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1. Attract Media Attention If you want a magnetic way to generate media coverage, a book can serve as a launch pad for radio, television and print interviews and feature stories. Authors are ideal sources for stories, making it easier than ever to get story placement. 2. Establish Authority in Your Field There is a reason the word “authority” begins with “author.” Publishing a book is one of the most effective ways to establish your company as a leader in your industry. 3. Build Brand Awareness An interesting, well-written book gets shared through word of mouth, media outlets and online buzz, which leads to tremendous exposure for the brand behind the book. Examples include “The Spirit to Serve Marriott’s Way” by J.W. Marriott, “Direct from Dell” by Michael Dell, and “Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion and Purpose” by Tony Hsieh—CEO of Zappos. 4. Gain a Competitive Advantage Imagine you were going to hire a personal trainer. Trainer A explains her program, while trainer B explains her program and then hands you a copy of her book. Who would you be more likely to hire? To stand out against the competition, replace boring sales brochures and instead distribute copies of your book to prospects and clients. 5. Spice Up Trade Shows and Events When you attend a trade show, you expect to leave with a logo-covered tote bag filled with pens, mugs and squishy balls. Instead of giving away items that end up in a landfill, consider distributing books. Attendees will return home with something to read on the plane, not to mention the memorable impact a book has over standard promotional products. 6. Build a Unique Online Strategy Ebooks are rich in value, yet cost just pennies to distribute. To build a robust mailing list, give away ebooks in exchange for sign-ups. Or, provide incentive for social media followers to receive an ebook when they “Like” your page or forward a tweet across Twitter. You can also distribute ebooks as a way of promoting the printed version of the book, building buzz with online readers. The possibilities for promoting with ebooks are virtually endless. 7. Launch an Engaging Campaign A book can be at the heart of an entire campaign that generates interest before the book is even written. For example, several years ago 3M Corporation posted a call for submissions to gather the most creative uses for Post-it notes. The results were featured in a fun book: “Post-it Ideas that Stick! 222 Ingenious, Creative, Practical and Simply Preposterous Ways of Using Post-it Notes.” General Mills also recently sponsored a contest for new authors called “Spoonfuls of Stories,” which encouraged submissions of children’s stories. The winner (which has not yet been announced) will receive a cash prize along with publication of a book featuring the story. Campaigns like these can gain plenty of attention before, during and after publication, especially with social media and other content marketing strategies. 8. Generate Buzz Online As the shift from traditional media turns our attention online, blogs and social media outlets have more influence than ever before. A good book can generate lots of attention online when it lands in the right hands. Send copies to bloggers and social media influencers and watch the magic unfold. 9. Tell Your Story Before Someone Else Tells it for You There are many unauthorized books written about companies, which means it’s important to beat them to the punch. For example, “Pour Your Heart Into It: How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time” by CEO Howard Schultz explained the journey from Schultz’s perspective. Without the book to set the tone for how Starbucks achieved its growth, someone else could have written the book first and painted a less flattering picture of the company. 10. Teach Readers How to Use Your Products and Services It is one thing to provide users with an instruction manual, but it’s another to teach them the practical uses for your products and services. For example, a software company could compile case studies of how clients successfully use their products or write a how-to book that provides in-depth ways to use the products. The point is to empower readers by teaching them how to get the most value in an interesting and engaging way. Stephanie Chandler is an author of several books including LEAP! 101 Ways to Grow Your Business, and From Entrepreneur to Infopreneur: Make Money with Books, eBooks and Information Products. Stephanie is also founder and CEO of http://AuthorityPublishing.com, which specializes in custom publishing for non-fiction books. A frequent speaker at business events and on the radio, she has been featured in Entrepreneur Magazine, BusinessWeek, Inc.com, Wired magazine and many other media outlets.
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