Who Will Buy Your Book? HOW TO FIGURE OUT AND FIND YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE

Who Will Buy Your Book? HOW TO FIGURE OUT AND FIND YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE

What you ll learn Why you must know who will buy (and love!) your book How to figure out who that is your target audience Where to find that reader

Why you need to know You will sell more books You will make better publishing & marketing decisions You will write better books for your fans

What do you need to know? Demographics Psychographics (life stage, lifestyle, hobbies/interests, etc.) Geography Culture

What will you do with this information? Create an imaginary reader (persona, avatar) who guides your efforts & decisions Find your reader in social media & traditional media demographics, activities Make book marketing choices that get your book title in front of people like your reader

How to get what you need to know 1. Online research 2. Surveys 3. Asking 4. Studying genre leaders

1. Online research Search engine: (genre)+book+demographics Or: who buys (insert genre) books

Who buys what? Examples Romance: http://authorearnings.com/2016-rwa-panpresentation/ Travel: http://www.jimbatty.com/articles/travelguide_m arket.html

2. Surveys Use technology No need to be super-sophisticated Keep it short & simple

Survey services SurveyMonkey.com free up to 100 responses TypeForm.com free, no restrictions Google Forms free, more complicated

What do you want to ask? Be focused : What do you want to learn/know? 3 questions that are easy to answer

SurveyMonkey will auto-fill options for you

3. Asking good for psychographic info Telephone In person Email

Who to ask Your list, reviewers, emails you ve received, social media connections People in genre groups on Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. People who have read your books People who read books in your genre

What to ask: Chance to go in-depth Genre: What do you like to read and why? Favorite authors in this genre? Book habits: Where do you buy books? What makes you decide to read a book? Ebooks or printed books? Personal: What do you do in your free time? What are your favorite stores?

4. Studying genre leaders Find their fans and followers online social networks & blog comments Study fan/follower social media profiles Note age range, gender, interests, etc. & chart trends

Where to find your target reader Social media Traditional media

Social media demographics: Sources http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/08/19/thedemographics-of-social-media-users/ http://www.smartinsights.com/social-mediamarketing/social-media-strategy/new-global-socialmedia-research/ http://sproutsocial.com/insights/new-social-mediademographics/

Social networks based on users reported activity http://www.smartinsights.com/social-media-marketing/social-mediastrategy/new-global-social-media-research/

http://www.businessinsider.com/update-a-breakdown-of-the-demographicsfor-each-of-the-different-social-networks-2015-6

Highlights: Social media Facebook rules all demographics African Americans & Hispanics: Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr Teens: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook Women: Facebook, Pinterest (+ more depending on age)

Highlights: Traditional media TV news: 71% watch local, highest with 40+ Radio: 91% of everyone Print newspaper: 70% of everyone; highest with 65+, Caucasians News from digital platforms: 39% of everyone, highest for 40-49, lowest for 65+

Putting it together: Steps to follow 1. Research demographics for your genre or category (Premium registrants: See Reader Demographics by Category or Genre file) 2. List the details you find (Premium registrants: Use Your Target Audience Template file) 3. Compare the details on your list with demographics of social and traditional media using the social media links and information provided in previous slides here

Steps to follow, cont. 4. Use your comparison to list the social networks and traditional media used by your target audience (Premium registrants: This is done for you already in the Demographic and Media Match-Up file) 5. Conduct additional one-on-one research to learn the psychographics ((life stage, lifestyle, geographic location, hobbies/interests, culture, etc.)

