Book Marketing To Best-Seller

You could write the best book in the world. But, if nobody knows about it, then would it matter? I hope to inform you on how to be sure that your book gets discovered by thousands of readers.

I love books. On average, I finish one per week. These are mostly non-fiction. There is no better way to learn decades of knowledge from experts in any subject. Books make this simple, with such a condensed and inexpensive format. Want to learn something new? There are probably dozens, if not hundreds of books on that subject. Read a few, to gain several perspectives.

Because of my utmost respect for books, I’ve always admired other people who held the title of “Author”. While I’ve been published for writing magazine articles in the past, those come with the title of “Journalist” or “Writer”, rather than “Author”. It only takes a couple hours of dedication to write an article. It takes months to write a book, therefore earning more esteem with me.

How do you effectively market your book? So many authors make the mistake of going through the entire process of writing a book, getting it published, and then deciding to market it. They missed out on months of potential marketing, via social media. The book tours, book signings, speaking gigs, interviews and such come afterward… and those are still easier to get when your book is already a best-seller.

I began marketing my book before I typed the very first word.

In order to prepare myself to become the person that I needed to be, to effectively market this book on podcasts, radio, live interviews, TV, and speaking events… I started taking lessons in public speaking. I joined Toastmasters.org and attended weekly speaking training meetings for almost a year before my book launch. This gave me more confidence and presentation skill for doing live videos along the way. Joining Toastmasters has changed my life; I wish I had joined years sooner. If public speaking or doing live video is a weak point for you, then you give up a huge amount of marketing potential. You must step out of that comfort zone and become the person that you need to be. This training will also greatly improve my upcoming podcast show.

Prior to the start of writing my book, I posted a simple question on my Facebook timeline. “Hey everyone, I’m considering writing a book. What would you like to learn from me?” It got dozens and dozens of responses. Some responses were funny, some sarcastic, and some purposeful. All responses are excellent, and all responses to those responses are also excellent. This activity from others, the post likes and responses are what boost your viewership on social media. Facebook sees all the activity, so it assumes the post must be interesting, so the Facebook algorithm places your post on the feeds of hundreds of your other friends and followers.

Even though I was almost certain about the book topic I’d be writing, I still asked the open-ended question. This plants the seed of marketing within your social media circle, and they become curious about your new project. During that first post, I even got a few other ideas for potential future books!

Once I had announced that I was going to write a book on how to start a business, I frequently created other new posts asking questions to build more social media engagement. I asked what people would like to know about starting a business. That post got hundreds of responses, from so many people. Basically, I was indirectly asking them what the contents of my book would be, and made sure to capture the recurring responses. This helped me to make sure to include those hot topics within my book. You could almost say that the audience is who created my table of contents. I knew my book would be a winner, if I could just answer all their questions!

I also created a private Facebook group for those interested in the subject of business ownership, and invited my friends to participate in discussions within the group. This group also became a supportive group for the book project, and a place where I could share more information and ask more specific questions from those with experience in the subject.

I had a few ideas for the book title. I created a poll to ask which of the titles their favorite was. We had a lot of fun with that one. Some of the titles were purposely absurd, to toss in some humor. This builds engagement; people love to have fun with stuff like this. Being serious all the time is boring!

After completing each of the 10 chapters, I would share a couple paragraphs on my public feed, and within the group. This was to show them two things. 1) That I was indeed progressing on this project, and 2) To provide some “insider access” value to help others. My group picked up quite a few invited guests from current members, because of the business-related stuff I was sharing. That group is over 2,000 people now. I’m proud to have these amazing people in the group (365 Driven Entrepreneurs).

I wanted to involve my group with the book project, to share their own valuable experiences. So, I decided to do an analysis on gathered data from current and aspiring business owners. I did this by creating an online fill-in form webpage, with 6 simple questions. I asked the group to answer the questions, and provide an email address. There were 120 people that participated in answering the questionnaire. They became my core group of book supporters, since they were now involved with the content inside it. I shared the compiled results with the larger group, and we had excellent discussions around each question. The results of this analysis became Chapter 2 of my book.

I hired a third-party book service company to handle the content editing, Kindle and paperback format editing, and cover design. When we received artwork from the multiple cover designers, we shared them and had another poll with 16 choices presented. This was a HUGE hit! People loved talking about all the various designs. We also created a few bogus and silly covers in there, to build the humor aspect. This was all intended to help build engagement, and to have some fun at the same time.

I frequently shared updates, such as a photo of the completed manuscript printed out. I shared updates on when the editors were completed. I announced the book cover design selection. I announced when the launch week would occur, so that people were prepared for it. I posted a video of me receiving the very first copy of the paperback from Amazon. I basically wrote this book in front of everyone.

