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Updated September 15, 2023
Subtitle
Avoiding these myths can help you build a devoted audience and improve your sales
Synopsis
Understanding who your readers are, what they need, and how to hold onto them is essential for your financial success. Here are three common myths surrounding book-buyer retention that might have prevented you from implementing a plan to help you retain readers and buyers.
What You Will Learn
1. You will learn three major myths about holding onto your past and current readers and buyers.
2. You will learn some essential elements to start building a core of devoted fans.
3. You will learn what is required to hold onto your core audience.
Introduction
The business concept of holding onto or retaining past and current customers is typically not given much thought by many self-publishers.
But, building a following that will continue to read and buy what you publish is imperative for your long-term financial success as a self-publisher.
Consequently, implementing a book-buyer retention plan, more commonly called a customer retention plan, must be essential to every self-publisher’s marketing plan.
Here are three common myths surrounding book-buyer retention that might have prevented you from implementing a plan to help you retain readers and buyers:
Myth #1. Book-Buyer Retention Is Not Realistic or Practical for Self-Publishers
One big mistake many self-publishes make is attaching little or no importance to book-buyer retention. Many self-publishers see the effort to hold on to this customer base as too challenging and a waste of precious time to be of any significant value.
However, my personal experience has proven you can significantly increase your profits now and into the future by assembling a group of committed readers and buyers. It can take quite a bit of time to build this core audience.
But your fan base will grow if you keep producing quality content this audience needs and can benefit from. You deliver this content through your blog, website, videos, podcasts, books, etc.
Myth #2. Book Buyers Will Continue to Buy from You if They Like You
Being liked or trusted is not enough in today’s world, where finding a trustworthy expert in a particular niche is effortless. And book buyers can easily get overwhelmed because of the increasing number of new books published daily by likable and trusted authors.
Even the most loyal supporters of your brand can easily get lured away by other authors within your niche and pursue the exact audience you are seeking. This competition is why you must never take your followers for granted.
The minute you stop updating your blog with new and relevant content, for example, you accept the risk your readers and book buyers will start to forget about you.
Therefore, to be financially successful as a self-publisher, you must keep reminding your audience with new content and books that you are the go-to person within your niche.
Myth #3. It Is Possible to Hold onto All of Your Readers and Buyers
Every self-publisher must accept that not all readers and book-buyers will stay with them for the long haul. Despite your continued efforts to produce more blog content, videos, and books, many consumers will always be searching for the next hot author and quickly stop following you.
You cannot allow this fickle group to bother you or slow you down from your mission of producing quality content. Nothing you do or say will hold onto this temperamental group. Keep focusing your attention and efforts on building your core audience.
You owe it to this core group to continue providing honest and informative content that helps them solve their problems and improve their lives.
Therefore, a successful self-publisher understands their audience, knows where to find them, and continually provides them with new and helpful information.
Conclusion
Like any other business owner, self-publishers must constantly strive to build a core audience that will keep returning for more. This core group is priceless.
Understanding who they are, where to find them, and knowing what they need, and then providing it to them will guarantee you will build financial success as a self-publisher.
And again, just like any business, it is much easier and takes much less effort to keep selling to your followers and those who have purchased from you.
Questions to Think About
1. Can you think of other myths about reader/customer retention?
2. What other ways can you keep your readers and followers returning for more?
