Today we’ll be speaking with Victoria Montemayor, the founder and CEO of The Storytelling Specialist, which provides website design and copy services to help brands connect with an audience. Online presence is a must for discoverability, especially debut authors. There are many options out there that allow the average person to create a website and online content, but the hard part is reaching a network and getting them to stick around. Victoria will explain some options to improve your author platform, including what makes a great website, how to grow an online audience, and how to keep their attention with newsletters and updates.

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Tanya: Victoria, welcome to Published!

Victoria: Hi, I'm glad to be here. Thanks for having me.

Tanya: Of course, I'm happy to have you. So, why don't we start by having you introduce yourself and tell us what you do.

Victoria: My name is Victoria Montemayor, I am the Storytelling Specialist. I help people learn to share from the soul of their business online, and that means we work on messaging, storytelling, often we end up building out a website, and I do that for custom projects. But I'm launching this new era where you can learn how to do that for me, and I'm really excited about that.

1:53

Tanya: That is very exciting. And so when people reach out to you, they're probably — maybe, hopefully — starting from scratch. So what's the very first thing you tell them when you're looking at beginning to build their brand platform?

Victoria: There's a couple of tips that I give people, and I'm thinking specifically for your audience who are authors. I have a platform to share with you guys, and then I have a tip to kind of draw out the storytelling nuggets that help you share engaging content.

So the platform that I recommend for thought leaders and authors and coaches is actually LinkedIn. It's an amazing platform. It's grown up from being like the fuddy-duddy, leftover social media platform, it's matured, there are people in every industry active on that platform. And it's really a global conversation, which is really, really cool. It's a safe place to talk about work. That's why people are there, they're there to talk about productivity or something related to their business. And I think that's pretty relevant for the types of people that you guys work with. Compared to other platforms, there's more room for thoughtful conversations, discussion, really engaging. So even if your readers are on Instagram and Tiktok, and LinkedIn, I would show up on LinkedIn, because that's going to be the mindset that they're going to be in. They're going to be ready to engage with you.

But in terms of strategy, and I share this with people all the time, the trouble that people fall into when they're just starting out: The short circuit that happens when you're trying to share what's inside of you and edit at the same time. I call that the blank page of death. So when you're staring at that blank page, and you're trying to figure out, what should I even say, what should I even post, but you can't even get it out to edit it later. And you're mixing these two activities. So you're mixing the extraction, like the really soulful sharing, and you're mixing the editing at the same time, and that causes the short circuit. So if you're by yourself, you're doing it yourself, or you're just starting to build out your platform, I actually recommend you pull out your phone and you audio record yourself answering questions your audience may ask. The things that they struggle with. You just practice and you muddle through it and you get it out there. And then you can get it transcribed — there's a lot of wonderful automatic transcribers — and then you edit it separately. And the benefit of that is you allow yourself to just pour out what's really there for you and you allow yourself to make all the mistakes and then you edit it later. I call it the audio record advantage. That's a huge tip for beginners.

The internet came to my house when I was like 10 or 12 years old, and I started building websites and being online right away. So I'm actually, I didn't even realize this until a month ago, one of the pioneers of being online in the world, like as a preteen! And the trick is to just get started. You can't grow and evolve until you actually publish and get out there — publishing yourself online is what I mean, not necessarily a book — but getting your profile out there or getting your first website out there. You can't grow until it's out there.

5:20

Tanya: Absolutely. Now you put a lot of emphasis on using your platform to tell a story, and I know that's a big part of your brand. So can you tell us what you mean by brand storytelling and why it's so important?

Victoria: When I think of brand storytelling, I think of the dialogue that businesses, authors, you know, that we have, between sharing what our big dream is for our industry, or our vision, or the area we want to help with our content, and the person we want to reach who is facing the struggles they're facing right now.

A lot of times, when I interact with people, they tend to focus only on what they want to say, like that picture or that methodology or the philosophy that they have, but it really is a dialogue. And if you can speak into what people are struggling with: the challenges they face, their frustrations, and if you can say those words to them, then that draws them to you. It really is like a dialogue, that's the thing I want people to walk away with is that it's not a one way conversation, it's not a megaphone. You want to invite people in, and you invite them by speaking about what's important to them, and what they're struggling with. We can only make a difference with people we're related to, like, you have to have that Know, Like and Trust factor. So if you're a self-help author, and you have something that's really going to change someone's life, you have to build that relationship by building that connection with someone, even online, even on your website, even on your social profile. And then there's an invitation to like, hey, we can take your business to the next level, we can take your life to the next level. But they'll only do that with someone they know, like, and trust. Right?

