Marketing is hard work. And I say this as a marketing expert. That means it can be very tempting to look for that magic bullet and focus on that one marketing channel that will out perform everything else.
This is why I hate to break it to you that no such channel exists. There is no shortcut to success in marketing. It all comes down to something else.
What Are Marketing Channels?
To start at the start, if you’re not sure what I’m talking about when I say “marketing channels,” I simply mean the different places or methods you can use to connect with potential readers. Think of them as the routes you take to deliver your message.
Some channels are digital:
Some are more traditional:
However, despite what some people may think, a marketing channel isn’t a strategy on its own. It’s just the vehicle. What matters is what you put in it (your message), where you send it (your audience), and also how it works with the other channels you’re using.
So the next time someone says “You have to be on TikTok!” or “You must run ads,” remember, they’re just talking about one vehicle. And unless you know where you’re trying to go, and who you’re trying to reach, it’s a fruitless exercise just jumping in and pressing the accelerator.
The Social Media Myth
For many self-published authors, social media is the default marketing channel. There seems to be this idea floating around that you must be on social media.
But here’s the truth: just being present isn’t a strategy.
Showing up on a platform doesn’t automatically make it the right place for your book, especially if you haven’t figured out who your audience is, where they hang out, or what kind of message actually gets through to them.
Multi-Channel
It’s been proven to be true that the more channels you use, the better your results will be. But I will put a little disclaimer on that. This is only true if those channels are all working as a team.
One of the best pieces of marketing advice I can give you is to be consistent and persistent. Say the same thing everywhere.
It takes, on average, seven touchpoints before someone even notices your book, let alone considers buying it. So if you keep changing your messaging, your tone or your visual identity from one platform to another, you’re not reinforcing your message. You’re just confusing your reader.
Whatever you say on your website, also say it in your newsletter and say it in your social posts. Repeat it in interviews, event pitches, even the back of your bookmarks. Copy and paste is a marketer’s friend. It’s consistency. And consistency builds recognition.
But What Should You Be Saying?
This is where the strategy comes in. Before you can pick the right marketing channels, you have to ask a different question first:
What are you trying to achieve with your book marketing?
Your objective, whatever it is, is the compass to your marketing. Without it, choosing channels is just guesswork. But when you know your goal everything else gets much easier.
You can use your time (and money) more wisely because you’re not reacting to trends, you’re working towards a plan.
The Lindie Marketing Guide
The Lindie Marketing Guide was made to help with questions like this. It walks you through how to build your own strategy from scratch, and offers simple step by step guidance.
Get your copy of the Lindie Marketing Guide and let’s take the guesswork out of getting your book seen. Good marketing isn’t about doing everything. It’s about doing the right things.
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