The inception of social media has completely transformed how the world of advertising now works. Following the pattern, we see a drastic change in the way writers promote themselves now as compared to past practices. They are more connected to their readers as we see both fiction and non-fiction books being promoted across various social platforms simultaneously. Some of the campaigns turn out great in terms of creating all the buzz and awareness surrounding the authors and their books; however, some campaigns fall short. A successful social media marketing strategy is what sets one apart from the clutter.

You may be asking yourself what you can do to successfully market your book through social media. You're the author, and you have done your part by writing the book in the first place, right? Shouldn't it be your publishing team doing all these other painstaking aspects of book promotions? Well, the answer is NO. You need to be as involved in the process as your publishing team to develop a campaign consistent with your book's theme and to create a coherent messaging strategy that spreads across social media. If you're a self-published author particularly, then you're accountable for all marketing actions.

Why Authors Need to Have a Social Media Presence?

One of the greatest benefits of social media is that it bridges the distance and enables people from different walks of life to connect across the globe based on their interests, passions, and whatnot. It isn't without its drawbacks on certain levels; however, for literary and famous personalities such as authors, it's of immense benefit. It doesn't matter if you're an established author or a newbie in the publishing world, having a social media presence allows readers to connect with you on a deeper level. With so many books coming out, as an author your social media profiles place your name in the spotlight to that you are entitled.

Times have changed, and readers would rather prefer to read books written by authors they know more about than just their pen names. They want to know how the authors look, where they hail from, and the backstory as to what inspired and motivated them to write the book, etc. So, if you want to connect with your readers, you have to be active on social media. Also, if you want to learn more about the do's and don'ts of marketing for authors, you can check this linked detailed article. We’re also sharing some social media marketing tips and tricks that you can use as an author for your book promotion.

Tips For Authors to Promote Their Books Using Social Media

Creating an Effective Content Marketing Campaign

The majority of writers believe that creating fan pages and communicating with their readers will suffice. This isn't enough. You must be the one to trigger the interaction, and you'll accomplish this by utilizing great promotional content, which needs to be posted frequently.

Marketing content can be accomplished via your website or through the various platforms for social media that cater to authors. Creating a website and interacting with your followers could be successful; however, the content will not fulfill the purpose of being useful unless it motivates people to read the book.

An intimate relationship to your readers can be established as they are made aware of your brand's message and if it's in line with their preferences. Create a concise and memorable message that will create a distinct impression of your work as a literary piece and pique the readers' interest.

Start an Instagram and Facebook Contest 

Facebook is a no-brainer when it comes to your marketing plan. It has more than 2.8 billion users as of 2021. If you don't have a Facebook account, create one now.

You're trying to show you are grateful to your Facebook fans who have been there for you throughout this journey. One of the best ways to do this is by giving away a few copies of your new book. Then, encourage their feedback on why they'd like to read the book. After that, you'll provide the book for free to your chosen winners. This method works because it creates interest in your book. It can also draw new readers to your website.

Similarly, set up a separate Instagram page for the book; however, you should also promote it on your own profile. Instagram gives you a range of options for effective promotion using images tags, live videos, and stories, as well as comments and connections. So make the most of them!

Free Chapters Are the Keys to the Readers’ Hearts

When it comes to non-fiction writing, free chapters are a great way to offer profound insights into the theme and storyline and can be an effective social media marketing strategy for fiction books.

If you decide to give away a complimentary chapter from your book, share the announcement on social media. Encourage your followers to become subscribers to your newsletter on your website to receive the chapter. Make sure to add tweet this buttons strategically placed on your website to allow your readers to tweet quotes and draw others on social media to your book.

Show Support to the Literary Community and Share Others’ Content

Being an author yourself doesn't mean you shouldn't appreciate the content of others in the community. On the contrary, it is recommended to spend just a few minutes every day sharing content that you find exciting, and you think that your readers would appreciate it.

Feature Photos of People Reading Your Book

Another good digital marketing strategy is to ask your fans to share a photo of them reading your book. One of the great tricks is fan-initiated hashtags that improve visibility across platforms. You can share all of these images on Facebook and Instagram stories. This will create a feeling of the community surrounding your book.

Make Useful Recommendations

As you start building a rapport with your readers and they start considering you to be an expert within your niche, make sure to capitalize on that. Each week, begin by recommending stuff you may feel your readers would like and enjoy. Explore the possibilities and not just stick to books. Instead, you can recommend movies, websites, courses, etc., anything your audience would be into.

Hit Them With the Hashtag!

Hashtags are among the easiest methods to acquire followers fast if incorporated correctly. A hashtag begins with a # symbol. When someone clicks the word that follows it, they can see other people discussing the topic.

Here Are Some Things to Keep in Mind Concerning Hashtags:

• Don't use hashtags for all of your posts

Make use of hashtags only when they are relevant, and not stuff your posts with them.

• Be unique

Sending out tweets about how excited you are with something using the hashtag #excited won't get anyone to follow you. So use unique or relevant trending hashtags.

• Make use of hashtags that have some meaning to your followers

If you're attending an event for writers, let's say there's a hashtag for the conference. You should use it. This will allow you to connect with others at the same conference.

• Find hashtags that you can build on 

There may be an author hashtag for the book you're creating, and if someone clicks on it, they will be able to see all tweets related to that specific book. You can also request your readers or other influencers to follow a particular hashtag every time they talk about your book.  

We hope that you find our tips and tricks useful, and they will come in handy as you work on your book promotions. Follow us on our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and keep yourself updated about all our new releases.