Social media continues to be the bane of most authors’ existence. They view it as time consuming, confusing, and something they have to do. The huge amount of misinformation on how to market yourself on social media doesn’t help the cause; articles saying you have to be on certain platforms or services offering to triple your following for one low price. I completely understand why authors cringe at the mere mention of social media presence.
This section isn’t meant to sell you on social media. It’s meant to outline all the different platforms, help you determine which ones are best for reaching your target audience, and demonstrate how to use them in efficient and productive ways. In my experience, once people identify the platform that speaks to them and they learn how to use it properly, it doesn’t seem like a chore.
I don’t believe social media sells books. People are usually shocked when I tell them this, but it’s true. The purpose of social media is not to directly sell books; it’s much more than that.
Maintaining an active social media presence is the easiest way to establish your author brand. You do this through the type of content you post, the users you engage with, and the people you’re connected to.
Most full time novelists write one book a year, sometimes two. There will be publicity and marketing around each book launch, but in between books your readers won’t be seeing your name on every website, newspaper, or TV show. Through social media you’re able to engage with your readers in between books and keep your name out there after the main promotional blitz is complete.
The more content you put out there and more back-links you have, the better chances you have at driving new traffic to your website and other online platforms. By having an active social media presence, you increase the likelihood of new readers or industry pros stumbling across your content.
Book sales are tangential benefits of social media, but, as stated previously, they’re not the primary goal. You may be thinking, “Great! That means I can skip this section and forget about social media!” and you’re partially right. Because social media does not directly result in sales, then, in theory, you can move on to the next section. However, if it helps your career in other ways, and can tangentially lead to sales, then why wouldn’t you give it a shot? Unlike publicity, which you have limited control over, social media is a free marketing tool that provides complete control. If you want to do everything you can to successfully promote your book, then read on.
In many ways, Twitter is the simplest of all the social media platforms, and yet, it’s the one most authors have difficulty with. The concept is straightforward: you share posts of 140 characters or less with your followers. Whenever someone you follow posts something, it will show up in your feed. That’s it. While the basics of using Twitter are extremely simple, utilizing it is where people start to get confused.
Followers: These are people who have opted to follow your tweets. When you post an update, your content will show up in their Home feed.
Following: These are people you’ve opted in to follow. Their updates will appear in your Home feed. Keep in mind that all content is searchable; you can find tweets about certain people or subjects even if you don’t follow them.
@ Replies: Your Twitter handle includes an @ at the beginning, so when you’re speaking directly to someone on Twitter, you should always use their full handle (@Dana_Kaye, @KayePublicity, etc.). When someone you follow posts something you’d like to respond to, you can hit the reply button and their handle will automatically come up in the compose field. They will be alerted of your reply, and users who follow both of you will see your conversation.
In addition to @ replies, handles are also used to tag users in a conversation. For example, rather than tweeting, “I’m reading YOUR BOOK, YOUR BRAND by Dana Kaye,” you should tweet “I’m reading YOUR BOOK, YOUR BRAND by @Dana_Kaye.” This will alert me that someone mentioned me in a tweet; plus, it serves as a plug for that person or brand. If you’re not using people’s Twitter handles regularly in tweets, you’re not using the platform to its full potential.
Re-tweets (RTs): When someone posts content that you’d like to share with your followers, you are able to re-tweet or RT their content. Hitting the RT button (the two arrows at the bottom of the tweet) will simply re-post the tweet, or you can add your own content by opting to “quote tweet.” When a post appears in your feed with an RT, you know that the content following came from someone else.
Like (<3): If you like someone’s tweet and want to give them a nod, but don’t need to share that tweet with your followers, you should opt to favorite that tweet by clicking on the heart at the bottom of the post. It’s a great way to network with other users and let them know you enjoy their content without clogging your feed with RTs.
Hashtags: These tags serve as labels for ongoing discussions. They’re sometimes used for live events (#Election2016, #SuperBowlXXII) or ongoing discussion topics (#FridayReads, #AmWriting). The purpose of these labels is to connect with other users posting about the same topic and increase your discoverability. Posting about the Super Bowl is timely, but only the people who follow you will see it. If you use the official hashtag, it will make your post visible to anyone who follows or searches that tag.
