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How to Sell More Books with Podcast Interviews


Have you ever considered being a guest on a podcast part of your book marketing strategy?

I have a women’s health brand where I talk about my experience with uterine fibroids. I’ve written an ebook and have courses that are connected to the brand I created. One of the best ways I have been able to market the book and the course was to appear as a guest expert on podcasts or other livestreaming shows.

My most recent interview was with Civilla Morgan of the Childless Not By Choice podcast to discuss how healthy eating has helped me to manage my fibroids.

Why should you market your book and business on podcasts?

To some people, podcasts may be a new technology, while many others may have been listening to podcasts for many years.

If you don’t know what a podcast is, a podcast is simply a digital audio show that is put on the internet for others to listen to — usually for free. It’s very similar to your FM and AM radio stations with the exception of the show being on the internet. Virtually anyone with an internet connection can start a podcast. You may have even thought about starting your own podcast, but never took the time to do it. This is a great way for you to take advantage of the opportunity as a guest on someone else’s show.

Furthermore, the podcast listening audience is continuing to grow every year. Some newer vehicles are being made with access to podcasts. So think of all those potential podcast listeners during their morning or evening commute who are listening intently to your story being told on their favorite podcast. It really is a great opportunity for you to spread your message and sell more books.

How to Get Booked on Podcasts

So now that you’re thinking that maybe being a podcast guest can work for you and your business, then you are probably wondering how to get booked. Here are a few pointers to help you get started.

#1 Know Your Audience.

This should go without saying… However if you have written a book telling your story about overcoming addiction, then you probably won’t want to book yourself on a podcast about baking — it just wouldn’t make sense. So have a clear understanding of who you are and the kind of podcast that may be interested in your message.

#2 Do Your Research.

Check out Itunes, YouTube, SoundCloud and other online sources to find podcasts that may be interested in having you as a guest. Take the time to listen to a few shows and get a general idea of whether or not this is a show for you.

#3 Reach out to the Podcast.

The podcast will often be connected to a website. There may be a space where the podcaster gives specific instructions to those who may be interested in being a guest on their show. If yes, be sure to follow those instructions. If not, try sending an email.

#4 Make Podcast Outreach a Regular Part of Your Marketing Routine.

Make it a habit to reach out to 5 to 10 podcasts a week to increase your chances of getting an invitation.

Podcasting is only growing as internet technology continues to grow. Why not take advantage of the opportunity to talk to hundreds, thousands, or even millions of people over time who are looking for your expertise?

If you would like a little more support in getting ready for your first podcast interviews, then I created a course just for you called Easy Publicity for Authors: How to Grow Your Business with Interviews. It walks you through everything you need to find the right podcasts for you and prepare to be a great guest. Download the course and take immediate action, you may find yourself as a guest on your first podcast within 30 days!

 

Your Problem Isn’t Lack of Book Sales — Here’s the Real Issue

Halona Black Authorpreneur DigitalWellPublisher.com

If there was one thing that I want women business owners to know about how to use social media to market their books, it would be that YOU are in control of the conversation.

I was invited to do a group chat with Dr. Nicole Cutts of Vision Quest Retreats on Facebook on Wednesday evening on the topic of book marketing. The women had lots of thoughtful questions based on their experiences as authors or emerging authors who wanted to write books that promote their businesses.

The common thread throughout most of the questions was around how to sell more books. A legitimate question because, well, authors should be concerned about selling books. The problem with this kind of thinking is that people get caught up in the book sales hustle where they are showing up in social media begging their “friends” to buy a book they don’t want and will never read. So what is the best way to market your book without looking desperate?

Audience Building for Authorpreneurs

The best way for authors to sell books is to create an audience of people who want your book in the first place.

The internet has created an abundance of opportunities for authorpreneurs to control the conversation around their book and their work in general. Whether you support teens in losing weight, write books featuring children who are differently abled, or you are a therapist who is hell bent on getting people to understand that therapy is healthy — there is a way for you to use social media to create your own audience.

