In today’s time, there are no doubt numerous ways for authors to reach their audiences when releasing a new or debut book. Marketing and advertising need to be part of an author or publisher’s plans but the one component that must complement all of these efforts is a strategic and effective PR campaign.
Whether releasing a book with a known publisher or taking the leap to self-published, PR can help validate you as an author and your expertise as it relates to your book’s topic. Additionally, a PR campaign can help to inform, educate and motivate readers to purchase your book.
Here are three key ways a PR campaign can help your book excel:
Reaching Your Target Readership
Every book is unique, which means that it will speak to a specific audience with particular interests and needs. Whether you are a faith leader seeking to challenge and inspire Christians with your non-fiction book or an emerging young adult author hoping to captivate and entertain young men and women around the world, an effective book PR campaign can help your work to get into the hands of those who want it most, rather than ending up as just another book on the shelf or in the e-book catalog.
PR professionals understand not only who your book’s audience is but more importantly, they have the tools it takes to reach them. Perhaps a robust social media push will be the best thing to interest your audience or maybe your PR strategy should consist of traditional television interviews. Whatever the case may be, a strong PR plan will be led by a competent team of professionals who can quickly ascertain where your book fits into the saturated market and what it will require to help your book be noticed by the masses.
2. Building a Following
Equally important to reaching the right audience within a PR book campaign is creating and sustaining a loyal fan base. This will help to build name recognition surrounding you as an author as well as your book or book series. Much of the battle with new and emerging authors is creating credibility around their work, as many readers are more likely to purchase from their favorite, established authors than they are to seek out someone new.
PR professionals understand this challenge and how to work around it. When seeking out a PR plan for your book, ensure that building a following for your brand as an author is one of the chief objectives.
3. Increasing Sales
After all, no PR book campaign is successful if it doesn’t encourage consumers to purchase your book. All the facets of an effective book campaign should be geared toward the overarching goal of increasing sales. This is why building a following, integrating a strong social media component and creating connections with your audience are so crucial: these are the drivers of increased sales.
While it is not always readily apparent how much a PR book campaign can increase sales on a percentage base, your PR team can collaborate with your publisher or self-publishing service to track how sales increase or decrease as you engage in publicity efforts, whether that is after appearing on a television show, doing a podcast interview or announcing the book launch on your social media. Based on those metrics, your PR team will strategize which tactics are most effective in driving your sales.
Traditional PR book campaigns are not just for new authors, although they are proven to be very effective in helping to establish emerging writers. This approach is a tried and true way to help authors reach their target audience, build their following and increase their sales.