As an aspiring author, I’m sure that you have looked everywhere for the best marketing tools to add to your belt. The internet is loaded with strategies – so many that it can become quite overwhelming. You have to set up a mailing list. You have to get reader reviews. You need to run ads on Facebook. I’m sure you have done all of those things. Yes, they work but everyone is doing them. The competition is fierce.
This post is going to show you some unconventional book launch ideas that will help you get an edge on the competition by traveling the offbeat path. If you want to be highly successful, then you’ll have to start thinking outside of the box.
Create your Own Holiday
You see these holidays pop up all throughout the year. They are unorthodox but have caught on so much that the hashtag always seems to trend. One example would be “Give Your Dog a Shampoo Day.” All of these unorthodox holidays were created by a PR team for some company and then that trend caught on. It gained them so much exposure that now everyone else piggy backs off of it.
Create a fun sounding holiday and then write the backstory on it. Explain the history and rituals in video format. It does not have to go viral. But even a small influx can have a snowball effect and cause it to catch on. You can also create a custom holiday based around a current holiday.
This is not always possible but creating an unexpected and timely story can go a long way towards boosting the success of your book.
Use Podcasting to Promote your Book
Podcasts continue to catch on at a fast rate and they are one of the most unused and creative book marketing ideas in today’s world. There are over 500,000 podcasts on iTunes and a lot of them are looking for fresh guests. You can also create your own podcast that explores topics related to your book.
Start out by finding a few topics that are related to your book. Then organize it into a nice, 30 minute podcast. Once you get that all set up, you can start looking for podcasters who need guests and ask if they would like to interview you.
Podcasting is still relatively new so it’s something that the majority of self-published authors miss out on.
Encourage Influential People to Pay Closer Attention to You
When you are looking to launch a new book, search through Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for people who might be talking about a similar book. You can find them by searching through hashtags that are relevant to your niche. This will point you in the direction of influential people within your niche. There is no magic here. It’s a formula that has been used in marketing for centuries, although it has been adapted for 21st century technology.
Start a conversation with a fellow author that meets a certain criteria. For instance, you can start by finding people within your niche on Instagram that have anywhere from 3,000 to 20,000 followers. You don’t want to approach celebrities since they are likely to ignore you, but you also don’t want to mess with people who are not active either. Reach out to these people and ask if they would like to read and review your book. Offer to do the same for them in return.
The most difficult part here is getting their attention. Reach out to them with your book’s niche and a gift package that contains your book. You have to go into this with a “give first” attitude. Think of the package as a thank you gift for them taking the time to read your message.
Finally, always be sure to reach out to the influencer by name. Generic messages will not work here.