To identify trending hashtags, I recommend using hashtags.org. This site tracks the top trending hashtags and can also provide you with analytics on any hashtag you input. If you see someone using a hashtag like #WriterWednesday, you can plug it in to hashtags.org and it will generate a report showing when the tag is used, the top users posting the tag, and a sampling of recent tweets. Not only are you able to identify whether or not a hashtag is worth implementing, but it will also give you a snapshot of the types of people using the tag.
Hashtags can be especially useful when attending a conference, trade show, or other large scale event. There is often an official hashtag for the event so that attendees are consistent in their social media posts and can connect with other people at the event. Posting pieces of advice heard at panels or photos from the event, along with the official hashtag, will increase your discoverability and allow you to reach other people at the event.
While this is the official use of hashtags, the language of Twitter has also evolved and is using hashtags to convey a sort of Twitter footnote. You may have noticed tweets like these:
“I’ve eaten two donuts before 9am #sorrynotsorry”
“Windows 10 has crashed for the hundredth time today #headdesk”
These hashtags are not official and don’t increase your discoverability in any way. Just because these footnote hashtags are a part of the Twitter language doesn’t mean you have to use them.
This platform is mostly used by the movers-and-shakers within an industry. In publishing, most agents, editors, publicists, and media pros report they prefer Twitter to other social media platforms. Many librarians and booksellers also utilize this platform more than others. The typical Twitter user also skews slightly younger.
This is the most widely used social media platform, but it can also be the toughest to game. It seems like everyone, from college students to your eighty-year-old aunt, has a Facebook account. Based on users, utilizing Facebook will reach the widest possible audience, but because of how the site displays content, those users can be difficult to reach.
Friends: Facebook users you’re connected to through your Facebook profile who can see your content.
Likes: Liking is how users connect with Facebook pages. By liking a Facebook page, you will start seeing their content show up in your feed. Liking can also reference a post; you can like someone’s Facebook post as a way to interact with their content without writing a full comment.
Facebook recently incorporated additional “reactions.” Now, users can respond with a “Love,” a frowny face, etc. This allows users to have more dynamic reactions to content instead of a generic “like.” If it feels natural to utilize these reactions, go for it, but from a social networking and branding standpoint, the classic “Like” button works just fine.
Comment: Like a blog, users can post comments about the content in their feed. Commenting on other users’ posts is a great way to increase discoverability, as your name will be visible to all your friends’ friends.
Share: Re-posting someone else’s content on your profile, a friend’s profile, or your author page.
Unlike Twitter, which displays content solely based on when the people you follow tweet, Facebook uses an algorithm to display content it thinks you want to see based on your previous interactions. For example, if your friends post photos of their dogs or articles about amazing animals, and you like or comment on that type of content, Facebook is going to label you as an animal lover and show you more of that content. If other friends post links to political articles or polls, but you never like or comment on them, then Facebook won’t show you that type of content.
This also applies to the people you interact with on Facebook. If you comment on and like content from certain people more than others, then those people’s content will show up in your feed more often.
Additionally, the more people like, comment, share, or click on a single post, the more likely it is to show up in users’ feeds. You can have a friend that you never interact with post something you would never click on, but if hundreds of your friends are clicking and commenting on it, that post will show up in your feed.
This factor is the most important, because it is the only one you have some control over. By posting content that encourages readers to engage, you increase the likelihood of users seeing your content.
If you’re posting extremely important content (the launch of your next book, an upcoming event) and you want to ensure your followers see your post, Facebook also offers the opportunity for pages to “boost” a post which guarantees that your followers (and their friends, depending on which audience you decide to target) see your content. You can identify boosted content because there’s a tiny “sponsored” sign in the corner of the post. The cost varies depending on how many people are following you, but it’s usually a very affordable way to push your content out there.
Unlike Twitter, Facebook does not have a character limit on posting, and, therefore, Facebook posts tend to run a bit longer. Hashtags are supported, but not as commonly used. You’re also able to tag people in posts, but instead of using their handle, you simply start typing their name with an @ in front of it and Facebook will automatically display suggestions for whom to tag. It sometimes takes a second, and you may have to type out the entire name before Facebook suggests the correct person. You’re also able to include a location for your posts, which can be helpful if you’re at a bookstore, conference, or another location that reinforces your brand.
