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Don’t Just Write Down Dry Facts
Breathing life into a non-fiction article is tough, especially if it doesn’t include a character. Sometimes called “literary journalism” or the literature of fact, creative non-fiction merges the boundaries between literary art and research nonfiction – statistical, fact-filled, run of the mill journalism.
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Even in Non-Fiction, You Have to Build a Page-Turner
Non-fiction authors should take a few tips from their sisters and brothers across the aisle. We must build page-turning non-fiction books too. Short attention spans are baked-in. We can blame smartphones, millennials, or the weather, but we’ve got to keep our reader’s attention. An informing tone, usually overused in non-fiction, will turn off readers if used consistently. Breathing life into a non-fiction article is tough, especially if it doesn’t include a character.
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Creative Nonfiction Should:
- Include accurate and well-researched information
- Hold the interest of the reader
- Potentially blur the realms of fact and fiction in a pleasing, literary style – while remaining strangely grounded in fact
Nonfiction writers often choose to write about topics or people close to them (including themselves). As long as the piece deals with something real, or something based on the real, the writer is allowed to take the piece in any direction he or she wishes.
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Your (Non-Fiction) Article Needs a Human Face Too
Marketing Guru Jeff Bullas explains why: “Individuals have emerged as a means to put a human face to the soulless and faceless stats of the demographic data scientist. The problem is that just considering a demographic profile misses that human element. So personas were invented to help the new breed of marketer understand the human side of the data.”
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Newspapers: “If it bleeds it leads”
Thumbing through any newspaper or magazine, you will find people in almost any story: mentioning of names, interviewing a person, citing people…
“Newspapers have understood this at a primal layer for a long time in what news they published on the front page. Editors and journalists have known for a long time that “If it bleeds it leads”. Fear also sells newspapers. Personas have personalities, they have fears, wants, and passions. People in their articles have an age, an assigned gender, and even a college degree.”
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***It does not matter whether you are a blogger, a brand or social media marketer, or a non-fiction writer of books, you need to make your content more human.***
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To Develop a Persona Requires Asking Some Questions – Here Are a Few to Get You Started:
- What are the biggest problems in their private lives?
- What are the challenges in their job?
- Where do they get their information from? Blogs, trade magazines, books?
- What would stop them changing to your product or service?
- How do they convince their boss to make a buying decision?
- Do they print off an ebook and put it on his desk?
- What media do they consume? YouTube videos, white papers, podcasts?
Knowing the answers to some of these questions will help in creating relevant and appropriate articles – and to add people in your non-fiction writing.
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Personas and Content Marketing
“Creating a persona is both an art and a science. Contagious and engaging content that touches hearts and minds is your goal as a content marketer. The content not only needs to answer the questions but also be on the media preference of choice.
That may be a video, a blog post and on Slideshare – or maybe all three. If you can put your content creators in the buyers’ shoes then you are well on your way to content marketing success.”
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How to Market Your Blog or Website
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You can have the best blog or website in the world, but without effective marketing, no one will know about it. Just because you have launched your website on the Internet doesn’t mean that everyone will come flocking to it. In fact, nobody will know it exists – if you do not get out there and promote it. Here are a few essential tips:
• Write valuable content – Quality over quantity
• Link to your other websites – And in turn, receive “inbound” links from other sites
• Signature – Apply the blog name as an email signature, include it on business cards, press releases, videos, etc.
• Post on Social Media – Recycle a part of your most interesting content and post it on LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram or eZines – always with a link to your blog.
• Refer-a-friend Promotion – Provide a reward for users that gets another person to become a visitor, member or sign up for the email list.
• Guest Posting – It posting allows you to attract targeted traffic (readers) that are already interested in your niche plus the guest posters’ own audience.
• Blog Comments – Participate in the comments section of other blogger’s posts and on social sites, e.g. LinkedIn or Goodreads. And don’t forget to answer the commenters on your own blog or website!
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What Else Can You Accomplish With Your Blog’s Content?
• Create an eBook – Find a series of articles that have a similar topic and compile them into a marketable format. Sell it for a low price or give it away for free.
• Create a Video Series – Say you have several articles that describe, step by step, how to create (…fill in…), then turn it into videos.
• Create an Email List – Don’t wait to start a newsletter email list. Sign up today with any of the email newsletter services – sometimes for free. The email newsletter should serve as the voice or spokesperson for your business. All the exclusive information should be sent via this medium exclusively to your subscription readers.
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Attention to detail and a “quality over quantity” attitude will be one of the best things you can do for your book business in the long run. Using free online promotion methods is a better idea. Better than expensive ads.
Get a checklist of all the elements you need to optimize in order for you to get found at ‘Book Marketing on a Shoestring’ and ‘111 Tips on How to Market Your Book For Free”.
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Books by Doris-Maria Heilmann:
Audiobooks for Success
Valuable guide book for authors, audiobook publishers, narrators, voice-over artists, and audiobook listeners. Learn how to create, produce, publish, and market your audiobooks.
https://books2read.com/u/bPRRyJ
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07W81MN2Z
111 Tips to Create Impressive Videos
How to Plan, Create, Upload and Market Videos
https://www.books2read.com/u/3GYnpa
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BYDH41S/
111 Tips To Make (More) Money With Writing
The Art of Making a Living Full-time Writing –
An Essential Guide for More Income as Freelancer
https://books2read.com/u/bWZMjz
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1988664187
111 Tips on How to Market Your Book for Free
Detailed Plans and Smart Strategies for Your Book’s Success
https://books2read.com/u/bMre1a
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B018RA72LY
111 Tips to Get Free Book Reviews
Best Strategies for Getting Lots of Great Reviews
plus 1,200+ reviewer contact links
https://books2read.com/u/mZ5nx5
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B018RA72LY/
111 Tips to Create Your Book Trailer
How to Create, Where to Upload and How to Market Your Videos
https://books2read.com/u/mVZkjr
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CHWX6X2/
Book Marketing on a Shoestring
How Authors Can Promote their Books
Without Spending a Lot of Money
https://books2read.com/u/mZ5gdp
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1988664225
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