There has been an increasing emphasis on using videos to promote books—“book trailers.” Some are good, some are awful, some are good in terms of entertainment value but don’t help sell the book.
One series that worked was for Chad Kultgen’s novel, “The Average American Male.” These three videos show what men supposedly are really thinking when they’re with women. (I remember when I was growing up MAD magazine had a similar feature—what people say, juxtaposed with what they’re really thinking.)
Harper Collins spent $2500 on the production, and the strategy was covered on CNBC, among others. CNBC reported that the videos have been seen more than a million times.
You can watch the first one below (but don't watch if risque language offends you, and it's not safe for the office). What made these effective? In my opinion it’s because they are:
• funny (so is the book, apparently)
• rude /sexy
• short (under a minute)
• very directly tied to the content of the book
• targeted to the same demographic as the book (young adults--who are the main users of online video)
If your book fits, it’s worth trying a video trailer. I’m just starting work on some animations that will promote a course I’ve developed. Animation takes a bit longer, but when the first one is ready I’ll post it here first for your feedback.
