Marketing Your Book From the Heart of Your Brand

by Karen Whiting @KarenHWhiting

As I help people discover their brand, I look for the intrinsic value within the person that always comes out in the writing. This is a message that resonates with them and thus connects with their readers. It may boil down to one word like hope, overcoming, or joy, but it flows from the heart. For you as a writer, this is something that naturally finds its way into most of what you write. That should be clear within the brand.

That reflects the words of Jesus in Luke 6:45 “What you say flows from what is in your heart.” You probably have lots of little stories and anecdotes related to this focus because you value the message.

For example I recently spoke with a children’s author who started talking about her book about Grandma and child. As I dug deeper, I realized whether she wrote about cats or kids, she always wove in heritage and passed on legends, customs, and traditions. Her brand was all about sharing heritage so children would seek and value their own heritage, feel accepted, and develop a sense of belonging.

           

For another writer who said she wrote romance that reflected real life I listened and discovered she used romance stories to show how couples can support one another while growing or starting a relationship. Her characters draw out the best in each other to solve the problems they face. Her books show couples, and even singles as they meet people, how to use one another’s strengths to form a team that is better than either individual.

           

Once you have the brand that really reflects the message in your heart it’s easier to promote the books within the brand because it’s also a passion for you.

• Ask the connecting questions to the brand on social media to find your tribe. Your heart’s value should resonate with them. So if it is heritage, and you write for children, ask grandparents to share what they most want their grands to learn about their heritage or ask Moms what heritage foods they cook or purchase. When it’s close to a holiday, ask followers to share a tradition and why it’s important. Write personal messages to individuals who respond in a way that identifies them as your ideal readers. Add them to a reader list.

• Share your brand’s message on your website by naturally talking about why that message can impact lives and why it matters to you. The author who shares the strength of couples working together easily shares her own story of finding strength in her husband and what strengths she bring to the relationship as well as many stories she collected from other couples. Those stories touch the hearts of readers who long for a strong marriage relationship.

• Brainstorm all the words that relate to your brand and use some of the concepts. Check for additional questions that a google search shows or from questions generated by answerthepublic.com. Post these phrases and questions to find your tribe. Use them as the focus for articles and blog posts.

• Share testimonies people give you related to your brand. When what you write resonates with a reader, he or she will feel connected to you and want to share their story.

• Identify the questions that generate a bigger response, create a meme for it, and post that to your other social media accounts.

• Create tip sheets that flow from your heart on the book’s topic. Address the needs you will help them fill through your writing.

• A brand from the heart helps you write more intentionally. You can ask yourself how the piece or story shares the real need your brand promises. So, my tag line is Growing tomorrow’s Wholesome Families Today. As I write I ask myself how this helps a family grow and connect. I also ask what need of a family can I address through this chapter or article and what tool can I give them that they can apply immediately. In writing from the brand, you build a message that your tribe needs. You can use those take-aways and smaller messages as short posts for social media. Every time one of those messages connects to a reader you grow your audience and your brand. 

The brand that comes from the heart is the building block of marketing. It’s the place to return to each time you need to think about marketing ideas or create marketing for a new book.

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Karen Whiting (www.karenwhiting.com) is an international speaker, former television host of Puppets on Parade, certified writing and marketing coach, and award-winning author of twenty-six books for women, children, and families. Her newest book, 52 Weekly Devotions for Families Called to Serve, uses stories, activities, and chat prompts to help families develop servant hearts and foster strong bonds in families who have members serving the community, nation, or world.

She has a heart to grow tomorrow’s wholesome families today. She has written more than seven hundred articles for more than sixty publications and loves to let creativity splash over the pages of what she writes. She writes for Leading Hearts and Crosswalk.com. Connect with Karen on Twitter @KarenHWhiting, Pinterest KarenWhiting, and FB KarenHWhiting