LiyahAmore University | Teaching Female Writers the #1 Method for Promoting Their Books When They're Deathly Afraid to Promote Themselves

Greetings Writerpreneur,

Welcome to this Empowering Guide, which will teach you the perfect method for promoting your new book to wider audiences, even if you fear promoting yourself.

If you are new to my work and platform, I am Felecia Killings, Founder of The Felecia Killings Foundation. My team and I work with inspirational authors to help them build a business or ministry around their authorship. I’ve developed advanced lessons that transform average writers into dynamic writerpreneurs. And through my ongoing training, I teach my clients and scholars how to create careers as professional Writerpreneurs. These lessons and more are housed inside our award-winning, online school, LiyahAmore University. 

Now, about a year ago, I noticed a significant gap within the Self-Publishing industry. Since 2011, I have worked with Christian Authors, Speakers, and Spiritual Leaders as their writing coach and content editor. I helped new writers craft compelling stories and educational books that pulled from their life’s experiences. As they completed their works for their small audiences, I realized not much more came from their platform other than the “Buy my newest book” posts. 

A small percentage of my clients and scholars managed to make the Best-Seller’s list. Some managed to land speaking engagements, which led to more book sales. But at some point, the numbers dropped. As a result, most authors simply quit their mission and assignment, because the results weren’t what they expected.

After observing this behavior for 18 months, I realized Authors had another obstacle before them. While they mastered publishing their first or second books, they did not know how to scale their works to reach the masses organically. And that’s when I began working on new content to teach them not only how to build a business or ministry around their authorship, but to also position their works so they reach millions.

The key to such success comes strictly by implementing an aggressive marketing plan that involves content creation and strategic brand partnerships. As I teach my scholars inside LiyahAmore University, by incorporating blogging, video marketing, social media domination, and influencer marketing, their platforms can easily reach millions of people each year.

And I know what I speak.

Recently, I tapped into the Twitter space to share my messages with new audiences. Within a couple months, my content caught the attention of celebrities, conservative influencers, and politicians. When they retweeted my content on their platforms, my following jumped from 300 to 7,000+ in a matter of months. 

Today, because of my active engagement on the app, I generate 1.0M - 2.2M monthly impressions organically. This means I do not have to pay-promote my content to reach the people I desire. I’ve built a tribe on Twitter; and collectively, my platform, coupled with the other influencers in our circle, empowers 500,000+ followers.

My social media presence is proof that even with a small following (compared to the people I’m connected to), my voice still has impact. And as more people embrace the messages, my book sales jump. Of course, book sales are just small ticket items within The Foundation. I use these resources to establish credibility and authority in this space. My focus isn’t on book sales alone but rather speaking engagements, enrollment into LiyahAmore University, and more.

But I could not have this expanding platform if I feared promoting my content. I could not experience this kind of impact if I didn’t push myself to become public. 

That’s key, and something you must embrace if you desire to create a career as a Writerpreneur.

Too often, fear cripples a Writerpreneur’s impact. And while defeating fear is easier said than done, there is a method you can use right now to break that stronghold … even without you saying a single word.

In this Empowering Guide, I want to teach you this remarkable strategy. Recently, I’ve added a new marketing service to The Foundation as a type of solution for authors like you who fear self-promotion.

The strategy is called “influencer marketing,” and it is the fastest method for bolstering your platform, book, and brand to a wider audience.

In this complete guide, you will learn about:

• The history of influencer marketing
  
• The role it plays in social media today
  
• The different levels of influencer marketing (and which ones you need to leverage)
  
• The stats behind influencer marketing and why it continues to grow
  
• How Writerpreneurs can leverage influencer marketing and reach the masses without saying a single word
  
• And how The Foundation can help you bolster your presence STARTING NOW!
  

So, without delay, let’s get straight into this teaching.

​

The History of Influencer Marketing

As authors, we all know the importance of effective marketing. You can have the perfect book that solves your audience's problems. But unless you know how to reach people and persuade them to purchase your product, your book remains obsolete.

Marketing is best understood as proper positioning in a targeted market. Once positioned, you use different communication strategies that highlight the value your product brings to a community, tribe, or audience.

