Have you ever thought about writing a book only to think “That’s a LOT of work for little benefit”?

Well, you may want to think again – on both counts.

As a business owner, you already know that marketing yourself and your business is key to your success. You’re also aware that marketing is multi-faceted and that the best brands have many ways of communicating who they are and what they stand for. For example:

  • Your presence on social media is a great representation of your brand.
  • Your blog attracts and engages with new audiences.
  • Your email list keeps you connected with fans and followers.

Each of these “tools” has a role to play, but a book is the most powerful marketing tool of them all.

When your name is found on the cover of a printed-on-paper, hold-it-in-your-hands book, it is the one thing that can take your coaching business from somewhat successful to rock star status.

As an Author, You’re an Instant Expert

Pay attention to the “experts” you see interviewed on morning news shows, talk shows, and on the radio and podcasts. Notice anything?

They’re almost always introduced as “The author of…”

You may have seen successful business people and entrepreneurs loudly celebrate writing and releasing their books. It’s a signal that they’ve “made it” to being recognized as an expert in their field.

There’s a reason for that. An author needs to have the expertise to dig deep into a subject, then break it down in a way that others will understand. Books don’t just skim the surface of a subject. They follow the rabbit trails and make new connections and explore unknown corners. They can patiently and painstakingly lead the reader through the material to demonstrate, teach or share important insights.

If you’ve written a book, you have almost certainly earned your “expert” status.

Writers Are Committed and Driven

While authors are usually seen as experts in their field, they’ve also proven themselves to be more committed than most. Think about the time and energy and frustration that comes from writing 150 or 200 or even 300 pages of content on the same subject. On top of the writing itself, the pages must flow together in a logical order, making sense out of complex concepts. And, by the way, for the book to be successful, it needs to be engaging on top!

That’s a tall order, and for those who pull it off, the kudos are justified. When your book is published, you deserve to walk a bit taller and hold your head a bit straighter. But even if you choose not to, others will see you through new eyes, simply because you’ve written a book. I’ll be honest, it still gives me a thrill when people say “WOW! You wrote a book? That’s impressive!”

Books Offer a “Foot in the Door” When Nothing Else Will

When it comes to publicity—be it in the form of interviews, speaking engagements, JV invitations, or just more traffic to your website—you really can’t do better than a book. Books open doors that no other content marketing tool can.

Books get you noticed by top-tier influencers in your niche.

Books can lead to other products such as courses or workbooks. These kinds of products can generate additional sources of revenue to further build your business.

Books also make you a more memorable speaker. That may not sound obvious, but consider this scenario – you give a speech (where you were introduced as “the author of…”). At the end of the speech, you tell the audience you’ll be selling your books in the back of the room. A crowd gathers and the visual impact of that crowd around the people is their parting memory of you. Ka-boom!

And believe it or not, self-published books even turn into traditional publishing contracts, and all the benefits that go along with that.

With all the advantages that come with having written a book, what’s holding you back? No matter what your niche is or who your audience is, there’s room on the shelf for your unique insights. You owe it to your audience, and to your business to get that book published.