Collecting Customers 101

Do you worry about how to make money selling books? Let’s tell you a secret: if you collect customers, you make more money through repeated sales.

True marketing isn’t about giving your customers your contact information—it’s about getting theirs. This gives you the power to establish the next method of contact. This concept is a core teaching of billionaire Myron Golden.

There are some amazing ways you can collect customers as part of your marketing strategy.

Drive Traffic to Your Email List

Every strategy I share in this article will involve driving customers to your email list. Which means—you need to have one.

You may not have (or want) a website, but you must have a system that allows you to collect both payments and email addresses. Most platforms offer some sort of “all-in-one” setup. It’s easy to find one that allows for both. Every time you make a sale, you should also collect the customer’s email address—even for in-person sales! This is how you create repeat buyers.

Once this system is set up, you’ll want to start driving traffic to it. Here’s how.

Create a QR Code

A consistent QR code is crucial! Your QR code should lead to one of two places:

   •   A single book listing that includes all purchase links as well as where to leave reviews.

   •   A link tree that features your social platforms and an email capture form.

Linktree is a great option for both. The Pro plan is inexpensive and allows email capture. You can also create custom backgrounds to showcase your newest release.

The social icons help keep your listings uncluttered. You don’t want more than 4–6 links on your tree—any more and you risk overwhelming your customers and losing the sale.

You may also consider a universal book link (like through StoryOrigin) or a well-designed landing page. The landing page should be unique to your marketing strategy and easy to navigate. Less is more. As mentioned, many platforms offer landing pages, email marketing, and payment processing in one place.

Lead Magnets

A lead magnet is one of the most powerful tools for collecting customers. As an author, you have several creative options for lead magnets, such as:

   •   A short story featuring popular characters

   •   The first chapter of a new release

   •   Coloring page(s)

   •   Exclusive character art

   •   A digital product

Your lead magnet should connect to your email list as a free download. A savvy marketer will also create a series of automated emails that introduce new subscribers to you, your brand, and your book catalog.

Each lead magnet can have its own purpose and process. You can get creative by solving specific problems for your audience or offering exclusive content they truly want. Your current lead magnet should be front and center on all your social media pages and your website.

In-Book Ads

Many authors miss out on repeat customers because they don’t use the space inside their published books effectively. Before social media and widespread internet use, publishers regularly used a book’s back matter to promote the author’s other titles or books in the same genre.

This tactic still works today.

When a customer buys a book from you—digital or print—lead them to take the next step using a call-to-action (CTA). Your CTA can encourage them to:

   •   Follow you on social media

   •   Join a community for the book series

   •   Purchase the next book

   •   Subscribe to your email list

   •   Support a cause

   •   Access a learning resource

Your CTA should connect to the book’s theme. For example, if your novel features a character overcoming depression, you might encourage readers to support a related cause, join a support-focused book community, or explore a similar story in your catalog. Let your vision for the book guide your CTA.

When curating an in-book ad, keep these things in mind:

   •   Have a clear goal. What action do you want customers to take?

   •   Create a consistent pathway. No matter when someone discovers your work, your links, titles, and CTAs should be consistent.

   •   Make it easy. Don’t make readers work hard to follow you or find the next book. Use QR codes in print books and clickable links in ebooks.

   •   Use an eye-catching graphic. Even something simple, like the next book’s cover, works. Use Canva to design graphics that link to short stories, Facebook groups, or digital products.

   •   Keep it short and clear. Your ad copy should be concise. Keep blurbs between 100–150 words, and the CTA between 1–3 simple sentences.

   •   Give a sneak peek. Especially for series, give a 5-page preview or the first chapter of the next book. If the chapter is long, end it with a cliffhanger that leaves readers wanting more.

   •   State your CTA clearly. Use simple directions like: “Buy the next book,” “Subscribe to get the short story,” “Click to keep reading,” or “Scan the code for access.”

This should be the last thing readers see before they close your book.

Final Thoughts

Having a system to collect customers saves you from having to find a whole new audience every time you release a book. If you’re selling primarily through Amazon, Lulu, BookBaby, or IngramSpark, you don’t receive customer emails—which means you can’t tell them about your next release, your growing Facebook group, or ask for a review. The retailers collect that data and use it to sell other people’s products—not yours.

You can take that power back.

Start building your own customer base. Focus your marketing efforts on collecting email addresses so you can turn one-time readers into loyal, repeat buyers.