There is much debate over which type of Facebook platform should be used by authors—a profile, a page, or both. When Facebook first launched, it was only open to college students and there were only profiles. Then, when Facebook opened up to the general public, they rolled out pages for businesses, celebrities, and organizations to use. Both types of platforms have their advantages and disadvantages, and as Facebook continues to change their algorithms, the best platform for authors continues to change.
A personal profile is what most Facebook users have. It allows you to connect with people by “friending” them and liking, commenting on, and sharing their content. You can have a maximum of 5,000 friends, after which people can follow your content but aren’t actually friends with you. Most authors would rather have a personal profile because it’s more versatile and allows them to interact with their readers more easily. However, a personal profile can be somewhat limiting as a marketing tool.
A Facebook page, as mentioned previously, is used by businesses, celebrities, and large organizations. This works best for authors who plan to utilize their page for marketing and will quickly exceed the 5,000 friend cap. As a person, a Facebook page is limiting because you’re only able to like, comment, and share the content of other pages, not profiles. It’s also harder to connect with people. You can invite people to like your page, but most people are hesitant, as they know pages are primarily used for promotional tools. Sending a friend request feels more personal, while liking a page is more of a one-way street. These factors deter most authors from focusing on Facebook pages.
However, Facebook pages are far more powerful marketing tools than profiles. With a page, you’re able to boost your content, run Facebook ads, and promote upcoming events. With a page, you’re also able to see the stats on how many people saw your post, the demographics of your following (how old your followers are, where they live, etc.), and your estimated reach. None of this data is available for a personal profile.
There are clear pros and cons to each platform, and ultimately, you have to go with your gut. If you’re a first-time author, you may want to start with a Facebook profile and convert it to a page once you garner a decent following. If you’re a veteran author or a debut who signed a major deal, you may want to hit the ground running with an author page so you can utilize all the marketing tools.
Facebook does allow you to convert your profile to a page if it meets certain criteria. Plugging the terms “Facebook convert profile to page” into Google will yield step-by-step instructions on how to do this.
As mentioned in the introduction, Facebook is the most widely used social media platform and has users from all ages, locations, and professions. However, while younger people have Facebook accounts, they don’t use them as much as they used to. (Probably because their parents, grandparents, and teachers all have profiles too.) Facebook is the best way to target general consumers, especially those over the age of 40.
First launched in 2007, Tumblr is a micro-blog platform. Unlike WordPress and TypePad, which support long-form blog posts, Tumblr allows users to just post images, videos, and links to their blog. Like Twitter, Tumblr utilizes a feed; whoever you follow will show up in your feed purely based on when you post. There is no algorithm.
Tumblr is a highly visual platform, and most Tumblr users interact with content from their feed. However, because it is also a blog, people can access your Tumblr page without actually following you. For example, you can see our content at www.KayePublicity.tumblr.com without following us on Tumblr or even having a Tumblr account. But if you don’t follow us, our content won’t show up in your feed.
Theme: Like other blogging platforms, Tumblr supports different blog themes. These are templates that will determine your blog’s layout, color scheme, etc.
Follow: If you visit a Tumblr blog’s URL, you’ll see a button in the corner that says “Follow+.” By clicking this you will follow the blog, and its content will appear in your home feed. Like Twitter and Facebook, having someone follow you means your content will show up in their feed.
Re-blog: Re-blogging is similar to an RT on Twitter or a “Share” on Facebook; you are taking someone’s post and re-posting it to your blog. This is a great networking tool, since your name will appear on the original post list as someone who re-blogged, which will signal to the creator that you liked their content. Re-blogging is very common practice on Tumblr; many blogs you’ll see consist almost entirely of re-blogged content. However, as an author, you should be sure to post plenty of original content and not rely on just re-blogging other posts.
Heart: Similar to “Likes,” a heart indicates you enjoyed the post without sharing it on your own blog. This should be done when you like the content someone posted, but don’t think it works for your brand or wouldn’t be relevant to followers of your own blog.