The Power of Your Cell Phone

Your cell phone can be used for a lot more than just making phone calls and playing Candy Crush on Facebook. You can record and edit video, create podcasts, do audio interviews, and take great pictures. In essence, YOU have the power to become the media you’ve been waiting for to cover your story. I’ve been able to accomplish this very thing around the topic of black women and uterine fibroids in my book, Loving My Fibroids Away: A 10-Day Detox Plan. I used the power of blogging to create an ebook that essentially launched my freelance writing career. I wrote the book on a laptop at the local library because my own laptop imploded. Then I spent the evenings on my crappy cell phone (at the time) editing my work in Google Docs. No fancy equipment needed. All that hard work paid off because now I get to work as a copywriter and content creator from wherever I want in the world that has a reliable internet connection. I accomplished all of that because I learned how to build my own audience.

If you want to catch up on the whole group chat that inspired this post, then click here to visit the Women Owned Business Wednesdays Facebook page.

 

10 Steps to Publishing Your First Health Book

 

10 Steps to Publishing Your First Health Book

 

It seems the entire world is obsessed with finding more information on how to become and stay healthy. As a result, the demand for well written, up-to-date books on just about any health related topic is at an all time high.

Are you ready to become the next Dr. Oz and showcase your knowledge on a syndicated talk show that airs all over the world, 5 days a week? Are you someone who is winning the battle against an illness like Kris Carr and wants to share your story on how you keep yourself healthy by writing best selling books? Are you an experienced wellness practitioner like Queen Afua who has written several books and turned them into training programs for women all over the world?

If you answered yes, then you may be ready to get started on writing your first wellness book. But where do you begin? What does the process of writing a health book actually look like? Let me give you the 10 steps to get you started on writing your health book.

Step 1: What Should You Do Before Writing Your Health Book?

There are a few questions you should be asking yourself before getting down to the business of writing a health and wellness book. Skipping these questions could cost you time, money, and wasted energy on writing the wrong book for the wrong audience.

  1. What is your motivation for writing a health book?
  2. For whom are you writing this health book?
  3. How do you envision your book helping you grow your health and wellness business?
  4. How will you get your book into the hands of those who need it most?
  5. How will you continue to market your book once the initial excitement is over?

I discuss these BIG QUESTIONS with my medical, health, and wellness clients during our Author Jam Sessions. Why? Because it helps to talk these big ideas out loud with someone who can help you think big. Your health book is a legacy that can continue to help people long after you are dead and buried — if you do it right. Asking the right questions will help you clarify your vision for your book and help you develop a business plan that can keep you busy for AT LEAST the next 5 to 10 years.

Step 2: What Is the Main Theme of Your Health Book?

Let’s start thinking about the major theme of your health book. Getting this right will save you from writing a book that no one wants to read. This means that you are clear on who you are and what your audience is interested in reading.

  1. What is your book about in 3 to 5 sentences?
  2. What result do you want your readers to experience after reading your book?
  3. Have you already written on this topic before (blog posts, presentations, etc.)? What kind of feedback did you get from your audience?

Don’t have an audience yet? Then you may want to hold off on writing a book and opt to do smaller writing projects instead. Blogging, writing an ebook, producing a podcast are just a few of the creative ways you can start creating free health content that will help you build an email list. The people on your list will clue you in on what they want to learn from you. I’m not telling you to put off writing a book for the next 5 years… It just means that you should put in the work of at least 6 months to a year of consistent audience building before you begin writing your first health book.

Have you already written your health book and still don’t have an audience? Make an appointment with me ASAP so I can get you started.

Step 3: Write Your Health Book Outline

Writing an outline for your health book is essential to getting it done in the most efficient way possible. A book outline is a map of how you want to present your material in some kind of logical order. Your outline can be flexible throughout the book writing process — for example, if you need to rename a chapter, move it to another location, or add another chapter in at the last minute then you can do so without too much worry. You just want to create a solid outline from the very beginning to ensure that you narrow the scope of your book to something that won’t overwhelm you as a writer, or those who have to read it.

Step 4: Evaluate Your Health Book Outline

Now that you have written an outline you are happy with, let’s evaluate what information you have versus what you need to research. Go back and gather the materials you already have written from step two.

  1. How can you plug these materials that have already been written into your outline?
  2. What other research do you need to do in order to complete the book?

