I’m super excited to share a video interview for this week’s author spotlight! I got to know Ian Garlic when he joined my Bring Your Book to Life® program. Ian is an expert in Video Marketing and SEO (Search Engine Optimization—getting your content to appear in internet searches). His most recent book, Video Testimonials That Land the Big Fish, is a must-read for any business owner and/or author.

In Ian’s book, you’ll learn exactly how to create a “video case story” that engages prospective readers and clients to buy your book and hire you.

It seemed only fitting that this interview be done by video and not just in written form. However, you can find a good portion of the interview transcribed and edited below, as well.

Watch our interview to learn:

• Why video testimonials usually stink—and what you can do to prevent that mistake!
• What authors need to know about creating videos to market their books
• Which book marketing strategies have been the most successful
• Some of Ian’s favorite marketing stories
• What you can learn from great storytellers that can help you market your book and your services

And more!

Read the Ian Garlic Transcript here or find the first 30 minutes below.

Lisa: I am so excited today to be with one of my favorite Bring Your Book to Life® graduates, Ian Garlic. Ian’s latest book, Video Testimonials That Land the Big Fish, is here.

I’ve learned so much from Ian in our conversations, this fantastic book, and some of the videos he and his team created for me. Ian and his team have produced 15,000 YouTube videos for law firms and digital agencies. That means marketing, healthcare, Fortune 50 companies, and many other industries over the past 15 years.

They’ve created over 2,000 case study interviews. We’ll talk more about what case study interviews are, but you need to know as an author and as a businessperson. And they’ve helped clients generate millions of dollars in revenue from YouTube. And this is an Amazon #1 bestseller, Video Testimonials That Land the Big Fish.

Ian has produced 500 episodes of The Garlic Marketing Show. It’s a great podcast, and I enjoyed being a guest.  Ian has produced 20 digital marketing courses, that’s a lot of courses; as somebody who’s created courses, I’m in awe already. 17 years creating YouTube strategies, hosting giants of video summits, and hosting the Profitable Agency Wealth Summit, and is the creator of the Video Case Story Method.

So, you are in for a real treat because videos can help you get a loyal following, hungry for the deepest wisdom you have to share with them. And they get to know you in a powerful way that makes them lifelong customers who will buy all your books and services, and they get you. It helps people get what you offer your clients and readers. Lisa: Ian is one of those people who thinks outside the box when it comes to a book.

And I think it helps you reach readers that other books might not reach and helps your book stand out. We’ll talk more about that as well. First, you are famous for saying, “Create video testimonials that don’t stink.” So why do most video testimonials stink?

Ian: That’s a great question because it comes down to the fact that I use the word video testimonials, but right away in the book, I tell people, you don’t want to even talk about video testimonials. You want to talk about case stories. You want to ask people about their story. When you ask for a testimonial about Lisa, they say, “Lisa’s great.” Lisa is great, but most people will want more. They want to know why Lisa’s great for them, what problems Lisa helps them overcome, and about the people you’ve helped. And the story is so important.

Take the time to find the stories of the people you help. It’s the most important thing, one of the most important things we can do. Even if you’re not in business and just building a book to help others, understanding your impact on people is a huge opportunity. But most people say, “Oh, I’m just going to get a testimonial.” And someone says, “Oh, they’re great.” Right? Or they could tell a little bit about the outcome but don’t talk about the struggles. And that’s what we need to hear as humans: who these people are, their struggles, and how they overcame them.

Lisa: That’s beautiful. I love the way you say it. You’ve answered my next question: What are video case stories and how do they work?

Ian: The biggest thing, and what the whole book is about, is dedicating yourself to interviewing and understanding your customers. And it’s so fundamental. Yet, we all go for the shiny object. The book has a story about a famous businessperson, and I’m going to do a spoiler. It’s Walt Disney.

But I learned another story from another author, a Walt Disney expert. And you know, Walt used to walk the park. And I talked about that because he had an office where he could look at the entrance opening at Disney. If you go to Disney World and count the steps between trash cans, there are 30 steps because he watched how many steps people took between buying a hot dog and throwing away the wrapper. So, that observation level also extended to standing in lines at Disney World and talking to people in the lines. It’s hard for us to remember, especially if you’re not of a certain age, that Walt, at that time, was the most famous person in the world.

Many people would outsource it. But he said, “No, I need to hear it from them.” And that’s just a demonstration of how important it is because we want to do stuff for people. But we need to remember to talk to the people we want to do things for. So that’s what the methodology in the book is: how to do that well, how to dissect the stories and use them to improve how you serve the people, and how to improve your marketing and sales.

Lisa: And the book does that beautifully with so many great stories. You are a wonderful storyteller, and you have picked such inspiring stories. So it’s a real treat to read, which isn’t always true about business books, but in this case, one hundred percent. So, what should authors know about creating videos to market their books, specifically?

