Social media has revolutionized the way authors write, market, and promote their books. In the past, book marketing was limited to book signing, reviews and media interviews. But the social media revolution has given us a great platform where we can raise our voices, share our thoughts and share our experiences.
Many book industry services including ghostwriting in the UK follow the same practice of promoting their book using social media. Social is no doubt bringing new, easy and creative ways of marketing your book.
Many people initially find it odd to promote their book on their social media platforms. They feel that they may seem too desperate. But there’s no harm in marketing your book on social media. There are way more benefits than ever.
Keeping in mind the industry standards and advices from the experts, here are some ways in which social media can be used to its fullest and effectively for book marketing and promotion:
Building a Community
Your community can be your first buyers so it’s crucial to build a community. This community should include people that are relevant to your business and can help you out achieving your target.
Gone are the times when we used to have physical communities. Now, we use social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and find that it’s a world in itself.
These social platforms help find and build communities of your relevance. Follow and join the existing communities related to books. You can also simply just use your own social media platform to build your little community.
By posting regular updates about their work, authors can keep their followers engaged. They can share the bits and pieces of their old work. Or else they keep their audience updated by sharing details about their upcoming releases.
It’s also a great way to interact with readers and receive feedback on their work. By building a community, authors can create a loyal fan base that will be eager to read their books.if you have a loyal fan base, it’s more likely they will purchase your next book.
Targeted Advertising
Social media has changed the landscape of advertising. Before social media, people used to promote mainly ATL and BTL promotions. But things have changed drastically.
After the advent of social media, the game of advertising has taken a 360-degree turn. Social media platforms have allowed us to target the exact people who are looking for your book. These social media platforms give the authors an edge and the ability to target their advertising to specific demographics.
For instance, if you’re using Facebook to market and promote your book, you can now use targeted advertising. Facebook will give you analytics of your followers like their age group, gender, the country they’re from, and much more information. You can use that information to set up your advertising campaign.
But there are some other demographics as well. You can also target your audience based on their preferences, interests and behavior. This way the author can reach out to their readers who are more likely to be interested in your work and maybe turn into loyal customers too.
Hence, through social media, the author can promote their books to a wider audience and make them a big success.
Book Giveaways and Contests
Social media platforms are great places to host book giveaways and contests. By offering free copies of their books or hosting a contest, authors can generate interest in their work and gain new followers. This can also be a great way to reward loyal readers and show appreciation for their support.
People love free stuff. Another way you can use social media to your advantage is to introduce giveaways and contests. It’s a great place to host a book giveaway, signed copies of their favorite book, and contests.
Giveaways and contests work wonders in engaging people and gaining new followers. Your existing followers may also share the word with their friends which can also lead you to success.
It’s always a good strategy to build positive engagement and promote your book. People love to get giveaways, especially if your loyal customers deserve to win once in a while. This way you can show appreciation and reward your loyal customers for their constant support.
Influencer Marketing
In influencer marketing, you partner up with famous social media influencers with a high following so that they can promote your work. By working with influencers, the authors can take advantage of the influencer’s following and can promote their book to a larger audience.
Before choosing an influencer to work with, research if their audience is the one who is going to purchase and read your book. It’s better if you work with people who are from the same industry.
Their relevance can increase your chances to gain more followers.
This can be especially effective for authors who are just starting and looking to gain more visibility.
Book Trailers and Teasers
Social media platforms are great places to share book trailers and teasers. Social media is all about highly engaging pictures and videos. Every other content you see in your Instagram feed is either promotion of one’s business or an advertisement.
Use your social media to share updates on your upcoming releases. If you have any book coming up in a month or two, start sharing snippets, behind the scene, teasers, and engaging stories. This is a great way to give readers a sneak peek of what’s to come and create anticipation for the release.
To lure your audience to stay tuned and buy your book in the next stage, keep posting updates and involve them at every stage of the process. Try building an emotional connection through the voice of your social media.
Also Read: Ultimate Guide
Wrap Up
There’s no doubt that social media plays a vital role in book marketing and promotion. By using social media platforms effectively, authors can build a community of readers, promote their work to a wider audience, and create anticipation for their upcoming releases. While social media should not be the only marketing strategy used, it should be an important part of an author’s overall marketing plan. Keep yourself updated on these platforms and utilize the power of these platforms to promote your book.