This is the step where many medical, health, and wellness professionals joyfully realize that they don’t have to start writing their book from scratch. It is perfectly acceptable to pull from what you have already created and build from there.

Step 5: Begin Writing Your Health Book

All your book writing activities should begin with a schedule. If you want to ensure that your book actually gets completed, then you’ll want to create a writing schedule.

  1. Pull out your calendar and pick a date by which you plan to complete the writing of your book. Do you have an event coming up where you want to sell your books in the back of the room? Be sure to give yourself enough to get your book edited, create a cover, and go through the process of publishing. Those final details can take anywhere from an added 6 weeks to 3 months — so plan accordingly.
  2. When is the best time for you to write? Morning? Lunch time? Late evenings? I recommend you write DAILY to ensure that you keep a momentum going. If you stop and start every few days, you take the chance of getting distracted. I understand that life happens, however it’s up to you to do your best to honor your goal and your reason for writing your health book in the first place. Pull out your calendar and create a writing schedule you can stick with.
  3. Write. It really all comes down to this one action. Writers write. Procrastinators get nothing done. Pick which one you want to be.

Step 6: Edit Your Health Book

The reason why many people have trouble with the writing process is because they are censoring their thoughts and editing as they write. So you just want to make sure that you write first, edit later. Here’s some tips to get you through editing.

  1. You can choose to edit after writing each chapter, or edit after writing the entire book. I prefer the former simply because it allows me to chop up the process. However you may prefer to write the entire book, then go back later — it’s completely up to you.
  2. Hire a professional editor. Having another set of eyes on your work is invaluable to ensuring that your book is polished and professional.

Step 7: Design a Professional Book Cover

Never underestimate the power of a great book cover — especially in today’s internet economy. You can’t get away with book covers that look homemade anymore. There are several ways for you to get a great book cover at a variety of prices. Here are a few suggestions:

  1. Canva.com: If you are the least bit artistic, you may want to try creating a book cover on your own. Look at the ready-made templates to get you started.
  2. Fiverr.com: Everything on this site is $5+ per service. However remember that you get what you pay for. Get recommendations from friends who say they got an awesome service for best results.
  3. GoOnWrite.com: The guy who runs this site creates beautiful book covers starting at $45 using stock photos.
  4. Hire a designer. You can go on sites like Upwork.com or do an internet search to find a graphic designer or illustrator who can create a great book cover from $50 to $200 or more.

Step 8: Get the Interior of Your Health Book Designed and Formatted

Now that the outside of your book is beautiful, we can work on getting the inside just as lovely. Your book — whether in printed or ebook form — should never look like a Microsoft Word document. You can hire someone to use Adobe InDesign to create a proper design on the inside of the book for you. You can also choose a DIY option by purchasing a book formatting template using MS Word or Adobe InDesign. Click here to download your DIY Book Design Templates.  Once the interior is designed, a professional book formatter can create files for both ebook and print versions of your wellness book.

Step 9: Final Proofread

Before you pay to print your book or turn it into an ebook file, it’s important to ensure that you get one final proofread to catch any last minute mistakes. You and a proofreader should give your health book one last read before hitting the PUBLISH button.

Step 10: Publish

Congratulations! You’ve made it to the finish line! Now you are ready to publish. Here’s a few options I recommend to my clients:

  1. Ebooks can be published as a PDF on your website as well as published on other distribution sites like Amazon and Barnes & Noble. You can go to these websites to find instructions on how to do so.
  2. Print books can be published in a multitude of ways. You can go to your local printer and have it done old school style. You can also use a system like Amazon’s CreateSpace. Finally you can go to another publishing and distribution company like IngramSpark to reach international audiences.

And that’s it!!! Can you sense my sarcasm here???

Health and wellness publishing can be a bear. That’s why I’m here to help you through the process.

If you are ready to move forward with writing your first medical, health, or wellness book, I’m ready to support you. The best way for me to support you is with an Author Jam Session. Here’s a link to my schedule. Click now so we can get started.

 

 

 

 

How to Effectively Attract Clients with Case Studies

How to Effectively Attract New Clients with Case Studies

One of the best ways to attract more customers to your brand is to create social proof. People are more comfortable when they see other people who are “just like them” successfully use your product or service to solve a problem. However many entrepreneurs are not proactive in collecting social proof until they need it for something like a product launch. At that point, they find themselves fumbling at the last minute to collect whatever they can find.