Hashtags: On Tumblr, hashtags work a bit differently than they do on Twitter. On Twitter, you don’t need to label every keyword or search term with a hashtag, because the text itself will show up in searches. But since Tumblr content is almost always visual, those keywords won’t appear unless you add them. If you don’t add hashtags to a photo or graphic post, then there’s no way users can stumble upon your post during a search. For example, if you post an image of your book cover, you’ll want to add the title of your book, your author name, the genre, and the word “book” to the hashtag field.
To determine the best hashtags for your content, I recommend typing a variety of book-related hashtags into the search field and seeing which ones are being used most often. Also take note of the content those tags are referencing and what other tags people are using to identify their work.
One final note about hashtags; you want to ensure that the tag you’re using accurately labels your content. I’ve seen many users try to game the system by applying highly searchable keywords in an attempt to lure people in. But if the content doesn’t interest those who would be searching for those terms, then you’re not building an audience. For example, using the tag #OneDirection to attract teens and tweens to your YA novel is a smart move, but if the content has nothing to do with One Direction, then those teens and tweens aren’t going to click further. When choosing your hashtags, I recommend asking yourself, “If someone searched this term, and then found my content, would it be what they were looking for?”
As noted in the introduction, Tumblr is a highly visual platform. Whenever you post content to Tumblr, it’s important to incorporate a visual component. When posting a link to an article, Tumblr will usually generate a link preview with an image, similar to Facebook. If it doesn’t, then you’ll want to add your own. If you’re posting an inspirational quote, incorporate that quote into a graphic using Photoshop, Canva, or PowerPoint to give it a visual element.
Here are some examples:
You can post the image by itself (with the appropriate hashtags of course) or add a few lines of content.
Tumblr also supports videos and text content, but the most effective content is images and links.
This is one of the most rapidly growing social media platforms, especially among teens and twenty-somethings. Instagram is a photo sharing platform, allowing users to take photos and videos, add photography filters and effects, and then share them with their followers. There is also a function to cross-post those images to Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr. Instagram’s popularity grew because everyone wants to be an artist, and with this app, users were able to transform their camera phone images into works of art (and then share them, of course).
Like the previous social media platforms, there are followers and people you’re following, you have the ability to like (by clicking on a heart icon) and comment on the photos in your feed, and hashtags are utilized as search terms. Facebook purchased Instagram in 2012, and since then the two platforms have been highly integrated. Instagram will notify you when one of your Facebook friends downloads the app, and you’re able to find Instagram users based on your Facebook friends. In fact, most of your Instagram followers will first find you through Facebook.
While it’s a popular platform, it can be a bit more difficult than Facebook or Twitter to generate a following, and most of the people who follow you on Instagram probably already follow you on other social media channels. You can increase your discoverability by utilizing hashtags, but, for the most part, people aren’t finding people through keywords or a friend’s recommendation.
The primary purpose of having an Instagram presence isn’t to generate a new following, but to increase interaction with the following you already have. It’s a way to engage with your existing readership in between books and stay fresh in their minds. Though there are many authors who have a strong Instagram following, it’s usually because they already built a following somewhere else.
However, there are exceptions to the rule, and these users are referred to as Instagram influencers. They have built large followings and use their feeds to spread the word about various products. An example of an Instagram influencer is @CaliforniaDreams. Her feed is a mix of products she sells on her site, as well as books she’s reading, food she’s eating, and fashion she’s excited about. Most of the products featured were sent to her by the manufacturers, in hope that she’d feature those products on her feed. Whether it’s a pair of Chanel slippers or the latest YA novel, with her large, interactive following, she has the power to move product.
If your target audience consists of teens and young adults, then it’s important to have an Instagram account. But don’t get discouraged if your following comes in a slow trickle rather than a wave. And while it’s important to update regularly, just so your profile doesn’t go stale, your primary focus should be on identifying influencers and reaching out to send them a copy of your book.
Unlike other social media sites that support more general content, LinkedIn’s mission is to connect business professionals for the purposes of networking and advancing their careers. Though I haven’t found it to be a useful tool for fiction authors, it is a crucial part of successfully marketing most nonfiction. It can also be a useful tool for authors looking for work in the professional sector (teaching positions, journalism opportunities, etc.).
