Step Four: Know Your Audience

If you were taking a class in marketing, this is the process you'd go through in order to create a marketing plan. So once you "know yourself," "know your strengths and weaknesses," and "know your goal," the fourth step you'll need to complete is to know your target audience. 

 

Who are your readers? What are they like? What is their age? Their sex? What are their interests? What do they like and dislike? What do they find interesting? If you could describe your readers, what words would you use? What do they all share in common? What you're trying to do here is to identify the similarities among those who will be interested in your book. Beginning writers tend to say, "Everyone will like my book! It appeals to young and old, men and women, Republicans and Democrats, religious and nonreligious..." Except marketing has proven that's not true. Groups of people tend to like a product, while other groups tend to ignore that same product. So who is your group? How would you describe them? As your grandma used to say, "Birds of a feather flock together." So... who is your flock?

 

And where are they? (Geography can have a lot to do with marketing your books.) Where do they congregate? If they tend to reside in the South, that dictates where you'll market. If they tend to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, that helps you know how best to market your work. If they tend to travel a lot, that says something about where you'll find them, and how you can reach out to them. So don't skip this part of the plan -- spend time thinking through who your reader is, what he or she is like, and where they tend to go. 

 

Think through the question, "What are their needs and wants?" Most fiction is written to entertain, so readers are looking for an entertainment that appeals to their interests. What do they want? They want a story that appeals -- so if you know your readers, you'll know what they find appealing. Most nonfiction is written in a problem/solution format -- that is, the potential reader has a problem ("My cholesterol is too high" or "I want to know how to communicate with my teenage daughter" or "I need to know how to save for retirement") and the author presents a solution. So with nonfiction, your potential reader comes into the store with a question in mind, looking for a book that presents an answer. (That's not always true -- there are also memoirs and history books that are simply interesting reading, and in those cases the reader is looking to be entertained or educated, but the potential readers still approach the bookshelf with certain desires they want fulfilled.) Knowing what your reader wants, then providing it, is the key to nearly all marketing. 

 

If you know your audience, you can determine where they'll be, so you can go stand in front of them. You'll also be able to best determine how to approach them and what to say. Answering all these questions will help you begin to make choices about what type of marketing you're going to do, where you'll do it, when you'll do it, and what you'll emphasize. So don't assume your book is for everyone, at all times. It's not -- no book is. Instead, make some choices so you can begin to focus your marketing plan. 

 

Comments

[Laura Droege]

Good advice, as always.

Thinking about my target audience has helped lower my "I have to build a platform!!" stress level. I had started doing Twitter (in addition to Facebook) and was becoming very stressed by its fast pace.

Then I imagined my target reader and asked myself, "Is she on Twitter?" Probably not.

That knowledge gave me permission to almost neglect my Twitter account. I still follow agents for their advice, though, as well as a few non-profit organizations that are good sources of info for future writing projects.

[Amanda]

Wonderful series; thank you for the insight. Any chance of a sample fiction marketing plan in writing for one of the posts?

[Crystal Warren Miller]

Such a nebulous thing. I remember being at Mount Hermon Writing Conference and taking a writing for children track with Ellie Kay sitting near me. She wanted to write for children, too. But then, at lunch where they gave away books, made announcements, etc. Ellie Kay went up to get a book or something, and she said something about writing articles about stretching dollars.(It's been a long time and I can't remember exactly the "tag" that flowed out.) Everyone, including the MC, perked up at that as she explained about having a big family and married to a military man so needing to cut costs.

Everything positive (seemed to me) happened on the road to being "America's Financial Expert," (with a soft-spot for military families)for Ellie at that point. This became her mission, brand, life's course, books, speaking, TV appearances. I think she was just as surprised as everyone else that this was something she was gifted at doing.

That stood out to me. Many of us stumble around with this brand thing but it seems to me that eventually you begin to see a pattern--what do people know you for? What topic or gift do you tend to return to time and time again? I dunno. Just one example, I guess.

This post is fascinating to me and I still do not see my own audience clearly or just what draws people to me. I know they are there, but I tend to see them as my friends, even if I don't know them personally.

I'd like to be like Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman, LOL, but I just can't get that taking pro photos thing down, and my husband would gasp in horror if I had red hair. But I love her topics, recipes, outlook and down home positive humor, plus, her family values.

I would love more posts on how to react and recognize when you have an "Ellie Kay moment." I think I can see it clearly when someone else has one, but I'm blinded to my own. I need clues! (ha)

[Ezekel]

I am awaiting my proof copy and thinking even harder now about this issue of marketing.Thanks for the advice, much appreciated. Hopefully I'll be able to put some of it to good use!

[Carla Anne]

I've really been appreciating this series as I'm deep into the marketing phase of my traditionally published book. My question is: You say 'Go stand in front of your audience.' How? What does that look like? I know who my audience is. I know what they do and what they are interested in... but how do I get in front of them? Is is with speaking engagements... because for my group that would be difficult, very difficult. Is it radio? TV? Can you give some ideas of what 'standing in front of them' might look like please?

Thanks so much!

[Chip]

"Stand in front of them" is a euphemism, of course, Carla. It means "find out a way to get your words or your face or your book in front of your potential readers." If your readers all visit one website, then find a way to get onto that website so they'll see you or read your words.