book for Amazon
Amazon is surely the largest marketplace for books, and it’s highly recommended to optimise your listing on it. Once you work on that, you will notice the difference in the form more readers reach. One approach is to choose the right keywords and categories. This way, your book will appear in relevant searches and gain more visibility.
Secondly, write a clear, engaging book description to attract readers on the platform. Thanks to Amazon’s algorithm, which works in your favour and boosts your book’s visibility on the basis of good optimization.
3. Leverage Social Media Platforms
It’s surely the most common way to boost your sales, but it works wonders. This has to be on the list because you can’t ignore the power of social media. Because your audience might be using social media rather than print media, you must promote your book there.
You don’t need to be active on every platform; focus only on the ones where your audience is. For instance, if most of your readership spends time on Facebook, you must create a profile or page to market your story over there.
You can share behind-the-scenes, quotes, short videos, and other pieces of content that revolve around your book. Besides creating meaningful content, try to engage with them to turn your browsers into your loyal customers.
4. Build and Grow an Email List
Having an email list gives you an opportunity to build a direct connection with your readers. The best part is that you have no platform challenges and are not bound by algorithmic limitations. You can market your story via email and build a reader base by sharing sneak peeks of it.
Offer them something they can’t resist, like a free chapter, short story, or exclusive content. This way, they will subscribe to or purchase your book.
Keep your email communication friendly and witty to build a personal relationship with every potential reader. Over time, your email list will grow, and you can utilise it to promote your upcoming book too.
5. Boost Credibility Through Reviews
Reviews are an incredible way to earn someone’s trust. Wondering why it works so well? That’s because it’s not your words, but the words of your customers that speak positively about you. Since the book community is growing and there are many dedicated review platforms, you must earn a solid rating on them.
You must ensure your book’s reputation is solid on Amazon and Goodreads. Also, reach out to reviewers and bloggers to share positive, candid feedback before and after the launch to build credibility for your book.
6. Run Paid Advertising Campaigns
The best approach is paid campaigns combined with organic marketing efforts. Not only can you choose to market your book on social media platforms, but also on search engines. From Facebook to Instagram, every platform is great for advertising your story and growing a significant audience.
Moreover, you can target your exact audience based on their age group, gender, income, and interests. We suggest you begin with a small budget and raise it slightly to see the results.
7. Host Book Launch Events
If you want to create a buzz around your book, hosting a launch event must be on your list. Such events can create excitement in your readers and encourage more sales. If you have a limited budget, virtual ones would work great. Otherwise, an in-person event is much more effective and impactful. The event can include live readings, Q&A sessions, great discussions, and so much more.
Seems like a tough idea to crack? Hire a book marketer UK and get the job done to perfection!
8. Collaborate With Other Authors
Partnering with others in the community is a great way to share that your book is available in the market. You can collaborate with other authors working within a similar genre. Or simply you can reach out to influencers to build content that revolves around your book. You can call it a subtle way of marketing your book without being salesy.
With these collaborations, you can build healthy relationships within the community and a better reputation in the industry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a large budget to market my self-published book?
That’s not necessary! Unless you’re choosing a fancier option like a book launch event, you can get your marketing done at a minimal cost.
How early should I start marketing my book globally?
You must start at least a few months prior to the book release to prepare the audience. Early marketing will grow your readership worldwide.
Can I still market my book even if it was published a long time ago?
Yes, you can always refresh your promotions through the mentioned strategies. This way, your older books will gain new readership over time.
Final Thoughts
With that being said, marketing is no longer rocket science for self-published authors anymore. By starting with one strategy at a time, you can bring your story into the right light. Slowly but steadily, you will build a positive reputation and grow your readership.
Following basic but effective strategies like building your author brand, optimising it on Amazon, social media marketing, paid ads, email campaigns, launch events, and collaboration, you can really make a difference in your book sales. Don’t forget, stay consistent and have patience because good things take time.
