You’ve put a ton of time into writing your nonfiction book and now you’re ready to sell a lot of copies, make a positive impact, and gain a loyal legion of fans.
You may even envision creating an online course based on your book, which can lead to speaking engagements. Next thing you know you’ll have a full-fledged business and multiple income streams, all flowing from your book.
With all the social media platforms and digital marketing channels open to you these days, there’s no reason why this vision can’t come to fruition.
However, to achieve this goal you’re going to need an ongoing promotional campaign, the basis of which is strong “sales copy” for your book.
Now, I just put the term sales copy in quotes for a reason.
Over the last 12 years I’ve crafted marketing copy for over a hundred authors who’ve written books they intended to sell to people all over the world. However, many of them felt squeamish when they heard me use the terms “sales copy” or “persuasive sales copy” when talking about their marketing content.
The reason is terms like “persuasive sales copy” sound like a ploy you use when you want to trick or manipulate people into buying your books. And nobody wants to do that. The good news is that you don’t have to.
When written properly, persuasive sales copy can have the same feel as a friendly conversation you’d have in a coffee shop with a potential reader of your book. No hype. No fluff. No razzle-dazzle and no manipulation. Just straightforward honesty and authenticity.
When you understand this simple concept, writing effective marketing messages for your book becomes much easier and more enjoyable. And it’s important you embrace this concept because …
…You Owe It to the World to Make a Big Noise with Your Book!
Today you live in a global economy that is tightly connected by social media platforms and video conferencing tools that enable you to speak with people around the world as if they were sitting right next to you.
This connectivity empowers you to sell your book to anyone, anywhere, any time. So, if you have a book that can energize, stimulate, enlighten, educate, or entertain, you need to let people know you have something valuable to share with them.
The fact is, there are probably thousands, if not millions, of people around the globe who would like to hear from you and potentially buy your book.
Why Book Sales Copy Is a Must
In today’s online market it is easy to shy away from writing sales copy and simply substitute it with a large volume of blurbs, posts, articles, and videos that are intended to create “awareness” for your book.
Creating this content is definitely a sound strategy. However, at some point you also need to craft compelling sales copy that motivates readers to buy your book NOW …instead of later, or never.
Like Two Friends Talking in a Coffee Shop
As I mentioned earlier, compelling book marketing copy can be written in the same tone as a casual chat between two friends in a coffee shop. When you understand this, then “persuasive sales copy” should no longer be a phrase that makes you apprehensive.
There is no doubt that marketing copy filled with hype, fluff, and unrealistic promises will turn people away. However, marketing copy with a casual, friendly tone can be highly effective if you lead people through a simple motivating sequence that 1) shows you have a precise understanding of what readers want, desire, or need; and 2) communicates the clear-cut benefits they’ll derive from reading your book.
It really is possible to do this by writing sales copy in a style that mirrors the tone and feel of a casual conversation you’d have with a good friend.
Establish Your Authentic Voice
To stand out in a crowded market, your book marketing copy needs to have a distinct voice in which it is written. The key here is to avoid writing your marketing copy in a “salesy” voice, and instead write it in a straightforward authentic voice that is true to your book.
For example, if you’ve written a self-development book that has a nurturing tone, write your marketing copy in a nurturing tone. If you’ve written a business book that has an authoritative edge to it, give your marketing copy an authoritative edge. If your book has a witty attitude to it, write your marketing copy with a witty attitude.
Chances are the voice and tone of your book is a direct reflection of you. So if you write your marketing copy through the same authentic voice as your book, it’s going to be much easier for you to give it a conversational tone that resonates with your readers.
Make Your Copy Believable
If there is one thing your target audience can sniff out from a mile away – it’s marketing B.S. This is why it’s critical that all your book marketing copy be believable. Here are a few tips you can employ to assure your marketing copy comes across as honest and sincere:
- Avoid using worn-out clichés that don’t really mean anything like “second to none,” “cut above the rest,” or “to a whole new level.”
- Stay away from basic general statements and popular buzz phrases.
- Make sure your benefit statements are detailed, specific, and to the point.
- Craft your copy as if you’re going to read it to a potential buyer while the two of you are drinking coffee together.
Most important, resist the temptation to focus your marketing copy on what your book is about. Instead, focus your copy on the benefits readers will derive from reading your book.
A great way to test your marketing copy is to read it out loud and ask yourself, “Does this sound like me? Does this sound like something I’d say in a face-to-face conversation?”
Deliver a Lot of Value
About 10 days ago I received a phone call from an author who had watched several of my Book Marketing Copy Quick Tip video blogs. This is what he said to me in the first 30 seconds of our call.
“Hey, I’ve watched several of your videos and you seem like a cool guy who knows his stuff. I’d like to hire you to write the marketing copy for my book.”
Nice. I barely had to say anything and I had a new client.
The reason this happened is because each week I put out a simple video tip in which I try to be nice and offer my audience helpful information that has a lot of value.
I end each video by telling viewers how they can receive additional free information from me. No sales pitch and no hype. I just try to create a simple conversation between me and my audience and I go out of my way to provide them with extra value.
Because of this, the prospect who called me up already felt like he knew me, liked me, and trusted me.
In marketing this is called the “know me, like me, trust me” factor. This is what motivates people to buy from you more than anything. To build this factor with potential book buyers all you have to do is:
- Engage directly and regularly with your audience of potential readers
- Be nice and provide them with a LOT of valuable information
For example, if you’ve written a business book that you’ll soon be publishing, share key points, principles, and bits of wisdom from your upcoming book on social media and with your subscriber list if you have one.
You don’t have to “hype” your upcoming book. Instead, just reveal valuable pieces of information from your book that will be helpful to your target audience. Let them know the information you’re sharing is expanded on in further detail in your soon-to-be launched book.
This simple approach of giving your target audience helpful information from your upcoming book will build your “know-me-like-me-trust-me” factor with potential book buyers.
Take this authentic, down-to-earth approach and your target market will be waiting for your book to come out, which is exactly what you want. No hype or sizzle required!
This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what I can teach you about how to write engaging marketing copy in a friendly, conversational tone.
However, if you start by using the insights I’ve provided as your foundation, you’ll be in a strong position to write marketing content for your book promotion that flows like a casual conversation between friends.
Author Bio:
Casey Demchak is an award-winning copywriter and a recognized expert at writing persuasive marketing materials for dozens of authors who have achieved Amazon bestseller and international bestseller status. You can download Casey’s e-book, 7 Must-Know Copywriting Secrets that Sell More Books at https://www.caseydemchak.com/secrets/.
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