Marketing advice from someone with 20+ years of corporate marketing experience.
Marketing questions you might be asking!
Working in corporate marketing full time, I still have so much to figure out as I embark on this indie author marketing journey. I can imagine that people who have books to sell but no marketing experience might find marketing daunting. From boosting sales to identifying your audience, marketing comes with its unique challenges but is absolutely critical. Whether you're indie or traditionally published, understanding these key aspects can transform your approach.
Michelle shares her insights and answers your questions about marketing.
How can I boost sales and actually get people to read my book?
Selling my first novel this September will actually be my first real experience with marketing something to sell it. (In my full-time marketing job, I don’t sell stuff.) But I think some of the lessons I’ve learned in corporate marketing carry some resonance for book marketing. Be sure to use calls to action in emails, on websites, and in social media posts, and where possible, put those CTAs inside buttons. Buttons drive increased click-through rates.
At a recent marketing conference, the speaker asked those of us in the audience to imagine we were marketing socks. “Remember,” she said, “the audience does not need YOUR socks. They need their feet to be warm.” My takeaway was that overall, it’s important to emphasize how your book meets the needs and desires of your target audience.
In the case of THE DESCENDED, my debut novel, I’m focused on fantasy readers who adore imagined circumstances and supernatural powers, Midwest readers who revel in Midwestern settings, and people who, like me, enjoy reading how people fight to survive apocalypses.
How can I identify my target audience, and what role do they play in marketing strategy?
Ideally, you’d be thinking on this as or before you write, so that you can ensure your book meets your audiences’ expectations.
It plays an important role because if I know I want to target Midwestern and fantasy readers, I ask myself, where do they spend their time (book fairs, Midwestern events, spooky-themed events, etc.), and then I set forth a plan to meet them where they are.
“Owned” assets such as your website and email list are important, but so is discovering where readers tend to be (online and in person). This helps you refine your marketing strategy to reach readers on social media (such as Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook) or at in person events (book signings, book clubs, etc.).
How can I identify SEO and keywords? What impact do these have on visibility and brand awareness?
You can do this using paid tools such as Semrush, or for free by studying what types of keywords authors in your genre seem to use on their websites.
Branded and nonbranded keywords are both important:
branded means your author name and your book name,
nonbranded means keywords such as apocalyptic fiction, books set in the Midwest, etc.
