You have probably noticed that a lot of business leaders and solopreneurs have started to write their own books. Some of their books even land on the New York Times Bestseller’s List. Writing a book and publishing it isn’t easy, but you can make yourself stand out from competitors if you become a published author. Moreover, being a published author causes others to subconsciously view you as more knowledgeable, professional, and authoritative when they see that you’ve published a book.
One of the biggest obstacles in writing your own book is overcoming the mental barrier that it’s something you can’t do or would do poorly. Solopreneurs especially struggle with this mental block. However, it’s really not as impossible as you might think. Some published authors will tell you that writing the book is the easy part, but promoting it is the difficult task.
Don’t let the difficult aspects of writing a book deter you. Instead, focus on the ways in which it will support and grow your business. That will help keep you excited when the going gets tough. Also remember you’re not in it alone. You likely have an editor and publisher guiding you along the way. You could even find a mentor to guide you if you’re still concerned about doing a good job. Here are five ways that writing your own book can support your business:

You will attract new customers and loyal fans when you publish a book. It can take someone longer to become a fan of your business when they just read your blog posts. Because published books are viewed as higher authority than blog posts, a person can more quickly become a fan of you or your business. If your book sparked their interest in your business, then they will look it up and buy one of your products or sign up for your e-course. They will want to gain the benefits of using your products, and they will also want to learn as much as possible from you. Through that process, they could become a fan of your brand.

What exactly does it mean to be a fan or brand advocate of your business? As defined by marketer Ross Beard on the Client Heartbeat blog, “Brand advocates are highly satisfied customers who go out of their way to actively promote the products they love and care about.” The author of Brand Advocates, Rob Ruggetta, discovered through his research that a brand advocate is 50% more beneficial than the average customer. Here are some of the benefits you receive from brand advocates:

• Word of mouth marketing. Fans of your brand talk positively about your business to other people.
• An increase in positive online reviews of your business. Most customers don’t take the time to write a review unless they were extremely satisfied or unhappy. Loyal fans of your business often leave a positive review to help you out and share their own excitement over the product.
• Customers that stay through the bad times. If they’ve become a fan, they’ll stick through the good and bad times.
• Increased brand awareness.

Another benefit of becoming a published author is you learn more about yourself and your business through the process. Book writing requires a lot of research, planning, and organization. You get to tap into your creativity as well to find unique, engaging ways to present all of the valuable information you have to share. Throughout all of these phases, you will learn more about yourself and your business. You will discover which topics excite you the most and which areas you’re not that interested in mastering. It will help you fine-tune the services you offer as well as become clearer on what services you don’t offer.
Remember that part of writing a business plan involves specifying who you won’t serve and what services you won’t offer. Knowing what you don’t do is as important as knowing what you do. Who your target audience is becomes clearer. According to Tanya Hall, CEO of Greanleaf Book Group, many people who approach her for help with book writing worry that they don’t have enough material to write a book. After a few days of consultation, they realize that they have the opposite problem: they have so much to write that they have to narrow it down for the book. They gain a greater understanding of their businesses and the processes they use in business that make them successful as a result of planning the book.
Personal organizer and author of “From Frazzled to Freedom” Julie Starr Hook admitted, “Writing my book forced me to look at my strengths and weaknesses.” She discovered that she is naturally good at organizing bathrooms, kitchens, and offices, but she struggles with digital organization. “I recognized while writing this book that I don’t have to specialize in every area,” she shared.

When you write a book, your credibility increases as well. You can use this to your advantage by adding “author” to your social media bios and introducing yourself as an author. Erika Andersen shared in an article she wrote on Forbes that people perceived her as smarter and more expert after she became a published author. People who wouldn’t have listened to her before suddenly had an interest in what she had to say. Your business is viewed as more legitimate when you’re a published author too. Customers will buy from you with greater ease and trust.

Many entrepreneurs who have written books said that an abundance of new opportunities came their way afterward. David Niu, author of Careercation and founder of TINYpulse, said that he received more speaking engagements after he added “author” to his bio. The increase in credibility directed more opportunities his way, and those opportunities helped promote and grow his business. Lori Matzke, owner of Center Stage Home and author of “Home Staging: Creating Buyer-Friendly Rooms to Sell Your House” has made several TV appearances since publishing her book. People also now consider her an expert in home staging.

Another primary way that publishing a book helps your business is it pushes you to network and make more connections. It is likely that you’ll end up interviewing or talking to at least one expert during the course of writing your book in order to provide facts and credibility. How many business books lack quotes or research from experts? Not many!

It’s important to back up claims for readers to believe what you’re saying and trust the information. Readers want to know when something is fact, theory, or opinion. Connecting with people at networking events is easier too when you can include being an author in your introduction. It gives you more credibility, allowing you to connect more easily with other experts in the industry.If you want to grow your business and receive new opportunities, writing a book is one of the best things you could do. You will learn more about yourself, your business, and your niche during the process. Once the book is published, you’ll generate new leads for your business, earn new customers, and maybe even receive a few new fans. Solopreneurs who write their own books can reach a higher level in business that they wouldn’t have otherwise reached.