Inside LiyahAmore University, I spend a great deal of time teaching the science behind this skill set. Most authors have elementary knowledge about this marketing field; and too often, they position their product (book) in a market that isn't interested in their works. 

Consider my ministry and its products or services. I do not promote my works to just everyone. I am positioned strategically in the Christian self-publishing market. I'm also positioned in the conservative political market. Therefore, the content, books, and services I deliver are easily received by those who are interested in both topics.

Essentially, that is how effective marketing works; and when you're just beginning this journey of writerpreneurship, it's difficult to cultivate a space for yourself in such a competing market. For this reason, brands have leveraged the influence and power of famous people to help promote their products or services.

Think about the celebrities you see in various commercials. At times, you purchase a product because your favorite icon was featured in the ad. 

This is the basic premise of influencer marketing.

For the sake of this lesson, here's our working definition:

Influencer marketing involves outsourcing key leaders in the virtual space who will bring awareness to an author's brand. By purchasing sponsored content (i.e. blog posts, social media posts, video content, website ad space), an author can rely on an influencer to promote one's brand and book to a growing audience.

And over the last decade, this strategy has taken over the social media sphere.

Social Media Marketing: 2010 and Beyond

We know the power of social media. It is the one area where brands can fish for their ideal customer for virtually free. This is also a perfect place to locate readers who will be empowered by your books and services.

Since 2010, social media marketing has enabled people to become instantly famous. In fact, the barrier to entry into the fame life is so low, cat-lovers have discovered ways to become well-known.

Celebrities who have taken to Instagram, Facebook, and even LinkedIn have discovered ways to monetize their platforms by selling their influence to businesses who want to promote to a wider audience.

And over the years, smaller accounts (what we call micro-influencers) have emerged, giving other brands opportunities to advertise their products.

Types of Online Influencers and How Each One Leverages Their Platforms

Not all influencers are the same, and not all influencer platforms deliver the same results for each brand that hires it.

A great article from SenseiMarketing analyzed the various types of influencers, so let's discuss them here:

1. Mega-Influencer: These are celebrities whose name alone carries more fame and influence. They don't necessarily focus on a subject matter (like I do with Christian Writerpreneurship), but their influence is felt among millions of followers. Brands that have the marketing budget to pay for mega-influencers can expect to receive instant traffic and sales with just one Instagram post, for example. Some celebrities are known for charging up to $1 million for just a single post, because their social media presence commands so much persuasive power. This, of course, does not automatically translate into massive sales for a brand. And in this case, the best strategy for hiring a mega-influencer is to increase brand awareness.
   
2. Macro-Influencer: Like celebrities, these influencers have a large platform, generally consisting of 100K-1M followers across all social media sites. Such individuals include podcasters, bloggers, and political influencers. Ideally, such influencers are subject-matter experts. They are the go-to individuals for all things related to education, technology, empowerment, etc. Brands that pay for macro-influencer marketing can expect to reach a niche audience that focuses on a specific topic. 
   
3. Micro-Influencer: Individuals who have managed to create a following of 1,000-100,000 followers fall within this category. These are voices who, like macro-influencers, focus on a niche audience. They are intimately acquainted with their followers, and are supreme subject-matter experts for a given topic. My platform fits within this category. When promoting a brand (like you, Beloved) on my platform, I am helping you establish authority and credibility among an audience we both have interests in. For example, if you are a new author whose book discusses women empowerment, your resource would be a perfect product for our women’s movement. Because I have such a connection to a specific audience, and that audience engages with my content on a deeper level, positioning your book on this platform is more profitable long-term than if you hired a macro- or mega-influencer (which may exceed your current marketing budget).
   
4. The Advocate: Think of these influencers as the ones who will engage in meaningful conversations with online audiences around your product. For example, let's say you have a book that will truly empower women. As an advocate and micro-influencer, you could ask me to host a weekly women's bible study, using your book as the primary resource. This marketing strategy goes deeper than simply asking me to promote your book to my audience of 20K+ followers. In this case, you are paying me to promote your book AND engage in discussions that guarantee book sales.
   
