5 Common Mistakes Of Book Marketing

It may sound strange, but consider it as a bitter pill that marketing a book is no more a solo responsibility of any publishing house, be it traditional or self-published one. In the current scenario, both traditionally published authors and indie authors are largely responsible for attracting an audience who will want to read their books. Maintaining a social media presence to increase readership is the need of the hour.

Are you putting your best foot forward to market your book and to fortify your personal brand, but somehow unable to get there? Maybe you are making these mistakes that are not allowing you to reach your goals. Want to know what are these? Check out below.

1.Not identifying a target audience - Your book is not for everyone. And that’s exactly why you should have a clear idea of who is your potential reader, that is, your target audience. Once you know who your target audience is, you will learn how to speak through your book with the potential reader, in the way they want to be talked to. While writing you will have an aim and extra motivation just by knowing how much value your book will bring to the audience. You will also get to create personalised marketing techniques and learn which channels your readers prefer. You will be able to reach your target audience immediately and also save tons of money on marketing.

2. Not having an email list - Not building an email list can be detrimental in any kind of marketing. Research data shows that email marketing consistently generates 80% of the landing page traffic when a product or feature is launched. Email allows the marketer to engage the audience in a creative, personalised way that blog posts, stories or tweets can’t.

3. Not building an author brand - Author branding is as important as rain on a hot, dry day, because not only is it what makes a memorable impression on consumers, but it allows your customers and clients to know what to expect from your book. Your author bio, mission statement, tagline, and social media presence is your author brand. Your brand can attract new readers, generate trust in you as an author, crystallise your fan base and help sell your book.

4. Not doing enough promotion activities after publishing the book - Your book is a product, just like furniture, clothing, cookware and toys. So the principles behind product promotion strategies that work can help you promote your book too. Social media is a key element of many authors’ marketing plans. You have to start early, at least 3-6 months before you publish the book. But If you approach social media marketing only as a means of promotion, you’ll undercut your efforts. Potential readers or fans aren’t interested in buying your book till they feel connected with you and till they get something extra to add value to their lives. Marketing is not about selling, it is about maintaining connect without being too pushy.

5. Not obtaining testimonials before publishing - One largely under-utilised marketing technique that begins before the publication of a book is obtaining testimonials. These are got before the publication of a book by influencers and other authors who speak to your target audience. They help you sell more books by expanding your fanbase and they tell the readers that an influencer has found your book worthy of their time and money.

But here's the good news. None of these mistakes is permanent or irreparable. You can go back to the drawing board once again, revisit your goals, rearrange your priorities and the desired course of action, and come back into the business with double the force.