Steps to follow, cont. 6. Use demographic and psychographic research results to create a persona for your target audience (Premium registrants: See Your Target Audience Template file) 7. Use that persona to guide how you market your book

Fiction example Jump Cut (The Ellie Foreman Mysteries Book 5) by Libby Fischer Hellman

Author input Wrote it for two audiences: Ellie Foreman fans and people who like espionage thrillers Ellie fans are usually women and a little older (+45) in the US and UK Thriller readers, particularly espionage, are mixed, but probably more men, and younger, +30-65, also in the US, UK, Germany

1 & 2. Research and list demographics Categories: Mystery & espionage 70% are female 47% are 55 or older 41% have $35,000-74,900 household income Espionage readers are nearly identical to mystery reader with one exception: Espionage has 9% more male readers

3 & 4. Compare demographics with social networks Results: Facebook, Pinterest Newspapers, magazines, radio, TV

5. Research psychographics Married, lives in the suburbs, empty nester More likely to live in the South or West U.S. Buys e-books for an e-reader Reads women s magazines but not blogs or book sites like Shelfari 39% borrow from the library

6. Create persona Deborah is married and lives in suburban Chicago with no children at home. She is employed and looking forward to retirement. Not a jet-setter or part of the country club set, Deborah clips coupons from the newspaper and shops at Target, Macy s, Lands End, and Chico s. In addition to reading mysteries, she likes watching movies and dining out with friends. Her favorite TV shows are NCIS and anything on the Hallmark Channel.

7. Use persona and research to guide marketing They buy from book clubs and brick & mortar book stores and borrow from libraries, so produce printed versions and get them into bookstores and libraries. Focus on getting the reviews literary and reader that libraries like to see. Work to get selected by book clubs. Focus online efforts on Facebook (Page and groups). Pinterest is secondary. Schedule in-person events rather than a virtual blog tour (they aren t big blog readers). Seek newspaper, magazine, and radio publicity (start locally).

Nonfiction example When Everyone Shines But You: Saying Goodbye To I m Not Good Enough by Kelly Martin

Author input Wrote it for adults who are feeling stuck in life, depressed, lost. They have tried other self-help books with no success. Interested in mindfulness. Want to feel good enough exactly as they are. Readers are a mix of men and women, but mainly women. Ages range from early 20s to 60+.

1 & 2. Research and list demographics Category: Self-help Traditionally, women 40-65 but that is changing One source: ¾ under the age of 45 Well-educated Affluent

3 & 4. Compare demographics with social networks Results: Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn Newspapers, magazines, radio, TV

5. Research psychographics Trouble handling stress, more prone to depression Self-aware and capable of focusing on improvements 62% look to buy a specific book title they know exactly what they want to buy Buys in chain book stores or online

6. Create persona Beverly is an accomplished but restless middle-aged professional woman who has never felt good enough (although she hides it well). She is looking for an alternative to psychotherapy. She has a master s degree, drinks wine, and shops at Talbots and Waitrose (in the U.S. it would be Whole Foods).

7. Use persona and research to guide marketing Self-help has newspaper, magazine, radio publicity potential; helps establish author s credentials and call attention to the book. Speak to women s groups that have affluent, educated members. Focus online efforts on Facebook (Page and topic group). Use Pinterest & Facebook for shareable motivational image quotes attributed to book. Target therapists who recommend books to patients through mainstream media interviews, trade media, LinkedIn groups.

What did you learn? 1. When you know your target audience, you ll waste less time, sell more books, & write better books 2. Researching your target audience takes work that won t always yield exact answers 3. The work takes time but isn t hard 4. Matching your audience demographics with media demographics helps focus your time on the right tasks

Will the bonus handouts help you? $9 for 3 files to download immediately 1. Your Target Audience Template 2. Demographic and Media Match-up 3. Reader Demographics by Category or Genre http://bit.ly/3bonusfiles

Questions?

Thank you! For more information: Sandra Beckwith, Build Book Buzz sb@buildbookbuzz.com http://buildbookbuzz.com full site http://buildbookbuzz.com/gift -- free newsletter subscription http://buildbookbuzz.com/training -- 2 pages of in-depth training programs https://www.facebook.com/buildbookbuzz -- Page with tips, advice, etc. https://www.facebook.com/groups/buildbookbuzz/ -- active group