If you sell a service, you know that reputation is everything. Potential clients need to see you as credible, knowledgeable, and trustworthy. There are many ways to build that reputation, and few compare to marketing with a book.
A book with your name on the cover.
A book with your face on the cover.
Nothing says “expert” like a book. There’s even a saying that means someone is an expert on a topic: “They wrote the book on it.”
What reputation do you want?
Your first step is to decide your reputation goals. Think carefully what reputation you want – this is a branding process. The excellent reputation will be different for each person and each business, but let me lay out a typical scenario that applies more or less to everybody.
First, you want readers to be impressed at how much you know about your subject. Knowledge is almost always the priority, whether real estate, marketing, artificial intelligence, or cake decorating. So, the book has to be heavy on what you know.
Second, you want readers to know you can do a top-quality job. Sure, you know a lot about cake decorating, but can you decorate a cake? A few pictures could go a long way. But for most niches, you will have to rely on words alone.
Third, you want readers to trust you. Before doing business with someone, I like to know they are honest. I like to know they will deliver what they promise when they promise it. I want to know they won’t try to shake me down with extra fees. Your book must show your character.
Fourth, you want readers to like you. I am more likely to do business with a friendly, approachable person who seems down-to-earth and happy. I am less likely to do business with a dour person who thinks too highly of themselves.
What are your stories?
As you might have guessed by now, this is about storytelling. You have to tell stories about having decorated the cake, and you have to tell stories of how customers were thrilled and the compliments their guests gave them.
Your words have to paint the picture of the type of person your clientele wants to hire.
Gather the stories telling readers you can do a top-quality job.
Gather up the stories that tell readers that you have a strong character.
Gather the stories telling readers you have a pleasant or sparkling personality.
What are you waiting for?
The next step in marketing with a book is writing the manuscript or getting a ghostwriter to write your book for you. You begin by creating an outline, which could be based on sub-topics if that works for your niche. For instance, in real estate, it could be one chapter for each step of the listing, staging, selling, negotiating, buying, inspection, and financing processes.
Or it could be based on your stories, with one chapter per story and perhaps a couple of knowledge chapters, such as future trends or a niche history.
The big work is putting the words down. The reasons you might want to outsource the writing are two-fold.
First, it is a huge time suck. Writing is a labor-intensive process, even writing a rough first draft. That’s why so many people hire virtual assistants to gather information together.
Second, you might not have the skills. You might be an excellent financial planner, a gifted tattoo artist, or a skilled fitness coach. But you need to become a proficient writer. Like it or not, people will judge your skills based on how well you express them.
Do you have it all covered?
The cover of the book is critical. Your picture on the cover should be welcoming (smile!) and professional.
Beyond that, think once again about the reputation you want to portray. It will make all the difference between a suit and tie vs. a blazer and jeans. It will make all the difference whether to wear professional clothing, such as a lab coat or protective gear. It might make the difference between a pleasant smile and a wide grin.
I often suggest a business-like pose or a headshot on the front cover. Then a more relaxed here-is-the-human-behind-the-professional picture on the back. This might be with family, a pet, or on some outdoor adventure, depending on your desired reputation.
You’ll want a summary of what the reader will get from the book on the back cover. This is not fiction. Say what they will learn. I am always happy to provide a back cover copy with the manuscript on request.
Your mini-bio on the back cover should be specially written to create the exact reputation you want. Even if nobody ever opens your book, it should build your reputation in two ways:
- By showing that you wrote the book on the topic.
- By the very effective paragraph on the back cover.
Ready to sell your book?
Maybe. You might put it up on Amazon and earn income from it. But if the prime goal of marketing with a book is to build reputation, you want to distribute it in two ways.
First, you want to hand your book to prospects when you meet them. Think of it as a business card. This works only if you are selling a big-ticket item. For instance, each property sale is huge for a real estate agent, and one extra sale pays for the book. Most B2B sales are also big enough for this approach.
You should not give it away free to all your cake decorators, graphic designers, tutors, and accountants. At least, not a hard copy.
That’s where your website comes in. Make it a free download, perhaps in PDF form.
Here’s the key: make the images on your website look like a “real” hardcover paper book. Make it look “real.” Make 3D book covers that look tangible. It’s so easy to dismiss viruses, climate change, and things that can’t be touched and seen. Make it look like you “wrote the book on it,” not like you “wrote some stories in a file, and I hope you like reading them.”
What more can you do?
With the book in hand, you can now reach out to influencers in your niche. Let bloggers, podcasters, and journalists know about it. That’s a great way to expand your reputation and get clients worldwide. You will be sought-after because you wrote the book on it.
The book marketing checklist:
- You have your branding
- You have your stories
- You have a cover
- You have a way for people to download it.
- You are ready to go!
Marketing with a book is a great way to boost your reputation and win over more clients. It dovetails nicely with other marketing efforts.
Plan it. Write it. Promote it. The payoff will be well worth the effort.