7:15

Tanya: What I hear you saying is in the messaging itself, we have to acknowledge their pain point, and call it out. And not just hint around at it, but call it out. And then and only then do we get into the solution.

Victoria: Yes. And I always encourage people to go, you know, four or five layers deeper. Maybe they're not achieving the results they want at work. You can go a couple layers deeper. They're not sleeping at night, or they have dreams unfulfilled, or they're snappy at people. You want to get as specific and deep as you can with those pain points.

7:57

Tanya: You mentioned being a pioneer in the world of websites. So do you think every author needs a website, and why or why not?

Victoria: I don't think every author needs a website. I think everyone could benefit from having a strong online presence. I define that as needing a place for people to land, building an emotional connection with people, showing up in a way where people believe your credibility, and then having one focused action, an invitation to act that you want people to take. The beautiful thing about that is that you can create a website on your own, you can do it yourself, you can hire someone to do that. Where those four things should be happening on the website. But kind of going back to my example, with LinkedIn, you can also do that with a social media profile that serves as a landing page. And you can put links there, you can put sample chapters there, you could put interviews you've done, you know, it can serve as that landing page, even as a website builder, I don't believe everyone needs a website, yeah.

9:07

Tanya: So I'm curious if as somebody is weighing those two options, like whether to make LinkedIn their hub or do everything on their website, is one more beneficial from a search standpoint?

Victoria: I have had clients who have just built out a LinkedIn profile and they're getting media requests from that because LinkedIn actually has great search capabilities. In the long run however, you know, there's a maturing that happens if you're an executive or working in the leadership space, like we're using that example, and you want to show up and offer services, coaching services, or speaking services along with your book. Like if you're developing out a full portfolio and business, you'll want a website over time because the searchability does start to increase the more you put content out there. It just has more chances for people to find you, you know type in their problem into Google search and find you. I would definitely work towards both, but you can start with one and move into the other.

10:09

Tanya: A lot of our listeners, of course, are people who are using a book to build a brand or further their business, and that requires them to engage a personal or professional network. And some people are uncomfortable with that, right? It just feels like, oh, I'm selling to my friends. Did you have tips on how someone in that position can best mobilize their personal and professional networks?

Victoria: I would go back to who is this book for? And if I just keep solving problems and answering questions that this type of person, this person that I'm trying to reach and impact with my book, if I keep solving those problems and questions, then I will naturally attract people who are facing those problems right now and who are wanting a solution.

10:59

Tanya: I'll add to that, because I had an experience as I was writing my book. I was sharing bits of what I was writing on LinkedIn during the process, and it was really interesting to see what resonated with people, and sometimes I think when you're very close to a subject matter, it's sort of second nature to you. And you forget that other people are like, I'd had no idea. So, for example, I was sharing how airport placements work. And because everybody's like, how do I get my book in the airports? So I was very specific and descriptive of how this process works, what they're looking for it's pay to play, here's why. And that got shared and reposted more than anything else I posted related to the book, because I think it sort of pulled back a curtain on something that I know very well, but other people were like, I always wondered about that.

Victoria: Finding bits of content, even pieces of your book, like you mentioned, that we can separate out, those little bits are like breadcrumbs back to your universe, if you're providing value and solving problems for people that is naturally magnetic and attractive for people. So you don't have to worry about showing up a specific way. Or at least I try not to because I can't, I can't, I can't control how I show up. I can be a little you know, however I show up, but where I really feel like I shine is when someone's asking me, How do I do this? And then I'm like, oh, okay, I have the answer for you.

12:26

Tanya: Yeah, I think we all love that moment don't we? It's why a lot of us end up writing books, in fact.

Victoria: Yeah, yes, exactly. We want to help people.

