Reader data and automation: How to dramatically increase profits from book sales

One of the critical challenges authors face is the lack of direct access to customer data when selling through large platforms like Amazon. This limitation can hinder efforts to engage with readers and drive sales of your most profitable products.

In this article, I will explore how to gather leads, create compelling offers, and implement automated backend processes to maximize your nonfiction book’s potential.

?? In other words; how to design a book funnel to increase profits.

The Challenge of Limited Customer Data in Book Sales

When selling books through major online retailers, authors often face a significant drawback: limited access (read: NO access) to customer data. Platforms like Amazon do not share detailed information about who buys your book, making it difficult to engage with your readers directly.

???? To maximise profits from your book, you need a mechanism to capture customer data and a system to consistently turn readers into clients.

Building a robust list of leads is the first crucial step in taking control of your book sales and scaling your business.

Building a List of Leads

Generating a list of leads involves attracting potential readers and collecting their contact information. This process can be achieved through various strategies, each aimed at providing value to your audience in exchange for their information.

One of the most effective ways to attract leads is by offering free content. This could be in the form of a free chapter of your book, an exclusive complimentary e-book, video training or valuable checklists and guides related to your book’s topic.

Already when planning your book, you should consider what you might leave out of the book or what you might go much more into depth on - outside of your book.

???? What will TRIGGER readers to visit your website immediately?

Your book may also be the trigger in itself if you offer free paperbacks or perhaps a free audiobook directly from your website. In this case, you will be able to capture 100% immediately of the customer data whereas capturing them from readers who purchased your book in a book outlet would first have to receive the book, open the book, discover the trigger and not get distracted while they head over to your website to get your free content.

Collecting leads from free content has an obvious disadvantage. You are likely to attract some potential buyers but a significant part will be people who are:

• Free riders - people who never buy help for anything and would rather spend years not getting anywhere. They also collect content so your content will likely never be consumed.
• Not emotionally ready - to buy your services but equally important they are not ready to create the change in their life or business as your product offers.

The consequences of getting too many free riders onto your email list are plenty, including poor insight into who your best customers are and higher cost in paid advertising (goes to far to explain that here).

???? What you want is to build a list of high quality, ready-to-buy leads.

And the best indicator of that is that they quickly become paying customers. Because they might never have heard about you before, we need a no-brainer product.

No-brainer Offers

No-brainer offers are irresistible deals that are easy for leads to accept. These offers provide high value at a low cost or effort, making them appealing to a broad audience. Defining and creating these offers can significantly improve the quality of your email list. When somebody is willing to pull out their credit card and give you their payment information, they are INTERESTED.

No-brainer offers share several key characteristics:

• High Value: The offer must provide significant value to the lead, solving a problem or fulfilling a need. Ideally, it will remove one or multiple barriers to purchasing your bigger product.
• Low Risk: The perceived risk and investment should be minimal, ie. $27 or $47.
• Immediate Benefit: The lead should see immediate benefits from accepting the offer

???? You should make your no-brainer offer immediately after the person first visits your website. It should only be relevant to your PERFECT customer who is able to purchase your core product or service.

But we won't stop there. You can add order bumps (more small no-brainers) or make a new offer on the order confirmation page. This could be that you invite to an event or a webinar, present a new product that requires a slightly bigger commitment, or invite to book a call.

You'll also continuously build a relationship with the people on your email list, building trust in you and educating them until the point where they are ready to commit to making the change they want to. This is when you present your core offer. There is a science to that but here is a quick intro.

High-Ticket Offers

High-ticket offers are premium products or services that come at a higher price point. These offers provide substantial value and cater to a segment of your audience willing to invest more for greater benefits.

?? In any audience, there are always 2% who are willing to pay more for a better, quicker or more convenient result.

A high-ticket offer typically involves a comprehensive solution or premium experience that justifies a higher price. This could be an in-depth course, a personal coaching program, or an exclusive membership or mastermind.

High-ticket offers are designed for leads who are deeply engaged with your content and willing to invest in more substantial benefits.

