“Book” your success

It’s not unusual for famous athletes to publish a book. Although it may seem that the name itself will sell the books, that approach is very wrong. If you ask me, the Olympic motto is the right approach – “Faster, Higher, Stronger”. When athletes do something amazing such as publish a book, this should be supported by good marketing strategy that will make them an even bigger brand. Alpine skier Lindsey Vonn did an excellent job with her book and showed everyone else how this things should be done.

What makes the difference

The first thing I like about this book is the name.  Although books shouldn’t be judged by their cover or name, they can be very helpful in making it interesting. ”Strong is the new beautiful” sends a very strong message and perfectly summarizes her book. It’s also short, memorable and catchy.

I like the way that this book became ”hot” even before its release. Various teasers, giveaways, quotes and a book tour announcement made fans very interested. Interacting with fans and letting them know that she put in an effort to make something special for them was also helpful in building a hype.

The one thing that really made everyone talk about this book is the photo of Vonn posing naked. Although some may say that nudity is a ”cheap way” to get attention, for me it was a very clever move. While being decent and provocative at the same time, she sent a powerful message that represents the idea of a book: we are all beautiful when we become ”strong enough” to accept our strenghts and weaknesses.

Organising a booktour and giving her fans a chance to meet her was also a great move. According to numbers (1,2 million Facebook fans,  519k followers on Twitter and  892k followers on Instagram) Vonn is the most popular alpine skier in the world. Giving fans a chance to meet her and showing how she enjoyed spending time with them is a great way to thank them and give back some love. Offering signed copies to those who couldn’t make it to her book signings was another nice gesture.

Interaction is another thing that I liked in this story. It’s always good to show that you care about your fans’ opinions. Since social networks are a great tool for two-way communication, it’s up to athelets to become aware of this and start using social media in the best possible way.

Appearing in various TV show is a ”classic move” which will get your book extra attention and allow you to extend your reach. If you follow this with some interesting social network posts, you’ve hit a jackpot. Although some may say that ”Internet killed the TV star”, I believe that they can still ”work together”. Vonn found an interesting way to get the best out of both.

Conclusion

If you’re an athlete who is capable enough to achive great sporting success and at the same time write a book, also be wise enough to promote it in the best possible way. No matter how big of a brand you are, you can’t afford yourself anything less than great. So don’t be the one who sells the book, be the one who will be ”sold” by that book. Invest some time in creating a strategy that will give you something great in the future. Even the simplest things will help your fans recoginize that you’re doing something ”from the heart” and make them appreciate you and your book much more.

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