Book unboxings are a great way to get your fans excited about your book AND share your author experience with them. Here are a few tips for making your live broadcast book unboxings successful:
BEFORE
Prepare in advance
*Cover up mailing address
-You don’t want to give out your address on the internet.
*Have scissors ready
–You don’t want to struggle to open the box or have to search for scissors during the broadcast
*Have somewhere to set the books to go through them
–As you take out your books, have somewhere to set them down, preferably a able, so when you bring the camera in for a closer look, you aren’t struggling to hold a ton of items at once. Instead you can focus on turning the pages.
*Steady camera or someone to hold
–Get a mini tripod to hold your phone, set it up against something that will hold it in place, or have someone hold the camera for you as you film. You don’t want it to accidentally fall while broadcasting.
*Have your “what are you seeing now script” with link
-The words you type before you go live are important because they let people know what they will be seeing. Use this real estate to communicate what you are doing and include the buy or pre-order link so they can easily click on it when you direct them to during your broadcast.
DURING
Explain what you are doing, talk them through it
–pull book out
-describe cover
-show inside pages-flip through
-give top three reasons you love it
-take questions from fans
AFTER
*Respond to any comments on the video
–Go back and comment to each person who left you a note or question, even if you addressed it during the broadcast.
*Post imagery and/or video clips on other social media
–After your broadcast, make sure you get photos or video clips on your other social media as well, directing them back to the rebroadcast of the live unboxing video.
Unboxings are a great way to share your experience with your fans and let them be a part of your journey. When you let fans go through the process with you, they feel like they are a part of it, and are far more likely not only to stick around, but to actively help market when the time comes.
If you have time to announce your unboxing in advance, do it! If you know it’s coming “sometime this week,” tease it in the days leading up to it. If you can wait for when you know you will have fans around, try to go live when you know you’ll have active participants.
You can always use the rebroadcast for marketing purposes after you wrap the live broadcast, so even if they aren’t there live, use it over and over in your marketing strategy! Bonus points for repurposing the footage.
Happy unboxings!
Stay inspired,
-K.M.