Supplemental materials are a marvelous way for you to attract new readers and keep them engaged on your author website. From content you already create, there are many way that you an use your supplemental material to educate your readers and attract them to your author website.
Let’s explore how you can use your supplemental materials as part of your content marketing strategy in order to educate and attract more readers and build a loyal fan base.
Create Quality Content
The supplemental materials, you’ve already created, are an easy way for you to create quality content that’s engaging, interesting, visually appealing, and even educational.
But what is quality content?
Quality content is content which is created with your readers in mind. It engages your readers in an entertaining, informative, educational, and interesting way that encourages them to share your content with their reader friends.
Quality content should provide readers with value – whether that’s a new perspective, resources, tips or answers to questions they have – it should offer something tangible even after the reader leaves the page. Creating content that meets these criteria often requires time and effort for research and thoughtful structuring, but usually holds much more value than content of lower quality.
Having interesting and valuable content, that your readers can’t find anywhere else, is crucial to your success. For example: the cast of characters you created to keep your characters straight can be used to inform your readers on who’s who in your story – especially when it’s formatted in a nice PDF and made into a download!
Taking the time to gather materials such as these, even before you publish, helps to ensure your readers are presented with a clear and concise overview your story and your world. This also can increase reader engagement because they’ll understand your characters more fully, especially if you’ve given these same materials to them as a reference to keep.
Ultimately, creating your supplemental materials content that’s captivating and persuasive can be extremely helpful in convincing your readers to actually pick up your story and read it.
Use Your Cast of Characters to Persuade Readers
By offering your cast of characters to your readers, you can help to ensure that your readers understand your characters and how they’re all connected. When each character is unique and their personality shines through, this’ll bring an informative element to your content.
All authors require an audience to sell their books, so it’s important to establish a connection with readers while engaging with them. So, entertaining them with a well-formatted document will help build that connection while encouraging them to return again and again.
By providing quality content in a manner that’s both educational and resourceful, you’ll build an ongoing relationship with your readers who’ll come back again and again to read more about their favorite characters.
Click here to learn how to use your cast of characters to persuade your readers to check out your website and blog.
Use Your Character Roles Chart to Engage Readers
A characters roles chart is a useful tool for helping your readers to visualize your characters and their relationships within your story.
It visually outlines each character’s individual role, objectives, and any specific characteristics that are unique to them. It can be especially helpful when writing complex characters or even multiple storylines involving different characters in a single narrative.
This chart enables you to keep track of your dynamic characters in an organized and consistent way while giving your readers a resource that’ll keep them informed on who’s who and the role they play in your story.
And… it’s just a fun content idea to add to your website and blog!
Click here to learn how to use your character roles chart to engage your readers to check out your website and blog.
Use Your Family Tree Chart to Captivate Readers
If you’re into genealogy, then you know what a family tree is as pertaining to us humans. In the story world, a family tree chart is a similar diagram that records the familial connections between your characters, whether they’re a family by blood or a made family.
With a family tree chart, you can trace the family (and the made-family) connections through generations and create a visual record of your characters! This can be an extremely rewarding and engaging resource for both you and your readers alike!
Click here to learn how to use your character names chart to educate your readers to check out your website and blog.
Use Your Character Names Chart to Educate Readers
A character names chart is a perfect tool for any author looking to keep track of your characters in your stories. This chart can not only help you to make sure that your character names are used consistently throughout your narrative and prevent confusion about who’s who, but also becomes a resource when you offer this same chart to your readers.
This chart can help you to guarantee that your character names don’t sound too similar, which in turn can help readers to not get them mixed up.
A name table, or chart, allows you to assign your characters with descriptions and common traits, helping you to bring your story alive with richer character development. This chart is especially helpful when you’re writing long stories, such as full-length novels, providing you with an easily accessible reference point for keeping your own characters straight!
And when you offer it on a well-written and informative blog post, you allow your readers to enjoy this same resource, especially when you offer this to them in a downloadable PDF!
Click here to learn how to use your family tree chart to captivate your readers to check out your website and blog.
Use a Community Map to Draw Readers In
Looking for an idea that’ll increase the value of your website in just a glance? Add the map of your community or neighborhood where your characters live and work.
This is sure to be a content idea to draw your readers into your website and blog every time. Having a map of that shows individual towns or locations can help them to understand how your world fits together on a larger scope.
