Why Readers Trust Authors Who Teach, Not Just Promote

The fastest way to earn loyal readers isn't constant promotion - it's consistent generosity.

One mistaken belief about book marketing is that a person must see your product several times before deciding to make a purchase.

In reality, people care more about your ideas than about selling them something.

Think about what you look for in the successful people that you respect.

Chances are, you learned about them through the things they talked about and not through their self-promotion.

They needed to build trust first to confirm their buying decisions later.

Every Piece of Content Is an Opportunity to Serve

There is a notion among authors that their writing is restricted to the written word.

Nonetheless, the audience is able to find authors in other formats, like:

A thoroughly investigated article.

An informative newsletter.

An entertaining podcast interview.

A LinkedIn post with some practical recommendations.

Such meetings contribute to how readers perceive authors.

As soon as the readers understand that the author is generous and gives them useful information without expecting anything in return, they associate the name of the author with credibility.

Promotion Has a Place

Promotion is not always a negative phenomenon.

Every single book is worth releasing.

There is, however, one bad scenario in which marketing becomes the only point of contact with your readers.

This is similar to having a conversation with someone who can talk only about himself and whose speeches become tiresome with time.

This principle applies to the Internet as well.

Readers love authors who can educate, motivate, and facilitate serious dialogues, as opposed to those who speak exclusively about their works.

Become a Reliable Source of Insight

People tend to remember those who help them.

If your articles are always full of answers to relevant questions, if your newsletter shares some practical tips, and if your book has real solutions to problems, your voice will get the attention of the audience.

Trust does not just stop at one publication.

It now becomes part of the way you are regarded as a professional.

Eventually, your readers will be recommending you, not just your latest book.

Think Long-Term

In today’s world, the focus shouldn't be placed on getting someone to purchase a book, rather it should be on becoming an author whose work the audience eagerly awaits.

The only way to achieve this is through each article, each interview, each presentation and every single one of the books which should be based on the same concept of helping rather than selling to a person.

It's easy to sell something; however, teaching is what creates the element of trust.