No matter if you are a first-time author, or have a few titles under your belt, you must have a strong marketing strategy in today’s competitive market. Writing a book is the halfway you have covered the battle.
The real challenge is to get the masterpiece into the hands of the readers. They will appreciate your work and support you. Using good marketing strategies will help spark interest in reading among avid readers, leading to more sales and making you a popular author. How can we create a book marketing plan? Read through this blog, to unlock the details.
Craft a book marketing plan
One of the most important parts of writing a book marketing for self-published authors is to conduct market research to know your position. The more time you spend on research will give you better insights for experimenting with different marketing strategies in the future.
Assess the current situation
You need to conduct an assessment of your book and yourself as an author. These are some of the questions that you need to answer related to your book and yourself:
Book:
· What is the book about?
· Are there any books following the same theme?
· What makes your book different from others?
As an author:
· Do people in your niche know you?
· Do you have any unique expertise on the topic of your book?
· What is the element that makes you stand out as an author?
Identify the target audience
Before you market your book, you must know the audience for whom you are writing. Get answers to these questions:
· Who is your ideal reader?
· What are their interests?
· What is their age group? and
· What are their demographics?
Identifying the term audience in a broader context will not do its work; you need to cut it down in more detail. When you have a clear understanding of your audience, it will help in tailoring your marketing efforts to hit the target.
Conduct competition analysis
Get answers to these questions like:
· Who are your competitors?
· What is their marketing strategy? What kind of audience follows them?
· What is the marketing platform?
· How your competitors are communicating their message?
Your competitors are the roadmap to achieving your goals. Following their ideas will open a window to new ideas. Moreover, knowing them will also help you to better position your book in the market.
Set your unique selling proposition (USP)
Your unique selling proposition will set you apart from other competitors of the same genre. This is the reason why readers need to choose your book over another. It might be your different writing style, the different perspective on a common theme, or a unique way to set the story or portray the characters.
List of your marketing goals
What are the goals that you want to achieve through book marketing efforts? Have you set a target for certain numbers of sales and reviews, or maybe securing a place in the bestseller list? You can get answers to all these questions through hiring services like book marketing companies UK or London. When you have clear, measurable goals to achieve, this will help you in your marketing plan and track your progress.
Opt your marketing tactics
There are various ways to market a book. The list ranges from social media promotion to book tours, press releases, and a lot more. Choose tactics that align with your audience and your skills, and lie within your budget. Keep in mind the most effective marketing tactics are those that reach your target audience.
Set your budget
After you list all your strategies and actions, the next step is to calculate the cost of all these actions. There are available options for those who are tight on budget. If you are among those, then choose lower-risk strategies that you believe will be most effective. Some actions, like manually reaching out, might be boring. But they are smart in terms of budget and a great choice to get more contacts for your networking.
Create a marketing timeline
A marketing timeline will help in outlining when and how you can implement your marketing tactics. This should begin several months before the launch date and continue for at least a few months. A well-planned timeline will ensure that you have a consistent marketing effort, keeping the image of your book in the minds of the readers.
Apply your marketing plan
Now when you have your hands on the plan, it is time to put it into action. This is the place where the real work begins. Remember that you are tracking the progress and making adjusting to the plans accordingly.
Evaluate and adjust the plan
Marketing is a dynamic process. What works at this spot might not work in the next spot. You must evaluate it daily based on the results of the marketing. Make adjustments accordingly. The ultimate end goal is to sell books, not to stick rigidly to a plan.
FAQs
What is the ideal time for book marketing?
Experts have advised that authors should market their books as soon as they begin the writing process. Building an anticipation and a reader base is time-consuming.
How can authors begin their marketing campaign?
The process is simple. You just need to first identify your audience, followed by creating narratives and assembling the assets. Additionally, identify the key points of your book, pitch it to the media, and target book reviewers.
What is the quality of a book to be classified as a bestseller?
Famous authors and book reviewers narrate that a book becomes in demand in a short time frame from the initial publication is one of the main quality that the book is a bestseller.
Is it a good option to hire someone to market the book?
You can always ask for help from marketing services to help in this journey. However, no one knows the book better than you, so try to do it on your own.
The final comment
Keep in mind that crafting a perfect book marketing plan is a journey, not a destination. It revolves around trying different strategies, figuring out what works, and always striving to connect with the readers.
This step-by-step guide has made your journey easy. You can create a book marketing plan that will help your book fly off the shelves. Happy marketing!