In the realm of digital marketing, reader magnets play a crucial role in attracting and engaging readers. The subject matter and target audience play an important role in determining the effectiveness and value of any freebie.
However, not all reader magnets are created equal. Each reader magnet offers a unique value proposition and appeal to different segments of your readers.
Before we dive into distinct examples of reader magnets you could offer, let’s quickly define what a value proposition is and how it can help you.
How to Define the Value Proposition
The value proposition of your product is like the special promise you’ve promised your audience will get when they’ve consumed your product. In your case, it’s a romance book and if your promise isn’t fulfilled with your readers, they’ll never read another one of your books again.
How Does Knowing this Helps Your Marketing
Before I show you how this helps you, let me ask you some questions: Who does your romance book help? Who benefits when they read your book? How does your book help your reader? What makes your book unique and different from all the other romance books out there? What kind of experience do you promise your reader? What will your reader get from reading your book?
Once you’ve answered these questions about your book. And yes, I mean book, not books. Answer these questions for each of your books.
With the answers you can then use them to guide the copy of your marketing.
Let me give you an example:
Let’s say you write a romantic suspense where the heroine is one tough lady but is closed off from the hero because of childhood trauma. You’ve classified your book as a romantic suspense but it’s also a western because the hero is being forced to marry by his aging grandfather. His grandfather has told him he marries or he looses the rights to the ranch where he was raised.
Now as a trained Army ranger, as well as an FBI agent, he’s torn with what he wants. He wants his lady but he also wants his career, but he also wants the ranch.
Such a conundrum!
Okay, so my blurb isn’t so hot, but it can help you to figure out exactly who you’re writing to and how to format your copywriting to reach that reader.
I’m going to assume that your romance is for adult readers and is not a YA novel. The next thing to think about directly related to the smut level of your book. While sexuality plays a huge part of marketing across the world, knowing what your level is can play a part of the type of content you offer your readers.
Go back to the above questions.
- Who does your romance book help? Your book helps the ladies to know they can be just as tough and strong as your heroine. It also shows that when someone works really hard, they can have it all too.
- Who benefits when they read your book? It only benefits someone who actually read the book.
- How does your book help your reader? Your story empowers readers to work hard for what they want.
- What makes your book unique and different from all the other romance books out there? You have a unique voice and way of telling your story. Your book is different because fun twists and turns you take your readers on during your story.
- What kind of experience do you promise your reader? You promise to give your readers a thrilling, exciting adventure. Taking them on a personal journey for not only your heroine but also for your hero.
- What will your reader get from reading your book? Your readers will get an enjoyable experience, one they won’t find anywhere else.
Use these Ideas to Guide You
Define Your Audience: The readers you want to reach are those that crave adventure, excitement, and a kick-ass heroine!
Define Your Reader Magnet: You want to build up your email list, so you’ve created a character profile of this hero and heroine. You’re wanting to bring awareness to this book and your characters.
Define Your Content Strategy: The content you post should be creative, compelling, and definitely not boring. Posting the same thing over again does not make a content strategy. Here are five examples of content can create with this reader magnet in mind:
- find a graphic (or create one) of this hero and heroine. Add 10 characteristics of each character on this graphic.
- reuse this idea and replace with a similar graphic of each and instead of characteristics, instead add details about your character! (By the way, you’ve just created 4 posts!)
- take a scene from your story and create it in a picture collage. Ideally, this would be an important scene in your character’s storyline.
- create a marketing graphic of your reader magnet (with the corresponding landing page/signup form) with the copy encouraging your readers to head to your website to get this profile that they can take home with them.
As you can see, this is one way that your reader magnet can guide your marketing. With the end in mind bringing readers into your space via your email list.
Reasoning Behind Customization
Tailoring your reader magnets for different groups within your readership allows you to:
Address Specific Pain Points: By understanding the unique challenges and objectives of each group, you can create reader magnets that directly address their pain points and provide relevant solutions.
