Grow your agency with a book that increases brand awareness

It takes nine steps to write the book your agency needs. Book Magic streamlines the entire process from the first outline to marketing and launching your book.

When you’re focused on growing your agency there are so many angles to pursue – strengthening your brand, developing your range of services, networking with potential clients – that writing a book might not be top of your list.

After all, you’re busy with all the other challenges of running an agency. You’re keeping up with AI capability and social media trends; you’re continuously updating your skills and knowledge to stay relevant. And writing and publishing a book takes time and energy (and usually at least a little money). So, is it worth the investment?

Many agency founders and directors say yes – like Matt Elwell. Matt is the cofounder and director of?Elite Closing Academy, an agency that trains people to bring in more sales revenue by improving their confidence, their mindset, and in particular their communication skills.

They deliver this in a number of ways – live events, mentorship, and certified training programmes. Matt, whose second book, ‘Cold To Sold: Serve, Sell & Scale Your Way To Business Success’ is out in August 2024, says?“writing books has been a big part of the journey.”?

In this article, we’ll take a look at how that journey is going for Matt’s agency – and how writing a book could drive yours to new heights, too.

Reasons why writing a book could be a great move for your agency

Matt initially wrote his first book, ‘Open with a Close: The Twelve Point Guide to Closing More Sales’ because he had a message he wanted to share:?“that there is a modern way of communicating aligned with personal values, focused around interaction and great communication skills.”

But he quickly found that having a book to his name helped Elite Closing Academy rise to many of the challenges agencies face, including:

Generating quality warm leads

Nothing sells you like a book. It’s a more in-depth marketing tool than an ad or an email campaign, and more efficient than arranging multiple face-to-face meetings. By having a book to share with prospects, Matt provides an opportunity for potential clients to learn more about the value of Elite Closing Academy’s services before they decide to buy.?

But a book doesn’t just help you make sales: it can bring warmer leads to your door. If someone reads one of Matt’s books and then approaches him about working with his agency, Matt knows that they’re likely to be a good match – and as Matt knows, finding good matches is what great sales is all about! This pre-qualification means the leads the agency engages with are more informed and more interested, ultimately leading to more successful and effective business relationships.?

Overcoming skepticism

Potential clients may have had negative experiences with other agencies. A book allows you to get to know each other a little, and to offer the client some real value, before you’ve even worked together, which will help overcome these objections.

Establishing a reputation

Having a book to your name demonstrates your expertise and your reliability: you know enough about this subject, and you have enough dedication, to have written a whole book about it.

Raise brand awareness

The way Matt’s agency uses books is a great example of how you can deliver value for your reader while creating a strong, recognisable brand identity that resonates with your target audience.?

Matt says they use the book to?“create awareness, for entrepreneurs and business owners in the industry, that there is a [sales] solution out there that is all about great communication and interaction.”

Among numerous competitors offering similar services, Matt’s agency has a strong brand, based in avoiding ‘hard tactics’ in favour of personal values and communication skills. Showcasing that brand helps them stand out in a crowded market, differentiating themselves from the competition, and also means readers understand what they’ll get when they hire the agency.

Writing a book for your agency that boosts credibility?

Published content like a book creates ownership over your chosen niche or micro-niche, and tells the world that you are an authority in your field: it’s no coincidence that the word ‘authority’ has the word ‘author’ in it!?

There are nine steps to writing the book your agency needs?– let’s go through them.

1. Identify your niche and audience

If your book is going to boost your credibility with your ideal clients, you need to start thinking about those clients well before you start to write. That’s how you decide on the book you’re going to write: it’s the book that your ideal client needs to read.

Think about the 3 Ps of Position: the Person, the Pain and the Promise.

• Person: who is your ideal client? What industry do they work in, and what’s their role in it? What’s their income or turnover? What might be their motivation(s) for using your services?
• Pain: what is the central question or problem you solve for your clients?
• Promise: what solution will your readers find in this book, and how will it make them want to come to you for more?

The answers to these questions will help you define the book you need to write, and to understand how it ties in with the services you offer.

Matt knew exactly who his?person?was when he wrote his second book, ‘Cold To Sold’:?“any business owner that's looking to bring revenue in, grow and scale in a way that feels natural and comfortable”.?

Their?pain point is simply how to do this, without using what Matt refers to as?“hard tactics”.?

The book?promises?to address this specific issue, providing practical guidance on how to achieve these goals of a growing business?“from a place of integrity”.

2. Outline your book

Your book’s structure is a secure foundation on which to build your expert narrative. This outline should blend knowledge, stories, and data that educate and provide compelling evidence for your points.

Your aim is to take your readers from curiosity to understanding and leave them informed and inspired.?

3. Follow the WRITER Process

WRITER stands for:

• Write (your first draft)
• Review
• Improve (your first self-edit)
• Test (with a select few beta readers)
• Edit (their feedback into your final draft)
• Repeat (any steps that need a bit more work)

Breaking book-writing into manageable chunks makes it so much easier!

4. Create a consistent writing habit

If you only write when inspiration strikes or when you’re in the ‘writing mood’, you’ll never get your book finished. Instead, you need to build a consistent, realistic habit that trains your brain to get into writing mode. If possible, try to write in the same place and at the same time every day.

5. Stay true to your vision and goals

During the process of writing, you’re bound to be distracted by new ideas, but success lies in staying true to your vision and goals. Your book is an extension of your business and a bridge to your ideal clients, so it’s important to keep a sharp focus on who you're writing for and the objectives you want to achieve.

6. Gather reader feedback

Feedback is invaluable when it comes to writing a book. We recommend gathering 6 beta readers:

• 2 who represent an ideal client
• 2 peers who can check content
• 1 generalist reader
• 1 key person of influence (who might also write your foreword)

Feedback should be very specific; it’s not about suggesting edits but gauging the impact of your message.

7. Get your manuscript edited and proofread

An investment in professional editing and proofreading is an investment in your book's ultimate success. It ensures that your work stands out for its quality and professionalism, reflecting the effort and passion you've poured into writing it.

8. Evaluate your publishing options

Choosing between traditional, hybrid, and self-publishing is a step that will shape your book's success. For your business or self-development book, we recommend choosing a?hybrid publisher (though always check their credentials).?

Hybrid publishing merges the professionalism and expertise of traditional publishing with the greater control and higher profits of self-publishing. You have all the credibility and support of a publishing house, but maintain flexibility and control over your finished book.

9. Market and launch your book

It’s exciting to get your book out there in the world, but it must land with the people who will benefit most from its message if you want to see a return on your investment.?

Chasing ‘trade’ sales on Amazon and other retail platforms is unlikely to be where you will get your main ROI?– you’ll make far more money by getting your book into the hands of your ideal prospects, clients and partners, podcasters, and key people.

Giving copies of your book away for free is a great strategy, and will also boost your paid sales. You can use social media, email marketing, and your professional network to publicise your launch.

Write the book your agency needs with Book Magic AI

Book Magic streamlines all nine steps of this process, from creating an ideal client avatar to connecting you with real-life book coaches and human support. Want to create a book that resonates with your agency’s ideal clients??Get started for free today