5. The Referrer: I'll characterize this influencer as one who is brand loyal to one specific business. If you take a look at my influencer service page, you'll see I highlight one publishing expert and one editor only. I do not promote any other ones, because I am only concerned with helping these two brands increase their revenue by delivering to you the best services in the self-publishing market. In like manner, a Referrer will commit to only promoting your brand as the primary solution for their target audience.
   
6. The Loyalists: Here is where every brand wants to get in the market. Such influencers are the people who are loyal to your authorship, i.e. your social media followers, readers, viewers, and listeners. I remember back in 2019 when I decided to cut politics from my Facebook platform, I assumed all my followers would cease in promoting my messages. As I stepped away from this platform to focus on my e-mail subscribers and Twitter scholars, I watched as some from Facebook instantly followed me where I was. Today, these followers are my main promoters. They share and re-tweet my content and products for me. They purchase my offerings without me persuading them. They are absolutely loyal to this brand. And because of all they've done to voluntarily promote my platform, I've developed a Brand Ambassador Program inside our Networks as a show of gratitude for their commitment.
   

The Stats Behind Influencer Marketing and Why They Matter to Writerpreneurs

One lesson I stress to my clients, scholars, and readers is this: Your books are a part of your business or ministry. They are branches of the overall work you’re called to deliver. Therefore, in order to see them thrive, the core business or ministry must thrive. And the only way that will happen is when Writerpreneurs apply best business practices to their works.

In the online space, the way to thrive is by studying the current marketing trends, which can inform a person’s next moves. And in this section, I want to highlight 10 stats that prove why influencer marketing is key to a writerpreneur’s success.

1. For every $1 a business spends on influencer marketing, that business generates $5.20 in marketing exposure (Source: Influencer Marketing Hub). And with the right influencer package, the return on investment can be much higher if that person creates evergreen content with your book as the featured resource. For example, I recently worked with a new author, Dennis Perkins, to help promote his book to my audience. My influencer services included a 500-word book review, a feature during my virtual Bible study, and a feature during my annual virtual summits. Each content piece is designed for ongoing use and remains an integral part of The Foundation. In addition, each piece can be shared and re-shared on Perkins’ platform for as long as he needs. The upfront marketing investment he made yields long-term dividends, and the same can be said of your work, Beloved, when you work with a skilled influencer who serves in your best interests as well as her audience’s.
2. The best influencers to work with are those within your niche or industry, ones who can promote your product most effectively (Source: Influencer Marketing Hub). I cannot stress this enough. To see the most return on your investment, you must put your book in the hands of an influencer who functions within your current space. It’s unwise to ask someone in the children’s book industry to promote your marriage book, because that audience will not receive your content. In like manner, if you have a Christian book, hire a Christian influencer in the book-publishing industry who can get your work before the right audience.
3. Influencers are strict about the products they promote, selecting only that which is most relevant to their audiences (Source: Influencer Marketing Hub). It is not uncommon for me to reject a brand whose product does not minister to or empower my audience. Although I would receive compensation for the promotion, such partnership would negatively affect my relationship with my audience, which I value above a brand’s dollar. As you seek to find influencers to promote your book, understand your product must be in perfect alignment with that brand’s network and platform. This will make for a powerful experience for all.
4. Print advertising is decreasing as influencer marketing increases (Source: Influencer Marketing Hub). Perhaps you’ve been thinking about creating more flyers or other forms of advertisements to promote your book. Good news! You can stop now. With the rise in influencer marketing, digital promotions reduce the costs associated with printed ads. 
5. 40% of Twitter users said they made a purchase based on a tweet from their favorite influencer (Source: Influencer Marketing Hub). A few months ago, I recommended a $47 e-book to my Twitter audience. Bryan Sharpe, aka “Hotep Jesus,” wrote the #1 guide on Twitter marketing; and after observing his strategies first-hand, I recommended my Beloved audience purchase the manual to help them build their own platforms. Within weeks, at least one of my connections purchased the book after asking me if I truly believed in Sharpe’s product. I assured him this product was legit, and he eventually made the purchase. That’s exactly what happens when an influencer tweets a product to a specific audience. While sales may not happen immediately, they will eventually come because an audience trusts an influencer’s word.
6. When searching for influencers, it’s important to find brands that are already into your products (Source: Influencer Marketing Hub). When working with my clients and scholars, I become their biggest cheerleader. Because I am intimately acquainted with their product, I instantly promote their books to my audience because I believe their works will empower. As you seek an influencer for your book, find someone who will love your brand and message. She will enthusiastically sell your product for you, which brings more awareness to your Author’s Platform.
7. 91% of millennials say they trust influencer or online reviews in the same way their trust recommendations from family and friends (Source: Influencer Marketing Hub). Millennials are astute shoppers, and they are more likely to purchase products (i.e. books) based on their favorite influencer’s recommendation. Why? Because that influencer has built an online relationship with her audience; and just as they trust their family and friends to recommend the best products, they have that same trust with their influencers.
8. 50% of consumers will take action to purchase a product after reading a positive review (Source: Influencer Marketing Hub). I have seen this action, literally days after a client posted my book review to his audience. Most consumers are impulsive with their purchases. And all they need is the right influencer to give them the go-ahead to purchase the right book.
9. The most effective influencer marketing campaigns are the ones that are organic to an audience (Source: Influencer Marketing Hub). Rarely do I use paid advertisements when promoting my client’s books because I’ve built such rapport with my online audience that they trust my reviews. The whole purpose of working with influencers is to find voices who have persuasive power; and too often, paid advertisements do not deliver that personal touch. If an influencer has not proven her ability to connect with an audience, paying for her to promote your work is fruitless. (You can hire a social media ads manager to do that job for you.)
   
