What does an exercise class have to do with marketing? Let me explain.

Have you ever found yourself lacking motivation for your marketing? If not motivation, then maybe confidence and conviction. You start strong, with lots of innovative ideas and energy, but in time that energy and self-belief dry up and with it your marketing activities. It’s a pretty common pattern but it doesn’t have to be like this.

Over the last few months I’ve been trying out different gyms and classes to see which I like the most. At first I thought it was spin classes, then I thought it might be kickboxing. Now I think it might be reading on my porch!

During one of those spin classes, I realized that much of the mindset I needed was similar to the mindset we need when marketing ourselves.

MARKETING IS A MARATHON NOT A SPRINT

These days we tend to want quick fixes, a list of check boxes which will guarantee our success or the quickest route to something or somewhere. A book launch can trick us into thinking that marketing is a relatively time-constrained process. We have a window of time pre, during and immediately after the launch date, then our new book becomes old news.

But if you plan to make a career out of writing, marketing is not a sprint and it’s not limited to a book launch.

Now, I can’t say I’ve run a marathon; I was just cycling for one hour, but if we approach our marketing with this mindset, we’ll be more strategic, have more fun, and see longer term benefits.

DON’T OBSESS ABOUT THE NUMBERS

I discovered something intriguing as I followed the instructor through the various sections of the class. He told us to have a goal for the number on the Watt counter and to track it. The thing was, whenever I stared at that number, I found that it just hovered close to my target number and it was hard work tipping it over the target. However, If I looked up at the view and focused on cycling, every time I glanced at the counter, it was magically higher than my target.

When it comes to marketing our writing, it is a good idea to set goals. These might even be numeric, but if all you do is stare at the number of books you sold, the number of followers you have, or the number of newsletter subscribers you have, you can actually get demotivated. I absolutely believe in being strategic about our marketing and setting goals but it doesn’t always makes sense for them to be numeric metrics. Read my blog post about SMART goals. Ironically though, things seem to work better, and we seem to have more fun when we set the goal, then ignore it while we perfect our technique. Once you’ve decided on a marketing goal that makes sense for your writing, give yourself time to figure it out and find what works for you, especially if it’s a new medium. Set a time frame of, say, six months then only look at the numbers after that. Assess, review, recalibrate. If you’ve sold more books, gained social media connections who matter to you, or increased your subscriber base, congratulations. Keep it up. If not, go back to the drawing board.

STAY IN YOUR LANE

To steal an analogy from a different sport, I believe positioning and researching the ‘competition’ is crucial to our marketing. It’s not salesmanship, it’s an effective way of helping potential readers make a decision about whether your work is for them or not. If you can articulate: “my book/work/writing is a bit like x with a touch of y,” readers will know whether they’re likely to enjoy your book or not. However, as with the numbers, if you get too caught up in what other writers are doing, you’ll lose track of what makes you ‘you’. Do your research, figure out which writers you are similar and different to, then stop comparing yourself. Stick with the brand, messages, plan you’ve chosen for a set period of time rather than getting influenced by the latest trends on social media.

DIG DEEP

As I say, I’ve never run a marathon but I’ve heard there’s a point in the race when you ‘hit a wall’. I certainly hit a wall half way through each of the cycling endurance challenges. The music was bad, the instructor was OK, but ultimately I had to look inwards to find something to keep me motivated. When it comes to working out, it might be a weight goal, a health goal, or a mental picture. This is the one that I find motivating in terms of marketing myself as a writer. I imagine myself with printed book in hand, getting head shots taken in my writing nook, completing interviews for podcasts and local media. For you maybe it’s community, a trusty blog, positive quotes from beta readers or your critique group.

No-one said marketing would be easy or deliver overnight success, but if we approach it like a marathon, I believe we’ll enjoy the process, learn on the journey, and build a meaningful community. Do you need to inject some fresh energy or ideas into your marketing? Contact me and we’ll come up with a long-term plan that works.