Writing a business book is one of the most underutilized and most effective tools in the modern business leader’s toolkit. In this age of information overload, people seek information that is written by the experts. By authoring a business book, you instantly become a top thought leader in your industry — gaining visibility, credibility, and plenty of business opportunities.
In this article, we’ll break down the top five benefits writing a book can bring to your business. We will also share strategies for maximizing your book’s impact and taking advantage of the opportunities your authorship will grant you.
Who Can Benefit From Authoring A Business Book?
To answer this question directly: Everyone.
If you’re in business, and you want to grow your business, then writing a book is for you. You don’t have to be a world-famous CEO, or a renowned thought-leader to write a book. In fact, if becoming either of those things is your goal, then writing a noteworthy business book is a great way to get there.
Here are a few examples of people who can benefit from authoring a business book:
Small business owners who want to grow their business.
Entrepreneurs looking to scale their business into the next level of success.
Consultants hoping to gain clients and showcase their expertise.
Marketing experts seeking to establish authority.
Professionals who wish to expand their network and gain influence.
Investors who want to share their secrets to success.
Business educators and speakers who need a calling card.
Everyone has something valuable to say. While writing a book is a challenge, the payoff is well worth the time and effort.
Why Is Authoring A Business Book A Great Marketing Tool?
Marketing continues to be a top priority for businesses. In fact, 14.1% of companies increased their marketing budget in the first quarter of 2022, marking an eight year high. But, while companies focus on traditional advertising, they tend to overlook one of the greatest marketing tools in business: Writing a book.
Here are five reasons why authoring a book will benefit your business and help you reach your goals.
1. Establish Credibility and Authority
A well-written business book demonstrates expertise and knowledge in a specific area, helping to establish the author as a thought leader in their field. Plus, writing a book shows dedication and commitment to a subject, which can enhance credibility and trust in the eyes of potential clients or customers.
Customers don’t need to have read your book themselves for the book to achieve this effect. The fact that you are a trusted author within your industry will speak volumes about your authority.
2. Increase Your Visibility
Books have a wide reach and can help authors connect with a larger audience than they would through other marketing channels. This can lead to increased visibility and more opportunities to gain clients.
A great example of this is the late, great Anthony Bourdain. While Bourdain was well-respected in the culinary industry in the 1990s, it was the release of his book Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly that elevated him to mainstream fame and provided him with a whole new world of business opportunities, and an audience he never would have reached otherwise.
You don’t have to pen a New York Time’s bestseller to achieve a similar result to Bourdain’s. If your book becomes popular within your industry, you will have clients knocking down your door looking for opportunities to work with your company.
3. Gain PR Opportunities
Writing a business book can open the door to several types of PR opportunities, including:
Book launches
Speaking engagements
Media interviews
Guest articles in industry publications
Teaching opportunities and seminars
Each of these options allow authors to network and connect with potential customers or partners. Plus, appearances in well-respected publications or in popular media outlets will serve to further establish your authority.
Additionally, your book itself can be used as a PR tool, such as sending copies to journalists and bloggers for review, or being cited as a source of information for scholarly work in your field.
4. Build Your Professional Network
When you write a book that contains information highly relevant to your industry, industry professionals take notice. Business leaders who read your book and relate to your experiences will be interested in hearing more of what you have to say. This can lead to valuable collaborations, discussions, and opportunities to expand your influence.
Be sure to use your book as a reason to attend, organize, or host events that help you meet the right people and reach your goals.
5. Provide A Valuable Resource To Customers
Consider your book a sales pitch to potential clients. By helping your reader solve a problem, answer a question, or make an important decision, you’ll have demonstrated your value without ever interacting with them personally.
Some business leaders hesitate to write a book because they don’t want to “give away their secrets”. That’s nonsense. Customers who directly benefit from reading your book will be sure to come to you when they need a business partner. Business books are unmatched as an introduction or a supplement to your services. But, they cannot replace what you bring to the table on a case-by-case basis.
For example, renowned author and speaker Tony Robbins has consulted for powerful businessmen such as Peter Guber and Marc Benioff. These CEOs were so impressed with Robbins’ insight and wisdom, that they were willing to pay a lot of money to hear more of what he had to say.
