Thinking About Your Social Media Strategy

Most authors understand the importance of social media but might not have a strategy for, or an interest in venturing into the world of posts and tweets. In fact, there are a lot of people who are pausing to rethink their strategies for using these platforms in the first place. Especially when it comes to promoting a book.

As a marketing agency, we jumped on the social media train early and experience a ton of exposure, but over time and with some industry road bumps, we too have seen a slowdown in posting, engaging, and advertising through social platforms. Let’s face it, it’s challenging to see the direct correlation between social media and book sales. It doesn’t mean there is none. It’s just something that can’t be measured in terms of tangible results.

If we take a step back, we know that having a presence on social platforms is typically a good thing. But it’s just one of many strategies that are necessary for having a successful book marketing program. Like any strategy, proper planning is necessary to determine how why, and when to use social media.

Consider these things when thinking about your social media strategy

Creating a presence on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram along with Goodreads and YouTube allows authors to touch a large audience of potential followers and customers. Using social media does not cost anything except your time. Which is a big reason to think about what is involved. If you are going to put yourself out there, do it right.

You can be effective using one or two platforms. Depending on who your target audience is and the content you want to share will determine which platform is best to use. For example, if you are trying to reach business professionals, LinkedIn would be the best platform. Research which platform would be appropriate for your subject matter and genre. Brand each platform to match all other places you can be seen.

By posting well-thought-out content with your target audience in mind, your platform will get additional exposure. Using the tools for posting and following the best practices is simple to learn and like all new things just take time and practice. Before jumping in think about the content that you want others to see. Be creative and diverse in the posts that you create. Readers want relevant, exciting, educational, and thought-provoking posts. They want creative images, different colors, and diverse content. Stay clear about using the same images or book cover on every post. Be interesting!

Set up a schedule and be consistent with your posting days and times. It’s fine to post 1 time per week. Every 2 months monitor your analytics to see how many people are being reached and what action they take. You can adjust your posting times based on these analytics. As you capture more followers increase the number of weekly posts.

In addition to posting content, you should be looking to increase your followers and eventually engage with them. Since social media is set up to promote content, it’s necessary to reach out to other platforms. You can do this by liking other people’s posts, sharing posts your followers would like, and being generous with your time. Supporting other ‘appropriate’ platforms will grow yours. Find people who have large numbers of followers within your target audience. As you meet people in or out of the writing world connect with them to help build your network of followers.

As you share your writing news with followers you will develop loyal fans and promoters of your work. Share good news like reviews, endorsements, podcast interviews, or future books. Keep people involved as they what to see you become successful.

Rick Lite, the founder of Stress Free Book Marketing, stands at the forefront of the ever-changing book industry. He is a seasoned sales and marketing professional with over 20 years of experience in the book industry. Rick’s experience comes from tirelessly working on new and innovative ways to promote books. Embracing the core values of integrity, innovation, and growth, Rick works closely with authors to create custom, robust book marketing programs. His easygoing manner provides “stress-free” support and comfort to authors going through the self-publishing and marketing process for the first time. Rick is quick to share his knowledge and “insider tips” for a successful campaign that will lead to increased exposure, awareness, and most importantly, sales. You can read more about Rick and his success in the book industry by visiting his website at www.StressFreeBookMarketing.com.