If you decide to self-publish but are on a tight budget, you might opt to allot the bulk of your resources to self-publishing companies to assure the completion of your book. If that is so, you are then left with the job of bolstering your book to become the next best thing; in other words, marketing.

With that in mind, learning the ropes of marketing is imperative. The recent advancements in technology have made this job way easier. Anyone can go online and everything is just a click away. Marketing your book is no exception.

For those who are pressed for money and those who want to get down and dirty in this business, here are seven tools you should know to maximize your marketing campaign.

1. Words

Language is the heart of marketing. Through whatever medium you choose to market, be it broadcast or print, what you say greatly affects your audience’s purchasing decisions. If you’re trying to endorse your book, don’t be lengthy and boring.

People can sense a sales pitch from miles away, and some would definitely go to certain extents to avoid it. You also shouldn’t come off as too strong or pushy. Your audience might refuse to hear you out.

Be brief and straight to the point. However, do not fail to evoke emotion. Allow your words to persuade your audience. Most importantly, write something they are most definitely going to remember. Leave them hooked for more.

2. Infographics

Don’t be afraid to play with images and colors to attract attention. Some people are more visually oriented than others. A lengthy and wordy email or blog post might turn off a fraction of your audience. If you can make a graphic presentation about your book, do it!

Pick colors that are easy on the eyes and are most likely to draw attention. For those who are not so skilled with Photoshop and other editing software, you can upload or print what your graphic artist made. You can post some teasers. Show them your book cover.

3. Video Trailers

Videos are relatively easy to remember. A well-made trailer can immediately evoke certain emotions and feelings that will leave the audience wanting more. Because this medium leaves a lasting impression, self-published authors are now venturing into this field. You don’t even have to spend a lot of money on this. You don’t even have to spend at all.

Some authors opt to make their own videos. You can pick out and make use of high-quality royalty-free photos and videos that are available online. If you’ve decided to make your own book trailer, remember that your script needs to be compelling. You don’t want to give out the entire story, just juicy bits of it. You need the right amount of oomph to get the audience’s attention.

Also, the music is just as important as the script because it sets the tone of the story. Don’t just pick ones that are popular or ones that you favor. You have to make sure it syncs with your story. Music stirs up emotion. When you’re done with your trailer, blast it online.

4. Spread the word through social media

Aside from your daily rants, your breakfast photos, and your outfit of the days, consider spending a couple of seconds to promote your book. Because of a very convenient share button that allows you to post simultaneously across on various social media accounts, news about your book can spread like wildfire.

There are even social media tools that allow you to optimize your marketing process. Various websites provide you with information about when it is best to pitch your book on particular social media sites. Social media management service Buffer, for instance, says that the best times to tweet are between 12 noon to 10 pm.

You can spread your teasers and trailers, and you can endorse your book to your friends online. Don’t be afraid to ask your friends to share your posts. If you’re not so comfortable asking people to share them, hashtags will suffice. With the right keywords, you can easily attract attention.

5. Blog it!

Make a website or a blog about your book. People will get interested and would want to know more about what you are trying to endorse. You can upload your book covers, teasers, video trailers, and the necessary information about your book. Blogs aren’t only convenient for this purpose; they are also a way to communicate with your audience.

Through your blog, you can stay in touch with whoever is interested in your book. So, remember that you should not shun those who are inquisitive. Answer questions. Respond to your audience’s comments. Blogging is not an easy task. Bear in mind that uploading your content is not all there is to marketing. You have to have an audience and this audience needs to be interested.

6. PR

One way to get more people to visit your website and to spread the word about your book is by getting the press to endorse it. This is less costly than paying for advertising. In reaching out to this particular audience, once again, language is key. Journalists plow through thousands of press releases every day. You have to make sure they get interested in your book.

Present them with the information they need, and present it in a way that is enticing, memorable and catchy. If you’ve sent a couple of PRs and still haven’t got any response, some journalists might have redirected your PRs to their spam folder and others probably just chose to ignore it. Luckily, we have websites such as HARO or Help a Reporter Out. HARO connects journalists in search of a good story with people who want the media coverage.

This website gives you a chance to post your PRs, and then it will be accessible to journalists in the system. If they’re interested, they will respond, find a way to contact you for interviews, and give you the media coverage you need. Remember that your goal is to get noticed. Enough with the clichés! Yes, you have to write something catchy, and at the same time, it has to be relevant.

Journalists have heard a lot of the same boring I-am-the-next-best-thing promises. You need to bring something new to the table. Write something interesting and convincing. You don’t want them to just browse through your work. You need to get them to respond and promote.

7. Kindle Direct Publishing

EBooks are just as popular as the books you can physically touch. Despite not being able to experience the pleasures of sniffing the pages of a new book or an old one you find stuffed in the shelf, not to mention the tactile sensation of having to flip a page, readers are becoming fond of eBooks because of the effortlessness of carrying a mobile library. So, why not add your eBook to their shelves?

Kindle caters to self-published authors. It’s a fast and easy way to market your book. Kindle Direct Publishing offers their clients several promotional packages that suit their authors’ needs. You not only get to publish for free, you can earn up to 70% of royalties on sales in various countries. In a matter of a minute to 2 days tops, your book can be published and it can reach millions of readers.

Self-published authors on Amazon have the option to sign up for KDP Select, a marketing program where authors agree to sell their book exclusively on Amazon for 90 days and get delicious benefits in return. You will not be allowed to sell your eBook on your website and other online bookstores. This exclusivity in distribution only applies to your book’s digital version, which means you can carry out your own distribution of print and audiobook versions.

Prior to having your book published on Amazon, you obviously have to make sure that all the necessary edits have been carried out. In addition, you need to have an attention-grabbing book cover. When you get your target audience curious, they will start fishing for the details. Aside from promotions on Amazon, you can continue to endorse your book on your blog and social media pages.

Before you use any of these tools, you have to have a game plan. Formulate a marketing strategy. Know what you are and aren’t capable of doing. Choose whatever medium you think you can commit to and then perform well. Give it all you’ve got because even though you already know you’re the next best thing, you still need to convince the world that you are.

 

References:

www.quicksprout.com/2015/01/02/what-are-the-best-times-to-post-on-social-media/