Promoting Your Business & Brand Through Self Publishing

About this video

Dale pitches a self-published book as an out-of-the-box promotion tool for a business - in his framing, a 6x9 business card with information between covers, rather than a card that gets tossed in the trash. He lists seven things a book can do for a brand: (1) establish authority and expertise in the industry; (2) impress customers and clients, since publishing is available to almost everyone but few do it; (3) enhance the customer/client experience by clarifying hidden aspects of the business; (4) expand the brand in front of a new audience in the book community; (5) promote growth and jumpstart a business that has plateaued; (6) present new opportunities such as speaking and interviews; and (7) create a new income stream, publishing at minimum as an ebook, print book and audiobook, with print further split into paperback, hardcover and large print, plus possible translation rights revenue. He then covers the cons honestly: there is a learning curve, though ebook publishing is the path of least resistance and a well-formatted Word document or PDF can suffice; the publishing itself is free but writing, editing and formatting can cost money - he cites an article putting editing at $5,000-$10,000 at the higher end - and suggests cost-effective outsourcing on Fiverr can level the field for small businesses; the book must be marketed like any other product, which is easier with a retail or brick-and-mortar location; and the project takes time whether you write it yourself or manage others. His recommended strategy is to make a plan, identify audience and topic, and outsource anything outside your wheelhouse. He concedes a book will not fit every business (a garage-door installer handing customers a book might confuse them), but argues that for most businesses putting it in writing is a win-win, and says having a published book exponentially improved his own business over five years on YouTube by building awareness, traffic and authority in his niche.

Key takeaways

• A self-published book is framed as a durable business card: it can establish authority, impress clients, clarify the business for customers, and reach a new audience in the book community.
• A book can also open speaking and interview opportunities and create income across ebook, paperback, hardcover, large print and audiobook editions, plus translation rights.
• The main cons named are the learning curve, the time required, the need to market the book yourself, and production costs - editing is cited from an article at $5,000-$10,000 at the high end.
• His cost-control strategy is to plan the book around a defined audience and topic and outsource work outside your skills, pointing to Fiverr sellers as a cheaper route.
• He concedes the idea does not fit every business, but claims a published book substantially improved his own business’s awareness, traffic and authority.

Episode details: published December 8, 2021 · 7:24 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Business results and any income figures mentioned are Dale L. Roberts’s own claims, shared for education — they are not typical or guaranteed.

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