Writing a book to grow your business is like lighting multiple candles with one flame.
A published book, when done right, will grow your business in many different ways, that can all improve your bottom line in the long term.
Some will argue that writing a book is one of the best investments you can make into your business. It can generate increasing results over time, especially if your book marketing strategy is effective.
Whether you provide a service, supply a product, or offer coaching or consulting, I’m convinced that almost any business owner or entrepreneur can publish a book that will grow their business in more ways than one.
In this article, we’ll walk you through some specific ways on how a book can increase business and generate more customers, with specific examples and tips.
How a Book Can Grow Your Business:
- Authority and Credibility
- Brand Visibility
- Lead Generation
- Business Card
- Referrals
- Conversion
- Media & PR
- Book Royalties
#1 – Boost Authority and Credibility
Add “Bestselling Author” to your title, and it's an instant authority boost.
When you have the experience of writing and publishing a book, especially on a topic related to your industry, you're instantly considered a Subject Matter Expert.
That means, people are looking to you for knowledge and problem-solving ideas, because you are a credible authority.
What better way to boost your business by increasing your thought leadership and credibility as a published author?
#2 – Brand Visibility
Brand visibility equals trust. It's one of the most important things that tell a prospect that your business is the real deal, and can bring in the right results.
Getting prospect and potential clients to trust you can be easy with a high-quality, professional published book.
Using a book to grow your business from a brand visibility standpoint is one of the best ways to help prospects become aware of your company, and ultimately trust you to fulfill the customer's need.
#3 – Lead Generation
Leads are potential people that are interested in what you have to offer, and a book funnel is single-handedly one of the most successful ways to bring in leads on a consistent basis through your book.
Using a book as a lead magnet helps you grow your email list, build your prospect base, and provide value that helps more people learn about what you offer.
The best part about using a book to grow your business leads? It's usually running on autopilot (meaning there's minimal manual work involved). You don't have to rely on cold calling and direct response methods.
Instead, customers can use your book to gain awareness, engage with your content, and take action to enter your sales pipeline – without you having to do all the manual work (especially if you're using automated systems).
The second best part? The leads your book will bring in will be higher quality leads – people that actually want to learn more about your topic and how you can help (which means it's generally easier to turn them into customers).
#4 – Better Than a Business Card
Some people say a published book is like a business card. I say it's BETTER than a business card.
With a book, you're not only able to tell customers a lot more about your business and how you can help them solve a problem…
You're also able to help educate your customers, which means you can set clear expectations and help them make informed decisions that will increase their lifetime value with your business.
You're also providing a ton of information by helping them learn more about your topic with a business-building book. This means they'll likely rave about you to all their network, which brings us to the next benefit…
#5 – Referrals, Referrals, and More Referrals
A book can grow your business through leveraged referrals.
When is the last time you recommended a book to a friend or colleague that had a specific problem or needed to learn more about a topic? If you're like most people that read books, you probably do it more often than you think!
The same is true for your average Jane. So, imagine Jane reads your book and because she learned so much from your content, she starts to recommend it to everyone she knows who could benefit from the content.
The right books often get referred to the right people, which means more readers and prospects for your business.
#6 – Conversion
When an interested prospect become a buying customer, a conversion occurs.
To get more prospects converted into paying customers, a number of things have to happen. The prospect must trust and believe in your product, and see the value in it.
Although a number of factors affect conversion, a book can help grow your business by increasing conversion by educating prospects.
When prospects learn something valuable from you, they will trust you and believe that your business knows what it's doing and can help them.
And a book is the best way to educate your prospects, which means that the more they are educated, the higher the chance is that they will convert and pay for additional products and services from you.
#7 – Media & PR
A book opens the doors to more opportunities – specifically when it comes to media and public relations.
This isn't to say that once you publish a book journalists and reporters are instantly going to knock down your door for interviews. I mean, they might, but that's an exception, not the rule.
But with the right pitching method and networking strategy, landing media opportunities like speaking gigs, podcast interviews, guest author blogs, and even TV appearances will be easier for you.
Adding “Author” to your byline is an instant media perk, and journalists are always looking for attention-grabbing stories from credible sources.
And more media and PR exposure means you will have more eyes on your business.
#8 – Book Royalties
If you're wondering why book royalties is not higher up on this list, it's because book royalties will probably not drive as much revenue as you think. There are exceptions, of course.
For instance, if you're book is on the New York Times Bestseller list continuously for months on end, then yes, that will be a pretty chunk of change for you in book royalities.
Related: Book Royalties Calculator
However, more than likely, you will not get rich off of publishing one book. In fact, career authors that make a full-time income from writing books will be the first to tell you that book royalties usually account for less of their overall income.
It's important to write and publish a book that grows your business with the expectation that your book itself will not make you a ton of money in royalties, but the customers and opportunities it brings in is where the real revenue is.
A Book Can Grow Your Business
Yes, a book really can grow your business in both the short and long-term.
No, it's not going to be a “get rich quick” strategy, so if you're looking for that type of project, writing a book is probably not for you.
But if you're looking for a sustainable growth strategy, writing and publishing a book is a powerful way to increase your bottom line over time.
