Once you have written a book, no matter which genre you have written in, you will need to publish that book and you will need to promote that book. Of course, there are several different ways in which you can accomplish this; however, you may want to think outside of the box a little and choose an approach that is not so traditional (or conventional).
Using visual stimuli to promote your book
One really effective approach to promoting your book is by creating a book trailer (just like you see trailers for new movies that have either just been released or that are about to be released). Considering that what you are trying to promote is the written word, a trailer can be a profound, stunning contrast to the book and it will capture the hearts and the interest of so many people, including people who respond so well to visual stimuli.
When it comes to promoting your book with a trailer, if you don’t have the expertise or experience to do it yourself, you will want to make sure that whoever you ask to work on it is the right fit for you and for the book that you want to promote. You will want to connect (or hire) with someone who has a significant amount of relevant, good-quality experience. After all, you certainly do not want to be a Guinea pig in that sort of situation. If at all possible, you will want to choose someone who has experience with shooting, producing (and directing, if possible), editing, and, finally, optimizing the content so that you get the biggest bang for your buck.
The reasons why creating a trailer is so smart
At this point, you may be wondering why video is such a good idea when it comes to promoting your book.
Well, there are several reasons why it is a really good idea to create a trailer for your book.
- Exposure: Because videos are so popular, effective, and relevant nowadays, it will enable you to gain exposure to a great extent and numerous other people will be able to hear and see what you have to say and tell their friends and relatives about your book as well.
- Sharability: You definitely want to create a buzz about your book whenever possible. It is entirely possible (and most likely probable) that you will be able to do just that with a video trailer because it is a type of content that can be shared easily. If your trailer goes viral, you will be golden. The more people see the trailer, the more they will have a desire to read the book.
- Connectivity: Your trailer can help you to establish meaningful connections, which also means that you can build trust, credibility, and the perception that you are the subject matter expert to whom they should turn. In fact, with some effort and a little luck, you will be the first (and hopefully, only) person they will need.
- Good for the wallet: Trailers (and videos in general) are really cost-effective. Also, they are not on any sort of a delivery schedule. They are being delivered to the public 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Do trailers really have a positive effect?
If you have made a video that positively promotes and matches your book, there is a great likelihood that other people will want to read the book. Your trailer can really promote your book and your brand as well. However, it isn’t enough to simply post your trailer on one or two sites. You need to be strategic in the way that you go about promoting your book. You need to determine exactly where the people who will potentially buy your book are hanging out and you need to make it as easy as possible for them to become aware of what you are offering. Once you have done that, hopefully, the rest will happen. The chances are that the interest is already there. Now, all you need to do is to make them aware of how great your book is and how they will benefit from reading it.
Good versus bad
There are trailers and then there are trailers. First of all, if you want to create a good-quality trailer, you will need a good-quality script. Also, it must be visually appealing and it must demonstrate a clever, creative connection between the book and the trailer. That connection is critical to your book’s success. Of course, the music selection is just as critical to the trailer’s success. The more professional your trailer appears, the better off you will be. Finally, the trailer must be well edited so that the finished product flows and is confluent. When it comes to the script, make sure that you write it specifically for the trailer. It probably won’t work well if you have a script that was intended for something else and then you adapt it for your trailer. Make sure that your music choice is as perfect as possible (and appropriate, at the very least). The music and the story should have a solid synergy.
Conclusion
A trailer is a great tool when it comes to promoting your book but it is really important to remember that all of the different stages and aspects of the trailer are important and all of them contribute to you successfully promoting your book. It is also a great idea because so many people are connected online to all sorts of great things. As much as content is king, video is definitely queen and it would serve you well to keep that in mind.
