Social media marketing is one of the most important things to do in this day and age for promotions, you can’t seem to get anything the traction it needs without using social media and putting yourself out there.
From businesses to writers, social media is something that is hard to live without as it looks as if everybody has multiple social media platforms to communicate and promote on.
If you are a writer, and you have just finished your first book or your next book in a series, then you may have been told by your publisher or agent that you need to do social media promotion to get the word out.
You might only be happy with putting it on your own website, but that isn’t going to get you the clicks and views you want, so social media marketing it is.
It can be a bit daunting putting yourself out there on any social media platform as you don’t know how it will be received by people, but that is the price you pay when you decide to be in the public eye. Self promotion can feel strange if you are not used to it, but hopefully, we can help you through that hurdle with how to promote your new book on social media.
Do Authors Need to be on Social Media?
Short answer, yes, long answer, 100% yes yes yes. As a writer, you may have shut yourself off for months to get your book finished, and now it’s done you have to be social.
For some that can be a horror, but with the advancement in the digital space and the change in how we communicate, social media is a necessity for authors so they can get the word out.
Bear in mind that it would be best to create a professional profile for your books, as using your personal profile means that you are blurring the lines between private and professional. It’s good to have a connection with your audience, but you need privacy too.
Think of a Marketing Strategy
Running a social media campaign for your new book, and reaching out to other social media users and potential readers are not going to be easy if you don’t know where to start. You need to have a solid marketing strategy and be aware of who your targeted audience is so you can cater to that demographic.
Once you have figured that out, it is then the time to put your book marketing strategy into gear and get your chosen social media platform/platforms ready for your marketing campaign.
Create Shareable Content
You want people to share your content so it can be promoted through social media pages and have it create a buzz about your book.
Remain Consistent With Your Uploads
It is important that you keep being consistent with your post content, so once a week in the build-up to it being released, you should share photos through Instagram posts and/or put a link to a book signing event on Twitter, something that will grab people’s attention. Any book related content will help.
See What’s Trending
You can look at current trends online and see if you can match your book in with what is out there so you can appeal to a variety of readers. Put effort into your book promotion so that people can see you care about your writing.
Use Facebook Analytics & Twitter Analytics
Both of these social media platforms are huge for people of all ages, but, if you have a specific demographic, you need to see which platform would be best for your promoting techniques, otherwise, you are wasting your time in areas that aren’t getting you the audience numbers or engagement you are looking for.
Paid and Free Websites
There are multiple websites available where you can check your analytics and track what you need to so you can see where to put your efforts. If you see that your Facebook page gets more people than your Twitter, and it fits your targeted audience, then that may be your best bet.
It Won’t Happen Overnight
Growing yourself online takes time, it won’t happen right away so you need to be consistent and look at what you can do to make a name for yourself. Analytics is a good way to get this going and help you see what needs to be done. It’s a no brainer.
Tease a Free Chapter
A great way to get people talking about your upcoming book is to offer new readers a free chapter of your book, or you can go one step further and say that 1 or 2 people can get free copies of your book if they promote a link on their story, or tag some friends, etc., many businesses use this tactic to get customers/users/readers involved.
Create a Competition
Make sure that they know what to do to get their free chapter or copy. You could even think about running a small competition with other writers if you want. It’s great promotion for you and for them. It could bring up your followers and help you build on your community.
Create Visuals For Your Book
A basic line of text for promoting your book is not going to draw people in, you need to be visual and stand out from the crowd so that people sit up and take notice.
You can show pictures of your book art, maybe ask your followers to photoshop it themselves, or create concept art for the characters in the book. You can post videos of people reading your book or having you sign some copies.
There is a lot that you can do. If you want to tease some bits of it and then ask your followers to have fun with what’s written, that will keep you engaged with them and have them look forward to the rest of it coming out.
Let Them Know of Any Events
One thing that social media is great for is informing people of anything and everything. If you have a book signing event coming up, promote it on your social media channels and let them know the times and dates each week so you are not just leaving it. You need it to be fresh in people’s minds each time.
Get them to RSVP to any invites sent out so you can get a gauge of the numbers that will be coming. It is important to know that as it can make you more prepared for the events.
Conclusion
Being an author may seem like a great thing to do on the outside, but authors put a lot of hard work into their writing and everything that comes after it. It is important to put the effort in, but it is still a tiring experience to keep it going.
Whatever you decide on doing to promote your book, make it authentic to you and your brand. Your followers will love what it is because you created it and you are happy with the outcome. Be proud of what you have done and enjoy.