Raise your hand if you feel social media is a necessary evil.
Although I’m active on social media, I don’t enjoy it. In fact, I was on a social media cleanse before I started my business, and I was loving it. Now, not only am I active on social media, but I’m even guilty of being pulled down the reel watching rabbit hole quite frequently.
But just because I’m active, doesn’t mean I love it. I’d prefer to go back on a cleanse actually. I recognize, however, that it’s been a great lead generator for me (particularly LinkedIn). So I continue carrying on.
I’m willing to bet that I’m not the only one who feels this way.
It hit me the other day that books are like the anti-social media. It’s part of why I love them so much. There’s no ploy to go “viral”, concepts are actually explained with context, and there’s immense credibility.
Books are evergreen material. While you want a successful launch, they have the ability to fulfill your goals and intentions over the long-term, not just based on an algorithm or the whims of viewers that day.
No Need to Go Viral
At the beginning of the book writing process, I work with authors to set goals and intentions for their book. These relate to their own personal goals, how they’d like their business or platform to grow, and what they want their readers to get out of it.
If a cash grab is the goal, they need to find a different medium for that. Books are not written to go “viral” but rather are written with the intention of making a long-term impact. For example, if an author’s goal is lead generation, a book is evergreen marketing material that can help them grow their business for years or even decades into the future. You don’t need to worry about a few seconds of fame.
This evergreen asset can be used in a variety of ways, such as at speaking events, in workshops, as a hook into a program, as a way to establish thought leadership, etc. All of these are long-term plays. You don’t need to be stuck on the metrics of views, likes, and comments.
Gaining Credibility
Let’s face it… we spend more brain power than we should have to in deciphering whether what we see on social media is true or false, whether it’s real or AI, or whether it’s original content or not.
If something really interests us, we end up fact-checking and doing our own research to see if what we saw was actually legitimate. I end up caveating interesting things that I see with the fact that I found it on social media and that the person I’m telling should take it for what it’s worth. There is some really great information on the platforms; the catch is figuring out what to trust.
A book takes that guesswork away. It’s a one-stop shop that the author gives their readers to learn about the topic at hand. A book is a credible source for a variety of reasons. First, any information not being generated directly by the author needs to be cited. The work will also go through editing to ensure the message is clear and that works are cited properly.
Furthermore, a book itself gives immense credibility by the sheer length alone. If an author can write 50,000 words on a topic in a structured and cohesive way, they’re an expert on the topic. It would be difficult to make that much information up.
Concepts with Context
In our world of shrinking attention spans, we often see grabby headlines and punchy captions, and we run with it. Or at least I do. I’m guilty of seeing a headline popping up on my phone and assuming it’s true from time to time.
But these headlines lack important context and may contain bias. We don’t get the full story. We get a few words about the story that is designed to make you read the whole story, which a certain portion of people won’t do.
A book is built on context. The concepts that are being explained are discussed in depth using stories, teaching, and reflection. It’s not possible to “clickbait” a whole book. Again, it’s hard to write 50,000 cohesive and well-structured words without providing immense context.
If you’d love to rebel against the drive to go viral and create a work that will stand the test of time, let’s chat about how I can help you through the power of a book. Schedule a free strategy session using the button below.
Disclaimer: This blog should not be construed as providing, or intending to provide professional financial, legal, psychological, or other professional advice. It is simply meant to share my experiences with those who may find them relatable and helpful.