Let’s face it: there are LOTS of bloggers out there. There are hundreds or even thousands of bloggers in your niche. So, how can you set yourself apart? How can you make yourself the go-to expert in your niche? First, you should be creating quality content on a regular basis to show you know your stuff. Another great way to elevate your platform and your brand is with a book.
EVERYONE HAS AN EBOOK
I want to start with the distinction between having a short eBook and having a full-length book that you may even sell as a hard copy. Just about every blogger out there has a short eBook that they sell on their blog, or give away for free as a way of getting subscribers on their email list. A short eBook won’t set you apart from the crowd. It might even make you blend in.
You know what everyone doesn’t have? A book. A full-length book that they can hold in their hands. A book that you can find on Amazon (where most people are buying their books these days) or in a bookstore. Even if your readers prefer digital, having the option to get your book as a hard copy will really set you apart.
Don’t feel bad if you “just” have an eBook. The good news is that an eBook is a great place to start off with your full-length book! You can take that eBook to the next level by adding to it, fleshing it out until you have enough material to put your book in print.
BUILD YOUR AUTHORITY
You know why everyone doesn’t have a book? It takes time to write and put together all of that information. You need to know a lot about your subject to write an entire book about it. But, that means if you know enough about your niche to write an entire book about it, you’re probably an expert. Being able to say that you literally wrote the book on your subject is a huge way to build authority.
Say I tell you I’m a blogger and I blog about yoga for runners. Take a minute and think through what your impression of me would be. Then, think about how that changes when I tell you that I wrote the book Yoga for Runners and I’d be happy to get you a signed copy. There’s a shift that takes place in your mind. It seems pretty hard to actually get your book into print. (It’s actually quite easy, though!) So, if you’ve gone through the effort to publish your book, even if it’s self-published, you’re already several steps ahead of most others in your niche.
DON’T BE SCARED!
Now writing a book seems pretty scary, right? You have to write a ton of material! If you’ve been blogging for a while, you’re probably wrong! Think of your blog posts as the rough draft for your book. You can edit them, add more to them, and ultimately easily combine them into your book.
You don’t have to write an encyclopedia. My first book (which is admittedly image-heavy) is only around 13,000 words. In fact, being concise can be a good thing. It means that you’re not going on and on just for the sake of having a longer book. In fact, the longer your book is, the fewer people will actually finish it. So get over any fear you have of writing your book and get started! Don’t wait to elevate your blog and your brand.