Are you using the four book buying decision factors in your online book advertising and promotion? Appealing to them will make your promotional message more compelling to the potential reader.
Let me ask you a question. When making a decision, does the decision have to:
- look right,
- feel right,
- sound right,
- or seem right?
This is your internal representation system. It is how you internally represent information that comes to you, and your experiences. You either internally represent it as pictures, sounds, feelings, smells, taste, or self-talk. Do you talk to yourself? Of course you do! Everyone does. This is how we are hardwired, our neurology and we use it to make EVERY DECISION, even buying a book to read.
There are four primary decision factors:
- Visual – look right.
- Kinesthetic – feel right.
- Auditory – sound right.
- Auditory Digital – seem right.
Visual Decision Factor
For book buyers that are predominantly visual, the book must LOOK like the right book to read.
- In general, 40% of people in the US are visual. This is why the book cover is the #1 consideration when creating a book. They judge a book by its cover!
It needs to look like the type of book they want to read. Why do you think Amazon does not just list only book titles in search results?
Create word picture in your ads and book descriptions and use image ads and images where possible. Video too!
“The Exorcist meets Law and Order”
“Novel of a Woman Who Lived as a Man in the Old West.”
“Escape in to a Stunning Sci Fi Fantasy World!”
“Looking for a Thriller with a Twist?”
Kinesthetic Decision Factor
For book buyers that are predominantly visual, the book must FEEL like the right book to read.
- In general, 40% of people in the US are kinesthetic. This is why it is important to let a reader know how a book will make them feel.
Create an emotion in your ads and book descriptions.
“Smart, Gripping, & One Heck of a Ride!”
“Funny & Touching Family Fiction”
“Hauntingly Provocative, Relentlessly Intimate!
“Will Break Your Heart & Mend It.”
“Captivating Read”
Auditory Decision Factor
For book buyers that are predominantly auditory, the book must SOUND like the right book to read.
- In general, 10% of people in the US are auditory. This is why it is important to make the book sound enticing and the right book for them to read. Heavily influenced by what others are saying about the book.
Use quotes in your ads and book description.
“…one of the most surprising novels…the past decade.” – BookReporter
“This is the best how-to manual anywhere for managers…” – Fortune
“..author’s story of survival will surprise the reader..” – IndieReader
Auditory Digital Decision Factor
For book buyers that are predominantly auditory digital, the book must SEEM like the right book to read. It needs to make sense for them to buy.
- In general, 10% of people in the US are auditory digital. They react to words that cannot be perceived by the senses.
Use words in your ads and book description that cannot be perceived by the senses.
“Intriguing”
“Smart”
“Ingenious”
“Clever”
“Top-rated”
“Award-winning”
In Summary
Everyone has a dominant perceptual mode and a dominant mental process for making a decision. You will need to appeal to all four dominant perceptual modes in your ads and description for your message to have the greatest impact on the book buyer.