As you can see, there was over six months of marketing value poured into this book, before it even became available to the public. It was an exercise in public involvement. Keeping people involved and updated with the project created interest within them. They felt, and they were, part of the process. This book was always bigger than me, it was meant for them. Books should always be intended for the purpose of benefitting the reader, not about talking about the author. Not until you are famous enough to write an autobiography, perhaps. Books are not about you! Books solve a problem for them.

So, how did all of this marketing effort pay off? The book launched on Amazon on May 29, 2018 and sold over 1,000 copies in the first few days. It only took 9 hours to achieve #1 Best-Seller in the Business Marketing category. This is an astounding result, considering that only 1% of all books ever hit #1 in any category. The odds were certainly against me, being a self-published, unknown author. During that book launch week, I was doing live videos on Facebook and Instagram, three times per day! I did a video at 7am, noon, and 7pm each day. I was sharing the progress of the book, talking about the book, and fielding questions about the book. Those live videos were incredible marketing, as live videos have the most engagement and reach due to the algorithms on social media. You simply use what works, and live videos are the best tool available. How bad do you want it?

Now that the book is published, the marketing is the easy part. I’m a guest on a few podcasts per week. I’ve been on live radio. I’m consistently inquiring about speaking events to event organizers. I’m networking with media people. I’m starting a podcast around the subject, to add more value to readers, and to build a brand. I’m doing book-signing events. Perhaps I’ll do a book tour? All off this stuff is expected, any time you publish a book. I can tell you, it is a lot easier to get those invites when your book is already a best-seller. I didn’t have to do all of this post-published marketing in hopes of reaching best-seller. That is a much harder battle to overcome, which is why so few achieve it. Focus your marketing impact on the book launch week, if you want the best long-term results.

The marketing power of social media is incredible, as long as you understand how it works. If you have a story to tell, give yourself the best chance at it being discovered. Obscurity is the enemy of any author.

For more information on my book, please visit SidehustleBook.net

-Tony


Unlearn Your Childhood Mindset

We are programmed to fail from reaching our potential, as kids.

We are taught to stand in line, fit in with others, be like everyone else, play things safe, follow the rules... if we want to be accepted by others. If we want to avoid criticism.

Dress like your friends. Like what your friends like. Think like your friends. Act like them. Participate in the same things.

The herd mentality. Safety in numbers. Moooo! 🐄🐄🐄

Take a look at yourself today, as an adult. You likely still hold on to these same learned behaviors, and have never given them any thought. It isn't your fault, it is all that you know!

Your uniqueness is what makes you remarkable. Critics offer no remarks, if you blend in with the masses. Being brave enough to stand apart, is the very definition of "outstanding". Owning your vulnerability is a sign of courage. We admire those who are willing to put themselves out there for a good cause, yet we hide in fear about doing it ourselves. Why?

There is no reward for being average. If you don't have any critics, it simply means you aren't doing anything worth noticing. You are merely blending in, avoiding risk and living with the fear of rejection. Just like the masses.

All the famous and influential people we recognize, simply decided to step out of the norm. To show their uniqueness.

You may not be living up to your potential. Be outstanding. 👊

Tony Whatley, Best-Selling Author of Sidehustle Millionaire - visit sidehustlebook.net

 


Destructive Posting on Social Media

As a business owner, always be mindful of the things you type on social media. Before pressing that "submit" button, take a pause to reflect on your customer base. Ask yourself this: "Does this post help my business, or does it potentially harm my business?"

We've literally seen emotions and strong opinions grenade someone's business, before. Sometimes that explosion is something that you cannot recover from. We all have opinions, and sometimes the best option is to keep quiet. We've also seen business owners post things that may cause current and potential customers to reconsider doing business with them. How you choose to portray yourself on social media, is a direct reflection of how you wish to represent your brand.

It takes conscious effort, but if your business or brand is important to you, it is something that needs to be considered with each and every post you share. Be purposeful, think with business strategy in mind.


Reasons You Should Write A Book

Reasons You Should Write A Book 🤓

 
I know that there are several others out there who have a book inside their mind. I've always wanted to write a book, and I've felt that way for years.
 
Because I love books, I've always considered the title of "Author" with admiration. Writing a book shows someone's commitment and dedication to finishing what is typically a very long personal project. Nobody accidentally writes a book, or lucks out into having one created. It must be earned. That is also what makes it respected.
 
Why should you write a book? There are several reasons. Here are only a few.
 
1. A book will help establish your authority in a subject. It takes personal commitment to learn the content, gain the experience, and put it into words. A book is still considered a key tangible item, that people will instantly recognize as a proof of authority. What do you want to be known for?
 
2. If your story, message, or knowledge can help one person - it can also help thousands of people. Changing one life is very powerful. Changing thousands is a real impact. Changing millions? You've then created a legacy. If you have something important to share with the world, consider it your duty to get it out there. Your book will live longer than you will. What do you want to share with the world?
 
