… and what to do about them
You know those days when you don’t feel inspired to write? The grey mornings when the kids wouldn’t get out of bed, nearly the missed the bus and screamed at you as they ran out of the house. The mornings when the caffeine hasn’t kicked in and the TV remote is far more attractive than your chair. When you have to bribe yourself with the promise of cake.
Those moments.
Well, the same is true of marketing. Especially if you’re marketing your own writing or work. So, to cheer you up and motivate you on your marketing journey, I thought I’d make a list of the 10 things we hate about marketing! But stick with me, because for every negative there’s a positive. Right?
Want to grow your audience? You need a compelling brand message.
1. There isn’t ONE answer
This is a big reason I’m skeptical about those ads on social media promising you the one secret to building your author platform. While there are marketing activities more suited to writers than, say, Nike, your path will look different to the next author’s. Which is good news for those of us who don’t like to be fenced in. Enjoy building a business and a brand which reflects you and suits you.
2. Marketing isn’t an exact science
There’s no predictable formula, no definitive blueprint. Yes, there are best practises, there are things which would make sense for you to do or not, there are some useful templates. But, don’t beat yourself up if something you tried failed. Mark it on the list as a no and try the next idea. If you want some new ideas, I’m building Pinterest boards for writers like you trying to figure out this marketing thing. Check them out here.
3. It doesn’t happen overnight
Again, those ads on social media telling you they woke up to thousands of social media followers or email subscribers? Behind every overnight success are years of slow build. (Or a big ad budget. Or the right connections.) You will need to invest time in your marketing to see results. But the longer you stick with it, the more momentum builds and there does come a point when you have enough of a foundation that maintaining your marketing takes less time than at the start.
4. You can’t start marketing and walk away
The best marketing is about relationship and relationships take time. You have to be consistent and show up, you have to build trust and that can’t be rushed. However, that does mean that if you stick with it, you have the bonus of meaningful relationships.
5. Readers (customers) are unpredictable
You can do your best to research your market, survey readers of your genre, read all the reviews of your peers, only to find that your marketing campaign tanks. However, it cuts both ways. It also means you can be surprised by readers turning up from the unlikeliest of places.
6. Marketing is a puzzle piece
I talked about this in my last blog post. Marketing isn’t one discrete, straightforward action which you can tick off your list. I do believe in keeping things as simple as possible, but marketing involves several components and you can’t ignore any single one of them for ever. This means a plan and a support network are crucial. And it is OK to pick one thing to focus on at a time.
7. You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink
Yup. ‘Fraid so. Your job is to focus on the water and the leading. Write the absolute best book you can and invest as best you know how in your marketing. You’re not responsible for the reactions. Oh, I know how disappointing it is to put your heart into a manuscript only to receive 40 rejection letters from agents. I’m still learning how to not let that stall me, but do what you can to continue if writing is your passion.
Want to grow your audience? You need a compelling brand message.
8. It’s noisy out there
This one gets a lot of writers down but if there was ever a silver lining, it’s here. Fun fact: in Manchester, UK all the best curry houses can be found on a single mile-long strip near the university. Hence it’s nickname ‘the curry mile’. Did you know that if one yoghurt brand advertises, sales of all yoghurt brands go up? In other words, the fact there are other authors out there selling books in your genre means there are readers for that genre, and if you correctly position yourself there’ll be readers for your book too.
9. Coming up with a SMART goal
I think one reason a SMART goal sometimes results in disappointment is because we pick something we can’t control. I’m all for being ambitious, and we need a dream destination to help us stay focused, but think carefully about your marketing goals. If you have one which is a bit of a reach, make sure you can hold it lightly and have others which you can control.
10. Social media complicates everything
It can be a source of angst if you fall into the trap of comparing yourself with other authors. However, it also provides an incredibly supportive network. I’ve received some of my greatest encouragements from strangers on social media. And, sales aside, there are tons of writing resources on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Marketing is a journey. Not a linear, simple one. But if you see it as an extension of your communication with your readers it can be a rewarding one. Don’t let your hesitations, fears or lack of experience derail you. Reach out if you want to brainstorm ideas for how to market your work. I’d love to help.
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