What is one tip for marketing a book or e-book in order to benefit your personal brand?
The following answers are provided by members of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, YEC recently launched StartupCollective, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses.
1. Give It Away
“Give away hard copies of your book. It’s really easy for someone to see a link for your e-book and just ignore it. If you give a copy of it to someone, at the very least, he or she will gloss over it and potentially pass it on. If you really want to release an ebook for free, at least have people give you an email address on a landing page for the download link.”
Kumar Arora, Aroridex, Ltd.
2. Make Your Publicity Rounds
“Before and after releasing your book or e-book, try to secure as many interviews with media outlets as possible. Reach out to publications that might be interested in your book, do interviews at your local NPR station or other radio station with a national audience, make appearances on national podcasts, and hold Q&A sessions with folks on Twitter or Reddit.”
Firas Kittaneh, AstraBeds
3. Publish on Amazon
“Many times when people publish an ebook, they only make it available on their company or personal site. But by publishing the e-book on Amazon, you get access to a huge audience, which can really help you when marketing your book.”
Randy Rayess, VenturePact
4. Get Testimonials From Best-Selling Authors
“Most best-selling authors will provide a testimonial for your book or e-book if you ask. I’ve written several best-selling books (100,000+ books sold) and I’ve happily provided testimonials for 16 other books (even some NYT best sellers)! Getting top testimonials for your book will enhance your personal brand and also give your book an added boost of credibility and marketability.”
Kristopher Jones, LSEO.com
5. Include It in Your Signature
“As people link to their LinkedIn profile, blog, etc. in their email signature, you should include a link to your ebook page (especially if it’s free). Your signature can be a great marketing tool, especially if you are enough of an authority on a particular subject.”
Adam Stillman, SparkReel
6. Write Related Articles
“The best way to market a book or e-book is to write related articles that directly or indirectly conveys a high-perceived value of your book. You can publish these articles on your own blog or use them to guest blog on sites that have your audience.”
7. Get Yourself Booked as a Guest on Podcasts
“A great technique for benefiting your personal brand while marketing your book or e-book is to get yourself booked as a guest on podcasts. Podcast hosts are always looking for great content to share to their listeners, and if you’ve got a great book and an interesting story, you can build your name and audience by capitalizing on different podcasts in your vertical.”
8. Write Content That Includes Snippits of the Book
“For any of our clients trying to promote books, we suggest writing articles in external publications that include sections of the book. At the end of the article, they can link back to a page where someone can download or purchase the book. This gives your reader some of the information upfront, but then draws them in to want to learn more about what you’ve written in the book.”
9. Test Several Titles
“Writing a book title is like writing a mission statement for your personal brand. It’s what you’ll become known for. Make sure to test several book titles before writing the book. Test book titles by running several Google Ads. Select the winning ad, write the book, and be prepared to have people introduce you by yourbook title instead of your first name. ”
Brett Farmiloe, Markitors
10. Cite the Right Sources, Then Ask Them for Help
“All business books rely on the teachings of others. Articles you’ve read, founders you’ve met and advisers you have inform all of your insights. As the saying goes, you’re standing on the shoulders of the generation before you. Be generous with citations and credit. When you publish your book, share copies with these folks. If you represent them well, they’ll happily share your story.”
Aaron Schwartz, Modify Watches
11. Drive Pre-Orders
“Many bookstores look at the Amazon.com pre-order numbers when deciding whether or not to stock your book on their shelves. In addition, Amazon pre-orders are taken into consideration for bestseller lists, so you’re killing two birds with one stone. Figure out how to launch your pre-order page as early as possible and spend a lot of time driving people there!”
Windsor Hanger Western, Her Campus Media
12. Build Your Social Media Following
“One of the best ways to promote a book is through your social media platforms. Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn are all very good for this. The idea is to gain friends and followers who are interested in the kind of content your book contains. Use social media to share helpful information, not just to market your book. That helps to build your network faster as people share your posts.”
Shawn Porat, Fortune Cookie Advertising
13. Add It to Your Email Signature
“One super-simple and quick tip is to add a link to your book in your email signature. Think how much mail you send every day. It’s likely a lot, isn’t it? It’s also very effective since recipients tend to read emails in their entirety, plus many will be curious to know more about you. Showcasing you’re an author gives you instant credibility and prestige. Try it and watch the compliments roll in!”
Nicolas Gremion, Free-eBooks.net
