Every day we are bombarded by a constant stream of book marketing tools, techniques and trends. Social media apps adding new functionalities, YouTube videos, podcasts, Amazon algorithm developments, website changes and email marketing updates. Added to this is the highlight reel of social media, making us feel that everyone else is hustling so much harder and smarter than we are. It’s enough to make even the most persistent author feel like giving up. So how to succeed in marketing without going insane from information overload? Here’s the secret: Simplicity. If you have too much to do and not enough time to do it in, trim your marketing down to the basics and focus your efforts where it counts.
Give your readers what they want
Successful book marketing is always with your ideal reader in mind. Aim to know your target audience as well as possible. What appeals to them? Why do they read your books? What is it that grabs their interest? The better you know the mind of your readers, and how you can bring them value, the more successful your book marketing will be.
Concentrate on doing you
Identify your unique selling point as an author. What do you offer your readers? How do you differ from other authors in your niche? What do you do well? Try to sum this up in a few words. In an oversaturated market your unique selling point is your way to differentiate your work and draw attention.
Make it genuine
Be yourself. There is no point trying to portray a persona that is not true to who you are. Being sincere helps you establish real connection and trust with your readers.
You don’t have to be everywhere at once
Being on a myriad of social media channels is not going to bring you a flood of readers. Concentrate your efforts where it counts. Choose the social media platforms and forms of promotion you know will reach your readers. Think about where your ideal reader is likely to be online and offline. What posts will catch their eye? Check your current social media analytics: What social media platforms are performing well for you? On what type of posts do you receive the most engagement (comments, clicks, likes, shares)? On what days? At what times? Adjust your marketing to suit your readers.
Quality over Quantity
Quality content wins over quantity every time. Aim to do less, better. You want your readers to be thrilled to receive your newsletter or see a new post so aim to give them value-packed content.
Consistency counts
There are plenty of authors who come out with a bang, posting four times a day then find this isn’t sustainable and drop off the radar a month or two later. Pace yourself and make it manageable. Set a marketing schedule that you can sustain long-term. A content calendar can be a fantastic tool here for setting out your schedule and planning in advance. To streamline further look into using free automation tools, such as Hootsuite or Buffer.
Although every new tool and trend promises overnight fame, book marketing is a long-term game where quality and consistency count. Stop listening to the overload of ‘new’ advice. Keep your marketing genuine and have your readers in mind, always.
