Connecting With Customers

We talked the other day about an example of an editor personally connecting with a buyer (in this case, me) after a purchase. It was an excellent example of relationship building with your target market for your book.

So today I want to ask you... how else can authors build a relationship with their audience, whether one-on-one or not? I'll kick it off with a few basic ideas. I hope you'll leave a comment to help expand the list, sharing your own experiences (either as an author, publisher, or even customer).

Ways to Connect With Customers or Potential Customers

  • Keep an author blog where you update your audience on news, expand upon topics covered in your book, etc.
  • Distribute a newsletter that works in a similar fashion - don't just regurgitate what your book already tells them... go beyond that. Let them get to know you, and the subject matter, a bit more personally.
  • Respond to comments on your blog. This is just as important, if not moreso, than the blogging itself. Why? Because this is where the "conversation," or real interaction, comes in. This is where you move beyond talking at your audience, and instead start talking to them.
  • Email your customers personally when possible. This is what we covered the other day. If you're shipping the book yourself, send a quick email offering to sign it first (or include that option with the order form), or just to thank the reader personally. I've always found that I enjoy a book more when I've interacted personally with the author - In my work, I often know the author before the book comes out, so it's a little bit different. But by having a feel for them as a person, I can have more respect for the work, and can understand their positions more, even if I don't agree with everything they've written (very often true with books put out by PR colleagues).

It's your turn now. How do you interact with your customers or potential readers, or how do you think you can improve on that front?

Profile image for Jennifer Mattern

Jennifer Mattern is a professional blogger, freelance business writer, consultant, and indie author. She runs numerous websites & blogs including All Freelance Writing, Freelance Writing Pros, NakedPR, and Kiss My Biz.

Jenn has 25 years' experience as a professional writer and editor and over 20 years' experience in marketing and PR (working heavily in digital PR, online marketing, social media, SEO, new media, and thought leadership publication). She also has 19 years' professional blogging and web publishing experience (including web development) and around 18 years of experience as an indie author / publisher.

Jenn also writes fiction under multiple pen names and is an Active member of the Horror Writers Association.

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