Finding Your Audience Offline An association is a group of people who share a passion, interest, hobby or common characteristics and can be reached through the means that the association uses to communicate with its members such as newsletters, mass email, meetings and conferences. There are hundreds of thousands of associations in the United States alone, and when you factor in the International associations, the research shows that there is an organized group for just about every special interest you can imagine. The Gale Encyclopedia of Associations can be found in the reference section of most libraries and contains a vast amount of information on just about every association that exists. It is a great resource that few authors take advantage of when planning their marketing and promotional campaigns. Used consistently, this resource could help you to regularly identify new audiences to target with your book. Another great resource is the Oxbridge Dictionary of Newsletters. This resource not only confirms that a viable market exists, but also offers a marketing outlet to share information about your book. Plan a time when you can visit your local library; you will have full access to these and many more resources that usually sell for hundreds of dollars per volume and are updated often. The library is not only a no-cost way to find your audience, but it will also give you access to a librarian who can help you find the information that is best suited for your needs. Dont be afraid to ask for assistance. As an ongoing way to connect with your target audience, plan to attend live events sponsored by social groups and associations. Your local Chamber of Commerce generally has a list of events that it hosts, as well as a calendar of events promoting other organizations events and meetings. If your target audience is Moms, you might want to see if churches in your area have local Mothers of Pre-Schoolers (MOPS) groups or maybe Missionettes meetings for adolescent girls and Royal Rangers meetings for young boys. Hospitals and community colleges often offer free and low cost space to non-profit organizations for their monthly meetings, check with these establishments for a calendar of meetings and events. Another great way to find your audience offline is through magazines. I wouldn't recommend that you subscribe to each of the more than 2,497 that cater to every interest from high achieving business professional to fly fishing enthusiast. But, I would suggest you check the magazine section of a large book store to get an idea of what magazines exist that are already speaking to your target audience. Magazines are not only a great way to find your audience, but also provide a way to determine how large that audience actually is. Most magazines will have their circulation data on the table of contents page which will allow you to see just how many people are subscribing to or being reached by the magazine. Find at least 5 forums where your target audience would be found, you can find forums and targeted groups by visiting Yahoo. Introduce yourself, read what others have to say, ask questions about what you plan to write about, post helpful entries, and invite participants to join your ezine, newsletter or mailing list. This is a great way to reach the audience you want to write for and influence as well as build a list of potential purchasers of your books and services. |
