Writing a book is making entrepreneurs and startups stand out from the competition and grow leads to their business like never before. When done right and reaching a large audience, a published book will grow your business in many ways that can improve your long-term bottom line. 

In today's world, many agree that writing a book is one of the best investments one can make in their business. It can generate consistent long-term traffic of qualified leads into your business without the hassle of making cold calls or broad and expensive marketing campaigns. Think about it: a person who reads your book and is coming to your funnel out of their own will is a warm lead who knows about you and your business and is actively looking for opportunities to engage your services or buy your products.

Whether you provide a service, supply a product, or offer to coach or consult, you would agree that almost any business owner or entrepreneur can publish a book that will grow their business in more ways than one. Your book doesn't have to be a non-fiction or business book; many high-charging public speakers became known for their fiction books that revolve around stories that have meaningful lessons in our lives.

I've included in this article specific ways in which a book can increase business and generate more customers.

1. Boost Your Authority and Increase Your Credibility

Add “Bestselling Author” to your title, and it’s an instant authority boost. Top this with an international award, and your credibility will reach new levels with "Award-Winning Bestselling Author" affixed to your title.

You're instantly considered a subject matter expert when you publish a bestselling book on a topic relegated to your industry or niche. That means people will seek you for knowledge and problem-solving ideas because you are a credible authority.

What better way to boost your business than by increasing your thought leadership and credibility as a published author?

Related: 3 Strategies to Position Yourself as The Authority in Your Field

2. Brand Visibility Through the Next Generation Business Card

Brand visibility is one of the most important things that tell a prospect that your business is the real deal and can bring the right results. It directly translates into trust.

Getting prospects and potential warm clients to trust you and your business is easier with a high-quality, professionally published bestselling book. Using a book to grow your business from a brand visibility standpoint is one of the best ways to help prospects become aware of your company and ultimately trust you to solve their problems and add value to their business or life.

A published book is becoming the next-generation business card that tells customers about your business and how you can help them solve a problem and educate them. This means you're adding value and building trust for your services and products.

3. Lead Generation

I want you to know that leads are potential clients interested in what you offer. Leads coming to your business funnel through your book are warm and interested leads making an informed decision to be on your mailing list to receive information and value about your services or products. Your book shall be one of the best and most efficient lead magnets to help you grow your email list, build your prospect base, and provide value that helps more people learn about your offer.

This lead generation engine works the clock and the on autopilot with minimal manual work involved. Potential clients can use your book to gain awareness, engage with your content, and take action to enter your sales pipeline – without you having to do all the manual work (especially if you’re using automated systems). You don't have to invest much money, time, and energy in cold calling and direct response methods.

The best benefit is the quality of the leads. Your book will bring in higher-quality leads – people who want to learn more about your topic and how you can help (which means converting them into paying clients) is generally easier.

4. High-Quality Referrals

When recommended by others, your book can grow your business through leveraged referrals. I am sure someone has already recommended that you read a book to solve a specific problem or learn more about a specific topic. If you've read this recommended book and learned so much from its content, you would have recommended this same book to people you know and could benefit from it.

The right books often get referred to the right people, which means more readers and prospects for your business.

As a big bonus, a book opens the doors to more opportunities – specifically regarding media and public relations. With the right pitching method (with the help of your book) and networking strategy, landing media opportunities like speaking gigs, podcast interviews, guest author blogs, and even TV appearances will be easier for you.

More media and PR exposure mean you will have more eyes on your business.

5. Sales Conversions

When an interested prospect becomes a buying customer, a conversion occurs. In the psychology of buying, several things must happen in the prospect's mind before becoming a paying client. The prospect must trust and believe in your product and see its value before they decide to purchase. A book can help grow your business by educating prospects about your products and services, which makes the prospects trust and believe in them and thus increases the conversion rate into sales.

When prospects learn something valuable from you, they will trust you and believe your business is credible and trustworthy to help them. And what better than a book to educate prospects? This means the more they are educated, the higher the chances they will convert into paying clients!

In conclusion, can a book grow your business?

Yes, a book is a sustainable strategy to grow your business in the short and long term.

No, it’s not a “get rich quick” strategy, so if you’re looking for that type of project, writing a book is probably not for you.

But if you’re looking for a sustainable growth strategy, writing and publishing a book is a powerful way to increase your bottom line over time.