How to Use Social Media to Sell Your Book

When it comes to selling your book and building your brand as an author, social media is your friend.

Although my generation grew up with the internet, I can understand that it’s easier said than done to get set up on social media. Many are opposed to having a personal social media account, and I get it—you don’t want to get “sucked in”, you’re a private person, etc.

But guess what? This ISN’T personal. It’s business. Having a social media presence is essentially free advertising and PR. It allows fans to share your work, keep up with your recent self-publishing projects, and learn where you are selling your book. For example, as Blurb’s Social Media Manager, I track down authors on social media so I can tag them in posts I make when I admire their work.

Given this it’s surprising that more often than not, authors don’t have a social media profile. Or if they do, it’s out of date or has been abandoned years ago. How can I share the love if I can’t tag you?

With so many different social media platforms, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. So allow me to break it down for you with a few Must-Have Apps and Social Media Power Tips.

Must-Have Social Media Apps

1. Instagram

Arguably the most popular social media platform out there, Instagram is my #1 must-have social app for your business. Instagram is all about the visual! So tell the story of your book or project using your camera phone.

• Make sure you set up a business page so you can categorize your profile and add calls-to-action to your bio area.
  
• You can’t link to websites within posts, so make sure your bio link is always up-to-date.
• Use hashtags to increase your exposure. E.g. #TravelTuesday, #FBF, #Shelfie

2. Twitter

Although Twitter may be decreasing in general popularity, I’m a firm believer that it’s a must-have for businesses. Twitter is more business focused than Facebook, which is mostly focused on personal relationships. More and more, people are using Twitter to get breaking news, follow like-minded people (not just family and friends), and interact with organisations. For example, through Twitter I’ve been introduced to new music, been recommended for a job, followed a freelancer who I later hired, and had customer service issues resolved in record time!

3. Facebook

You might be asking why Facebook is so low on my list of Must-Haves. Well, following its feed algorithm update in 2016, Facebook saw a sharp decline in organic activity from a business standpoint. In many cases, you must spend money with paid advertising to get your posts seen by your own fans. Yet, even with these changes, Facebook is still the most universal social platform. Therefore, you can’t ignore it!

• Set up a business page, not a personal one, for your brand. Personal pages have caps on followers and don’t allow you to sponsor posts or events.
• Add yourself into Groups and follow other authors.

Power Tips for Social Media Beginners

Username 101
Keep it simple! If you’re an author, use your first and last name, or the name of your project series. Avoid using hard to spell words or numbers as letters. Say it aloud; try to stick to something easy to pronounce. Also, try to use the same user handle across every social media platform. This makes it easier for your fans to follow you everywhere.

Cross Promote
Did you write a blog? Publish your book on Amazon? Share your news on every single channel. It may feel like overkill, but hey–there’s nothing wrong with shameless self-promotion. If you don’t, who will?!

Post Regularly
I recommend you post daily. Or at least 2-3 times per week. No one wants to follow an account that only posts once in a blue moon. If you don’t have time to post every day, you can use a free product, like Buffer, to schedule your posts throughout the week. It even has a great Instagram plug-in. It also allows you to schedule retweets from Twitter. It’s honestly my favorite social media tool!

Don’t Just Post About Your Project
Mix in articles related to your project/brand, that you think your followers would like. Retweet friends or positive praise. Share quotes or even a fun GIF that relates to your project. People love a peek behind the scenes; share sketches of your layout, outtakes from a photo shoot, or a handwritten note from a fan. Want to get more personal? Share personal stories or photos to help humanize your project.

Grow Your Following
You may be tempted to buy followers from a third party website. But don’t do it! These followers will be fake bots, and will not strengthen your brand. The only organic way to grow your audience is by getting involved! Follow other like-minded accounts. Like, favorite, and share posts that you admire or that relate to your own project. Comment on posts that interest you and get a conversation started. The more involved you are, the more likely others will get involved on your pages.

Try Advertising
It’s not as scary as it sounds. Facebook and Twitter allow you complete control over ad spend. You can choose to advertise based on a daily budget or a lifetime budget. I’ve seen amazing results from just $100. So, what can you advertise? Well, aside from your book, you could promote a book signing or community event you’re putting on. You can also customize your audience so that you only promote your business page to people in your area or those with similar interests.

Tell us about your adventures on social media! Do you have some tips of your own? Share with us in the comments below!