Chapter 2: Writing
Engage Your Audience to Create Raving Fans.
Goal:
Grow your network and create raving fans.
Some of the best marketing options available to you are during this “creation” stage. Document the process, get audience feedback, and engage the community in order to turn your potential readers into your biggest fans.
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1. Post Excerpts from the Book on Medium
Writing your book in public can be an incredibly effective way of engineering demand. It also serves as a fantastic method of getting feedback and seeing which sections will “click”. Medium is a blogging platform with over 40 million active users that allows writers to ignore the technical side of blogging in order to create their best work. Publishing pieces of your book here gives it a chance to get in front of their large audience and gives you a chance to validate your ideas while writing them.
2. Create a Facebook Group
Engaging with your audience doesn’t get any easier than with a Facebook group. Create a group and invite everyone you’ve spoken to so far. Invite other authors, invite potential readers, and invite people you’ve met in other communities. Having your community located in a group like this will allow for conversation not only between you and the person but also between two or more other members of the group.
3. Create Videos Expanding on Core Ideas
This is similar to the medium post idea but if you have the time and bandwidth you should consider reading excerpts from the book on video and then expanding on those ideas in new words. This will create an additional method of connecting with the content and has the added benefit of allowing you to explore your ideas in different ways which can improve your writing.
4. Turn Lines From the Book Into Tweets
As you write your book there will undoubtedly be lines that are inherently “tweetable”. Take advantage of this easy source of content.
5. Turn Lines From the Book Into Instagram Photos
As you find those “tweetable” lines you may want to also consider turning them into quote photos for Instagram and Facebook.
6. Use Snapchat to Document Your Routine
Snapchat’s “story” feature can be thought of as a micro-vlogging platform. As such, by using a combination of short videos and still photos you should be able to document your days and, more importantly, your process.
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7. Write Guest Posts for Other Blogs
There are probably a few ideas in your book that could be given more time in the sun. Give it to them by expanding on the individual ideas and publishing those articles on other websites. This will lead to more exposure and is a smart use of content.
8. Create a Landing Page
Launching a landing page for your book is an excellent way to expedite the list building process. You should still approach this with an emphasis on one to one connection, but by adding a landing page to the process you gain a little more opportunity for scale.
9. Create a Podcast
Podcasts are all the rage and you should consider starting one. The good news is that doing so is merely a process of getting in front of a microphone and talking about the book you are writing and your ideas around it. It takes a little extra time but can lead to massive upside.
10. Interview Experts
Taking the time to sit down with and interview experts in your field is an incredible way to validate your concept, drastically build your network, and start to build your own authority and brand awareness in the space.
11. Create a Book Profile on Instagram
The Instagram community loves quotes which makes it an ideal place to share micro-content from your book. Set up an account for your book, set your website link to your landing page, start publishing quotes from the book in image form, and use relevant hashtags to boost discovery.
12. Get Interviewed on Podcasts
Since you are now writing the book it’s safe to say that you have a decent idea of what the core concept is and what directions it could possibly go in. That means it’s an ideal time to start sharing your ideas on a slightly bigger stage. Reaching out to podcasts and getting interviewed about your concept is a great way to get it in front of their audience while simultaneously being forced to explain the idea. Explaining leads to better writing.
13. Blog About the Process
Writing a book is hard work and documenting that process is always a good way to connect more closely with your audience. Take photos, share videos, and write about the journey itself.
14. Find Readers With Twitter Search
If you go to Twitter and use their search feature it allows you to find people who are talking about your exact topic. When used correctly this is a powerful thing as it enables you to jump into conversations, share resources, or even just observe what the conversations look like.
“Quick Win” Action Items:
- ✔ Write your book in “public” using Medium, Facebook, or LinkedIn
- ✔ Utilize PR techniques to land interviews and media exposure
- ✔ Interview the leaders in your field
- ✔ Find conversations around your topic online
The main focus in this section has been on finding ways to use the writing process that you are already going through as a means of connecting with your audience on a deeper level.
By building those relationships, sharing your process, and spotlighting specific pieces of the book during this stage you are engineering a demand and a desire for the book. This will come in handy on launch day.
Get this entire post as a PDF.
By downloading this guide you’ll have the chance to go through it at your own pace.