Not only will this help your readers, it can help you too. This map can help you keep track of any changes you make later down the line as well as remind you which plot points still need addressing before wrapping up your story!
Click here to learn how to use your community map to draw readers into your website and blog.
Use Your Story Research to Educate Readers
What is supplementary research? It’s the material you’ve collected as you’ve researched your story. And sharing your story research with your readers helps to educate them on everything about your story!
Think of it!
You can dive deep into the culture or era of your story, you can share customs or mannerisms that were part of the timeframe your story fits.
There are so many different angles you can go when you choose to share the research you’ve done!
Click here to learn how to use your story research to educate your readers to check out your author blog.
Use Your Book Cover Infographics to Entice Readers
Attracting interesting readers to your website or your blog is essential for engaging an audience and promoting your book. A book cover infographic is a helpful tool to entice your readers to come check out your author blog.
This modern visual container of information can be used to feature your book covers, book details, or book related topics you’re blogging about.
Adding this type of infographic will help to create a more dynamic overall look on your website, thereby making it stand out amongst other author websites and blogs in your chosen genre.
Along with interesting content, book cover infographics are an awesome way to grab readers attention and give them a better user experience while they browse through your site.
Click here to learn how to use your book cover infographics to entice your readers to check out your author blog.
Take Your Supplemental Materials to the Next Level
Looking to take your supplemental materials to the next level? Think bigger – turn your materials into downloadable PDFs that can win over your readers when they come to your website and even sign up to your email list!
Add it to Your Website Book Page
If you’re an author looking to increase your web presence and spread the reach of your supplemental materials, turning them into free downloadables for your website may be the best option.
This decision can ensure that not only does your supplemental material become easily accessible to a wider audience, but it also allows for professional presentation of complex information. It creates an opportunity for readers to access supplemental materials in a chart format or as a list, helping them quickly scan subsections and deduce its contents.
Therefore, turning supplemental materials into free downloadables is a great way to expand upon primary content while boosting overall engagement with readers.
Write About it on Your Author Blog
Use your author blog to inform and educate your readers on any additional content you’re adding to your website. Not only can you use your blog to help your readers understand your story and characters better, you can also use dive deeper into subjects related to your story.
Utilizing an author blog to help you stay connected to your readers is one way you can build up your own content marketing strategy.
Go here to learn more: Authors, it’s time to take up blogging!
Make it a Content Upgrade to Add Readers to Email List
If you’re looking for a way to not only engage your readers but also to demonstrate your willingness to give valuable content, offer you supplemental materials to your readers as a giveaway (also called freebie, reader upgrade, or content upgrade) on your author website.
This is an excellent way to provide readers with additional value at no cost, as well as increasing reader engagement and building a loyal fanbase of avid readers.
Additionally, offering content opt-ins help to generate awareness and spread positive word-of-mouth about your books. So take advantage of the opportunity to turn your supplemental materials into reader upgrade freebies!
Why Use Supplemental Materials to Attract Readers
If you want to get readers interested in your author blog and keep them coming back for more, consider using these supplemental materials.
These aids can be helpful and entertaining for readers, especially if your blog discusses roles or stories that have many elements involved. Supplemental materials make it easier to keep track of people and events in the storyline by visually demonstrating how they are connected.
Plus, they can add visual appeal that captivates readers and hooks them into wanting to learn more about what you have to offer through your blog. Make sure to check out supplemental material options when setting up your author blog!
Use Content Templates to Easily and Quickly Create
No need getting stuck trying to create your content! Use these content templates to easily and quickly create the content you’ll need on your author blog. These templates are easy-to-use and convenient providing helpful structures that make your content generation simpler.
With the following content templates as our starting points, all you need to do is plug in your relevant details that match the requirements for each content idea.
Here’re samples you could make:
Using new content ideas, like your supplemental materials (cast of characters, character name chart, character roles chart and family tree chart), to help your readers understand more about your story, is a marvelous way to help them to be better informed about your book before they buy.
Using DFY templates, you can create content that’s professional and nice looking. Your community map, cast of characters, character names chart, character roles chart, family tree chart, story research, and several book cover infographics are sure to help you connect you with your readers!
Get started creating your own content today!
Create Your Own Educational Content
Create your own educational content today! Your readers are going to love learning more about you and your characters. Click on each picture to see what’s included in each!