A high ticket offer has no upper limit as long as the perceived value exceeds the price.

You might create a high-ticket offer from the get-go, or you build a larger customer base with your core offer and recruit high-ticket customers from that customer pool.

In any case, you should have a significantly more profitable product than your no-brainer offers. The purpose of those is to build a qualified list of leads. The purpose of your core offer is to provide a solid financial foundation for growth.

Automating the Backend Process

Automation is key to efficiently managing your lead generation, nurturing, and offer implementation. By leveraging automated systems, you can save time, ensure consistency, and scale your operations seamlessly. The most important part of that is email automation.

?? Email marketing automation involves setting up automated email sequences that nurture leads and gently move them closer to a sale

You need at least four types of email sequences:

• Nurture: Develop nurture sequences that provide value over time. These emails can share tips, insights, and additional resources related to your book’s topic, gradually guiding leads towards your offers. Your new leads only enter the nurture sequence after it has become clear that they are not ready for the next step.
• Sales follow-up: When people show interest in one of your offers by opting in for free content or purchasing the first no-brainer offer, they are INTERESTED. People get distracted or simply need a bit more information before they are ready for the next step. This follow-up should happen immediately after the first sign of interest - but also stop after a few 'reminders'.
• Confirm and deliver: These emails confirm the purchase and give access to the purchased content.
• Onboarding: Create an automated welcome series that introduces new customers to the experience they just purchased and helps them get as much value as possible. The more value they extract from your product, the more they will bring in more customers.

Make Your Nonfiction Book The Cornerstone of An Automated Marketing System

There are really two ways around it. Either you put your book out there and implement mechanisms to nudge as many (relevant) readers to visit your website and provide their customer data. Or you promote your book directly to relevant audiences and build a backend that has your book as the starting point.

1?? Book -> Website

2?? Webite -> Book

One of the things I love about the no-brainer offers is that they, apart from the value they bring to the customer and the high-quality leads they bring to your email list, also can finance your traffic campaigns so you can get a lot more eyes on your book.

Here is what it might look like:

Ad ? Book ? Mini Course ? Book a Call ? Core Offer

In my business, the initial part looks like this:

Ad ? $1 Book ? $7 Audiobook / $27 Book Profit Calculator / $27 Book Planning Template

I know from 7 years of experience that my perfect customer will wanna start right away once they decide to take the first step. Therefore, I provide immediate access to the books - while keeping the files unsharable.

?? You can check out the funnel here: https://publishedauthority.com/flip

Collaborations and Partnerships

Collaborating with other authors, influencers, and organizations can help you tap into new audiences and expand your reach. This can happen in many ways (which is not the topic of this article) but what I want to highlight is how you can use the no-brainer offer and even your entire funnel to motivate other entrepreneurs with similar audiences to promote your book.

An affiliate program will allow partners to promote your book in exchange for a commission. Now, if you are a guest on a podcast and you were to share the book profits with the host, there is little incentive for them to share information about your book. You might have a great talk and they might promote the episode - but how clearly will they call their audience to action and encourage them to buy the book?

However, if they were to receive $20 or even $100 for each customer you get, it certainly provides a higher level of incentive. Using the right tools, you can share not only book profits but also profits from the associated no-brainer product.

??????

Building a lead list and defining the right set of offers are crucial steps in scaling your customer base and profit from your nonfiction book. By leveraging automated backend processes, utilizing automated marketing systems, and collaborating with others, you can effectively reach a broader audience and drive more sales.

?? The Short Rebel News ??

• The 'How to Become a Nonfiction Author' audiobook is now available!
• The book writing retreat in September is almost sold out and there is only ONE SPOT LEFT.
• I have been in the UK for the past month participating in Atomicon and Kajabi London Session, and was invited to the BNI Knightsbridge and BNI Commonwealth networks.
• Sarah Clay pre-launched her book and I was lucky enough to be able to join her. You can watch what her experience has been so far HERE. We had a blast! ??
• I just opened up 3 spots to get my help to write and publish starting in the fall. If you think it should be you who get one of them, book a call to discuss HERE.