One of the best ways to collect social proof for your business is to create a case study. A case study is a story explaining the results of your service and/or products as told by your ideal customer.

Why do case studies work?

Case studies work because they put your client at the forefront of your brand story. Rather than fill the front page of your website with your business mission and vision statement, why not demonstrate your mission and vision through the eyes of your ideal customers? Reading a case study, or a testimonial from an ideal client pushes the reader to think, “This sounds just like me!” Having your customer tell the story of how their lives were changed as a result of your work can be powerful.

Case studies also make excellent content. Rather than hassle yourself with creating fresh content daily, why not use your case studies as a way to batch content you can syndicate on your social media channels?

How to effectively collect case studies

Step #1: Choose your case study subjects wisely.

The first step to collecting an effective case study is to know that you have clients or customers whom you have served far beyond their expectations. Have you ever heard of the term, “Under-promise and over-deliver…?” This customer should have had an exemplary customer experience that went above and beyond what was written in the original business proposal or terms of service. You get bonus points if the customer had gone to similar businesses to solve their problem to no avail. This is a golden opportunity to get your customer to explain, in her own words, what your competitive advantage is over the others.

Step #2: Decide what medium you will use to collect your case studies.

The medium you use to collect your case studies is important. Video is king in social media right now. Try conducting an interview using Skype or another video based social media that allows you to bring on a guest. You can also choose to only record audio using Skype, a webinar tool, or even a free conference calling line. Bring your audio to life by asking your customer for a high quality, professional photo. Also, be sure to use their real name as people can sense a fraudulent testimonial from a mile away.

Step #3: Contact your potential case study participants.

You should have an idea of who would be a great case study participant. Think about your ideal client — who would your next potential client most identify with? You may have 1 to 3 different ideal client avatars in mind. Create a short email inviting them to participate in a case study. Be sure to include the following information.

  • First, thank them for being a customer. Everyone wants to be appreciated.
  • Tell them you’d like to share their success story with your audience.
  • Tell them how you’d like to record their story (video, audio, etc.)
  • Give them a deadline by which to respond with a yes or no.
  • Offer them an incentive for saying yes to your invitation. This can be an opportunity to share their business website, 10% off their next visit, a personally signed copy of your book, etc.

Remember that your best clients are often busy people so you may have to send 2 to 3 emails in succession to remind them to respond with a yes or no. Plan on sending this email out at least 4 to 6 weeks before conducting the case study. This will give them time to comfortably fit the interview into their schedule.

Step #4: Conduct the interview.

Most small business owners should want to conduct the interview themselves. This is an important marketing activity that is closely related to income generation. The lessons learned from doing the interview yourself will inform how you attract your future clients. However there are times when hiring a freelance writer or an assistant may be the best person to do the job if you are doing other high profile activities.

Before starting the interview, invite your customer to come on 5 to 10 minutes before the interview start time to ensure the audio and/or video is working properly. Be sure to make your customer feel comfortable by thanking them for their time and making small talk. You want your customer to give a natural response to your questions.

It’s also important to be clear on the kinds of questions you will ask your customer. Here are a few questions to help guide you in the right direction:

  1. Ask them to explain what they do in their business and the problem they were experiencing. If they are not a business owner, ask them to explain, briefly, about the challenge they were having before coming to you.
  2. How big was the problem they were experiencing? Try to get them to explain their pain in detail and what it was costing them — money, their quality of life, lost opportunities, etc.
  3. What had they done to solve their problem before coming to you?
  4. What attracted them to working with you?
  5. What was the experience like working with you and/or your staff?
  6. What surprised them the most about working with you? This is an opportunity for the customer to explain how you went above and beyond their expectations.
  7. Ask the customer if they would recommend your services to others and why.

Step #5: Transcribe and repurpose your interview.

You should be clear about what channels you will use to share your case study interviews. Rather than just post the video or audio on YouTube only, think about how you can batch and repurpose this new content so that your message is syndicated across multiple platforms.