How To Maximize Your Business Book’s Impact
Like all successful marketers, business book authors must develop a comprehensive game plan for maximizing their book’s impact. If you release your book but do nothing to promote it, your target audience will have no idea that the book exists. This will dampen the business opportunities, advantages, and rewards that come with being an author.
The following strategies can be used to market your work — increasing sales, growing your audience, and ensuring your book reaches its full potential.
Host A Book Launch Event
Hosting a book launch event is the perfect way to generate excitement and create a buzz around your book, attracting media attention and building anticipation among potential readers.
Book launch events are also ideal networking opportunities, as you’ll have the perfect reason to gather fellow business leaders for an evening of interesting conversation, passionate debate, and delicious finger food.
Embark On A Book Tour
To increase your book’s visibility and reach an audience outside your professional network, consider embarking on a book tour. It’s vital to be particular about the appearances you choose to spend your time and energy on. Try reaching out to business organizations, conferences, and other industry events in order to reach your target audience.
Besides increasing visibility for your brand, book tours can drive book sales by giving attendees the opportunity to purchase a copy of your book and have it signed by you.
Develop An Online Presence
While writing your book will help solidify you as an expert in your field, you’ll also want to establish authority and gain recognition by generating a strong online presence. Consider
Website — Websites provide a place for interested readers to go for more information about your book. Your website should include:
Author bio and a photo
Information about your book (and how to buy it!)
Blog
Media coverage
Speaking engagements and events
Social media links
Contact info
Social Media — Platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook are perfect places to share your ideas, promote your book, build a loyal audience, and engage directly with potential readers.
Email Marketing — Create an email newsletter, which you can use to keep your audience informed about your book, events, and other news.
Create Supplemental Content
Creating supplemental content for your business book can help increase engagement and provide added value to your readers. Supplemental content can include:
Blog posts and articles — Write blog posts that expand on topics covered in your book, provide updates and additional insights, and share your thoughts on topical issues regarding your industry.
Videos — Shoot videos to explain complex concepts, showcase your expertise, and provide behind-the-scenes glimpses of your book.
Infographics — Create infographics to present information in a visually appealing and easy-to-understand format. Eye-catching infographics are the perfect way to get potential readers interested in your subject matter.
Webinars — Host webinars to discuss your book and engage with your audience in real-time. Consider videotaping any speaking engagements and posting them on your website and social accounts.
Capitalize On PR Opportunities
As mentioned in the previous section, authoring a book will lead to beneficial PR opportunities such as media interviews, speaking engagements, and guest articles . This outcome is a “virtuous circle”. The PR opportunities will allow you to further promote your book, which will lead to a bigger audience, which will then lead to even more PR opportunities and an even bigger audience. Keep that wheel turning by actively seeking out these opportunities and jumping at the chance to reach new audiences.
Gain Endorsements From Business Leaders
Like most things in life, people will be more likely to read your book if it is endorsed by someone that they trust. Just like a job applicant needs references, or a boyfriend needs to meet your friends, a stamp of approval from thought-leaders in your field will lead to higher levels of success.
When you release your book, be sure to send copies to business leaders whose endorsement you value. If they are impressed with your work, ask if they can recommend it to their peers, publicly endorse it, or provide a positive quote for your social channels.
Host A Podcast
According to a Statista figure, thirty-eight percent of U.S. adults have listened to a podcast within the last month, a number which has more than tripled over the past decade. Hosting a podcast is a cost-effective and accessible marketing tool for your book, allowing you to release new episodes on your own schedule and archive them for listeners to discover down the line.
Podcasts also work as a networking tool themselves, providing an opportunity to collaborate with other experts, authors, and influencers in your field.
Consider SEO Practices
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, which is the practice of optimizing your content to rank higher in search engine results and increase organic traffic. While this is most often used in online content like articles and blogs, SEO can help inform elements of your book such as the title, summary, or metadata. This way, when your target audience is seeking information regarding your topic, they are more likely to find your book as a result.
Get Started On Your Business Book Today
We won’t lie to you, writing a business book is a challenging experience. However, there are people out there whose job it is to make the process easier. At WriteItGreat, we’ve helped dozens of thought leaders take their big ideas and turn them into published business books.
If you’re interested in becoming a published author, contact our experienced ghostwriting team to learn more about turning your literary dreams into reality.
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