ASP 44: How to Increase Engagement with Readers

“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

― Theodore Roosevelt

Steve will be hosting a FREE but robust Authority Pub Webinar on May 3rd. If you’re confused on how to identify a book topic and make sure it will sell, you want to identify this webinar!

What does engagement mean?

The word engagement has become a sort of buzz word in the social media world–we hear it all the time.

Engagement is anything that your audiences do to interact with your brand online, whether it be through comments, shares, likes, checking in at your location, etc. This is how your fans engage with you.

For your engagement with your readers and potential readers simply means you get to know them, become involved with them online, and show you truly care about them and their interests.

But why is engagement so important in the virtual landscape?

People feel that a brand that they like should be more than just a logo and a website.

Pat Flynn does a good job with engaging the audience of his Smart Passive Income blog. He provides great content and introduces some parts of his personal life to his audience.

Engagement is even more important than developing a large amount of followers or a large fan base. In a current environment where segmented audiences are becoming more and more important, making a connection with someone who is directly interested with your brand is much more important than having a large following that may not do anything further with your brand.

Engagement is important for several reasons.

It is a way to maintain and foster relationships with your existing fan base. When they see that you have taken the time to notice them and hear what they have to say, they will realize that they are important to you and you value them, making them more likely to remain happy with your company.

Once your fans realize that you are engaging with them, they are likely to give you further insight on what you are doing well and what you could improve on since you have made it clear that they have your attention. This is especially helpful for you because learning genuine pieces of information from your consumers is always important, and it gives you a better idea of where you stand and what you could do differently.

Why is it especially important for authors to build engagement with their readers?

Books are not mediums that lends itself to immediate interaction unlike blogs and social media updates. You need to reach out to because this will help you create content that your audience can relate to.

Talk to your audience before and after publishing your books to engage them. Don’t hide behind jargon.

How does self-publishing allow you to engage more than traditional publishing?

With traditional publishing, a lot of times, they put restrictions on how authors communicate with fans. Self-publishing doesn’t have these restrictions. Authors can directly connect with fans. Your platform, email list and social media presence as a self-published author are important for engagement.

How does it set you apart from authors who just publish their books and promote?

Authors who engage their audience get more quality reviews and even sales. Being connected to your readers makes it easier for them to write reviews, especially if they feel like they know you.

What are some specific ways you can build engagement?

  1. Add a lead magnet on the front and back of your book to increase email signups.
  2. Have an autoresponder with a call to action at the end.
  3. Share a personal story in your autoresponder and ask them to reply.
  4. Focus on your Facebook fan page by publishing image posts, asking questions or do a live book reading through Facebook Live.
    • Check out ASP episode 19 to learn more about how to improve your Facebook fan page and listen to ASP episode 42 to learn about Facebook Live.
  5. Grab the opportunity to guest on podcast. If you can mention your email during the interview, you’d be surprise don how many would reach out to you.
  6. Consider giving a webinar. Keven Kruse of An Authorpreneur’s $First 100K regularly host webinars even when he doesn’t have an offer but to simply build his email list.
  7. Get your audience involved in deciding the final title or book cover.
  8. Bet an idea on Facebook. Post your idea on Facebook and see how people respond. Check out James Altucher’s Facebook Page

Turn your idea into a bestselling book!

Download your free copy of The Bestseller Checklist at APChecklist.com. Learn the 46 steps we personally follow when self-publishing our bestsellers.

Looking for a supportive community of writers and authors?

Be an Authority and join the Authority Self-Publishing Facebook group.

Thanks for Listening to ASP!

We appreciate you taking the time to listen to the Authority Self-Publishing show.

Did you enjoy this episode?

If so, please do one (or all) of the following:

  1. Leave a comment on this page or ask a question if you need us to elaborate on the topic.
  2. Use the social media buttons to share this episode with your friends, family, and contacts.
  3. Go over to iTunes or Stitcher to leave a rating/review and to subscribe to the podcast.

We appreciate you taking the time to check out ASP! And we look forward to providing you with more content in the next episode!

Subscribe to the Authority Self-Publishing Show:

[one_half_first] Authority Self-Publishing on iTunes [/one_half_first][one_half_last]Authority Self-Publishing on Stitcher[/one_half_last]

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.