Your LinkedIn profile reads like a résumé, boasting employers, volunteer work, and skills. The tone is straightforward and professional, unlike the cutesy and witty tone of other social media platforms.
Connections: Similar to Facebook friends, on LinkedIn you “connect” with users you know, and those people are able to accept or reject those requests. You can also view second and third degree connections, users to whom you are connected by a mutual friend or a friend of a friend. Only those who are first-degree connections will see your updates, and only those who are second- or third-degree connections will come across your LinkedIn profile in a Google search.
Endorsements: Your profile contains a list of skills, and your LinkedIn connections are able to endorse specific skills by clicking on the ones they know you’re good at. You can also endorse specific skills they possess by clicking on each one you’ve seen them display. It’s a nice way to help out your fellow connections and build relationships. When people endorse your skills, it doesn’t necessarily help sell more books, but it does add to your overall credibility.
Recommendations: These serve as references for your online résumé. Your connections are able to write about their experience working with you. Again, these don’t really translate into sales, but if you write nonfiction and are interested in leveraging speaking engagements or guest appearances on TV and radio, these recommendations add to your credibility.
As with the rest of the site, the content posted on LinkedIn tends to be more professional, straightforward, and industry related. Links to articles work really well, as do general tips and advice. Unlike other platforms, there doesn’t need to be a visual element associated with the content.
In addition to posting updates, LinkedIn also encourages networking with your connections. You’ll see prompts to endorse your connections’ skills or offer them congrats on their work anniversary.
The feed on your homepage consists of more than just your connections’ updates. You’ll also see when people make new connections and comment on articles and other activity around the site.
As young people cut the cable cord, more and more users are flocking to YouTube as a source for video content. Web series and video blogs (vlogs) are growing in popularity, which is something many authors can take advantage of. If you are a little more tech savvy and, as we say in the industry, “media-genic” (attractive, charming, and comfortable on camera), then building an audience on YouTube is something you may want to consider.
Keep in mind that vlogs and video content take time, and often money, to produce. Consider the investment it would take to execute well and whether or not you would earn the return on that investment.
Around 2007, we started to see a surge in book trailers, mini-commercials for books in the vein of movie trailers. They were all the rage and considered to be the next big thing. However, most of them didn’t work. And yet, there are still plenty of authors and companies producing these expensive, mediocre book trailers, throwing them up on YouTube, and expecting to generate a buzz for the book.
There are two reasons why book trailers don’t usually lead to sales. The first is that book people don’t need to watch a commercial to get interested in a book; that’s not how we consume our information or learn about new things to read. Watching a video of an author talk about their book, maybe, but a straightforward ad or movie-type preview won’t get us to download or run out and buy a book. It’s a different medium.
The second reason is the lack of distribution. Just because you made a trailer and put it up on YouTube doesn’t mean people are going to view it. Without a way to distribute that content, you’re not going to reach new readers. You can purchase YouTube advertising, which will put your video at the top of searches and feature it in the sidebar while people watch similar movies, but since we’re so immune to advertising, those videos are often overlooked. You can team up with other vloggers and bloggers to share the trailer, but if you’re going to ask them for something, wouldn’t you rather have them review your book?
I’ll touch on an exception to the book trailer rule in the “Additional Marketing” section, but 99 times out of 100, a book trailer is something worth skipping.
Channel: Your YouTube channel is like a homepage of your website. This is where the videos you upload will be displayed, as well as videos you add to your channel from other people’s pages. You are able to add multiple channels to one account, which is something I recommend doing if you’re planning on using YouTube as your primary social media platform.
Subscribers: By subscribing to a channel, you will receive notifications whenever new content is added to that channel. The more subscribers you have, the more people will be alerted.
It’s fairly easy to post video content to YouTube; simply click “Upload” and follow the on-screen instructions. The key points to remember are:
We’ll address content in greater detail in the following section.
