You can't achieve commercial success as a writer without a lot of help along the way. You can get access to freelance marketers from various establishments like Reader's Favorite, which runs affiliate programs and offers book review services. But soon, you must also learn to rely on your Street Team. This article shows you what a street team is, reveals ways to build one from the ground up, and looks at how to get them to publicize your book for you.

What is an Author Street Team? 
Street teams used to be a strategy record companies used to promote new artists. They pushed albums to the front of racks at record stores, pasted posters all over town, and flooded radio stations with requests. Now, independent artists use advanced methods of this strategy to promote their music. As a self-published author, your street team is a group of people who can spread the word around about your book and provide feedback. An author street team helps guarantee some free reviews and referrals.  

Finding your street team among family and friends
Your friends and family can be perfect early candidates for your street team. Your friends with similar literary interests can provide feedback and post reviews for you. You can look further for communities of like-minded authors and readers in your genre. You can find healthy beta reading communities on dedicated sites like Goodreads and Absolute Write. Groups on Google+ and LinkedIn are a hub for these communities as well. A quick web search can put you in the right direction. Remember, you need to be active in these groups, commenting, reviewing other members' books, and helping them out before making demands.

Send out your Advanced Reading Copies (ARCs)
It is best to mail physical copies of your book to reviewers because it’s easier to ignore an email than a physical copy delivered to your doorstep. But the cost of printing and mailing hundreds of ARCs may not be what you can bear. So, you can use Dropbox to send out a single download link to hundreds of reviewers. Or you can use the service of platforms like BookFunnel, which gives each reviewer a unique link and tells you when they use the link. Let your street team choose how they want to contribute. They can provide you with feedback on your manuscript or honest reviews for your launch date on Amazon.

Build your street team through a mailing list and a referral scheme
The best way to grow your team beyond just friends and family is through the various avenues available online. Most book sales happen online, so you need to have a website and set up a mailing list for your street team. Here, you have a list of readers who love your work and will help you promote it. Once you have your team in place, you can motivate them to help you promote your book through a referral scheme. The reward can include a gift when they leave a review, purchase a book, get others to buy your book, or join the mailing list. Also, think outside the box with the rewards you offer. Instead of free books, consider giving referrers half-price on your next book, a signed print copy of your current one, or original artwork based on your work.