Photo by Bruce Mars (Creative Commons)
You push the publish button, and you wait for something to happen.
But nothing does. No response at all.
Feels terrible, right?
I know how you feel.
But here’s the secret you already know: you’re not just a writer. You’re also a marketer.
In many cases, you may have a marketing problem, not a writing problem.
I know I just said a dirty word. I’ll say it again… marketing.
Many writers hate marketing because they picture an aggressive salesman in an ugly plaid sportcoat.
But that’s just one style of marketing.
You don’t have to do that.
Do You Really Hate Marketing?
Let’s say you sit down and watch three bad movies in a row.
Suddenly, you are talking about how much you hate movies, right?
You may even say, “I hate movies.”
But the real problem is you were watching bad movies.
You have a bad taste in your mouth from the negative experience, because, well, you’re human.
The same concept applies to marketing. Don’t let the bad examples discourage you.
Marketing is not optional. You’ve got to do it. If you don’t like marketing, the problem is you have not found the right approach for you.
Whether you write books, blog posts, articles or social media updates, you must be a good marketer to get the reader’s attention.
Marketing is the blood in your veins as a writer. It is that important. If you’re still apprehensive, I get it. I’m an introverted/INFP/highly sensitive enneagram 4w5. You can still totally make this work.
So how can you apply this to your current writing?
Here are five essential elements of great marketing:
1. Be honest, authentic and sincere.
The world is full of highlight reels being presented as real life. Don’t add to that. Be human. Don’t cover up your flaws; other people will connect with them. You can actually build relationships by talking about your problems. Share something personal and brutally honest. You’ll be surprised how much other people connect with it. I wrote this post recently about how writing saved my life and guess what–quite a few people connected with it.
2. Tell stories and invite people in.
Good stories are extremely powerful. Do not ever overlook this. Good stories have a specific structure too. Don’t hesitate to get an editor to ensure your story is engaging. Outside perspective allows you to see things you normally don’t see on your own.
3. Focus on helping others.
Treat people like people. Don’t be afraid to ask for a sale — especially when you know what you have can help someone else. Good marketing does not manipulate people. I’ll repeat that because it is so important: good marketing does not manipulate people. Instead, it serves people.
4. Clarity is absolutely essential.
With the many choices out there, you have to make it very clear what it is you are about and what you stand for. Otherwise, people will get confused. So if you are writing a book, if it isn’t clear what the book is about, it will not sell. If you write a blog and it is all over the place topic wise, people won’t read it.
5. Be willing to be weird.
Don’t stack yourself up against other people. Break all of the rules and do something others view as odd. Do something unique that no one else is doing. Being a copycat accomplishes nothing. You must be willing to differentiate yourself from everyone else.
With that, you also must embrace failure as a part of the process. It will happen. But don’t view it as a failure—you can call it the refining process or learning process. The more you fail, the more you win. A scientist doesn’t stop after one try — he keeps experimenting. Never stop innovating. You are much more creative than you think you are.
Lastly, write about something that is bigger than you or it will not spread.
Marketing is NOT about self-promotion. Whatever you write about, it must connect with the reader. If you write fiction, it must keep the reader entertained and be enjoyable; take the reader on an adventure.
Writing is not a selfish act. If you say you write only for yourself, that’s called journaling which is great, but very different than writing for an audience.
Write for a reason: to give hope, to inspire, to make others laugh or to entertain, etc. Figure out what your purpose for writing is and focus in on it. This will help make you a better writer and marketer too.
If you feel stuck with where you are, know you’re not alone.
Start Simple and Start Today.
Try one new intentional marketing task today. Write it down or log it on a spreadsheet. Then check back next week and record your results. Remember, experimentation is required. The good news is you can make it fun and also make it fit your personality.