5 Business Book Marketing Tips

How to Market a Business Book

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT:

Hi, I’m Marissa Eigenbrood, vice president of Smith Publicity. Today, I’m here to talk about five tips for business authors to maximize your publicity and focus on your marketing efforts.

First of all, we have here, number one, your network. Don’t be afraid to tap into your network. I like to say it’s like dating, the worst they can say is no.

Reach out to your network, ask them for help, ask them for ideas. You probably know a lot more people than you realize, and they can be valuable in bringing forth new opportunities to share your book with others, to bring forth more reviews, and even ask them to possibly support you through their own social media networks by sharing your book and spreading the word about it. So your network is really, really important, and continues to grow it. Always ask that person, “Hey, do you know anybody else who also might like to learn about my book?” Keep that network growing.

Number two here; stay active. Be sure to stay active. Your book is one moment in time in the topic that you’re an expert in. So, stay active with commentary on your own social media and keep your social media platforms very active. LinkedIn is really most important for a business author and also keep your blog updated, your website updated, show that you are an active member of your community, of the industry that you work in, and that you’re constantly thinking forward about the new ideas and your industry beyond just what’s in the book.

Number three is writing. The book is not the only thing you will write. You have to write a lot of stuff beyond just the book, but it’ll be worth it because content is king right now. So, be sure to keep an active blog, blogging through your website or through, again, LinkedIn can be another great way to share your knowledge and share more detail than the information available within your book. So really make sure that you’re ready to write. And if you’re partnering with a publicity firm or agency as well, you’re going to be asked to write because the media is always looking for new ideas and new content.

Number four here is trades. Our big, high-level media is fantastic and we always want to reach for the stars and go for our Forbes and our Business Insider and our Wall Street Journal, but really where we find a lot of fantastic opportunities for our clients is with focus on our trade publications. They’re often connected to organizations and associations that are scheduling webinars, and workshops, and conferences. Looking into your trade publications and a very targeted audience can really help you hit the particular group who would really be interested in your messaging and can even bring forth other opportunities beyond just some form of media coverage.

Finally, I have here collaboration. Definitely, especially if you’re partnering with a publicity firm like ourselves, collaboration is key. You are the boots on the ground individually. You’re the person who is living and breathing this topic every day, so we want to hear from you; we want to hear the questions you hear about the work that you do, the news stories that you’re passionate about and want to speak to, the newest statistics in your industry. We’re looking forward as well, but ensuring that we’re all collaborating and brainstorming together and working as a team is really important for reaching the highest level of success.

So, be sure to go back to these points throughout your initiative, throughout your book launch, and this should really be a huge help. Thanks.