A Reader’s Journey – Understanding a Book Sales Funnel
What is a book sales funnel? In simple words, the sales funnel is the path that your readers take from the moment when they find out about your book to the moment when they decide to buy it and become your loyal customer. I guess you will agree that this path can be broken down into several stages that we all go through when we are going to buy something.
1. Awareness
Every friendship starts with awareness. In order for people to become your readers, they must first be aware of your books. During this stage, your audience realizes they have a problem that needs to be solved. This is when they start researching the topic and should come across your book. For example, if they want to learn how to create content faster, they go on Amazon and search for “how to create content.” If your book is relevant to their search, they may become interested in reading it. That’s why choosing the right categories and keywords is crucial to getting your book seen by people who are looking for their next read.
2. Evaluation
Evaluation is the second stage of the buyer’s journey. In this stage, your potential readers are already familiar with your book and know it exists, but they need to determine whether they want to buy it. They’ll read reviews, compare prices, and look for anything that will help them make a decision. If your book meets their criteria for a good purchase, they will buy it. If not, they will move on to another book.
3. Decision
The decision stage is the final stage of the funnel, and it’s when your potential reader decides whether to buy your book. This is a critical moment because if they don’t buy your book, all your hard work will have been for nothing. There are a few things you can do to increase the chances of someone buying your book at this stage.
- When you are working on the structure of your book, remember that the first pages and chapters can make a great impact on your sales. These pages are your marketing tool. Many people will use Amazon’s Look Inside feature to flip through the pages and decide if this book is the right one. Use this feature to hook in your readers! The first impression you give the reader is crucial. Purchasing decisions are often made on the strength of the first chapter.
- Make sure your book cover looks professional and attractive. Most probably, while browsing a display of books on Amazon, you have noticed that some of the book covers stand out while others don’t. The design of these book covers somehow grabs your attention and spurs interest. You want your book cover to do the same thing.
- Description and cover are important, but they’re not the only things that will convince someone to buy your book. It’s also important your book has many positive reviews because they are one of the largest contributing factors to whether someone will buy your book. The more good reviews you have, the more credibility you will earn and this will lead to more sales and success.
4. Loyalty
The initial purchase is just the beginning. It’s a good idea to keep your readers with you for as long as possible because acquiring a new customer can cost five times more than retaining an existing one. That’s why repeat purchases and reader retention are just as important as the initial purchase. A good sales funnel will help you build your email list so that you can have relationships with your audience to offer them upsells and cross-sells, for example, other books, online courses, or affiliate products. As a result, you will be able to earn revenue for years to come. I have described many useful tactics and strategies in my books on self-publishing.
If you want to succeed in selling books, it is important to understand the reader’s journey and how to use it to your advantage. By understanding the various stages that readers go through when they are considering a purchase and adjusting your content and efforts, you can more effectively market your book and ultimately boost sales.