Remember when you’d tear out a recipe or craft project from a magazine and tack it to a corkboard? Pinterest brings that concept online and allows users to take articles from around the web and pin them to their online boards. This platform is mostly used by women and, like Facebook, spans a wide range of ages. It’s frequently used by young women getting married to pin wedding dresses or floral arrangements, but it’s also used by older women to pin craft patterns and recipes. If your target audience is women and your book is female-centric, then Pinterest is a good place to focus your time.
Pinning/Pinned/Pin It: A pin references the online corkboard metaphor; when you pin an article, it’s like you’re tearing it out of a magazine and fastening it to your personal corkboard. Clicking the “pin it” button will take an article and save it to your board.
Boards: In real life, having dozens of different boards for different projects would classify you as a hoarder, but with Pinterest, you can create as many boards as you want. Boards allow you to organize your pins into different categories like “Crafts” and “Recipes.” Board titles should be simple and descriptive rather than clever.
Followers/Following: Like all the social media platforms before it, Pinterest allows you to follow people’s updates. You’re able to follow users, which would allow you to see everything they pin, or to choose specific boards. If you like the majority of what a user is pinning, then you should follow the user, but if you’re only interested in one of their boards, you’re able to follow that particular board.
Re-Pin: Similar to re-blogging or re-tweeting, re-pinning takes someone else’s pin and pins it to your own board. Re-pinning is not only a great way to populate your boards, but it also helps to network with other Pinterest users and build your following.
Pinterest makes it really easy to pin content from around the web. You can do it manually, by clicking on one of your boards, then clicking “add pin” and following the on-screen instructions. Most internet browsers also support a Pinterest integration which adds a “Pin It” button to your bookmarks bar. When you come across a recipe or project that you want to pin, you can click the button and add it to your boards without visiting the Pinterest site.
Keep in mind that the goal of using any social media platform is to build an audience. Therefore, rather than always pinning content from around the web, you also want to pin links that lead to your website. For example, if you write cozy mysteries that include a craft, consider posting one of those crafts on your blog and then pinning your blog post to a board. If you write business books and have infographics to share, you should post those infographics to your website, then pin a link that leads there. Maintain a balance between pins with links to your website and links to elsewhere on the web; you don’t want to come across as overly promotional. We’ll address this further in the next section.
This link aggregation platform is one of the most overlooked social media marketing tools. Reddit has millions of users, most of whom use the platform on a regular basis. The majority of their users are men, ages 18–24,[11] and these users are more tech savvy than most.
One aspect of Reddit that’s both a blessing and a curse is that it’s a very close and supportive community that’s skeptical of outsiders attempting to market to them. People who are active Redditors have had a lot of success reaching new readers on this platform, but outsiders who come in and try to promote their content are quickly shunned.
Before you start promoting your work on Reddit, I recommend taking a few months to engage and become an active part of the community, and we’ll discuss ways to do so below. You’ll have better luck reaching readers.
Redditor: An active Reddit user
Subreddit: The platform is divided up into different content categories called subreddits. These include general topics such as books and politics, as well as more specific niches like “cringe pics” and “anime suggest.”
Up Vote/Down Vote: Voting content up or down is the foundation of Reddit. Users will post links to articles or general text posts, and the Reddit community can vote that content up or down, using the arrows to the left of the headline. If the content is interesting and you want more people to see it, you vote up. If it’s offensive, too self-promotional, or not appropriate for that particular subreddit, you vote down.
The more up-votes a link has, the higher it will appear on the subreddit home page. The content with the most up votes appears on Reddit’s front page.
Link Karma/Comment Karma: When you post new links or comment on other users’ content, you will earn one point of karma. This indicates to other Reddit users how active you are in the community. If all you do is post links and never leave comments, your lack of karma points will indicate to people that you’re not engaged in the community.
AMA: This stands for “Ask Me Anything” and is a subreddit with a live, interactive component where a person will introduce themselves and the community is able to ask them anything for a certain period of time, say, from 7–8 P.M. on a Tuesday. Questions are posted in the form of comments, and the person replies to as many as they’d like. AMAs have been done by celebrities and politicians, but also regular people who have insights to share. These are usually announced ahead of time so that interested community members can make it a point to join in.
