Author’s Note: I conducted this interview with Katherine Sears a few years back. Both the Writerly and Booktrope projects have ended. Yet the advice Katherine provides in the video on identifying and connecting with your target market is timeless.
Who is your target market?
Hint – it is not all Amazon consumers, nor is it defined by genre.
How do you know? Once you know who they are, how do you find them? Once you find them, how do you interact with them in a way that promotes your book without spamming them?
In the webinar recording below, publishing and marketing expert Katherine Sears show you how to identify, find and interact with your readers. Whether you are just starting out as an aspiring author, or you have many books published, you’ll gain valuable tips for finding your readers.
Notable tips and facts from the video:
- 3 billion books sold in 2013.
- People who read on e-readers read about 40% more than print readers. This is encouraging as book consumption GROWS as technology improves.
- Word of mouth marketing = Customer recommendations do you marketing for you
- WOMMA (Word of Mouth Marketing Association) provides free resources.
- Readers say they usually get book recommendations from friends, family and co-workers, rather than bookstores, librarians or online sites.
- The internet and new technologies help us reach individuals one-by-one on a much larger scale.
- One of your target markets is your friends, family and co-workers.
- Most effective mindset: You are not talking to the masses. You are talking to a single person.
- Your goal is to have relevant, interesting conversations about things your readers care about (not about your book).
- Choose networks and social media sites based on both your comfort level and your audience’s preference.
- Social media marketers are part artists, part scientists. Start with your gut, but then check actual usage and results.
