The BEST approach for getting a reader to care about your book
Authors, here is a harsh truth:
Your reader doesn’t really care about your book being available for preorder.
I see these types of posts from authors all the time:
These posts might nudge a few friends or family members to grab your book, but aside from these select few, people just don't care.
And why should they? You haven't really told them anything about your book and why it's worth their attention.
Let's dig a little deeper...
So, what DO you readers care about?
Defining this answer is the very first thing you should in your marketing strategy.
This is why messaging is crucial to nail down! You can't put the cart before the horse.
Why define your audience and clarify your messaging?
When you get crystal clear on who your reader is and what they care about, you can create messaging around your marketing to:
If you propose at the beginning of a first date, there's a 99.9% chance you're getting a "no." Think about your book marketing in the same way! It takes like-mindedness, time, and trust to get a "yes."
Seeing it in practice
Lysa TerKeurst is the queen of messaging. I worked with Lysa and her team on her New York Times bestselling books, Uninvited and It's Not Supposed to Be This Way , and one of the greatest lessons I learned from these projects was how messaging elevates marketing strategy.
Every piece of content we created for these campaigns was laser-focused on the target reader: who they were, what they were experiencing, where they wanted to be, etc.
And even after I left the publisher to build my own book marketing company, I kept close tabs on Lysa's marketing for her subsequent books.
So let's take a look at her preorder announcement for her upcoming release, I Want to Trust You, but I Don't:
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Look at the first lines
If you're reading this post you wouldn't suspect you're reading a preorder announcement for a book. Instead, it immediately names the keyword trust, and opens a door for anyone who has had their trust broken.
Understanding the emotions
Next, she hits on some pretty specific scenarios and emotions that someone with trust issues might be experiencing. If this is something you've gone through, or are currently going through, these words would make you feel seen and understood.
Making the connection
She follows up with her own personal experience with broken trust and betrayal, what she felt, and what she learned, building up trust with the person reading. Think of this as Lysa extending out her hand to someone who is hurting, letting them know she has been in their shoes and is ready to walk with them on their journey.
Closing it out
Now after taking the time to show the reader that she understands and empathizes with them, she shares the news about her book that focuses specifically on trust and how to work through the challenges that come after it's been broken. And if you've made it this far in the caption, it means you will probably care about this book and feel prompted to take action.
You need to ask yourself:
Are you talking at your target reader? Or, are you talking with them?
Don't just put up a "buy my book" post and call it a day.
Start a meaningful conversation. This is the better approach to get a reader to actually care about your book.
Whenever you're ready, here are 3 ways I can help you level up your marketing strategy:
Keep rocking,
Aryn Van Dyke
Founder, Book Rockstar
I turn stories into ROI for CEOs and entrepreneurs | Bestselling & Award-Winning Book Coach | Author of "Start With Story: How Great Storytellers Transform Ideas into Impact"
3 个月1000%. You have to show them why they should care by centering their problem first. Put Who before Why. Only then can you align their Why to yours. Fantastic insight.