By Rhonda
Robinson
A few
years back, a writer handed me her emotions in a tangled knot. She had gone to
a networking meeting with the hope of meeting, and impressing, a particular
editor. In the course of their conversation she let the cliché slip, “If my
book could change only one person’s life, it would all be worth it.” Without so
much as a nod to her nobility he quipped, “Well then, I think you need to
broaden your expectations.”
It’s
really never very becoming to end a conversation with your jaw on the floor.
Nonetheless,
both of them were right.
Whatever
you write, your ideal reader is the person who sees your book and knows it’s
for her.
That’s
the one whose life you want to impact. When you understand search engine
optimization (SEO) you can broaden your expectations. You can be found when
your looked for, and even better, discovered when you’re not.
Who is
your number one?
What are
his or her dreams, goals, and predawn prayers? The first step in understanding
SEO, is knowing that one person so well, that you could pick out her drapes for
her.
Create an
avatar of your ideal reader.
Begin by
find an image of what you image he or she looks like. The avatar will give you
a visual of his or her age, social status, and should show a bit of
personality. Next create a brief story about his or her life. If you have a
book Facebook page, look up the analytics of your fan base. There you will find
a lot of information about those who like your page.
What you
need to keep in mind is that when your ideal reader is searching for your
content, she is doing so with, what is known as, intent and context in
marketing. In publishing it translates as “felt need.”
For
example, “I need to find out about the stages of grief (intent) because
my sister lost her spouse (context).
There
are groups of people searching with the same context—or felt need. You will
also find groups of people with different intent and context. Most importantly
you will find groups of readers with the same intent but all may have different
contexts—all of which will discover your content as meeting their need.
Your
reader has a felt need and you have the answers.
They may
not be ready to buy your book. They might not be ready for that kind of a
relationship with you. After all, you just met. Perhaps a blog post over
coffee. After a couple of those, she might give you her email address as a
token of her openness to the prospects of a deeper relationship.
This
courtship between you and your prospective reader is facilitated by a bot
(search engine).
By
understanding the needs of one person you want to serve, you can use keywords that
express their intent and context so the bot will bring your readers to
you.
Rhonda
Robinson is an author, speaker, and marketing coach with EA
Books Publishing. She
has led teams of writers and social media managers to create online viral
content.As
a mother and a grandmother of a growing population of towheads, Rhonda launched
her passion for the next generation into the front lines of the culture war. Her work is known for its
disarming honesty and in-depth analysis. Her commentary has been read on-air by
Rush Limbaugh and referenced by policy institutes. Hundreds of her articles and
columns have been published in traditional newspapers and influential
conservative sites. As a
recovering political junkie, Rhonda restores her barefoot soul writing tucked
in the hills of Tennessee, among the herbs and muddy paw prints. Her new book, FreeFall: Holding on to
Faith When the Unthinkable Strikes is due out Jan. 2020 New Hope
Publishers. Social
Media links: website. www.rhondarobinson.tv
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