Everyone has holiday stories. The bizarre gift from crazy Aunt Edna. The discovered present that ruined the surprise. The thoughtful gift that took your breath away. Hard times. Good times. Strange times. Every holiday season brings new experiences and stories.
We share these stories at cocktail parties, over coffee, at work and at the bus stop. But have you ever thought about sharing these stories with readers? Here’s why stories are powerful tools for marketing your book:
stories are told in your voice – in a content abundant world, creating a distinct voice as a writer can help you and your work stand out. When you’re promoting your writing through social media, you should include posts that showcase your unique voice. Sharing your holiday stories is a great way to do this.
stories are memorable – Because stories have been told since the beginning of mankind, science tells us that our brains have evolved to listen more closely to stories and remember them longer than information not expressed in story form. Our brains are also wired to engage with stories. Well written, interesting stories draw us in. We naturally want to tell the storyteller how our stories connect with theirs, so we engage. Well-crafted stories are layered with subtle truths about life. We respect and remember great stories and storytellers.
stories are authentic – As an author navigating a world of social strangers, it’s important to be yourself. That’s how you’ll attract the right followers and readers toward your work – the ones who genuinely care about you and are interested enough in your work to buy your books and spread your marketing messages. Sharing a bit of yourself through holiday storytelling nurtures these deeper connections. When you make people laugh, cry or think you’re connecting with them. It’s much more powerful than bombarding readers with robot-like messages to buy or read your books. That’s just noise and people will block it out.
This holiday season, remember that you are a storyteller, and life is full of stories. Content marketers for the most influential brands on the planet know this and practice storytelling year round. Put a little of you out there into the social space and share your holiday stories with followers and readers. Chances are you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the promotion power of holiday storytelling.
Do you have a holiday story that you’ve used to promote your book effectively? If so, share away!
Kathy Meis is the founder and president of Bublish, the free social book discovery and commerce platform for writers and readers. She is a professional writer, editor and editorial manager with more than twenty years of experience in the media and publishing industries. Kathy was the founding editor of Forbes MediaCritic and is a founding partner of PubSmart, an annual author-centric publishing conference in Charleston, South Carolina. She also ghostwrites business books and is a frequent blogger on the subject of book promotion, author branding, social media and discoverability. In 2012, she won the People’s Choice Award at the Startup Showcase at O’Reilly’s Tools of Change Publishing Conference.
