Sometimes you feel that you have no business writing if you don’t have the following of someone like Stephen King or Anne Rice. I was spending more money on editing than I was making on book sales and was being pushed to create an LLC. So I delved back into the world of marketing. I took marketing back in 2010 and 2011, but the landscape has changed a lot. So with an open mind and a full stomach, I forged ahead.

I listened to many “expert authors” crow about their accolades. Most were people I’d never heard of and usually, besides writing books, were selling a “be a better writer/marketer by taking my class.” Some advice was good, and some weren’t relevant to me. From the many that I sat in on, I realized quickly that it was a lot of the same information from a different person. Every person learns differently, and the schoolteacher in me saw it was good to have this variety. That is great if the content helps people. But those classes never answered the fundamental marketing question of how much growth I can or should expect. Were my goals too big? Or not big enough?

I found those numbers and put them into the previous post, but I’ll also include them here. For social media, you can expect a monthly 1.5 to 2.5 percent increase; for email marketing, the percentage is about 2.5. It’s all a game of numbers; we can calculate those numbers.

Decide how much you want to increase your email list or Social Media (SM) following. For example, I’ll do SM following and say I want to increase it by 1200 people in a year.

That’s 100 new email subs per month.

Divide the number of monthly subs by 2.5%

100 / 0.025 = 4000

This means I need to get 4000 people to see what I’m offering to attain the sign-up rate I want.

But how do I do that?

There are many ways to increase the reach of your marketing. Using a mix of methods seems to get the best results. If you are creating a brand and brand awareness, start with SEO Marketing. SEO dictates where your products appear in searches, and getting to the top pages will increase the number of people seeing your logo and products. In marketing, there is what is called the rule of 7. On average, a customer needs to see you seven times to remember you, seven times to click on you, and some research says seven times to buy. SEO can be your best friend.

Content Marketing might be the next strategy in your arsenal. I love that there are so many forms of this marketing. Blog posts, podcasts, videos, social media posts, and webinars are content marketing. Almost any content can fall under this category.

Generating Leads can help you reach your marketing goals. Offer your customer something of value for free. Many authors offer a lead magnet or even an entire novel for free to entice customers to either sign up for their newsletter or buy the next book in the series. You can advertise these lead magnets either through social media or paid ads. There are also sites dedicated to authors working together to promote each other. StoryOrigin and Bookfunnel are impressive sites to get involved without feeling like you must be besties with everyone, which is the stereotype perpetuated on social media.

A quick aside about paid ads: I once listened to a lecture by Tim Tigner and a relatively quiet man who was very forward about the fact he didn’t do social media. He told us he used paid ads to get where he was, and to me, after everyone told me I had to “be besties with everyone on social media,” it was refreshing to hear. Even now (i checked), his website has no social media handles.

That brings me to what was most challenging for me. Social media marketing. Technically, it’s a form of content marketing, but it is so large that it seems to be a category of itself. Everyone seemed so boisterous about wanting to be heard. I felt like a mouse peeping while everyone around me was screaming. My biggest marketing issue was finding my people without pretending to be someone I was not. What is the best way to feel comfortable putting myself out there and not change who I am?

I know it’s a stereotype that writers are introverted and keep to themselves. Oddly enough, most writers I meet are exuberant extroverts who demand attention. And while I love them for who they are, it’s not me. I admit I’m an introvert and am the epitome of the stereotype.

Many people who teach about author book marketing tell the introvert they must “get over it.” I’ve been told that more times than I can count. Something is wrong with you for not wanting to promote yourself loudly. I’m not less proud of my work. I’m less loud and like my privacy.

My circle of friends is small and includes two other writers. I often leave my house with Mr., and we have adventures together. Other than that, I’m a homebody. The idea that I had to go out on social media and play a game of pick me was weird. I’ve improved at posting on SM, but my interactions are still intermittent. I have shared more freely and only respond with words (rather than likes or emojis) if I have something to say. There are days I don’t check it at all. I’ve tried to make myself do it daily but often forget. I know some people love it, but I’m more of a casual lurker. This is okay. I’ve slowly developed relationships with people and even have a Facebook group for fans called Lady V’s Coterie, which I freely share more than on regular social media.

If I’m on any social media for any length of time, it’s usually Twitter. That has always been my favorite platform. I also enjoy Pinterest. Following and curating a feed that I want to see was something I started years before writing became a business to me. I follow things I want to see: photography, fiber arts, and other writers. Cute animals are also a huge favorite of mine.

I always felt the advice to befriend people so they can give you a leg up was fictitious. I have friends and family that I hold very dear. It doesn’t mean I’m not open to meeting others. I’m happy to meet people and create new relationships, but I want genuine connections.

If someone likes my work and wants to tell people, they should. This word-of-mouth advertising is excellent. When I love something, I also write or inform my circle about it. The idea of asking social media influencers to promote my work makes me break into hives. A few contacted me to ask for money to do this. This works for someone much more extroverted, with plenty of acquaintances and friends. I have some close friends in my circle who fit that criterion.

Figuring out how my personality fits into my business plan has been challenging. I can’t change the fact that I prefer talking one-on-one or favor small gatherings. Someone can misconstrue text and intention. That has happened to me more than once on SM.

Balancing staying relevant to my audience and protecting my privacy has been a thrilling Catch-22. Slowly but surely, I’m figuring it out, and I’ve come a long way from where I started. There is no one-size-fits-all for marketing yourself or your products. You need to do what is best for you. I’ve realized the destination is much sweeter if you enjoy the journey.