Ian: This is important because many people think of video and YouTube as commercials, right? And that’s the worst thing you can do. I think this is one of the things I’ve done right. I learned about putting the QR codes in the book from Tamara Monosoff, whom you introduced me to. She was a great guest [on the podcast]. I want to say eight years ago; then the pandemic shifted how QR codes work and how everyone now uses them.

I realized that videos allow us to supplement and go; let me supplement some of the information here and allow people to see my face and hear my voice. So, the first thing you should do is write the books, which was a hard thing for me to do, as you know, because you helped me write my books, is to whittle down the information, make it easier and simpler and more. And, if they want to go deeper, the videos can be there.

This affects people’s discovery of the videos. Still, it also has an interesting impact on YouTube because your ideal readers will watch the videos, and then YouTube will show those videos to people like your ideal readers. So, it’s this neat transformation. That’s the place I would start. As people want to learn more about your topic, you constantly discuss it in your videos. Being on podcasts or video podcasts is an excellent way for people to encounter you.

One of the most beneficial things is that I had someone who saw me on a podcast, bought the book, purchased the audiobook, and then watched a bunch more of my YouTube videos, and then actually got an appointment and hired me within five days.

Lisa: Wow. And you didn’t have to be trying to convince them to hire you. You didn’t need a proposal.

Ian: No, the book is amazing for that. And that’s where we think; books are still one of the most powerful formats, but we need to think about them as the gateway into our videos and then the videos as the gateway into our books. So, when sending people back and forth, the book should differ from your videos. They need to work together.

Lisa: I love that you’re saying that because I often describe how the book supports your business, and your business supports your book. And if you don’t have any business plan around your book, it doesn’t have the support it needs. And so, I’m hearing your video presence is the other piece in that cycle. Things have an exponential impact because they feed the book and the book feeds them.

Ian: Yeah. And it’s a chance for people to encounter you. People want to buy from a real person more than ever before. And it’s cool when someone reads the book and then watches the videos, and you can tell they feel like they know you. And when they finally meet you, it’s like, I feel like I know you already.

Lisa: I’m so glad that we know each other. And that is wonderful, too, when your clients become your friends, and it only happens sometimes with some people. Those videos tend to attract people who are kindred spirits. Right. And there’s this beautiful connection that goes deep. So, what have you been doing to market video testimonials that land the big fish?

And now I will show your beautiful book. I love this cover, by the way. Love, love, love it.

Ian: Thank you. Podcast shows are fantastic, and being on these author spotlights is fantastic. As I evolve other things and do other videos, I talk about it; I have a direct link from my LinkedIn and a direct link from my Facebook page, which has been very beneficial. I did Amazon ads for a little while, and I’m going to do them again.

I think Amazon ads are one of the most powerful ways to market your business, especially if you have a business. You get this visibility on Amazon to people with super high interest. Cause leaders are learners. And so, if they’re willing to go out and find a book and read it about a subject, they’re your ideal client. And you get this visibility. Even if they don’t buy the book, they see your name over and over repeatedly. And you don’t have to pay for the impressions. You only pay for the clicks.

I’ve done that, and that’s been powerful. I will set up “free plus” shipping now that I’ve gotten the Amazon status. I originally had the big launch idea in mind. And I realized that reading people like Ryan Holiday, he has a fantastic book, The Perennial Seller, and he is looking into how books are sold. It’s the back catalog. So, I am writing more books, constantly putting them out, and continually talking about them because that’s where it circles back to the book being evergreen as much as possible. Then, you supplement it with videos so that you can make the book evergreen. Then, I’m writing another book about YouTube.

Lisa: That’s so exciting. You mentioned to me that you also made some bulk sales, right?

Ian: Some bulk sales happened. I have no idea how or who. It was apparent because it was an even number, and I had a 50-sale day. It was just like, boom, 50 and 20 sales. And usually it’s two, three, seven. It’s very rarely an even number. And, yeah, that’s interesting to me. I was curious, but I didn’t know where they came from.

Lisa:  I found that since I had been doing Amazon ads, too, people who buy from Amazon often join the Facebook group. Then, I get to learn more about where they heard about the book. So, one person, for example, had not heard about the book through an Amazon ad. She had heard about it through another Facebook group she was in. This person bought The Joy of Writing Journal based on what someone said in the group and then joined my Facebook group and ended up working with me and hired me for one of my bigger programs and has been an amazing person to work with.

Ian: I think it’s important to have stuff like YouTube and videos because if you have a book, people can encounter you, but if you have these other things for people who encounter you, it makes it easier for them to encounter you. And, as you said, you had that Facebook group. You have something that says, “Hey, I’m open for business,” but it’s an easier way than just hiring me. Right?

Ian: Yeah. People can get to know you first. They say it’s more important than ever, but I think it’s always been important for people to feel connected to whoever they’re buying from. And these other things become increasingly important when you’re not buying in person.

Lisa: Any strategies you’ve used that could have been more useful regarding book sales or things that were a waste of time?

Ian: I focus on what works because that’s what being in marketing is all about. You try stuff all the time. I think many people get hung up on the stuff that doesn’t work, and I just let it go. If I start in, I think inherently, and that’s why I have the bio by the numbers. I’ve done so much that I forget, but you become instinctual. I did a three-hour livestream that was not very helpful. And some stuff wasn’t super successful.