12:35

Tanya: Right. So I know you also have deep expertise in newsletters. And I want to talk a bit about that, because I think it's a very underused tool and sometimes gets a bad rap when it can, in fact, be super powerful. So, maybe you can kind of run through some of the types of newsletters that especially an author might be thinking about using with their list, and then how do they do that in a way that's effective and adding value without being overbearing or running the risk of people getting so sick and tired of it, that they're just unsubscribing madly?

Victoria: Yeah, newsletters are a really powerful way to turn a stranger into someone closer to you more related to you. It's a bite-sized way for someone to get to know the world that you inhabit. And that's especially powerful if you're an author. Inside of lots of other skill sets that you provide, there's a lot to you, there's a lot to your philosophy, or maybe you've published many different books and you want to give people a chance to get to know you in small bites.

One of my favorite ways, and you know this, to start creating newsletters is to create a welcome series. That's an automated set of 5-7 emails that slowly introduces people to your world that again, solves some of the most common issues that people face or the common questions that you have, and kind of allows you to share your origin story over time. I really like welcome series because it starts to give new people a consistent experience. Newsletters can also kind of feel sometimes a little bit like a social media post. If someone isn't following you or they don't see it when it goes out, they might not get that newsletter for a while. So that's why I like the welcome series, because you can point people to past interviews, to past bits of content that are also relevant, but it might have been from a couple years ago.

Always have a different subject line in your newsletter. It might seem really basic or it might be mind blowing for you. I've been on amazing newsletters by thought leaders, there was one here in Austin who ran a race and diversity newsletter, but every subject was the same. It was like the name of their business or something. I never clicked on it because it felt like I was getting the same information, even though I'm sure there was really rich information inside. So the tip is to have really engaging subject lines and to change them every week, because if people aren't engaged by your subject line, they're not going to click on the newsletter, open it and read what's inside. So that's tip number one.

Tip number two is when you're writing your email, message or newsletter, as you're prepping the content, think of these three things: What do I want my audience to feel when they're reading this? What do I want them to know? And what do I want them to do? That's not mine, that's from a brilliant author named Alexandra Franzen. I learned that maybe like 10 years ago, and I use that on every piece of content that goes out. So it could be, I want people to feel excited. I want them to know my book is launching in two months, and what do I want them to do? I want them to click on the button and sign up to preorder. It'll help you as you're writing to make sure you're hitting all the things you want. Because we can get off on tangents and, you know, miss the point of what we were trying to say.

I mean, it's really the same advice for everyone. Making sure that you're not holding back in inviting people to click and buy the book, or sign up for this event that you're hosting, or not being afraid to share what's happening. Kind of going back to your question about feeling like we're inundating people: People who have the problem we're solving, who are facing the problem we're solving want to hear from us, they want the solution. If what I'm sending is no longer relevant, whether it's a friend or a family member, they can unsubscribe, they don't have to act on it. I personally tend to send emails out, like once a week, or twice a month. That's a pretty consistent communication, if you want to actually build a relationship with your readers, and you want to feel like that relationship is strong enough, when the time comes to invite them to buy your book.

17:21

Tanya: I have certain authors who freak out a bit if people unsubscribe or they really focus on that number the same way they can sometimes get really hyper focused on the one bad review amongst a million good ones. And I tried to explain to them, like what you just said, that’s self selecting to say this isn't for me. And that's fine, that it's further refining, and creating a more appropriate and targeted base platform, right. Your subscription base.

Victoria: Yeah, I agree. And it happens to me too. Like I have to kind of will myself to not find out who unsubscribes, sometimes. Someone out there has the problem that I can solve. So it's my duty, if I have a potential solution for that, to be out there and to be talking about it. If you want to be known out there, if you want your work to be known, even it's not personal, like if you want the change in the world that you believe in to happen, you have to be willing to face that fear of rejection. It's a growing thing. It's a maturing thing. And just, I was talking to myself last night, “Your preoccupation with having everyone like you has stopped you and kept you small. We have to align,” I'm talking to myself, like, “we have to align to something bigger, because there's always going to be someone who doesn't like what you do or didn't like how you said it or whatever.”

18:47

Tanya: I love that. That's a very powerful journey you're going through then.

We're talking about newsletters and websites at the same time. And both of these are critically important to support that very important launch day that we mentioned earlier a lot of authors are very focused on. During that first week or so that the book is out, you're really maximizing its shares and purchases and everything else, reviews. So as we're moving towards that date, how does somebody build their newsletter list specifically, and just generally drive traffic to whatever that hub is?

