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Anyone who wants to become a New York Times bestseller might have gotten into a situation where they ask themselves, “I need to learn how to market my book but how do I even do it?”
Well, it’s actually a lot easier than you think and you can do it on your own.
However there’s a catch to make it even more successful since you need to start small by giving it away for free, but don’t worry because someday you’ll eventually be like J. K. Rowling.
If you’re one of those marketers who’s still looking for the best and effective way to market your book, then today’s your lucky today.
After reading this article, you will learn how to market your book through book funnels and how it will help boost your sales and reputation as an author/marketer.
How to Market my Book 101
Over the past few years, books have been everyone’s source of information as it has all the answers that they need.
Surely, Google can make things easier for you but books are much better than just searching on the internet.
Most people think that books are just tools to make money instead of a way of building trust and connecting with the reader.
But it’s not always the case since some people often do it for fun while making money on the side.
No matter how good the content of your book is, if you don’t know which strategy to use, then it’s not enough to make a sale.
I’m pretty sure you probably got a free book before after signing up on a website, but if not, then you can click here to get a free copy of the DotCom Secrets Book by Russel Brunson; just pay shipping and handling.
What is a Book Funnel?
A book funnel is a marketing strategy that takes the reader through a journey inside a sales funnel that turns them into a potential customer after giving their contact information.
This strategy also works as a powerful lead generation funnel and it has three important parts which are:
- Sales Page
2. Upsell and Downsell Page
In general, the main purpose of a book funnel is to convince the reader to take action that lets you build a special relationship with them after they finished reading the entire book.
With book funnels, you can easily generate leads and get more people to purchase anything from your brand whether it’s a product or service.
Here’s why it works all the time:
They see the book and grab the free copy of it after giving their email address to you
After reading the book, they are presented with an upsell which is more valuable than the book that they got for free
Since the reader is interested to know more, they will buy the next book which is a premium edition or maybe a merch if it’s a book series
Although you might think that it’s just like what everybody does and it doesn’t really make money, well it does.
In case you didn’t know, this strategy is actually what made the master of ClickFunnels, Russel Brunson, a New York Times Best Selling Author for his FREE DotCom Secrets Book.
How do you know if it’s successful?
A book funnel is successful if a reader has become part of your mailing list, bought a product or service, booked an appointment for you, and more.
It will take time for you to make money at first especially when you’re giving away free content but if you understood well on how to add more value, then it will generate sales.
Parts of the Book Funnel
Sales Page
The sales page is where you will be using “Curiosity-Based Headlines” that make the visitor interested to get your free book.
Usually, the sales page will offer a free-plus-shipping book that convinces them to get a copy of the book while only paying for the delivery fee.
You must also make it clear to them that they will be paying for the shipping fee so you won’t get a bunch of people complaining about on your email.
Your sales page is divided into three parts where the top block triggers the emotion, the middle block will focus on logic, and the bottom block is where you create urgency.
A good way to encourage them to get the free offer is to use a two-step process where they input their information on the first page and the payment details on the second page.
After they trusted you with their information, an order form bump will appear and this is where you will present them with another offer that’s more valuable.
Don’t complicate things and make it simple by adding,
“Are you giving this book as a gift? We also offer gift wrapping for an extra $”
You don’t have to make it too long for your prospect since all they care about is to get that free book.
Upsell and Downsell Page
Your upsell page is where you will present them with a one-time offer that keeps the buying loop open, thus, leading to possible conversion.
Of course, this has to be more valuable than your previous offers.
Take note that in a sales funnel, value is very important and you should always know where and when to present a valuable offer.
However, a one-time offer shouldn’t be about selling more of the same product or service since it has to be something more valuable that they can use after.
For example, you’re offering a free craft book about sewing dresses for babies called, “Mommy Sewing Time Made Easier at Home”
Your one-time offer shouldn’t be another Mommy Sewing Time Made Easier at Home book.
If you think about it, why would they need to buy another book that’s the same thing if they can get it for free the first time?
This one-time offer of yours can be a sewing kit that saves them time buying one at the store, or maybe an exclusive box where they can store their kit.
It’s that simple!
The downsell page appears when someone doesn’t buy the one-time offer.
This page is where you can give them another offer that’s cheaper than the first one but with less content.
Just like our example, you can offer them a kit that costs less but with half of what’s inside the original kit.
Nonetheless, downsells aren’t usually included since upsells are highly encouraged even though it still has the power to increase their cart value.
Thank You Page
The last page of your book funnel is the thank you page that lets them know that their purchase was successful and of course, it’s also where you thank them.
But wait, it doesn’t end there just yet.
This page is also where you can lead them to another sales funnel in your value ladder.
You can tell them about a webinar that they can join for free or maybe an exclusive members-only group.
The possibilities are endless with sales funnels as long as you can get them to work.
If you want to know more about the different business strategies that you can use, you can click here to learn more.
Who can use book funnels?
The book funnel strategy establishes credibility and builds authority which is ideal for:
- Marketers who want to start writing a book about their business
- Authors who are struggling to market their book
- Consultants
- Service providers
- Public speakers
- Instructors, etc
If you’re looking to grow your audience even as a first-time author, then this is also a good way to start building your email list.
Another benefit from marketing books with this strategy is that it also helps you unlock the possibilities of reaching more clients.
Take Russel Brunson for example, after publishing his DotCom Secrets book for free, he was able to gain more customers for ClickFunnels, which is a funnel builder software.
How do I market my book in 2021?
Probably the best way to market a book is using book funnels and hosting a summit where you invite guest speakers who have read your book before.
This will help promote your book as well as build a connection with your guest’s email list once they sign up.
Additionally, you may also get affiliates to promote your book for brand exposure.
We also recommend using a free plus shipping book funnel.
You can learn more about these in DotCom Secrets, which you can read our review for here.
How do books get marketed?
Usually, the publisher of your book will be responsible in marketing since they already have this connection with most bookstores and other channels.
But if you’re an aspiring author, you can have your book marketed in so many ways and it can be through:
- Promotions from bloggers and influencers who have a good following on social media.
- Writing guest posts for someone with a well-established website
- Taking advantage of your email list by telling them about your book
- Sharing to your family and friends
- Starting a podcast
- Telling everyone on social media
These are only a few things that you can do to market your books, and if you’re still new to the whole process, you can start with the ones around you since they already know you.
How can I improve my book sales?
Other than applying the book funnel strategy, you can also use the following methods to improve book sales:
Know your target audience
Knowing your target audience and where they are congregating makes it easier for you to reach potential readers.
Start by asking questions and see if your book can help solve a particular problem and tell them how they will find it useful.
This way, you’re being more specific on who you can sell your books to make a sale.
A good strategy is also to have a book launch event on where your target audience can be found, like in a bookstore for example.
Spread the word on any social media platform
This method is probably the easiest one since you can take advantage of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and more, to promote your book.
You can create a page for your book since this is a great branding opportunity, especially for first-time authors.
Get book reviews
Book reviews are also a good way to increase book sales and you can have a content creator who has the same niche as you to review your book.
The good thing about getting book reviews is that it also gives your prospects an idea of what the book is about before they even get it.
Another advantage of this strategy is that it also points out the areas for improvement so you can do better as an author.
Book giveaways
Book giveaways are also effective to increase sales.
Since you’re giving away a free book, then they’re much more likely to be interested in getting another book from you just like what a book funnel does.
You can include affiliate products in your book funnel if you don’t have any upsells.
Interested in books on affiliate marketing?
Read our article on the Top 10 Affiliate Marketing Books
