Marketing your book can be a daunting task. There are numerous pathways and creative strategies you can utilize to get your book into the hands of readers. You can pay for expensive bestseller campaigns, run a book launch campaign, ask for Amazon reviews, etc. But, one of the easiest and cheapest ways to market your book is through the use of your author platform ie: a social media strategy.
Social media has been a game changer for many authors. If you can grow a following on your favorite platform, you’ll have a much easier time selling books. A warm audience that is already interested in what you think is much more likely to purchase something from you than a random Amazon searcher. So, what are the dos and don’ts for launching your book on social media? We’re going to tell you.
How to Use Social Media for a Successful Book Launch: Our Dos and Don’ts
Dos:
Do run a pre-launch campaign.
The pre-launch phase is crucial for warming up your audience and letting them know that your book is about to come out. It will build excitement and awareness if you let your followers know your release date about a month in advance. You can even let them vote on which cover options they like the best, and share the winner all before launch. Make sure all of your posts include an engaging description of your book, why it matters to your audience and the launch date.
Do get reviews by sending out advanced copies.
A crucial part of a successful book launch is getting lots of positive reviews. Selling copies of your book is important once launch day hits, but if you can populate your book page with five-star reviews before then, it will help it sell. On Amazon, the only way to do this is by having a “soft launch”, where your book is technically live but nobody except your reviewers knows about it. A great way to leverage this tactic is to post on social media that you are offering advance copies in exchange for reviews. Followers can contact you via your author website to receive a copy and further instructions on what to do next. They’ll be able to see that your book is live, but nobody else will be able to find it unless you tell them it’s there.
Do host a live launch party.
Going live on your social channels is a very effective way to connect with your audience. It creates a more personal connection and increases how genuine you appear. Doing a live launch party is a great way to utilize this connection. You can create an event, invite your followers, and even read a chapter of your new book live in front of your fans. This will increase visibility for your book and direct followers to purchase it. Unfortunately, recording this and posting it later does not have the same effect.
Do run a giveaway for engagement.
Did you know that the more engagement your posts receive the more people will see it? A great way to boost engagement on your posts is to ask your audience questions or require them to like / comment for a reward. You can run a free giveaway of your book by asking your followers to like and tag three friends in the comments. This means that not only will you have increased engagement on the post but you’ll also be introduced to the followers of those who commented, exposing you to up to three times your usual audience . This is basically a free referral from your followers to new potential readers.
Don’ts:
Don’t try to post content on the day of.
It is crucial to schedule your posts in advance. It will save you time, energy, and the headache of constantly trying to come up with content. If your book launch is scheduled, then your posts should be, too. There are many online scheduling tools that will help you post across several platforms. We like Hootsuite.
Don’t forget to engage.
Many authors think just creating and scheduling posts is enough. But it is just as important to engage with your followers. Respond to their questions, comments, and messages so that you come across as more approachable. Interact with fans from other accounts to drive traffic to your channels. The more you engage, the more you’ll receive.
Don’t say no to other audiences.
Leveraging other creators’ audiences is a great way to generate new loyal followers. Being featured by other influencers and creators can be really helpful. Be sure to say yes to podcasts and author interviews prior to your book launch.
Don’t dilute your content.
When you post the same content across all of your platforms it dilutes your message and can come across poorly to your audience. You should focus on creating the right kind of content for each specific audience and platform and it needs to reflect who you are trying to reach. There is a certain style of post that is normal for each of the individual platforms and it can become obvious when you are not working inside of that norm. Focus your energy on being very successful on one or two platforms vs. diluting your content across all five of your social channels.
Utilizing these tools along with your author platform should lead to book launch success. But, if this is too daunting you can always reach out for professional help and advice. We offer both book marketing and social media help right here at Launch My Book.
Download our free ebook to learn how to run your book launch!