Victoria: The biggest piece of advice I can offer is offering free content. And if you offer it in exchange for someone's email, and people call that a lead magnet, or a downloadable or a freebie. That goes back to what we were talking about before where we can siphon off parts of our work or bits of our training that help people with a short problem, like a quick problem, a quick solution. You don't have to take them from zero to ten but you can take them from zero to one and you can show them that change is possible and you give them a sense of your style or a sample chapter or I was thinking for your author's like maybe an audio recording, or it could even be like super casual and friendly, like a video message from you. That's the best way to get people to sign up for your newsletter. People aren't going to sign up to get inundated with emails. So if that's all you're offering, like, join my newsletter and receive emails from me, that's not really attractive.

20:26

Tanya: Absolutely. And there's an example I use with people I'm speaking with who are like, how much do I give away? How much do I hold back? Because I'm a consultant and this is what I teach. I'm always in the give it away camp. Nobody comes to the table with your expertise, your experience, your life history, your perspective, right? That is what makes you uniquely the person to close the deal.

A great example, if you look at the Heath Brothers website, Chip and Dan Heath, they very famously wrote Made To Stick and there's another great book called Switch, they've got tons. They do a really nice job at keeping the book focused on one core audience, but throughout, they will sprinkle in, hey, you can apply — let's use Switch, which is about change. You can apply this framework to very specific verticals like creating change in your local political circles, or dealing with change within your family, or change for social good, you know, so if you go to our website, you can download a specific chapter or something that really focuses on that vertical. And I think that's so smart. Plus, they have all these visualizations that they've done that you can download. I mean, there's really creative approaches to delivering the solution in a slightly different format, or to a slightly more targeted audience that didn't have an appropriate place to deep dive in the book.

Victoria: Yes, I love that. And I have seen other thought leaders do things similar. All roads lead to whatever the product is, the book, the course. The book is somewhat universal, like you're saying, it can apply to a lot of different scenarios. But in the marketing, you can highlight a specific subaudience and address their need and provide a little training or a PDF or some kind of resource for them. And then you can pick a different audience. So when you're marketing, or running ads, or whatever you decide to do, you're making yourself available to a specific need of someone else.

22:27

Tanya: Yeah, we have a phrase in publishing: there's riches in niches.

Victoria: Oh, I like that!

22:35

Tanya: Well, Victoria, you've been so helpful today. Thank you for all your advice. And do you have any parting thoughts or words of wisdom that you want to share with our authors who are kind of gearing up to get their digital house in order?

Victoria: Don't let overwhelm win. You can start where you are. Give yourself a timeline, like a week, to get the first iteration of whatever you're doing up if you're doing it yourself, and then you can grow into it. You can evolve, you can learn. You'll know pretty quick once you hit publish what needs to be improved. I do have a free PDF, you know, to use my own methodology, I have a PDF called The Four Critical Resources For Your Self-Help Author Website. And you can find that at storytellingspecialist.com/author. That'll walk you through a four-step checklist of what you need to focus on. We covered a lot of it already in the video, but if you want a final checklist that's there for you.

23:37

Tanya: And is that the best place for people to reach you?

Victoria: Yes, you can find me at storytellingspecialist.com.

23:39

Tanya: Perfect. Well, thank you again, Victoria. We appreciate you.

Victoria: Thank you. Thank you, Tanya.

23:45

Tanya: That’s it for our episode today with Victoria. We hope you enjoyed learning about author websites and newsletters. For notes and resources from today’s show, go to greenleafbookgroup.com/episode79

You can also find advice for writing, publishing, and promoting your work in my book, Ideas, Influence, and Income, which you can learn more about at ideasinfluenceandincome.com.

A big thank you to Madison Johnson, who produces the Published podcast, and to our five-star reviewers: TiredSuperheroine, Financial Samurai, Leslie Steinberg, and AspiringAuthor1. Thank you for your support, and we’ll be back with another episode on the last Tuesday of next month.

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Victoria Montemayor is the founder and CEO of The Storytelling Specialist, which provides website design and copy services to help brands connect with an audience.