Are you sick of struggling with Facebook and Google to get people to discover your business online? Imagine if there was another way to grow your audience.
Well there is. And it’s one most people overlook.
I’m not going to lie to you, it takes some upfront effort. But once you’ve done the work, you can enjoy a constant stream of new inquiries and sales from your ideal clients.
All you need to do is write and publish a nonfiction book.
Stick with me here. If you’re thinking you don’t want to write a book, then give me a few moments of your time. I’d like to convince you to give it a go.
Because publishing a book is a lot easier than you might think. You can write and publish a book in as little as 90 days. And the work now will pay off for many years afterwards.
In my book, Author Success Blueprint, I teach my complete process to write, publish, and market your nonfiction book. Discover exactly how to grow your business and claim instant authority with a nonfiction book. Check it out on Amazon below.
How I Started Writing Books
I’ve always loved books. As a little girl, I spent hours with my nose stuck in story books. As I grew older, my interests expanded to include a range of fiction and nonfiction genres.
But it wasn’t until much later that I thought about writing a book.
My first book was an experiment. I wanted to see if I could do it. Could I really write and publish a book in just 90 days?
As it turned out, I could. I even made a nice profit on that title. Amazon still sends me monthly royalty checks for my first book. Even though I spend zero dollars and hours marketing it.
My first book was the start of a new direction for my business. I went on to write more titles. And my business began to grow on its own.
People who purchased my books, reached out to me. Some wanted to know more about my book topics. Others wanted to know how to publish their own book.
It turns out a LOT of people want to write a book.
And so, I started helping others do what I’ve done. I showed others how to become a bestselling author and reach a much bigger audience.
As I did this, I continued writing. The more I published, the more people would reach out to me. They joined my email list, purchased my courses, signed up to coach with me.
Without meaning to, I had created a sales funnel for my business. But not a sales funnel like you’re used to.
I don’t pay for Facebook Ads. Or grapple with SEO. My business growth doesn’t depend on the fickle nature of Facebook or Google.
Instead, my followers discover me through my books. And – in my opinion – it’s the best way to grow your audience online.
Let me explain why.
Why Publish A Book
If you’re a coach, consultant, speaker, or online business owner you can easily grow your following with one or more books. And I highly recommend you consider doing it.
When you self-publish, you don’t have to battle to get Google or Facebook to take notice of you.
To understand, you need to know a little about how Amazon works.
[Side note: Yes, you can publish on other platforms besides Amazon. But most book sales happen on Amazon. So, for the sake of this article I’m focusing on self-publishing via Amazon].
Amazon is a search engine, just like Google. Thousands of people are already searching for help on Amazon every single day. The kind of help you can provide.
If you solve a problem in your business, then you can find clients on Amazon.
But there’s one big difference between Google and Amazon.
It’s near impossible for a new blog to be discovered via Google’s search engine. And don’t get me started on how hard it is to grow your audience with Facebook.
Yet, on Amazon, you can publish a new book and immediately appear prominently in the Amazon store.
You don’t have to pay for advertising. Or post multiple times a day to get noticed.
Your business can grow organically without any more work on your part.
How To Get Discovered On Amazon
Earlier this month, I published my latest book Make Money From Home. Within the first week, my title was on the front page of Amazon’s search results for the phrase “make money from home”.
And you don’t even need to have the search term in your book title.
For example, if you search for “start a life coaching business” on Amazon, my book Make Money As A Life Coach pops up on the first page.
These are just a few of the popular search terms my books appear for on Amazon.
In contrast, this blog has been active for just as long, and yet NONE of my posts appear in Google’s search results for these terms. The competition is just too great.
While I can rank an article for a more obscure phrase, I stand little chance of ranking for a high frequency search term.
High discoverability is a great reason to publish a book on Amazon. But it’s not the only one. Let’s talk about my favorite reason to write a book…
People who buy your book are also highly qualified leads.
Think about it. If you spend several hours at home, reading someone’s words. Then you visit their website or join their email list. Chances are you resonate with that person’s message. You’re ready to learn more about the author.
In short, a reader is much more likely to become a paying customer than someone who clicked on a Facebook Ad.
How To Grow Your Audience With A Nonfiction Book
Now, before you start writing your first bestseller. There are a few more things you need to know.
First, you must write a book people want to read. Create something helpful and not a fluffy book that doesn’t solve a problem. Pour your best ideas into this book. Hold nothing back.
You want your ideal clients to read your book and feel compelled to reach out to you.
The second thing you must do is make it easy for readers to contact you. Even if they love your book, few people are going to reach out without prompting.
You can do this is by creating a book bonus. This is just like a freebie you’d offer someone for joining your email list.
Think about something EXTRA you can offer your readers. Perhaps it’s an audio interview or a short video training course.
I usually create a downloadable workbook to help my readers implement the ideas in my book. I also invite people to join a private Facebook Group where they can get support and free training with me.
What would entice your readers to take the next step after reading your book?
Once you have your idea for a freebie, place several Calls To Action (CTA) inside your book. Make sure your readers know how to claim your freebie or bonus.
If you’d like more help setting up a freebie and an email list, check out this step-by-step guide on my blog: How To Use ConvertKit To Grow Your Email List.
I typically place one CTA at the front of my books then scatter several more inside the pages. But don’t overdo this. Make your CTA enticing and obvious but don’t annoy people.
