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Sample Your Way to Marketing Success
One of my favorite hobbies is visiting the fancy grocery store called Whole Foods (some call it "whole paycheck"). Their prices may be high, but their stores are usually loaded with free samples. I love to browse each section, taste-test, and look for new culinary treats. Many times I'll buy a product just because the sample piqued my interest. If Whole Foods was stingy with samples, they'd lose a lot of sales.
The same principle of sampling applies to you as an author. Are you stingy with your expertise? Do you make it difficult for potential readers to taste your book's message? If so, you're losing valuable sales, regardless of whether you write fiction or non-fiction. How do you overcome this problem? The answer isn't found in sample chapters.
Create free resources as a regular part of your writing and marketing activities. A free resource acts like a sample of your expertise as an author. If you write non-fiction, you're generally trying to come across as an expert. And, a true expert should be so knowledgeable that you have plenty of content to give away for free with plenty left to sell. If you write fiction, use your research to create content that draws readers to your stories. Below are some guidelines to follow when making freebies:
· What qualifies as a powerful free resource?
Sample chapters aren't effective, because they're cliché and everyone expects them. Instead, a powerful free resource acts like a condensed nugget of your expertise that benefits the reader, such as a helpful article, resource guide, top 10 list, special report, book explainer, lost chapter, white paper, quiz, maps, illustrations, recipes, travel tips, etc. Aim for brevity and solving a problem for the reader.
The only limit is your creativity and ability to make the reader appreciate your material. You want people to think, "Wow, this author's free resource was so good, I'll get even more good stuff if I buy their book." As an author myself, I used to offer a freebie called "31 Character Questions." I gave it away via media interviews, speaking engagements, my newsletters, my website, etc. Over the years, I've tracked literally hundreds of book sales to readers who got that article first.
· How often do you need to create a free resource?
If you haven't developed something new in the last 3 months, then you're too stingy with your expertise. Potential readers need to get frequent, updated ways to taste-test your books. Otherwise, they will lose interest or forget about you altogether.
Set a goal to develop at least one new resource per quarter. If you can do it monthly, that's even better. Give people consistent reasons to see you as an author who has the ability to help them. If you write fiction, create resources that inspire the reader.
· Where do you offer your free resources?
In a word, everywhere. Don't keep knowledge to yourself. Get it to your audience in multiple ways. For starters, don't assume that posting free resources to your blog, FaceBook page, or Twitter account is sufficient. Those channels only show your most recent interactions. Therefore, your material can get lost in the archives.
Keep a page on your website that highlights free resources. If you blog, setup a category of posts that says "free resources." During interviews, mention your freebies to attract listeners to your book. When you speak or conduct book-signings, make your freebies available to every attendee.
There's nothing like the power of sampling to draw people to your books. And, there's nothing like the power of free to help people take the next step towards a purchase. |
