Publishing is a cruel and competitive industry and while self-publishing has made it more accessible to everyone, it’s also made it even more competitive. To compete, an author or writer must begin with clear and helpful audience research. After all, you could write the most amazing book but if there’s not an easy to tap into readership for it, your sales will be abysmal.
To demonstrate how AI can help with this we’re going to focus on one of the most highly competitive literary niches, children’s literature.
Artificial intelligence (AI) has an array of tools that complement the human creative spirit without replacing it that can not only guarantee you have an audience for your work, but help you find and sell your book to them. While the essence of storytelling, especially for children, remains rooted in human creativity, AI tools like grammar checkers and style assistants like Pro Writing Aid and AkzisAI help refine the technical aspects of writing.
Tapping AI for Marketing and Research
AI’s power is acutely evident in marketing, where it can decode complex audience dynamics. Essentially, it’s doing what AI was originally created for – taking vast quantities of data and making sense out of it. It allows authors and marketers to identify and understand the specific challenges, desires, and objections of book buyers – insights that will help you craft effective marketing strategies.
Setting Up AI for Effective Audience Analysis
You’ll need to define the role AI plays in the research process to effectively use it. For example, an author might set up AI with a prompt that encapsulates their identity and target market, such as, “You are a children’s book author writing for 4 to 8-year-olds interested in monster trucks. This setup guides the AI to generate relevant content and insights, focusing on specific audience segments without distractions of irrelevant data.
Actionable Insights Through AI
AI can be queried to list the top challenges, desires, and objections of the target audience concerning specific themes or subjects of the books. What do I mean by ‘queried’? A quick and simple prompt will get the job done.
This method turns vague ideas about audience preferences into concrete data that can drive marketing strategies. For instance, understanding that parents seek books that keep children engaged beyond screentime can shape how a book is positioned and promoted.
Example Prompts for AI in Audience Research
- Identify Challenges: "List the top five challenges for parents finding educational books that hold a child's attention."
- Uncover Desires: "What are the top desires of parents when choosing bedtime stories?"
- Address Objections: "What objections do parents have about books on sensitive topics like disabilities?"
These prompts help in creating targeted content that resonates with the audience, addressing their specific needs and overcoming barriers to purchase.
AI technology can dramatically simplify the process of understanding your audience to segment it for stronger marketing results. For example, by inputting a simple prompt like, “Identify the top five reasons parents struggle with getting children to read,” AI can provide insights that are specific and actionable. These insights could reveal that parents are looking for books that can compete with digital distractions or cater to specific learning disabilities like dyslexia. You could take that information and tailor small marketing campaigns to meet these needs by highlighting features in your book that address these specific challenges.
Language and Messaging Tailored by AI
You can use AI to create language that resonates with the target audience. It can analyze the language and phrases used by the audience in reviews or forums to generate authentic marketing language.
To do this, you’ll need to ask it to suggest forums that are specific to your book’s audience. And you’ll want to look up similar books on Amazon. Copy and paste the comments and reviews (or share the URL) and ask the AI to analyze and learn the voice, tone, and style that’s consistent with that audience.
You’ll then have the AI match how your audience speaks and what style they use (jargon, slang, etc) to craft highly engaging marketing messages that speak directly to them while being emotionally compelling. In short, this strategy allows you to tap into the real concerns and desires of the audience.
AI for Offer Development
AI’s capabilities extend into brainstorming book titles, developing promotional materials, and formulating unique selling propositions. It can suggest numerous ideas quickly, which authors can refine to suit their specific needs. This is useful in creating compelling offers and incentives that encourage immediate action, such as pre-launch bonuses or limited-time discounts.
AI Strategy Differences Between Fiction and Non-Fiction
The application of AI in marketing and audience research does vary significantly between fiction and non-fiction genres.
For non-fiction, AI can help pinpoint and articulate the practical benefits of a book, aligning them with the specific needs and problems of the audience. On the other hand, fiction authors can use AI to delve into emotional appeals and narrative-driven reasons that would attract readers. For example, if AI analysis reveals that sci-fi readers are tired of repetitive plotlines, a fiction author could market their book as offering a unique twist or a fresh perspective on a well-trodden genre.
Conclusion
AI in audience research and marketing allows authors and publishers to stay ahead of the curve by providing deep insights into what the audience truly wants from their books. By leveraging AI to understand and communicate with your target market, you can significantly enhance your engagement strategies, making your book more appealing and relevant over your competition. AI can also help you keep in touch with your readers and even help you start producing a follow-up to your latest work.
