Whether you've published a book or are thinking of publishing a book, marketing will come into play at some point and I've got some tips for you.
I've worked with Christa Fairbrother for many years now and it's been a pleasure to watch her business evolve and grow. She's an incredibly talented yoga teacher and her niche is wonderful. She focuses on Water Yoga and helps students who often have struggles such as chronic pain and arthritis. By taking yoga to the water it allows her students more freedom and less pain. What a wonderful thing!
In addition to her wide array of free and paid content on her website, she's also published a book, Water Yoga: A Teacher’s Guide. And in this article I'll share her 4 tips for how she marketed her book so she could help more students.
Start Marketing Early & Keep Going
Christa has been focused on the niche of water yoga for many years and this served her well during her book promotion. Over the years she's created blog posts, magazine articles and grown her email list so that she could connect with more of her dream student. Christa shares that marketing for a book launch actually starts much earlier than many authors think.
"Water Yoga: A Teacher’s Guide was just released in 2022 but the marketing for it started before I even wrote the book. Book publishers want a marketing plan turned in with every book proposal. For example, the book was written with a target audience in mind. That’s who it would be marketed to when the book was published. Also, before the book went to press, I’d connected with prominent colleagues for reviews because social proof helps other people decide a book is right for them."
Get Clear On Your Marketing Channels
You don't have to be everywhere in order to get your book (or any offering) found by your dream student. The better method for marketing is to understand where your dream student is already spending time online and then focus your energy on that/those channels. I particularly appreciated how Christa didn't just know her marketing channels but also knew the priority of each so she knew what to focus on first, last and everything in between.
"I primarily use three social media channels: Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram. I’d been using Pinterest for a long time, and that draws a lot of people to my website, so I started talking about the book first there. Facebook is where I connect with a lot of clients and show up as an expert in the field. I use Instagram also, but I don’t get as many clients from it. If I get pressed for time, it’s the lowest priority."
"The last thing we worked on was a strategy for using the network I already have built to help me market the book. For example, Facebook and Instagram are excellent for communicating with people and asking my audience to share information about the book and photos of them with it. I also contacted a few fellow professionals who, because of our history, seemed like an authentic partnership to ask them to be on my book launch team. They got copies of the book and shared them with their audience."
Expand Your Reach By Borrowing Other's Audiences
Of course you'll be promoting your book to those in your audience but another way to get the word out about your book is to "borrow" other people's audiences. This can be through being a podcast guest, guest blogging or other types of content creation. The idea is that you connect with someone or a business that has a similar audience as yours and you get in front of their audience by providing valuable content. As long as you're clear on how you're providing value for their audience, it's a win-win for both parties.
"To be able to sell the book, I needed an audience. I'd sell more books if I had a bigger audience, so I needed to grow my email list. I appeared on thirteen podcasts over the winter to reach new people. All those podcast episodes got promoted on social media on the host’s channels, and as a good partner, my email list website and social media channels also. It was a win/win because it provided valuable content for my existing audience and helped me reach new people."
Create An Experience Around Your Book Launch
Ordering a book is nice but attending or being part of an event takes it to a whole new level! You have a special opportunity to do both things when you're publishing a book. Christa did this well when she put together several workshops that connected to her book topic. By allowing early purchasers of her book and those who choose a special price option where invited to these live events. She hosted several events in coordination with her book launch, some in-person and others virtually, which allowed for even more marketing opportunities.
"While writing a book is more fun than marketing it, no one will read it if they don’t buy it. As Amanda would say, “You have to invite them to your party.” In this case, the book release party. I appreciate the support I got in helping create the biggest pool party possible."
Overall, it's a fantastic opportunity to publish a niche yoga book and I hope you go for it! And now that you've heard from Christa and her tips you're in a better place to move forward with intentional marketing. Know your audience, start building your relationships through content, expand your reach and then be sure to invite people to your awesome book launch party!
About Christa Fairbrother
Christa Fairbrother, MA, ERYT200/500, AFP, ATRIC, is an internationally recognized water yoga coach and trainer. She comes to teaching water yoga with a BFA in metal design, a MA in museum education, and ten years of work experience as a farrier. Her creative approach to the practice comes from her artist’s eye, her practical experience of improving movement on the job, and thirty years of practicing yoga. Her background in teaching in non-traditional environments makes her excel as a teacher’s teacher. She lives in Florida with her husband and two sons. She lives for a pot of strong black tea and a good book.
About Water Yoga
Water yoga has some differences compared to land yoga. Obviously, it’s done in the water, which you figured out from the name. But water yoga is also more social than land yoga. Pools are not quiet, calm places, and students appreciate being able to chat with other people in a class, make friends, and ask questions. Research also says one of the benefits of aquatic exercise is the social aspect, which again is not something you see with land yoga.
Learn More:
Website - https://www.christafairbrother.com/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/aquacontentyogi/
Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/christafairbrother/