Posted: December 10, 2024
When self publishing (and even traditional publishing) you need to do a lot of the advertising and marketing yourself. Here are my top tips for posting promotional content and building your social media presence.
Not only in the community, but with yourself. Don’t post the same thing/things over and over again. Be different and new and unique. Share things that are similar to what others are doing, but don’t outright copy.
In your “call to action” posts, which are meant to entice potential customers/readers to want to know more, give snippets. Give just enough information that they’re left hanging, such as a well-written blurb, a semi-revealed book cover, or a list of tropes that your book includes. You can also share relatable comparative books that tell the fans of those books that they’ll likely enjoy yours!
Don’t go into marketing willy-nilly. Have a plan for what you’re going to share and when. It doesn’t have to be super detailed, and you can definitely be spontaneous as you go along, but you should map out the milestones. The BIG dates. When is your book going to be released? When will you reveal your final cover design? Are you going to share a book trailer—when? Will you host a launch party for your book? Will you be attending any markets or book signings?
Knowing who your book is for is not only important for writing the book, but making sure your book gets into the right hands. If you can’t find and advertise to your audience, how will they know to buy your book in the first place? Do some research on this one. Who is your audience? Where do they hang out? How do they decide what to buy and from who?
This one might take a bit to figure out. Always be conscious of the hashtags you’re using and how they extend the reach of your posts. What keywords have you attached to your book and how are they helping categorize it? Run some A/B tests to see which posts generate more interest, which ones generate more results, and which are a great balance of both.
As a writer, don’t just share pictures of your finished product. Show your audience the work that went into it. That could be sharing your writing practice, sharing your struggles as you get through scenes or create characters, sharing the things that inspired/continue to inspire you to write. It’s okay to be a human being.
This tip comes with a bit of homework. Once you’ve identified your audience, look up what platforms they use and at what time of day. This will allow you to reach them while they’re online.
Research dictates that videos are the most effective medium to use online. Using TikTok especially (BookTok) is one of your best bets for advertising your new or upcoming book.
Give your audience the reigns sometimes too; they love to be involved. Maybe you’re sharing two options for a book cover. Maybe you’re asking your existing fans for some advice with a scene. Maybe you’re running a contest and will be mailing out a free signed copy of the book as a reward. Whatever you do, give your audience a chance to interact with you. It will further humanize you and will endear your readers to you as a person. This connection will coincide with their enjoyment of your work. If they like what you have to say, they’ll likely enjoy what you’ve written.
Don’t just share your own book or journey. Give back to the community by sharing helpful things you’ve learned, giving advice to those who ask, and by beta reading for other writers. Sometimes your biggest supporters are your fellow authors. Be part of the community, not separate.
Try to split your posts between three areas: Entertainment, Educational, and Promotional. Don’t just spam social media with “Check out my New Book! Buy It!” but also don’t be afraid to call fans to action. It requires a delicate balance.
Promotional is the easiest to define. These are the “call to action” posts such as your release day post, special deals, your book trailer, your launch party—anything to do with your book as a product to be bought.
But that’s not all. Some of those posts can also be sorted into the Entertainment section. A book trailer, for example, can be a fun video for fans to watch: a visual to entice and entertain them. Entertainment posts can also include fun activities your fans can do to get into the mood, songs you listen to while writing, your project mood board, etc.
And finally, Educational. These can also overlap with Promotional and Entertainment, but this is where your “giving back to the community” comes in. You may share fun facts that you learned while researching for your book. You may share some things you tried when you got stuck while writing. You may even provide information specific to your book—if you’re writing about animal rescues, share information about local rescues to your area, or ways people can get involved. The ball is entirely in your court!
Navigating the World of Self-Publishing
10 Tips for New Self Publishers
What is a Book Launch?
Tigerpetal Press is a small book press dedicated to publishing local authors and poets.