One of the biggest challenges for writers nowadays is that they have to compete with all of the content available to audiences online. Reading a book can be exciting, but who would want to do that when there’s plenty of articles and posts to read on social media?
The good news is that writers can use social media to their advantage and find their own readers on such platforms. Here are the best marketing strategies you can use to build your audience on social media and start selling more books.
#1 Define Your Brand Identity
As a writer, you need to realize that you can’t just sell books if your writing is good. Most of the time, people are looking for something particular, a brand of some sort. That’s why you need to define what your brand will be before you start posting on social media. Look at the kind of books you write (genre, target audience, etc.) and then base your brand identity on it.
#2 Launch Campaigns to Connect
Social media has the unique ability to almost instantly spread the word about something and make it go viral. Jade Ward, an expert from the writing services reviews site Writing Judge, puts it this way, “By launching campaigns on social media, you can find potential readers and connect with other writers. Use hashtags to start these campaigns. Alternatively, you can join the ones that exist already.”
#3 Interact with Your Audience
Perhaps the most effective way to connect with your potential readers on social media is by actually interacting with them. You can do this on your own page by replying to comments under your posts, live streaming, and posting polls. However, it’s also a good idea to interact with your audience elsewhere. Check out posts under relevant hashtags and leave comments under the posts of other users. Answer polls, repost content, and so on.
#4 Share Your Opinion
While it’s important to listen to your readers, it’s also a good idea to share your own opinion to attract more attention to yourself and your books. You can do this in a number of ways. Go on Quora and answer relevant questions in your field. Share your opinion when you write captions on Instagram (and ask your audience for their opinion as well). Respond to questions in the Stories of other users.
#5 Focus on Your Writing
It may seem that marketing and writing are only somewhat related, but there is actually a way you can make the former more effective by focusing on the latter. When you post on social media, make every word count. It will show that you are a truly good writer and that your books have quality. You can even write lengthy articles to demonstrate your skill. Another way to focus on your writing is by creating videos of you actually doing it or tutorials that will teach others how to write just as well as you do.
#6 Utilize User-Generated Content
As mentioned earlier, one way to interact with your audience is by reposting content, but there’s actually more to it than that. Cayden Knox, an expert from the custom writing reviews site Best Writers Online explains it this way, “User-generated content can be a great way to elevate your readers and connect with them. When someone posts a fan work dedicated to your book or a photo with your book, share it on your own page and show that you saw it.”
#7 Cross-Post on Different Platforms
Last but not least, try to be more diverse with your social media marketing by cross-posting on different platforms. Instead of only using Instagram, think about other platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, etc. Depending on your target audience, you will find more success on certain platforms. But even if you don’t see much engagement on one platform, you can always shift your focus to others.
The Takeaway
Social media platforms may feel like a hostile environment at first. But once you master the basics and start growing your audience, you’ll realize that these platforms are one of the best places to connect with your readers. Use the tips in this article to help you create an effective social media marketing strategy and start selling more books with the help of social media.