Posted on June 18, 2020 at 9:51 AM by Guest Author

Marketing your Kindle book doesn’t have to be scary. There are plenty of ways to generate interest in your ebook on Amazon and beyond. Here are some best practices…

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Why Marketing Your Kindle Book Is Crucial  

“To reach more readers and take your sales to the next level, you must proactively market your book.” – Mark Coker, Smashwords

Putting the time, effort, and resources into marketing your Kindle book is a must if you want to generate more sales.

Even if you’ve written the most riveting tale that’s ever been told, it won’t amount to much if readers don’t know it exists.

Therefore, you need to use every tool at your disposal to get your ebook in front of those most likely to enjoy it.   

Like many authors, you’re probably feeling a little nervous about marketing your Kindle book, especially if it’s your first time doing so.

But rest assured it’s not the scary, seemingly impossible task you think it is. Moreover, it’s one you can’t afford to avoid — not if you hope to foster interest in your book.    

The good news is you don’t have to figure out what to do on your own.

There’s plenty of information out there about setting up your book for optimal success. It’s just a matter of following best practices and, of course, putting in the work.

In doing so, you can look forward to greater downloads, more readers, and higher sales! 

7 Practical Tips for Kindle Book Marketing Success 

Given Amazon’s popularity, particularly when it comes to book sales, it makes sense to do everything possible to get your Kindle book to stand out on the site.

However, you shouldn’t disregard the value of promoting and talking about your work on other channels as well.

That’s why we compiled a list of best practices for marketing your Kindle book on Amazon — and beyond. 

Here’s what to do…

1) Start with a Great Cover and Description.

This isn’t the first time you’ve read about the importance of having a solid cover and description, and it won’t be the last.

That’s because these two elements shape a reader’s first impression of your ebook. A boring description and low-quality cover can keep readers from venturing any further, causing you to miss out on sales. 

Ultimately, the work you put into marketing your book won’t matter if readers aren’t compelled to download it.

Therefore, prior to doing anything else, you need to ensure your ebook looks and sounds as interesting as possible. 

That means…

2) Research Your Target Audience. 

A huge part of book marketing (and one that new authors tend to overlook) is figuring out which readers to target.

In a perfect world, everyone would be eager to read your ebook; however, this just isn’t the case.

When you attempt to target too broad of an audience, you end up with wasted marketing dollars and poor results. That’s why you need to focus your efforts on those who enjoy books like yours. 

If you’ve built up a following, you already have a great source of information — your fans. To determine the target audience for your current book, gather details about demographics and buying behavior from those who enjoy your work.

You can do this by conducting surveys, using the insights tools on your social media platforms, and interviewing your readers.      

If you’re a first-time author, however, you’ll have to dig a bit deeper. Think about the type of person your book would appeal to and create a reader persona — a fictional avatar of your ideal reader.

Look at authors in your genre and find out who their fans are. Hang out in online book clubs and message boards specific to your genre. 

Additionally, you shouldn’t disregard the also-bought section on Amazon. Once you’ve sold copies of your book, you can look at other titles your customers have purchased in the past.

With this information, you can then run targeted ads on Amazon and Facebook to those who like similar authors.   

3) Select the Right Category and Keywords.

When it comes to marketing your Kindle book, selecting the appropriate category and keywords is essential. Doing so increases the likelihood of your book popping up when a reader searches for a specific topic or kind of book.

Further, if you can get your book to #1 in a particular category, it will rank higher in keyword search results on Amazon, providing you with greater exposure.  

With that in mind, you should…

  • Choose accurate, specific categories that fit your book

  • Look for relevant categories with low competition

  • Contact Amazon Author Central support to list your book in more categories

  • Identify subcategories for your book to go under

  • Research similar book titles and authors for keyword suggestions

  • Take advantage of Amazon’s autofill function to get keyword ideas

  • Use free tools to conduct Amazon keyword research

4) Take Advantage of Author Central.

Your Author Central page is an additional tool you can use for marketing your Kindle book (and yourself). That’s why you should look for every opportunity to take advantage of it.

Optimize your page by adding videos, highlighting positive reviews, and sharing information about your book. Doing so allows you to connect with readers and boosts your chances of turning them into fans of your work!  

5) Create a Budget for Paid Ads.

Since the competition on Amazon is so high, it’s often worth making an investment in paid advertising to get more eyes on your ebook. If you’re a first-time author, this is an especially useful tactic.

You just need to figure out how much you can spend on advertising, making sure to do thorough research on your keywords and target audience beforehand. 

Once you’ve created a budget, you need to determine which type of ad you want to run. Amazon offers two options specifically for KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) authors:

  • Sponsored Products – Ads appear in search results and on product pages. 

  • Display Ads – Ads appear on Amazon websites, apps, and devices, along with sites and apps not owned by Amazon.

There are other options available, so you may want to scope those out to decide which one is right for your budget and needs. 

6) Consider Offering a Discount.

It may seem counterintuitive when your ultimate goal is to sell more books, but offering your book for free or at a discount can be a great way of engaging new readers and increasing downloads.

After all, everyone loves a good deal!

Further, using this tactic allows you to gather reviews that you can then use in social media posts, paid ads, and more. 

(Tip: If you want to offer your book for free, you can promote it in our newsletter, which goes out to thousands of avid readers every day!)

7) Look for Opportunities beyond Amazon. 

Although you may be selling on Amazon, you shouldn’t focus all of your efforts there. In fact, there are several ways to begin marketing your Kindle book on other channels. 

For example… 

  • Notifying those on your email list about your new ebook

  • Reaching out to influencers and book reviewers in your genre

  • Setting up and maintaining your author website

  • Getting active on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube

  • Scheduling a promotion with a reputable site

  • Conducting readings, Q&As, and other events

All of these things can increase exposure for your book and generate interest from those most likely to buy it.  

Takeaway

Learning about best practices for marketing your Kindle book is a must if you want to increase sales. So, use the tips provided here as a guide.

It may take some time to get the hang of it, but once you do, you’ll see better results in terms of readership, downloads, and sales.   

(Looking for another way to get eyes on your work? Click HERE to learn about running a free ebook promotion in our newsletter!)

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