by Susan C. Daffron
Many business owners don’t see the value of writing a book. A book can have a big impact on your business because it acts as a great promotional tool. Here are five ways a book can boost your business:
- Enhanced Credibility. A book gives you a level of credibility like almost nothing else. For example, I can quite legitimately say that I am an advocate and expert on adopting and caring for dogs and cats from animal shelters because I have written books on the subject (Happy Hound and Happy Tabby).
I also can say I’m an expert on various computer subjects for the same reason (Web Business Success and the upcoming Logical Tips books). And realistically I am an expert, because if you do it right, the act of writing a book requires that you learn way more than the average person about a given topic.
- Client Acquisition. Many business owners say that having authored a book helps them get clients and increase their fees. A study by Rain Today showed that 56% of authors reported a “strong” or “very strong” influence on their ability to generate more leads for their services. In an increasingly competitive and noisy world, being a book author is an excellent way to differentiate yourself.
-
Advertising. A book acts as a great (albeit somewhat expensive) business card. I’ve handed out copies of our book Web Business Success to many of our consulting clients. Without exception they are thrilled to receive it. Plus, the fact I wrote it implies I probably know what I’m talking about.
-
New Income Stream. It may seem obvious, but books are another offering you can add to your product round up. The business doesn’t really matter. If you own a dry cleaning store, for example, some of your customers might be interested in your book on how to remove stains.
-
Marketing and PR. A book expands your possibilities for marketing and public relations. Because a book brands you as an expert, you are more likely to be quoted. I have been quoted in articles and appeared on radio shows as an expert on adopting pets, for example. If you like public speaking, having your own book makes it easier to book speaking gigs. Realistically, the National Association of Widget Producers would dearly love to have you speak at their annual conference if you have written the definitive work on Widgets.
As you can see, being a book author opens up a host of new opportunities. If you need help writing or publishing a book, consider joining WPN to learn more!
Susan Daffron aka The Book Consultant is the President and Webmaster of WPN. She is the author of 12 books, including Publishize: How to Quickly and Affordably Self-Publish a Book That Promotes Your Expertise. Susan owns a book and software publishing company called Logical Expressions, Inc., which offers book layout, design and consulting services.
You can read more of Susan’s publishing articles on the Book Consultant Web site.