  • Your website: Post the transcript and video/audio on your blog. Also, find short quotes you can use in strategic places on your website, i.e., the home page, about page, testimonials page, products and services page, etc. Don’t forget to include their photo.
  • Facebook Live: What are 3 to 5 key results pulled from your case studies you can share with your Facebook business page audience or group? This is a great way to promote your “discovery session” or advertise the next step to working with you.
  • Instagram: Can you pull out 5 or more short quotes from your customer that can be posted on top of a beautiful graphic?
  • Pinterest: The same quotes and pictures from Instagram can be used on Pinterest. If there is an obvious flow or concept that can be explained using an infographic, you can share that here.
  • YouTube: Chop the video up into smaller sound bites that can be used as a quick commercial for your business.
  • Twitter: Take the Instagram and Pinterest posts and schedule them to post automatically on Twitter.
  • Podcast: Turn your audio into a podcast. You can use iTunes, Soundcloud, or a host of other podcasting tools to spread your message.
  • Snapchat: Cut your video into snaps that can be uploaded into your stories.
  • Lead Magnet: Every entrepreneur should be concerned with continuously building her email list everyday. Gather 2 to 3 of your best case studies and turn it into a lead magnet. Further expound on your clients’ success in an autoresponder series.
  • Ebook or Printed Material: If you meet someone at a conference or networking event that you would love to work with, why not further introduce yourself to them by giving them a printed copy of your case study or follow up with them via email with a link to your ebook? You may also utilize it during the onboarding process for new clients to keep them excited about working with you after they have made a payment.
  • Press Release: Use some of the most impressive quotes from your interview as part of a press release to unveil a new product launch.

Case studies can become an ongoing part of your marketing process to help you stay on top of what is working best for your clients and customers. Once you understand what is working, it makes it much easier to build a growth plan that can build your business sustainably for years to come.

#LISTEN: Katrena Friel, Serial Entrepreneur + Best Selling Author

Katrena Friel, Serial Entrepreneur and Best Selling Author on the Digital Well Publisher PodcastLISTEN TO THE PODCAST: I have a confession to make. I don’t know about you… but sometimes I have a hard time hearing my own voice in my business. There is so much advice about what to do, how to run your business. Sometimes my own thoughts and ideas get drowned out by all the noise.

That is why I loved my interview with Katrena Friel, Serial Entrepreneur + Best Selling Author. She has been able to work with a variety of people over the course of her career. Artists, corporations, women, nonprofits, etc. Katrena has always been able to honor her calling and follow her own gut in business — a rare find in business these days. If you have been struggling to hear yourself above the noise, then this interview may be a welcome change for you.

In our interview, she talks about her series of books written under the umbrella brand of REFRESH. Volume 1 is focused on Refresh Your Life, while Volume 2 is focused on Refresh Your Career. She offers valuable steps that you can make in your own business when making the decision to use a independently published book series to magnify your expertise and share your message.

You can connect with Katrena here:

 

 

#LISTEN: Tambra Raye Stevenson, Founder of WANDA

Tambra Raye Stevenson on the Digital Well Publisher Podcast, nutrition, Nigeria, agriculture, Africa
LISTEN TO THE PODCAST: If you have ever wanted to use a book to champion a cause or an organization, then my podcast guest, Tambra Raye Stevenson is the woman to know.
Inspirational Spotlight Interview: Tambra Raye Stevenson
Tambra is the Founder of WANDA, short for Women Advancing Nutrition, Dietetics, and Agriculture. The mission of this nonprofit organization is to empower women and girls in the African diaspora to lead in the food and nutrition space.
To help build buzz about her work, she is writing a children’s book featuring a black girl named Little Wanda who goes on adventures while teaching about healthy eating. As a matter of fact, Tambra is currently in Nigeria over the next month finalizing book illustrations with a local Nigerian artist, as well as providing training and development to women and girls in food and agriculture.
Why Should You Listen to this Podcast?
Have you ever been so excited by an idea that you would stop at nothing to see it come to life? Tambra is a great example of someone who does just that! That is exactly why I have chosen her to be part of my Inspirational Spotlight Interview on the Digital Well Publisher Podcast.
Tambra is asking for your support to help her nonprofit organization, WANDA, with the following:
  • production costs of the children’s book
  • travel costs for training of those displaced by Boko Haram in northern Nigeria, a teaching hospital, and a primary school
  • creation of an online educational resource to train women and girls for leadership in food, nutrition, and agriculture
Give the podcast a listen and let Tambra know how much you appreciate her work by supporting her fundraising campaign.

