Book Trailers: Optional?
Technically speaking, a book trailer IS optional. But given the explosive growth of video in today’s marketing world, you’d be silly NOT to take advantage of it when marketing your book. According to ComScore, readers are 64 percent more likely to buy your book if they see a trailer that promotes your book effectively. 64 PERCENT. That’s just about two out of three people. Creating a book trailer and including it on your book’s sales page as well as in your marketing efforts in general, then, is a no-brainer.
Here are a few pointers to keep the process manageable:
Keep it Short and Sweet
Too long and you’ll lose people’s attention. That is NOT a good way to get people to share your trailer and talk up your book. Television commercials are 30 or 60 seconds. Movie trailers are a few minutes. Your book trailer should be in that range: one to three minutes.
Your book trailer should be in that range: one to three minutes. -@jodibrandon
Tease the Book
This is your book’s commercial. Don’t give away all the goods! Tell readers what your book will teach them. Provide enough information that makes viewers of the trailer want to read the book so they’re in the know.
Build Know, Like, Trust
Because your book is non-fiction, your trailer won’t have scenes with special effects (picture the trailer for those summer blockbuster movies) or dramatizations of scenes in your book. Instead, it will essentially be you, talking about your book topic and the book itself. What an opportunity to build your know, like, trust factor!
Video doesn’t have to be complicated, and book trailers are no exception. - @jodibrandon
Don’t Overthink It
Video doesn’t have to be complicated, and book trailers are no exception. Of course you can use music, insert graphics, and hire an editor, but none of that is necessary. You really just need you, a graphic of your cover, and maybe a graphic or two of early reviews. Simple is A-OK for a non-fiction book trailer.
If you’ve written a book, did you make a book trailer?