The idea of the big launch, while I got a lot of people in, I was able to get status and be a Number One Bestseller on Amazon right away. The heavy lift launches are something that, unless you need that bestseller status for some reason, shape or form, I want to avoid because it burns you out on marketing the book. And it’s just the slow, steady talking about the book, getting on shows, years of it, so you’re not entirely sick of it. Cause I was a little sick of the book after the launch. It’s been a year since I launched it, but a few months later, I’m like, this is the worst thing ever.

Lisa: It sounds like when you do things that take up a lot of energy and don’t produce, it’s easy to feel frustrated or disappointed and like, “Oh, why bother?” It’s important to go back like we did in Bring Your Book to Life®, writing that vision statement and returning to it and keeping it alive. Maybe the vision changes a little, but keep returning to that vision statement because it reenergizes you. And it reminds you, even when something feels like it wasn’t successful. It may not be an activity you want to repeat if it didn’t bring in much, but to remind yourself, “Hey, you know what? There were four people at that book event in the bookstore, even though ten signed up, and then the weather was too gorgeous, and only four people showed up.” Three of those bought the book, and they were all engaged. It’s important to remember it’s often about something other than the numbers. It is crucial to have many of your activities focus on “Is this effective? Is it efficient?”

But in those times when it’s not, it is important also to go back to trusting that maybe a smaller group was needed because those people really got more out of it. It was a more intimate experience. And some of that’s important, too. So, in our culture, we can get so focused on the numbers, and we need a balance, right? Trusting, this was an intimate experience, and maybe that’s what everybody needed, me included.

At other times, these numbers are working, and that’s important too.

Ian: You know, in a small audience, if it’s the right people, you don’t know who you will impact. And you said two amazing things. Vision is so important because you have to stick with it. I work on that all, like revising it and reviewing it daily. And because it keeps you excited. Why am I doing this? But I also like the power of those small two or three people. You don’t know who those two or three people are. There’s an Audible from a fantastic free series that you can listen to when you’re a member of “Words of Music,” and they have little biographies. There’s one of Sting, and he reads it and sings. It’s amazing. But he talks about the moment The Police flew over to New York, and they were playing in Rochester, upstate New York. Being in the Northeast, it was one of those huge snow storms, and they had a book show, but because the snowstorm was so bad, only three people showed up, and they still played their hearts out.

And those three people were the three biggest DJs in the country. And that’s what made him famous.

Lisa: Wow. Yeah.

Ian: This one is really, really good. I won’t ruin it, but do you know why he’s called Sting?

Lisa: (to listeners): If you get any ideas from this interview, anything you try, come back and let us know [as a comment on this post or on YouTube]. What are some of the secrets to a compelling and impactful story?

Ian: Oh, man. It’s obviously telling stories, right? Knowing your audience, knowing the goal of the story? Where are we going with it? That’s having multiple stories and practicing being able to tell them. That’s one of the things we do with case stories. You’ve got to know what you want to do with the story and who you’re talking to. That’s it.

People want the story format, but the story format has stayed the same. It’s like a connection, conflict, conclusion, and story arc. And within there’s always a hero’s journey and blah, blah, blah. But it’s pretty simple. It’s just knowing the audience.

Do I have a minute to tell someone a story or do I have 10 minutes? Or, I could have gotten that Sting story, right? I could have gotten deeper into it and pulled it out longer, but this is not sitting around a dinner table. It’s having a collection of them, constantly collecting, continually using, and watching them. And that’s why I love it. We can get a live audience and tell the people I just had a little workshop speaking gig I put on on Friday at a small event, like 30, 40 people. And it was a fantastic opportunity to test out some stories. It’s like being a comedian. And so that’s the key to it.

And then just watching people’s reactions as much as possible, but it’s really about the person you’re telling the story to. And that’s it.

Lisa: So, is there anything else? Our listeners, as you know, are primarily people who write and publish books.

Note: While this transcription ends at 30:00, you can listen to another 16-minutes of interview in the video. Starting at the 30-minute mark, hear Ian’s recommendations on self-publishing, cover design, the importance of creating your team, Facebook ads (before publishing!), and his expert book recommendations for creating a large social following, monetizing your book for business and more. You’ll also hear Lisa’s story about the bad advice she once received that caused significant delays in publishing and sales.

About Ian: Ian Garlic by the Numbers

• 15000 YouTube videos produced  for law firms, digital agencies, healthcare, Fortune 50 companies and many other industries over the past 15 years
• Over 2000 Case Story Interviews
• Millions of dollars in revenue generated from YouTube 
• #1 Amazon Best Seller “Video Testimonials that Land the Big Fish” 
• 500 episodes of The Garlic Marketing Show
• 20 Digital Marketing Courses
• 17 years of creating YouTube strategies
• Host Giants of Video Summit
• Host Profitable Agency Wealth Summit
• Creator of The Video Case Story method