10. Influencers with 10K - 100K followers offer the best results for organic engagement and reach (Source: Influencer Marketing Hub). It is a fact: the larger the follower count, the less organic engagement an influencer receives. Therefore, it is best to work with micro- or macro-influencers who are experts in their industry, ones who will promote your book so effectively that your brand becomes synonymous with theirs.

How Authors Can Leverage Influencer Marketing and Reach the Masses without Saying a Word

By now, you get an idea of how influencer marketing can work for you as a Writerpreneur. The purpose behind influencer marketing is to level-up your own platform exponentially and within a shorter time frame. If your current platform only has 100 followers, and only 1 person has purchased your book, then working with a micro-influencer can take your brand to the next level.

The more leverage you pull with an influencer, the quicker your own platform will increase, because audiences love being a part of a collective. I've discovered this within my own political network. The influencers connected to my brand willingly share my content and books with their followers, because we are all preaching a similar empowering message. And our followers often follow the same influencers, which gives them a holistic online experience.

If you can implement this same strategy within your authorship, you will discover how easy it is to position your business or ministry before millions.

Steps You Can Take to Leverage This Marketing Potential

Now that you understand the science behind influencer marketing, let's discuss how you can get started in this process.

1. Determine that you will make influencer marketing a part of your annual marketing budget. If you have been in the game for a while, you know how important it is to set aside a specific budget that will go towards promoting your books or products. And if you make influencer marketing a part of your aggressive strategy, you will see a positive return on your investment.
   
2. Generate a list of influencers you wish to work with. It's important to remember that influencer marketing is a brand partnership. That influencer does not work for you. Therefore, you should not treat the expert as an employee. That person knows how to reach her own audience, and it's to your advantage to respect that connection. Do not ask the influencer to say this or that when it comes to marketing to their followers. Instead, let the influencer decide how she will promote you to her network. For example, when brands work with me, I have specific packages that ensure each one is well-received by my audience. So, as you seek influencers to promote your works, do not expect a one-size-fits-all approach. At the same time, be comfortable with the methods through which they promote your book.
   
3. Reach out to the influencers via email or social media. When I connected with my first set of brands, I turned to Facebook author groups. I needed experts who could deliver the proper services that my audience needed, and we communicated via email to set up the partnership. As you seek your influencers, present yourself professionally. These experts are a part of the marketing industry and should be approached as such. Do not ask for favors. Do not present yourself as anything other than a professional Writerpreneur. The Influencers will respect you immensely.
   
