Audio and Video Marketing for Indie Authors

There are a variety of ways to promote your book online using video or audio media. These forms of communication offer another platform for you to introduce yourself and your books to your readership. Sites like YouTube or Blog Talk Radio offer some options for free. Self-published authors typically find that they are adequate for getting the message out about their books.

Why Explore Video and Audio Promotions?

When you think of online searches, your mind immediately goes to textual content. However, Google’s search algorithm looks at a variety of content types including audio and video content. Actually, video content consistently ranks higher than other forms of content in the search engine result pages. Video, in particular, has a much greater chance of going viral through social media than regular text. Some research has also indicated that users are much more likely to interact with content that bears an image or video. Part of this is due to the fact that users are more mobile and are interacting online using iPads, Smartphones and other mobile devices. By combining video and audio outlets with a campaign, you are more likely to get social media exposure, which drives sales.

What Platforms are Available?

There are several different platforms that indie authors can use for book promotions. Some of the more popular options include:

• Animoto
• YouTube
• Vimeo
• Authors Show
• Blog Talk Radio
• All Talk Radio
• iTunes Podcast

Animoto allows users to create and post 30-second videos, which can provide the perfect trailer for an upcoming or just released book title. YouTube is a very popular video site and you can create your own author channel to showcase your works and connect with your audience. Vimeo is similar to YouTube in that it allows users to upload videos that they have created. Authors Show offers a platform that has both audio and video programs that are designed for authors to market their books. Blog Talk Radio and All Talk Radio are programs that work as an old-fashioned radio program, except they use the internet. These vidoe and audio platforms can be a great marketing source for indie authors.

Ideas for Marketing Content

Audio and video platforms are a great tool for connecting with your readership. It is worth noting that these promotions do not have to be hour long programs, they only have to be two or three minutes in duration to be effective. While it depends upon the actual content, most of the time a video should be under three minutes. Good video and audio messages will share pertinent information with your audience and contain a definite call to action.

Guidelines for Video and Audio Broadcasts

A video or audio broadcast can serve a broad purpose. You might want to give the background on the book you just released; or perhaps you want to be interviewed by a fan. Share a speech you've made, or an award you've received. The ideas for using this medium are infinite. Basically, take this opportunity to connect with your audience and talk to them. Here are a few guidelines that can be helpful when creating video or audio broadcasts:

• Keep the message short and to the point (less than 3 minutes in most cases)
• Make the message entertaining for your audience
• Offer the audience something
• Allow the viewer or listener a behind-the-scenes view of your book or work
• Tell your own story