If you want to be a successful writer in the digital age of today, you need to do more than writing. A large part of your activities will need to be focused on marketing your own brand, and putting quality content on your blog, website and social media platforms. Quality content can take any form: textual articles, illustrations, photos, etc. including videos. Now, you might not be comfortable making a video or a podcast of yourself talking about your books, your craft, or anything else, really, but creating a video means presenting information about yourself as a writer, your books, and your craft in a different format.
Today, a lot of people prefer to watch videos over reading descriptions, so creating a video will enhance your online presence, which is always helpful in generating a bigger audience. Below, you will find tips on how to create videos which will do just that – and help you discover ways in which you can have fun doing it.
1. Interact with your audience
Ask your readers what they want to know. For example, plenty of writers have Q&A sessions with readers and have Q&A sections and posts on their blog or website. Why don’t you gather all of those questions and answer them in a video? Of course, you might say, “But I am a writer! I answer in writing!” But answering live, in video, means you will create an atmosphere for your readers where they feel like they are getting the answers firsthand. They feel included. This means that you will need to answer every question – and playfully avoid the ones that might reveal spoilers. What matters here is that your readers and followers know they are appreciated. And being appreciated helps build trust between you and the readers.
2. Beware of clutter
Of course, when it comes to videos, not every video will be a Q&A session. And it shouldn’t. Having a Q&A once every two or three months is more than enough, considering the time that might pass before you publish a following book. You do not want to clutter your readers and followers with videos every single day. One video a week, or even biweekly is more than enough. Remember, using videos to market yourself and your book should be an addition to your overall marketing plan, not the only element.
3. Be yourself
You might write romance, you might write nonfiction and you might write thrillers. However, thousands of other writers are doing the exact same thing – they write romance, or nonfiction or thrillers. So, technically, you’re not marketing anything new, at least when it comes to genre. What you’re marketing is you as the writer of that book. So make sure the way you create your videos shows your own personality. Don’t be afraid to be yourself and try to be professional looking, or fun looking, or whatever. Just be yourself – it’s the only way to ensure you will provide a unique video. Also, when you try to pretend, you might end up looking awkward and uncomfortable and readers can pick up on that. So relax. Remember, no one knows your writing methods, your stories and your craft better than you. Use that knowledge, and be yourself, and you’re bound to attract your viewers’ attention.
4. Add value
Avoid repetitions. It’s completely okay to create an article and a video where you discuss the same thing about your books – be it a particular scene, or just how you come up with ideas. However, don’t post them at the same time. The video should come first, and the article later. Additionally, you can change the article a little – improve upon the content of your video, so that the article gathers just as much attention. Also, remember, a large percentage of your audience will be made out of aspiring writers. This means that offering advice, sharing your own writing experience and motivating your readers to keep writing until they make it will add even more value to your videos, and you will probably be getting a lot of requests to discuss different aspects of writing in your videos.
5. Remember, you are a storyteller
And stories are interesting. Telling stories in your videos will add entertainment to value, thus making watching them worthwhile. Additionally, if you have other artistic skills, like illustration, photography, etc. don’t be reluctant to use them to create videos, especially trailers about your books, or simply videos revolving around your characters or the nonfiction niche you’re writing in. However, beware from straying too far from your craft. Refrain from making videos just about anything that comes to mind. Remember, your fans and followers are readers, and they will be interested primarily in writing, the genre you’re writing in, and your stories.
Image credit: Pixabay[
Georgina Roy wants to live in a world filled with magic. As an art student, she’s moonlighting as a writer and is content to fill notebooks and sketchbooks with magical creatures and amazing new worlds. When she is not at school, or scribbling away in a notebook, you can usually find her curled up, reading a good urban fantasy novel, or writing on her laptop, trying to create her own.