4. Hire the Influencer whose platform and services match your brand's goals. Never pay for a platform that doesn't reach your target audience. For example, it is practically pointless for a male author to hire my influencer services to market his book about empowering men. Why? Because my primary service model focuses on helping women. I have KillingsVille, which delivers a supportive network to single mothers. I have The Holy Ghost and You Women's Retreat, which empowers women ministry leaders. I have LiyahAmore University, which primarily consists of lessons that cater to a female audience. So, it wouldn't do much good for a male author to hire my influencer services UNLESS he wrote books that catered to my female audience. In like manner, you want to work with someone whose platform delivers exactly what you need and more.
   
5. Be prepared to work long-term with your selected Influencer. Remember that with influencer marketing, longevity is key. You need to see this marketing opportunity as an ongoing relationship. You may not see instant results with their services; but you will experience positive long-term effects.
   

How The Felecia Killings Foundation Can Help You Leverage Influencer Marketing

In the online space, there is a place for every voice, every book, and every message. But it’s up to the creators of such works to position themselves before the masses.

When fear kicks in, preventing you from delivering to the market what God has placed in your heart, you can overcome that challenge by putting your product in the hands of an influencer who is reaching millions already.

At The Felecia Killings Foundation, we’ve developed the solution for Writerpreneurs by crafting compelling content that features our authors’ books.

Quite often, new authors look for opportunities to come their way to help bolster sales for their books. When they do not see them, persistent writerpreneurs forge their own opportunities.

But rarely do they consider purchasing opportunities that help them reach their goals.

In 2020, I determined to give more Beloveds within my audience the opportunity to share their greatness with my growing network. Through my influencer marketing services, I  help writerpreneurs promote their books and brands to a vast audience that continues to grow each year.

As a writerpreneur, this strategy delivers multiple benefits to you:

• Your name, brand, and book will be introduced to a larger audience, one you could not reach on your own.
• Your reputation as a credible author is well-received because my audience trusts my recommendations.
• You can ethically "hijack" this dynamic platform, which leads to book sales, website traffic, and more.
• And most importantly, you instantly bump your platform to a higher level, which could have taken you years to accomplish on your own.

Our influencer services include:​​​

• Your book cover featured on The Foundation's Online Bookstore for life
• An author's page on The Foundation's website for life, including a book review from Felecia Killings
• A Twitter Class Author's Blast, which includes 10 high-converting tweets to Felecia's audience of 9,000+ followers
• A feature in one My Beloved Newsletter, published every Sunday to the Beloved Mailing List

If you’re looking to scale your platform, influencer marketing is the #1 solution for promoting your books … even if you’re deathly afraid to promote them yourself. This marketing method is doing wonders for our current clients, and I know it will surely empower your platform.

If You're Not Published Yet and Want to Make 2021 Your Year, Enroll Today in LiyahAmore University

If you would like to connect with me and other women who are building social, political, and economic empires in this new decade, I encourage you to join our newest virtual work, My Beloved Women's Ministry.

It's FREE to join, thanks to our Beloved Sponsors.

And each year, I host a powerful virtual and in-person conference where you can receive more advanced training for your vision.

When you are ready to take your ideas to the next level, enroll in LiyahAmore University, our 6- and 12-month training program for new authors. At The Felecia Killings Foundation, we work specifically with our women members, clients, and scholars to help them launch an online business or virtual ministry using their authorship. 

As new clients enter our award-winning, book-publishing program, we bring their stories to the public on our national platform. 

If you desire to write and publish a book, visit our school today or download our FREE Welcome Packet. Read more case studies and testimonials from our past clients. Gain insight and direction for your own work.

Then schedule your FREE 30-minute consultation with me so we can discuss your vision. From there, you will learn more about tuition costs, time commitment, and more. And within 72-hours, we will get you booked for the 2021 calendar. 

Beloved, by the end of your training, you will become a published author within 6-12 months. You will also have your book featured on our website for life. We will bring your voice and message to our national platform, which reaches millions each year via Twitter and other social sites. And you will be empowered for a new career that focuses on your God-given calling.

I pray this lesson empowered you, Beloved. You can read more FREE lessons right here and here.

And as always, let's grow together!

​- Felecia