In this episode of Failing to Success, Chad Kaleky interviews Brad VanAuken of Brand Forward, a brand strategy consulting company with over 24 years of experience. Brad shares his insight on the importance of writing a book for your industry to attract leads for your business. According to Brad, writing a book helps to establish credibility and expertise in your field, which can attract potential clients. It can also serve as a valuable resource for clients to refer to and can lead to positive word-of-mouth referrals.

Brad emphasizes that a well-written book that is evergreen in nature can have a long-lasting impact and can continue to generate revenue for years to come. He explains that although some of the content may become outdated, the core principles and ideas about marketing are still relevant and valuable today. He also notes that having a book can differentiate you from your competitors and can help establish you as a thought leader in your industry.

Brad discusses his own experience writing a book, which took years to complete while juggling his consulting business and a full-time job. Despite the initial low royalties, the book has had a long tail and still sells every day on Barnes and Noble. Brad is considering writing additional books, such as one on branding colleges and universities and another on branding municipalities.

Some key takeaways from this episode include the importance of establishing credibility and expertise in your industry, the value of a well-written and evergreen book, and the potential long-lasting impact of writing a book for your business.‍

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Intro

00:00:19 Writing a Book

00:03:59 Founding his Company

00:09:33 Blogging

00:10:34 What a Marketer Needs to Know

00:15:22 Selling Vaporware

00:17:34 Contact Brad