3. Hidden opportunities become visible to you. You knew they likely existed before, but you never had access to these opportunities. Getting invited to do interviews on radio, TV, podcasts, magazines, YouTube channels. They all have a similar key to unlock those doors...a book. Before I published the book, most of them wouldn't give me the time of day. Now they seek me out. I also have two speaking engagements this month, because of the book. The flip in attention has been incredible, something I never expected.
 
4. Marketing power. Are you building a personal brand? Are you marketing your business? Having a published book in that segment will serve as a very powerful marketing tool. My competitors might hand you a business card, which will get tossed into a pile of others within some random drawer. I might hand you a book, which will likely sit on your desk until you decide to read it. And then, it will get placed on a shelf, for easy reference later. Think of a book as a business card on steroids. People will remember meeting an author of a book. They won't even remember your name on a business card.
 
5. Passive income. While the book sales are never intended to make you rich, they do have the potential to generate passive income. My book launched in May 2018, and it is averaging about $1,000 in paid royalties per month. I won't receive my first hardcover edition royalty report until later this month, so it will be higher than this. Self-publishing is a healthy profit margin, you earn 70% of the sales through Amazon, and you set your own prices. Advertising through Amazon is also very inexpensive and automated. I am spending about 15% on ads to generate a return on sales, so I'm netting 55% profit.
 
6. Active income. Think of the potential upside that comes with all the added opportunities, exposure, and marketing. There really is no limit, it will depend on how you put it all to good use. Think of all those famous authors out there, who had their lives instantly changed by these opportunities. What would their lives look like today, had they not started typing?
 
I hope this list has provided you with some encouragement. 💚
 
Tony

Building a Brand? Show Your Face!

Marketing & Personal Branding Tip - Show Your Face! 

I want to offer a helpful suggestion to those using social media to build their personal brand, or even a newer company brand.

Faces sell. Logos do not.

If you are using anything but your own smiling face for your profile pic, you are likely hurting yourself in terms of marketing potential. I'll explain.

The best marketers understand human psychology and behaviors. No, you don't need to be a psychologist to understand this, there are several books on influence and marketing that you can learn from. I'll offer the shortened version.

Humans seek connection with others. We are wired this way. The best ads always show another human. The best websites always have smiling faces shown. The power of testimonials is unquestionable. Faces build connection. Connection builds trust, and that leads to sales. People do business with those they like. It is really this simple.

When you use a logo, or worse - some cartoon or strange photo as your profile pic, you miss out on hitting your marketing potential. People are skeptics by nature, so now the initial reaction to your pic is "What are they hiding?" - the complete opposite that you want, as a brand builder. Until your brand logo is well-established and recognized by the masses, you are likely better served by using a picture of your company representative.

I used to have a logo on both my Facebook and Instagram business pages (365driven). Someone gave me this same advice a year ago, and my follower count literally doubled on both pages, in a single year. I didn't change my posting behavior, I just added a more "human" aspect to those accounts.

Now, let's see those smiling faces! 


$154 Million & Why It Bothers You

$154 Million & Why it Bothers You.😡

It's Monday morning, and people are preparing for another day at work. For just about everyone else in this world, that means going to a job that pays much, much less than the deal LeBron James just signed with the Lakers. $154MM over 4 years.

So, the Facebook feed is buzzing with this discussion, with the vast majority of people trying to tell us LeBron isn't worth it. That nobody is worth that.

Why does it eat people up to see other people earning so much more than they could even dream about? More than people will earn over an entire lifetime. They know how hard they have to work, just to have a tiny fraction of the dollar amount that just showed up for James.

It is the scarcity mindset that makes people think this way. The same thing that makes people think that if someone else gains more success, then somehow they lose some piece of potential success for themselves. They want to compare their own situation with these superstars, rather than understand that there is no relationship.

They want to talk about how some more important occupations are so severely underpaid, and how this isn't fair. LeBron could have chosen to become a fireman. A teacher. Life certainly isn't fair, but not everyone makes the best choices to arrive at some mega-salary that was within their own potential. LeBron simply did.

Here is the hard truth about this subject. The market determines your worth. These are business transactions, not favoritism or "being fair". The company, the LA Lakers in this case, has determined what they feel they will earn from having James on their team. They wanted the best player in the NBA, because they obviously feel he will bring them much, much more profit than what his paycheck costs them. It really is this simple. It is no different than what your current company values you at, and what the industry determines you are worth. Your current job, or the business you own, all have prices set on supply vs demand.

I'll never speak negatively on what someone has carved out for themselves, what they have earned. The market determines that. I applaud anyone that pursues their potential. There is plenty of success to go around, where I don't have to be concerned with the success of others. I want each of you to earn up to your potential, and I'll be happy to see you succeed.

So, you don't have to like LeBron James. You don't even have to respect him. But, you shouldn't hold onto that scarcity mindset. It will never serve you well, in life. Go get yours!