Writing a book is a tough job, but it can be a great way to help people trying to explore the field you have expertise in so they can get the correct information and knowledge, which can help them in their careers. As technology and internet consumption increases, it makes perfect sense to have an e-book rather than a shelf book (and you save paper by doing that, too, so it’s a win-win).
As hard it is to write down all of your experience and learning in perfect words, it can be even harder to get your amazing finished book in front of the right audience. I had similar difficulties after I finished writing my e-book on Instagram growth hacking. Here are a few marketing tips that helped me in selling my e-book.
Influencer Marketing
After I published the book on my website, I shared it with my audience on Instagram. I got a few quick sales, and it seemed to be a good idea for a passive income source, but the sales weren’t increasing, even after regularly promoting it. Then, I realized that those in my own Instagram reach who were interested in the e-book had already bought it, so I needed to reach other audiences who might be interested.
One way to reach new audiences on social is to leverage the audiences of other influencers, which is what I did. I paid them for promoting my e-book on their Instagram accounts, which boosted my e-book sales. I’d recommend contacting new influencers in your niche. This can be a cost-effective way to jump-start your sales.
Finding the right influencers can be tricky. Many influencers nowadays use fake engagement on their accounts to get work, and it can be hard to find out if the engagement they are getting is real or not. In my opinion, the best way to find the right influencers is to collaborate with 10-15 influencers whose content you like and think will be a great fit for promoting your e-book. Get each one of them to share content on different days, and see what kind of response you get. On a weekly or monthly basis, keep collaborating with the ones who get the best ROI.
When it comes to content, I’d recommend letting the influencer decide what they want to post and how they want to promote your e-book. Give them all the creative freedom they need. If they have been doing it for a long time, they probably know exactly how to put things in front of their audience to get the best possible response. You can ask them to send you a preview of the content before they put it out to their audience, and you can make changes to it if necessary.
Talking On A Podcast
Podcasts can carry great influence, especially in the business niche. If you don’t have your own podcast, email a few people who have podcasts in your category, and ask them if you can appear as a guest on their show. This can be a great way to boost sales, and the amazing thing is, it’s completely free promotion.
You can find experts in your field by looking for them on podcast apps like iTunes and Spotify — just search by your niche, and look for top creators on the list. Listen to a few of their podcasts, and collaborate with the ones you find to be perfect fits for your e-book. When you have a conversation with an expert in your field and they appreciate your e-book and your work, you can use that as a recommendation. Post that bit from the podcast on your website or social media channels, which can help you to increase the credibility of your e-book.
Sharing The Right Content
I set up an Instagram account and a blog dedicated to my e-book — I personally specialize in growing Instagram influence, so dedicating all my efforts on Instagram makes more sense for me rather than trying to grow influence on other social media sites. You can choose according to your preference and where you think most of your target audience spends time.
On social, you can share posts related to your e-book category that have your website and logo engraved in it. Also, make sure to share value in the captions. If people share these value-filled posts with their friends, that’s free promotion. In the caption, you should ask people to tag their friends who they think can relate to the post — which, again, gives free promotion. But remember, to get the audience engaged, the content should be amazing. So, be sure to provide a lot of value in the content you share. The Instagram account I started a year back for my own e-book now has over 100,000 followers just by continuously sharing the right content and putting value in the captions. You should also consider writing blogs and articles on your e-book website, LinkedIn and Quora, as this can help with ranking your e-book on search engines. Also, people tend to share high-value content — which, again, can result in free promotion for your e-book.
In the end, a lot depends on the content of your e-book. I get random emails from people telling me how the e-book changed their life. These things come when you are providing people with the right information and knowledge. And when you start getting such appreciation, those people alone can become the biggest promotors of your e-book.
