Most entrepreneurs work on developing a strong personal brand or reputation to attract opportunities. For those in the business of selling expertise and experience such as Consultants, Speakers, Trainers, and Coaches, one of the best ways this can be done is through writing a quality book focusing on an area of expertise or one you would want to be known for.
Writing my first book on personal branding entitled “The Purple Pig Wears Red Lipstick” was a life-changing experience. I remember the numerous times I would stand in line and wait for my turn to have a book autographed by the author. Today, I find myself on the other side of the fence with people waiting for their turn for me to autograph my book and to have a photo taken with me!
Years ago, this was only a dream, but with hard work, perseverance, and a healthy dose of strategic thinking, my dream finally became a reality.
A well-written book serves as a great Personal Brand amplifier... a marketing tool working 24/7 to promote you and your business to your target audience. This, however, involves a long-term, big-picture perspective and strategy to make sure your book does not gather dust sitting in your basement once it is published.
Here are a few ways a book can help promote your personal brand and business:
BEING IN THE FOREFRONT
A book opens the gateway to being invited to TV shows, radio shows, print interviews, podcasts, and other avenues for increased visibility. When I first came out with my book, one of the most memorable invitations I had was when I guested on a radio show wherein the host went over my 8 Steps to a Personal Brand Makeover while focusing on each step. I was surprised with the amount of airtime given for my interview! At the end of the radio show, the host took me aside and confided that he was a cancer survivor and that he also wanted to write a book about his journey to health one day!
LEVEL UP TO EXPERT STATUS
One of the most powerful ways to establish expertise is to contribute your thoughts and perspectives in a particular field or industry.
A book increases your credibility and elevates you to expert status. Once a book is written and published, this can be a source of continuous content to be distributed across relevant channels on social media. It can help in scaling personal branding initiatives of the author and can position her or him as a recognized expert. Being perceived as such gives the author a competitive advantage in today’s crowded market landscape.
ADDITIONAL REVENUE STREAM
Today, with the advent of technology, first-time authors can self-publish and earn more from the profits from book sales compared to those who go the traditional route with publishing houses. More importantly, the control of self-published books rests with the author. This is invaluable from a long-term perspective, as once a book is written, you can use the content to drive awareness through different channels way into the future. For first-time authors with book deals, publishing houses will usually have control of your work and permission has to be granted for the author to use his or her work for any purpose whatsoever.
In her article, Many Authors’ Earnings Fall Below $500pa, Survey Finds, at theguardian.com, Alison Flood said that statistics show that the average self- published author only makes around $1,000 per year. The real value of a book is in the other revenue streams that can be launched or strengthened because of it.
THE SECRET: LEVERAGE YOUR BOOK TO BRAND
How do you let people know what you do, your expertise, and the value you bring to the table without being pushy or too self-promotional? One of the best ways I know of is to write a book!
Using a book as a key element in your Personal Branding Tool Kit helps establish credibility, gives you the opportunity to tell your story in your unique voice and serves as a foundation for higher ticket items such as proprietary information products, workshops, coaching programs, and mastermind offerings, among others, that you could market to open up multiple income streams.
My very first client for the first workshop I facilitated based on my book was a bank that asked me to run my proprietary Personal Branding program as a reward for their top real estate brokers, all of whom generated sizable income for the Bank through loans.
Thus, the true value of a well-written book lies in its ability to serve as a beacon, sending signals to others across the globe so that you can be found by those who might be interested in your message, who might be in need of inspiration or information, or who might be looking for like-minded people to connect with.
THE RISE OF INDEPENDENT AUTHORS AND SELF-PUBLISHING
Most aspiring authors are daunted by the amount of work that goes into writing a book, not to mention searching for a publishing house to provide a book advance and help with taking the manuscript all the way to a finished book and distribution to bookstores.
Today, there is a rise in the number of independent or “indie” authors. With the advancement of digital technology, self-publishing has never been easier and more beneficial for an aspiring author. These advantages include:
• The ability to scale and reach a global readership;
• The continuous availability of your books, unlike the “out of print” problems that used to plague the book industry;
• The ability to sell directly to readers through personal selling and other different channels such as your website, Facebook page, and other online sites;
• The ability to fulfill readers’ book orders in different formats immediately.
BEYOND BRANDING AND BUSINESS
When used strategically, a book is a great avenue to tell your story, positively influence the perception of others about you, and ultimately, open up business opportunities. Beyond branding and business, writing a non-fiction book announces to the world that you are ready to use your unique voice to make a meaningful contribution to others.
References
Flood, Alison (2015, January 23). Many authors’ earnings fall below $500pa, survey finds. Retrieved from ttps://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/ jan/23/authors-earnings-fall-350pa-survey.