#LISTEN: Allow me to RE-Introduce… The Digital Well Publisher Podcast

Halona Black Digital Well Publisher Podcast

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

One of the things that I have gotten into over the last year is podcasting. As a professional writer, I really have not aggressively gone after opportunities to speak. Yes, I used to be a teacher. However, honestly, my time in front of the classroom was limited. I was a teacher to adult students and preferred to go back and forth between leadership, administration, and classroom work. It gave me a nice way to mix up my work in a way that made sense for me.

As I have moved into owning my own business in the last few years, I have had my head down writing content for others. While I enjoy the work, I always felt like I had created more of a job for myself than a business. That was why I started teaching publishing to entrepreneurs. This presented an opportunity to create a business model that didn’t always depend upon me being a writing machine.

Starting this publishing boutique meant that I had to come from behind my computer and start showing my face a little bit more — something that was uncomfortable as hell at the beginning. Now I think I am settling in to it a bit more since I started podcasting a little over a year and a half ago.

I started podcasting as a way to force me to speak up a bit more. It’s easy for me to sit and write for hours. However I have to exercise a new muscle when speaking. It’s not that I can’t do it; it’s just that I want to be able to speak as easily as I can write. And that takes practice. Hence, the reason for starting the podcast.

I only produced about 10 or so episodes in the first year. I was so wrapped up in trying to make it perfect that I didn’t get to do as many episodes as I would have liked. I was also wrapped up in taking care of my hubby before and after the kidney transplant. But now that we are in a new space, I’d like to move forward with podcasting… because I enjoy it!

So here is the re-introduction of The Digital Well Publisher Podcast!

How to Get More Value from Your Conference Dollars

Halona Black #pericon #catapultme17

As a coach, speaker, author, and expert, you should be attending a conference at least 2 to 3 times per year. Conferences are great opportunities for you to learn, connect with people, as well as create new opportunities for you to share your message with those who are looking for experts like you.

The challenge with conferences is that most people show up unprepared to take full advantage of the opportunity. The truth of the matter is that conferences are way too expensive nowadays for you to show up half-assed. Think about it… Between the conference attendance costs, hotel, taxis, food, and other gadgets, t-shirts, books, upgrades to new programs, etc., you can easily spend a few hundred dollars to even thousands of dollars depending upon how you roll.

I had an opportunity to attend PeriCON (now rebranded as #CatapultME17) on April 21st and 22nd and wanted to share a few realizations about the value of conferences courtesy of Jai Stone, the conference’s founder and Master Brand Coach.

Relationships are powerful. Jai Stone is very careful about who she connects herself to. Why? Because she understands that her reputation is the foundation of her business. When she decided to organize her first conference, she made it clear that she wanted speakers whom she could vouch for. What does that mean? That means that if you called her asking if you could be put on the stage, you probably got rejected if she couldn’t vouch for you as a business professional and a person.

Great businesses are built on powerful connections. How are you building your network? Click To Tweet

Know what is valuable about you. When you ask for something from an influencer, what do you have to offer in return? I look at many of the major speakers on the conference roster and I noticed that many of them have a high number of ACTIVE community members connected to their business. Mario Armstrong has the #NeverSettleClub. Aprille Franks-Hunt has the Coach, Speak, and Serve Lounge. LaShanda Henry has her SistaSense Power Circle. Lamar and Ronnie Tyler of Black and Married with Kids have Traffic, Sales, & Profit. Many of these speakers have shown up on each other’s conference stages, telesummits, or online trainings. That means that they have a working relationship with one another. Rather than sitting back and wishing that someone with a bigger name would recognize their work, they focused on creating their own presence first, then have people come to them.

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Find out if your online presence is working for you!

