Try my quick and easy marketing strategy
I’ve been chatting with book authors and one of the questions I hear all the time is, “Now I’ve published my book, what do I do next?”
I’m always making suggestions, but thought I’d put this one in writing because it’s bound to help anyone who wants to maarket their book, their business or anything else — if you try any of this, do please let me know — I’d love to hear how it goes!
Ready? Here are my Quick and Easy Marketing Strategies:
Table of Contents
Create a Mailing List
- if you don’t have a website yet or a web property over which you have 100% control, use Google Docs Forms – quick and easy. If you don’t have a website, buy a domain name, then use that in all the following efforts as the “link” to send potential customers to, and make sure it “redirects” to the Form you just created. This first step in this list is essential to make sure all the following marketing efforts will ensure you end up with names on the Mailing List, which you can nurture and connect with going forward.
Include an Offer in exchange for an email name
Before you publish your book, make sure you have an Offer inside to encourage readers to SIGN UP for your Mailing List – at least in the front and back of the book.
Create a Book Video Trailer
Create a video trailer about the book (with a LINK back to your site’s page as the Call To Action at the end)
Create a YouTube Channel
Post all book trailer videos on Youtube to reach a huge audience.
YouTube is owned by Google, and it is the second-largest search engine where people type questions – what are some questions people might ask about your book?
Post Book Trailer Videos far and wide
Post on your website or blog, and anywhere else you can post a video.
To post on Social Media, only post a snippet as a Taster Video, where you redirect people to your Youtube Channel
Write a Press Release
Write a Press Release as though you’re being interviewed, talk about the book and provide interesting bits of information. Publish it online, make sure to add the YouTube video link if you’ve created one, and make sure to add a clear Call To Action at the bottom of the Release.
Reach out to Local Groups
Contact local groups — for example:
-
- Mothers’ Groups and Women’s Business Groups – offer to be a Guest Speaker and create a flyer with your photo, book cover, video link (if you have one), website link and short Bio about the book. Also add your Amazon Affiliate Link instead of the amazon link.
- Consider taking a bunch of your books with you to sell in person (and autograph); buy at the wholesale price on amazon and have them shipped to your address.
- Ask the Group Organiser if they will be having freebie packs for attendees – if yes, ask if you can add your flyer (with link to your Form and website where possible, and an affiliate link to your book/author page on amazon).
Reach Out To Local Radio Stations
Contact your local radio stations — ask if they ever interview local authors — offer to give away one or more autographed books
Search For Podcast About Authors
A Podcast is a new type of Radio Show. There are tons of them online and it’s possible to find them by searching for:
- podcast author guest speaker
- podcast author interview
- podcast childrens’ books
- podcast author application form
- and other combinations including “podcast” and “author”.
Contact the Podcast owners – or if you find an Application Form, fill that in and see if you can be a Guest on the show.
I’ve been invited on several Podcasts, and it may take months for your episode to appear online, so please do be patient. Some Podcast Hosts plan and interview months in advance.
Chat To Your Local Book Store
Contact your local book store — ask if they ever host get-togethers for local authors — offer to give away one or more autographed books
Connect With The Local Chamber of Commerce or Business Support Hub
Contact your local Chamber of Commerce — ask if they would be interested in having you as a Guest speaker — offer to give away one or more autographed books at the meeting
Collect Names of Interested People in Person Whenever Possible
If you are going somewhere in person to talk about your book to a group, take:
- a clipboard with two columns (Name, and Email name)
- your Book’s flyer (with at least 2 ways to contact you – email, phone, Marketing Barcode and book’s webpage or Facebook page etc).
Ask people to add their details to the form, in exchange for something youcan offer, for example:
- Several chapters?
- More in depth info about one or more characters?
- Checklist?
- Video?
- So many things to give a potential follower to keep them interested in the author and book.
These gifts do not need to cost anything but time, but will help the new potential follower to learn more about the book and why they might like to buy it.
Join an Author Meetup Group Online
I host a Zoom Author Chat Group and it used to be a Meetup held in local cafes for local authors – and then COVID-19 came into our lives.
I turned the cafe meetings into online meetings, so we could keep the momentum going.
Search online and find similar Groupls, maybe even specific types of books, join in and see if you can learn and share from the Group. Some of the attendees might turn into buyers of your book.
Next Step For A Quick and Easy Marketing Strategy
After reading all the options above – WRITE A LIST of which ones you’re going to try.
If you try at least one quick and easy marketing strategy, you will be taking a great first step to boosting your book’s chances of being found by potential new customers.
To chat with me, send me a quick email, or pop over to Facebook and say hi — let me know how you get on!
Cheerio for now,
Teena!