Enhance Relevance and Value: Customized reader magnets resonate more deeply with their intended audience, increasing their perceived value and effectiveness in driving engagement and conversions.
Build Trust and Authority: By demonstrating your understanding of their needs and providing tailored solutions, you establish yourself as a trusted go-to person within your chosen genre, enabling you to foster long-term relationships with your readers.
Tailoring Reader Magnets for Maximum Engagement
By understanding the nuances of your audience segments and tailoring reader magnets accordingly, you can create custom solutions that address their specific needs and preferences.
Let’s create different reader magnets for different segments of your readership and the reasoning behind this strategic approach.
Here are three levels of focus your reader magnets can have with examples:
Printable Checklist
Subject Matter: A fun editable and/or printable checklist titled: “3rd Edition of [Author’s Name]’s Booklist”
Audience Segment: Readers who are familiar with you vs. social media followers.
Explanation: Just because your readers have read your book doesn’t mean they’re followers. Offering a fun document, like an editable checklist of all your books, is a marvelous enticement to convince unknown readers to your list.
Downloadable PDF
Subject Matter: A PDF, that’s both downloadable and printable, titled: “John Doe’s Character Profile.”
Audience Segment: Potential Readers vs. Subscribed Readers.
Explanation: While both types of readers may be interested in the profile of the profile of your main character, only the ones that have read your book might consider this valuable and useful enough to download it.
On the other hand, the readers that follow you may benefit from “getting to know this character before they read about him. This is where you’d offer “meet and greet” type of content to entice those readers that have never read your book to actually check it out.
Online Resource
Subject Matter: A PDF titled: “The [Name of Book Series] Cast of Characters.”
Audience Segment: Subscribed Readers vs. Loyal Advocates.
Explanation: Offering exclusive content, in whatever format, to your readers that are actually on your list, is a way to nurture those readers. If you don’t nurture those readers that are already on your list, they’ll most likely leave and not come back, for your books or for you!
Diversity Your Reader Magnets, Amplify Your Content Strategy
Now that you know of three reader magnet ideas you can create, let’s quickly dive into how offering multiples can supercharge your content strategy.
- Cast a Wider Net: Instead of casting a simple net in a huge pond, use different “baits” to catch different fish! By offering a variety of reader magnets, you’re able to cast a wider net and attract more readers to your author business.
- Catering to Different Tastes: We all have different tastes and preferences. Your readers are no different. By offering a few options, you’re catering to the diverse tastes of your readers. Whether they’re into online resources, downloadables, or printables they can use alongside your book, there’s something for every reader.
- Solving Different Problems: Imagine your readers as different pieces of a puzzle, each with their own unique shape and size. Offering multiple reader magnets allows you to solve different peices of that puzzle. Maybe one freebie helps them with pronouncing the words in your fantasy novel, while another offers an explanation of the complex family relationships you created for your character family. By addressing a variety of problems, you’re showing reader that you understand their needs and can provide valuable solutions.
- Building Trust and Authority: When it comes to building trust and authority, variety is key. Offering multiple reader magnets show that you’re the expert of your own book! It demonstrates that you’re the one to come to for the valuable answers readers seek when asking questions.
- Keeping Things Fresh: Just like a good meal, your content strategy needs to stay fresh and exciting. Offering multiple reader magnets for different stories, keeps things interesting for your readers. It gives them new and valuable content to engage with on a regular basis, keeping them coming back for more. Plus, it shows you’re innovative and evolved, which is essential to staying ahead in today’s fast-paced digital world.
Conclusion
Creating different reader magnets for different problems your readers might have enables you to deliver personalized solutions that resonate deeply and drive meaningful engagement.
By understanding the nuances of your readership segments and tailoring your content accordingly, you can maximize the impact of your lead generation efforts and position yourself for success in the competitive digital landscape.
What’s Next…
Looking to have your content made for you? Contact me anytime via email.
Dive deep into the Ultimate Guide to Mastering your Reader Magnet to know how to update and optimize all your content – blog articles, email newsletters, reader upgrades, and website extras.
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