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When you ask an influencer for a favor, what do you have to offer in return? Click To Tweet

Giving is a great way to increase your visibility. One of the best ways to be seen at a conference is to get on the roster as a speaker. Speaking gives you instant credibility, no matter if you were doing a keynote speech or a small breakout session. Many of the speakers were very generous with the amount of information they shared during their session. They gave information that we could all go home and implement immediately. However if you missed the opportunity to apply to be a speaker, here are a few things you can do to increase your visibility at your next conference:

  • Volunteer. Conferences are always in need of people who can do the seemingly small, but highly important tasks that keep it running smoothly. Time keeping for the speakers, people who answer questions and manage the flow of traffic in between sessions, passing the mic around during Q&A time, etc. — these are all jobs that are generally done by volunteers. If you make the decision to volunteer, be sure to anticipate the needs of the conference organizers and go above and beyond what you were expected to do. You can’t volunteer, complain about being tired, then sit on the sidelines and still expect a reward.
  • Ask questions. There is always time for Q&A at the end of each session. Be brave and ask as many relevant questions as possible using the microphone. Why? Because people always remember the ones who have the courage to grab the mic and speak.
  • Implement and follow up. Did you hear something at the conference that was useful in your own business? Make it a point to implement within a week after the conference is over — then tell the person you got it from about your success. If you have further questions, be sure to take the time to ask. Send this info via email, tweet, FB message, etc. This is a legitimate way to connect with influencers who are often too busy to get a hold of. However, they love to get real testimonials from people who are action takers. They get a real life example of how their strategies work, and you get to start building a relationship with someone you admire. Everybody wins!

Always give more than you get when attending a conference. That is the best way to increase your… Click To Tweet

Attending a conference is a great way to advance your coaching, speaking, and writing business — but only if you decide to make an active decision to participate.

What conferences are you attending this year? Leave it in the comments below so we can share information.

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Teleclass Recap: Social Media Hacks for Authors with Sharvette Mitchell

Social Media Hacks for Authors with Sharvette Mitchell, Hosted by Halona Black

CLICK HERE TO GET THE REPLAY!

If you are an author, an emerging author, or even an entrepreneur with a great idea for a book, then you want to know how to harness the power of social media to grow your audience.

One of the biggest mistakes I see authors make when creating their author platform is that they wait until AFTER the book is written to start thinking about how to market and sell their book. Unfortunately, that is almost too late. Why? Because so much of the outcome of your book marketing is wrapped up in how you started your book writing process to begin with. It is important that you get crystal clear on your target audience for your book. Ask questions like, who is going to buy and read your book? What do you want as a result of writing this book? Are you looking for speaking engagements? Do you want people to rally around your cause or organization? Do you want people to make a purchase? These questions are essential to the success of your social media campaign for your book.

The outcome of your #bookmarketing is connected to how you start the book writing process. Click To Tweet

On the other hand, if you did not go through those steps from the very beginning, it is possible to create a strategy after the fact. And that is why I am so glad that my friend and colleague, Sharvette Mitchell, Web Designer and Social Media Coach, was able to join me and 20 others on a special teleclass tonight called Social Media Hacks for Authors.

Some of my favorite tips she shared this evening on the call include:

  • Add your website link to your social media bio. People want an opportunity to connect with you, not just your Twitter profile.
  • Connect with Facebook groups that are relevant to the topic of your book. Find authentic opportunities to share your book with people in these groups. If you want to be a super star, you can start your own Facebook group and build a community of people who are seeking your expertise.
  • You don’t have to go far to find relevant content to share multiple times a day on social media. Your content can include pictures of your book cover, your latest events, funny takeaways from your everyday life, or even positive book reviews from Amazon.

There is so much more that Sharvette was able to share in this call. Please take a moment to listen to this call, then IMPLEMENT 2 to 3 tips that most resonated with you. Remember, stop waiting until you have everything together before you start marketing your book and your business on social media. Each step you take forward will get you to your next client who is praying for the very thing you have to offer.

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Author Solution: Do you want to know if your social media presence is helping or hurting your book sales? Do you need guidance on how to create an author platform that will make your expertise shine? Then purchase an Author Platform Assessment, a one hour 1-on-1 consultation to help you attract readers that are ready to buy your products and services.

