We’re just over a week out from the Inner Workout book launch. I’ve talked about my goals for this book in previous reports. Now feels like the time to break down some of my launch strategy and tactics.
Y’all know I love to clarify terms. When I say strategy, I mean the game plan. Strategy sets your direction and approach.
Your tactics are the actions you take in service of your strategy.
We maximize our energy and impact when we tie our tactics to a larger strategy. This is a lesson I’m forever learning.
If I had to sum up my book launch strategy in three points, it’d be these:
1. Lean on my existing community.
2. Take a crescendo approach to promotion.
3. Lean on experts to do the heavy lifting in their areas of expertise.
I’ll focus on the first point for today’s report. I mentioned last week that my network has my best investment for this launch.
Here are some tactics that allowed me to lean into my existing community:
Reviving my personal newsletter.
We love a meta moment. Yes, creating The Process Report was a strategic move! I stepped back from my previous personal newsletter as I was building Inner Workout, but I missed having a space to talk about topics outside of self-care and personal development. I enjoy talking about business and creativity and strategy, too!
The Process Report gave me a playground to explore these topics and a means to reconnect with a newsletter list that was gathering dust.
So, did it work? You’d probably be a better judge of this tactic than I. I can say that several of you have told me you pre-ordered the book. I’ve also gotten positive feedback on my willingness to bring you along in this process. Feels like a win to me!
Mapping my network and making specific asks.
This tactic was by far the most work, both practically and emotionally. Even before I started working with my publicist, who assigned me a similar task, I made lists on giant post-its of people and organizations in my orbit who could help get the word out about the book.
I also sifted through my LinkedIn and had a teammate filter through the accounts following either me or Inner Workout on Instagram.
Eventually, all of this data went into spreadsheets where I mapped out specific asks. Could X share the book with their newsletter? Could Y have me as a guest on their podcast? Could I collab with Z organization for an event?
So, did it work? I can’t say definitively yet. I brought in eight podcast guesting opportunities from my network. Two organizations I’d worked with previously bought books. Time will tell the impact of sending out 70+ advance reader copies to people with large audiences who were following me and/or Inner Workout on Instagram.
One thing that was for sure not worth the energy? I sent emails to every collegiate and alumni Alpha Omicron Pi sorority chapter. It may have yielded a handful of sales, but it wasn’t worth the time it took me and my teammate to complete.
Inviting my community to join the launch team.
A launch team is a group of people who commit to supporting the launch of your book. I liked the idea of creating a launch team for a couple of reasons.
First, it’s an opportunity to live into the ethos of the book by giving and receiving. I have to be reminded that people want to help, but they can’t help if I don’t ask.
Second, people buy books because of recommendations. It’s one thing for me to tell you that my book is amazing. It’s another to hear your friend share how the book helped them build a connection to themselves. In theory, a launch team is a way to tap into that recommendation engine.
So, did it work? Again, we’re still just over a week out from launch, so I can’t make a definitive call yet. I’ve got 14 lovely humans who joined the launch team. Several of them have already tangibly supported the book launch, but most of their support will happen in the next couple of weeks.
I’ll explore the other pieces of my book launch strategy in upcoming reports. Until them, pre-order the book if you haven’t already (here’s why!), and RSVP for our virtual launch event!