Sharing Your Story Through Video

When authors think of video marketing for their books, they rarely create video content beyond the video trailer. Going the extra mile to create and share other relevant videos can be an excellent way to strengthen your author brand, attract readers, and build a fan base. Taking the time to create videos that can be posted to social media—especially YouTube—can help your audience engage with your story faster than simply writing a post about it. 

Video is one of the best ways to create an instant connection. 

Video has a way of drawing people in and making them pay attention. Studies have shown that consumers statistically watch around seven hours of videos every day on popular sites like Instagram and Youtube, making it a huge potential resource for authors to bring attention to their publications. 

While most authors only think of creating written content to post on their book page—which is always a good idea and is a crucial part of the marketing process—authors can attract far more attention by taking it further and adding video content to their page. 

Benefits of Using Video to Promote Books
YouTube is the second-largest online search engine globally, only second to Google. Not only do people spend over one-third of their time online watching videos, but 90% of consumers say they discover new products and services through YouTube. By creating and posting content on YouTube, you can greatly increase your chances of showing up in search results when consumers are searching for keywords related to your books—along with creating an extra source of income through advertisement revenue. 

A good strategy to use is to increase your online presence through SEO (search engine optimization) to up your chances of being viewed. The more people see you and your book, the more likely you are to sell. 

What Kind of Video Content Can I Use to Promote My Book?
There's really no end to the kind of videos an author can create, but there are a few options that have been proven to attract attention. 

Book Trailers
First on the list is, of course, book trailers. Trailers are a staple to getting attention for your book. They don’t have to be complicated, even just creating a DIY version with royalty-free music and video clips could do the trick, but one hack that most authors don’t think of is to create multiple versions that can keep bringing back attention.              One trailer is rarely ever enough. The most successful people using video marketing put out videos regularly, so fans develop a viewing habit over time.

Time Lapse Videos
Another option is to create time-lapse videos. People love to feel a connection, and creating a time-lapse video that can bring your audience along through your writing journey is a great way to make that connection possible. Videos like this make your audience feel included in the process, making them more inclined to buy your book—and maybe later your merchandise, if you decide to go the JK Rowling route—to support the ongoing journey. All that’s needed for a time-lapse video is to set your camera up and record yourself writing or researching over a visible period. Nothing fancy!

Live Streams and Vlogging
A great author example of an author vlogger is John Green, the New York Times bestselling author of The Fault in Our Stars and other books for young adults. His YouTube channel VlogBrothers, created with his brother Hank, has nearly three million subscribers and is still growing thanks to their constant presence on TikTok and Youtube. 
John and Hank connect with their audience by creating the type of videos that their demographic enjoy—fast-talking, attention-grabbing, crazy-loud, almost-daily vlogging covering everything from nerd jokes to explanations of political events. They educate as well as entertain, and their Nerdfighter fans love them for it.

Giving fans a face to a name and insight into the author’s life is a great way to connect. Just putting together a small Q&A session or a small video about your writing process every once in a while goes a long way.

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By Jess Swenson, Intern
Jess Swenson is a local Houston lifestyle journalist.