How to Create an Audience for Your Book Using Your Blog

 

How to create an audience for your book using your blog - Halona Black, DigitalWellPublisher.com

One of the biggest mistakes many emerging authors make when writing their first book is neglecting to build their audience. I don’t know if they think that the audience will just magically show up as a result of writing the book or what (it doesn’t…). However whether you choose to write your book as an independent publisher or via a traditional publishing outlet, building an audience is essential to the success of not just your book, but your career as an expert.

Tip #1: Write posts that are relevant to your book.

Your blog can be used as a sounding board for your book or your book idea. For example, if you want to write a book on how to avoid financial disaster as an entrepreneur while building a business, then you can write posts on

  • How entrepreneurs can save money for retirement
  • How to plan for marriage and family as an entrepreneur
  • Top 5 most important financial documents for entrepreneurs

I can go on, but I think you get the point. Each of these blog post topics can very well be included as a chapter in the book. When you write the posts, be sure to monitor which get the most shares, likes, and comments. This feedback is essential to your success as it gives you an idea of what your readers are most interested in learning about.

Tip #2: Share photos and videos of people, places, and things that inspired you to write your book.

Photography and video are part of what make surfing the internet exciting. While written posts are still the foundation of your blog success, your photos and videos can bring more focused traffic to your blog in a shorter amount of time. Was it your trip to Brazil 5 years ago that spawned your interest in writing a book about traditional herbs and medicine? Why not showcase pictures of some of the more unusual plants and herbs and what they were used for. If you are a health coach, do you have before and after pictures of your transition into creating a more healthy body? Are you a family therapist who wants to write a book about how to create open lines of communication with your children? Do you have video of you and your children using gardening as a suggested activity to help families communicate with one another? There are a million ways to share photos and video from your own life that are relevant to your book or book idea. Bonus tip — Repurpose your photos and videos as content on Facebook, Instagram, and/or Pinterest to get even MORE traffic.

Tip #3: Create a relevant call to action that asks readers to join your email list.

While capturing people’s attention on social media is a great strategy to grow your business, you still want to direct your fans and followers to your email list. Why? Because your email list is the space you own and control. Instagram has been hinting at making changes in its algorithm making it more challenging for people with a big audience to get their photos seen on the platform. Facebook’s algorithm changes almost daily. The point here is that you cannot depend 100% on a platform you don’t own to grow your business. You have to be flexible while making sure to migrate everyone back to your home base.

So how do you get more people on your email list? First, create an irresistible lead magnet. What is one small thing that you can offer to your readers that will help them solve a problem. Is it a template, a short audio course, a webinar — whatever it is, make it good! Finally, be sure to remind them that only those on your email list will get exclusive updates on your book.

Tip #4: Share posts with related groups in social media.

Once you have the posts on your website, you have to incentivize people to go to your site and read it. There are a wealth of affinity groups on Facebook and Linkedin. Join a few of these groups with a spirit of connection and sharing. Once you join the group, be sure to introduce yourself and tell them about the book you are working on. Next, make nice and read other people’s posts and make helpful comments. Add even more value to the group by posting your own blog posts. However, just don’t drop a link and leave. Let people know why they should take the time to read your post by leaving a brief description of what you are posting. Tell them why reading your post will be worth their while.

Tip #5: Write guest posts for people with a larger audience than yours.

Yes, writing guest posts is still relevant.  In my e-course, Easy Publicity for Authorpreneurs: How to Grow Your Business with Interviews, I talk about how to use other people’s platforms to grow your visibility. The trick is to find blogs that have a larger audience than your own. It is also important to find blogs that connect with a similar audience as your own. If your business is all about teaching menopausal women how to move through this new stage in life with confidence, it doesn’t make sense to approach a blog on ice fishing in Canada about doing a guest post — even if it does have 100,000 readers. When writing your post, again, be sure to lead readers back to your site by offering your lead magnet in your bio.

The BIGGEST Key to Audience Growth for Authors

Growing your audience for your book using your blog requires a calculated content strategy. Doing so from the very beginning will help you to know exactly what you need to write and when. So many emerging authors miss out on the opportunity to grow their audience simply because they leave their content until the last minute.

If you are looking for support in creating your personalized content strategy that will help you create buzz for your book — or even just your book idea — email me at Hello (at) DigitalWellPublisher (dot) com and ask for a 1-hour consultation.