“Oprah Winfrey at 2011 TCA” by Greg Hernandez from California, CA, USA – Oprah Winfrey at 2011 TCA. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
We were all excited. An author we had just published was going to be on Oprah, and the subject of our author’s book would be front and center during the interview. We shipped thousands of books to make sure our accounts had plenty of inventory. The day came, and Oprah set her up beautifully. The author did a great job, and I felt a surge of energy when the book flashed on screen multiple times.
And we waited for the orders to come in.
Sadly, we’re still waiting. For whatever reason, though exposure for the book was massive via Oprah and her influence, the book did not sell as well as we had hoped.
Why Oprah Can’t Make Your Dreams Come True
Don’t get me wrong. High-profile publicity has its place, and for some books it works magic. Many bestsellers become bestsellers at least in part because of strong media exposure.
But just as if not more often publicity comes and goes, and a book’s sales remain relatively unaffected. It can be heartbreaking, believe me. Fact is, Oprah can’t make a writer’s dreams come true—but tribal marketing can! <Tweet that!>
Why? Read on.
The Power of Tribal Marketing
Oprah, the Today Show, Glenn Beck, and Jon Stewart broadcast, which is to stay they distribute their program broadly—to lots of people who may or may not have an interest in you and your message.
Tribal marketing is when you market to a group of people who have already expressed interest in what you have to say. A writer can build that tribe in many different ways, and it takes time, but in the long run it is well worth the effort.
4 Proven Steps That Turn Writers into Tribal Marketers
- Read Tribes by Seth Godin (it’ll take 2 to 4 hours). Then read Lynchpin for good measure (a longer read, but enjoyable).
- Decide how you’ll deliver content. Will you blog, speak, self-publish ebooks, create courses, do webinars, shoot videos? More important than the method you choose is the fact that you choose a method or two and stick to a consistent rhythm.
- Focus on building your email list. Offer to send an awesome piece of content via email. Offer a thank you gift when you speak somewhere. Start giving things away for which interested people will give you their email addresses. One of the first people to turn me on to the power of email was Jeff Goins. He has some great content on this, and a lot of people have found his Tribe Writers course to be very helpful!
- Incentivize purchases of your book. Once you have a list of email addresses from people who have already expressed interest in your content, you can market your book to those people. Try offering a package of valuable resources (a series of conference calls with you, for example, an audio course, or other incentive) if people buy your book by a certain date or during a certain window of time.
- Bonus step: add a value to the incentives that make buying your book a no-brianer. Let’s say you’re offering a series of three conference calls with you. How much is that worth? $150? $200? $300? Now imagine offering that much value in exchange for a $20 book purchase? That’s a deal, friends! If I was already thinking about buying your book, you’ve just made it a no-brainer for me.
Salesy Sleazy Yucky?
When I’ve spoken on this topic in the past, sometimes someone will raise their hand and say “Yeah, but isn’t all this kind of salesy and . . . you know, yucky?”
And I want to scream.
Do you care about your message? Do you want to help people with your message? Do you believe in yourself?!
If you do, you’re not being sleazy. You’re offering help to people who need it, and you care so much about them you’re trying to use the most effective means necessary.
Drop the excuses, and get to it!
Question: What could you give away that would help you build your email list? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
Just offered an MP3 on my website! Thanks for this post, Chad. Learning a ton.
Some great ideas here – I have seen them done over and over but NEVER thought about doing them! Pretty basic – add more value to people!
You’ve brought up two important points, directly or indirectly: the necessity of having content (ready to go) in the first place, and the value of having a plan. Enjoyed this post!
Tracie, well said, and you’re absolutely right!
I have a friend that attended a writer’s “critique” group. After the meeting he went around after all of their comments and asked if anyone had sold any books. Not a ONE had sold any books. He left the group and never went back. To critique to improve your work is one thing, but not to sell your work is a waste of time and effort.
Everyone is in business for themselves, including writers.
Hi Kevin! Thanks for writing. I’m a big one for craft as well as commerce (and of course the two are related), but if we’re writing to serve others, it’s a lot more fun when others read what we’ve written!
This year I hope to offer a free e-book based on a blog series. I find this kind of marketing generous in many ways being on the receiving end before.
Lisa, you raise a worthwhile possibility! We needn’t start from scratch! We can start with a post (or as you say, a series of posts) that has already struck a nerve out there and repurpose it into an ebook or other freebie. I look forward to seeing yours!
Good Morning, Chad!
Loved your thoughts!
The time when an author took a backseat to sharing AND spreading their message is over. Another day has dawned and “proactive” is the new (and wise) normal. What a poignant reminder you shared about the relevancy of the moment. Grabbing hold of opportunity isn’t sleazy. It’s smart! (God grants us free will. It’s up to us to seek His wisdom and use it accordingly.)
Now–in addition, to that–marketing and putting our message out there is only sleazy if we make it that way. “Buy me,” “Like me,” and “Kiss my grandma” will fall on deaf ears if there’s no connection and an interest/likeability factor. Being confident of a great product and what it can do FOR OTHERS will always trump ME-MEs.
Great post–I’m sharing!!!
Thanks, Cynthia. Well said!