I get asked this question A LOT! And, it’s a great question. It’s kind of one of those chicken-egg questions, but the answer to this question is simply, yes!
Why pre-pubbed authors need a website
The number one reason why pre-published authors need a website is to grow your author platform. If you’re thinking, “Oh, but I already have a Facebook Author Page,” then that’s a good start, but Facebook isn’t the hub of your marketing platform.
Facebook has some great benefits to authors, of course. But, statistics show that far less than 10 percent of your page’s followers will even see any content you post. Sadly, that figure is closer to 4-6 percent. Yikes! Another issue with putting all your platform eggs in the Facebook basket is that, again, statistically social media isn’t the best place to sell products.
Do people sell products on Facebook? Yes. I’m not saying no one ever buys something they’ve seen promoted on social media – it’s just not the BEST place. In a minute, I’ll share the best way to actually SELL books to your audience. But, since pre-published authors don’t have a book out yet, it’s vital to build your platform while you’re finishing your book/waiting for its release date.
Well, what is social media good for then? That is another great question I get asked. And, I’ll use it in a future Ask Me Anything Monday. 🙂
So, what is the best sales method for authors?
The number one sales tool for authors is an effective email marketing list. Seriously. There are probably a dozen or more high-dollar how-to-be-a-bestseller courses available, and they ALL focus on building a targeted email marketing list.
How can that help? Think about this. You build an email list of several thousand people. People who have REQUESTED to be on your list. People who have given you PERMISSION to send them offers and information. People with whom you’ve built a RELATIONSHIP. When your book is released, you tell them about it and send them the purchase link. and BOOM! – you will sell books.
Will everyone on your list buy a book? Of course not. But this is the secret that bestselling authors use to launch their new releases to the top of the charts.
We’ll discuss how that all works in another Ask Me Anything Monday. Be sure to subscribe to my blog posts so you won’t miss anything.
An author website is the HUB of your marketing platform
Here’s how an effective marketing system works for authors:
- Build your author website – make sure it has everything necessary (read my free eBook about that here: http://llfredo.lindafulkerson.com/12-must-haves-for-author-websites/)
- Use social media, blogging, networking, search engine optimization, and even paid advertising (optional, but sometimes helpful) to drive traffic to your website.
- Once people arrive at your site, have an offer to give away in exchange for their email address. Collect email addresses.
- Use your email system to build relationships with those on your list. Let them get to know you so they will start liking you and become more likely to buy from you. Provide valuable content to your list so they will trust you and be excited to get new emails from you. They will also likely start telling their friends about your email list.
- When your book(s) come out, let the people on your list know about it. More than once. But not in a spammy BUY MY BOOK way. Educate them about the benefits your book will provide them.
So, to wrap it all up, here’s your marketing goal as an author, and why your website is vital to the plan:
- Everything you do – EVERYTHING – should be with the goal in mind to get people to your website so you can get them on your email list. You must nurture those leads by providing relevant, useful content to them, otherwise all that work you’ve done to get a new email will be wasted. Besides, helping others will help you in the long run. (“You can get anything you want in life if you just help enough other people get what they want.” ~ Zig Ziglar)
- So, build your site. Set up your lead capture system. And promote your free offer. That’s book marketing in a nutshell.
If you have any questions you’d like answered on Ask Me Anything Monday, or if you have a question/comment about today’s post, please use the comment area below.
Have a blessed week! 🙂