HOW TO TARGET YOUR AUDIENCE
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One of the errors an author can make when targeting readers is trying to do so with too broad an audience in mind, it is of course done with the best of intentions and designs of selling to as many people as possible. However the opposite tends to happen, your book will then be up against a wider range of competition and some of those competitors will have bigger budgets when it comes to the promotion of their work too.
It is better to be aware of the needs and wants of a smaller group or niche, these ultimately will go on to buy your book and as you publish more they’re far more likely to stay loyal to you. This is by far a better and more productive way to cover what will still be a large audience but one which should see a higher return on investment.
So here we have listed some tips and practices with the design of helping you target the correct audience for your own book and ultimately sell more copies of your work. |
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Not EVERYONE will like it
The sooner you get to grips with this fact the better, it won’t appeal to 100% of the reading population but it will be loved by a section of them, remembering this will help you focus on selling to the correct section and avoid you wasting time and money.
The sooner you get to grips with this fact the better, it won’t appeal to 100% of the reading population but it will be loved by a section of them, remembering this will help you focus on selling to the correct section and avoid you wasting time and money.
Location, characters and drama
Break down the various sections of the work, if you’re novel is a thriller set in medieval France and involves battles of the time then you would be aiming your work at historical, war and thriller genres.
What’s your hook? – Following on from the previous point, when you have a clear understanding of what makes your book special you have a better idea as to who will be more interested in it
Research what exists
Look at books within a similar genre to your own work and research the cross sections of readership which they have sold too, this will help fine tune your own audience and help with your books promotion.
Demographics and Age
Again, this will require research and thought as to who are the specific individuals more likely to read your book. What age range are they? if you have used adult themes and strong language throughout, then aiming it at the 10 – 12 year olds would be highly inappropriate.
Demographics and Gender
What gender would be more likely to read your book?
Demographics and Location
Where in the world will your readers come from, have you used terminology or references which are specific to your own part of the world and would be lost on someone from thousands of miles away?
Demographics and Education
If writing a book which is full of in-depth science equations are you aiming it at those who will fully comprehend the information?
Demographics and lifestyle
how does your targeted reader live? What do they spend their money on and do in their spare time?
Demographics and beliefs/values
Being aware of religious beliefs and also variations in values from cultures around the globe will make a difference to how the book is either well received or rejected.
Advertise
Once you have done your research you should have a far better idea as to who exactly will become your target audience. With this knowledge you’ll be able to be very selective with your advertising. With the social media such as Facebook you can advertise to a specific demographic which fits your audience. You can also target the blogs and web forums that they are more likely to hang out on and post links back to your book from there.
Your book cover design
knowing your audience will enable a book cover design which will be highly specific to your readers and stand out to them in an instance too.
Break down the various sections of the work, if you’re novel is a thriller set in medieval France and involves battles of the time then you would be aiming your work at historical, war and thriller genres.
What’s your hook? – Following on from the previous point, when you have a clear understanding of what makes your book special you have a better idea as to who will be more interested in it
Research what exists
Look at books within a similar genre to your own work and research the cross sections of readership which they have sold too, this will help fine tune your own audience and help with your books promotion.
Demographics and Age
Again, this will require research and thought as to who are the specific individuals more likely to read your book. What age range are they? if you have used adult themes and strong language throughout, then aiming it at the 10 – 12 year olds would be highly inappropriate.
Demographics and Gender
What gender would be more likely to read your book?
Demographics and Location
Where in the world will your readers come from, have you used terminology or references which are specific to your own part of the world and would be lost on someone from thousands of miles away?
Demographics and Education
If writing a book which is full of in-depth science equations are you aiming it at those who will fully comprehend the information?
Demographics and lifestyle
how does your targeted reader live? What do they spend their money on and do in their spare time?
Demographics and beliefs/values
Being aware of religious beliefs and also variations in values from cultures around the globe will make a difference to how the book is either well received or rejected.
Advertise
Once you have done your research you should have a far better idea as to who exactly will become your target audience. With this knowledge you’ll be able to be very selective with your advertising. With the social media such as Facebook you can advertise to a specific demographic which fits your audience. You can also target the blogs and web forums that they are more likely to hang out on and post links back to your book from there.
Your book cover design
knowing your audience will enable a book cover design which will be highly specific to your readers and stand out to them in an instance too.
