Videos and authors go hand in hand yet few authors have been tapping into the power of video marketing.
It's true that just a few years ago figuring out video marketing and YouTube marketing required an advanced degree (or at least it seemed like it), but luckily today video is no more complicated than pressing a button!
Google+ Hangouts launched a few years ago and there was little buzz around this new platform that allowed users to Livestream a video or interview with a group of selected guests.
In 2012, Google changed the game when they launched their Google+ Hangouts Live On Air that allows anyone to create a live online broadcast in real time on YouTube and simultaneously on Google+!
There are few savvy marketers who are already salivating at the potential, but few authors have started connecting with their readers in real time.
Livestream used to be quite complex and a scary tech nightmare, but thanks to a sophisticated set-up, Google makes it so much easier for anyone to look like a pro during their first live online Hangout!
If you've not yet tapped into the power of Google+ Hangouts to connect with your potential readers as an a non-fiction author, these simple tips should get you going:
Step 1: Get A Gmail Account
It's impossible to get a Google+ Hangouts account or a YouTube account without a Gmail account. Google is doing a good job at keeping everything under one roof.
If you don't already have an account, it should take you no more than a few minutes to get one. You'll simply need to type "open new Gmail account" in a browser.
Step 2: Get A Google+ Account
Once you have your Gmail account, you can type Google+ in a browser and you'll be sent to a page where you can sign up to create your Google+ account.
Step 3: Log Into Your Google+ Account To Access The Google+ Hangouts
You'll find the little yellow icons for Google+ Hangouts on the left hand navigation bar. It's right after "events" and right before "pages." Click on that button to get started.
Step 4: Start Your Google+ Hangout
At the top right hand side of the page, you'll see a blue button. Click on "Start a Hangout on Air," and a new window will open.
Step 5: It's Time To "Join" Your Hangout
You'll have to wait for the Google+ plug-in to install and then you'll be directed to a page where you can join a Hangout.
Step 6: Log Into Your Youtube Account
If you don't have a YouTube account, you'll need to head to www.YouTube.com to get your account set-up. Once you do, remain logging into that account in a separate window on the same browser you used to access your Google+ account. You'll have to go through a number of verification process, but it's nothing complicated.
Step 7: Name Your Hangout on Air
Don't forget this will be saved on YouTube once you're done with your Google+ Hangouts, it will automatically be stored on your YouTube account. Since YouTube is the 2nd search engine in the world, you'll want to make sure the title is well optimized so people can find.
Step 8: Share The Link to the Hangout on Air
At the top of your Hangout, you'll see the word "embed" that's hyper-linked. If you click on that link, you'll get a code. You can embed that code on a blog or you can grab the direct link from the code and share that.
Step 9: Record Your Hangout on Air
When you're ready to connect with your audience, make sure that you click on "start broadcast" so that you can be seen by your audience and from anyone surfing YouTube or Google+ that would come across your Livestream.
Step 10: End Your Hangout on Air
Once you're done connecting with your audience, it's time to save your Hangout and allow YouTube to feature it on your channel. In order to make that happen, you'll need to click on the "exit" button on the upper right hand side of your Google+ Hangout.
YouTube compresses these files at the light of speed and usually, by the time you log back into your YouTube account, your Hangout will be there waiting for you!
Step 11: Share & Optimize
Once your Hangout is saved inside your YouTube account, make sure to go back and optimize the title (if you've not done so), add a description, add the URL to your site and add the appropriate tags/keywords.
Once that's done, make sure to share your Hangout on your social media in order to allow your fans to share the latest about your book with their own network.
Prior To Your Google+ Hangouts!
Now that you know how to set-up and create your own Hangout, I wanted to go back and talk about a few important things prior to your Hangout in order to ensure a great turn up.
1. It's best to schedule your event at least one week in advance.
2. Create an event on Facebook to let people know.
3. Create a separate squeeze page in order to get people to leave their name and email so you can send them the link for the Livestream event.
4. You'll want to share some teasers as well where you share a few hints of what people might expect from their time with you on the Google+ Hangouts.
5. Send reminders the day of the Google+ Hangouts reminding everyone of the time.
Google+ Hangouts Offers HUGE Benefits!
Google+ Hangouts allows you to create LIVE events at a drop of hat in the most cost effective way.
My recommendation to non-fiction authors still in the writing process is to create LIVE video diaries where every week or two weeks you Hangout with your readers add share your progress, triumph and challenges with writing your current book. This will really engage your audience and once your book is published you'll have a hungry crowd waiting to read every page!
This type of engagements also help you build rapport with raving fans who will gladly act as a sales force as they share the good news about your book to their own social media networks.
This works well for non-fiction authors, but fiction authors can really get feedback on character or plot development with this method.
That said, most non-fiction authors are business owners, coaches or consultants looking to expand their authority, referrals and business. These series of Google+ Hangouts makes it so much easier to connect with your potential ideal clients who will gladly pay to help them put the principles of your book into action.
Gone are the days where you can isolate yourself as an author or wait for speaking engagements to sell your book at the back of the room. These days getting more readers means mastering sophisticated book marketing strategies -- and Google+ Hangouts fits perfectly!