If you are active on Reddit and your work is geared towards Reddit’s demographic, then running an AMA the week of your book launch is a great way to generate buzz.
To submit a new link or text post to Reddit, simply click the “Submit a new link” or “Submit a new text post” buttons in the upper right corner and follow the on-screen instructions. Like YouTube, you’ll want to use a catchy but descriptive title. It’s also important to submit your content to the appropriate subreddit. If you have an article about the best graphic novels of 2016, it can go into “books,” “book suggestions,” or “book lists.” Sometimes the more specific subreddits are more effective for reaching an audience.
As mentioned previously, in order to become recognized as an active member of the community, I also recommend voting articles up or down, and commenting on a regular basis. This will ensure that by the time you post something more promotional, people won’t see you as someone who is just trying to sell them something.
I save this platform for last because it is something everybody needs, and yet, no one really needs. Let me explain.
When Twitter and Facebook exploded on the scene and the number of social media users grew exponentially, Google wanted to get in the game. They have the most popular search engine, email, and online calendar, so why shouldn’t they strive to build the most popular social media platform?
After a few failed attempts (Google Buzz, Google Friend Connect), they officially rolled out Google+ in 2011. It was a strange combination of Facebook and Twitter. You added people to “circles” instead of becoming their friends, there wasn’t a real feed, and it was overall confusing. When people are confused about a platform, they don’t use it. And it hasn’t gotten any better since 2011.
The problem is, while they have a failed social media platform, they also have the most powerful search engine in the world. So they’re able to incentivize people and businesses to use Google+ in exchange for giving them a bigger push in the searches.
There was a study done a couple years ago[12] which indicated that when people connected with a site on Google+ or shared a site on their Google+ stream, that website received a boost in Google searches. Therefore, Google+ is less about social networking and more about search engine marketing.
When it comes to Google+, I believe it’s important to have an account that is up to date and aligned to your website. That is a must. If you have the time and are able to cross post some of your content from Twitter and Facebook, even better. But since the platform doesn’t actually help expend your name recognition and build your brand through content or connecting with actual people, your time is better spent elsewhere.
Seeing all the different social media platforms, their unique rules, and the different ways they are used can seem overwhelming. Truthfully, trying to maintain a strong presence on every one of these platforms is overwhelming. But you don’t have to be on every platform in order to maximize your promotion potential; you only need to focus on platforms that reach your target audience.
Here is the list of social media platforms along with their target audiences:[13]
Go back to the branding worksheet you created in the previous section and take a look at your target audience. Identify the social media platforms they utilize and focus your energy there.
Keep in mind that different social media platforms serve different purposes. While your target readership may be on Facebook and Pinterest, you don’t want to ignore Twitter, since most booksellers, librarians, and media professionals utilize the platform. If you’re targeting the teens on Instagram and Tumblr, you won’t want to overlook their parents, who probably use Facebook and Pinterest.
Once you’ve identified the social media platforms you will focus on, it’s time to develop a content strategy. Some authors may just post whatever is on their mind, but the ones who really utilize the platform will have a content strategy.
Refer back to the topics and talking points you created in the branding portion of the book. This should serve as a guideline for what sort of branded content to post. Remember, this isn’t promotional content. We’ll get to that later. This is original, interesting content that draws in potential readers and demonstrates who you are and how you write without directly telling people.
Open a new document or take out a sheet of paper and write out your tagline or author brand description you created earlier. Then, start listing types of content you could post to social media that would fall in line with you and your brand.
Stick to topics that are on brand and appeal to your target audience. Use a consistent voice that’s a mixture of your real voice and your writing voice. For example, if you write with a southern dialect but don’t have one yourself, try mixing in some southern slang while keeping the voice in formal English.
You’re probably looking at this list and thinking, “Great, but when do I get to talk about my book?” The answer is sparingly.
As a guideline, I recommend rotating through 3 different types of posts:
Personal posts don’t mean instagramming photos of every meal you consume or tweeting every thought that enters your mind; they should all relate to the topics outlined above. Personal posts can be notes about your writing process, articles from your research, books you’re reading, movies you’re watching, etc. They are meant to give readers insight into you as a person, while maintaining your online persona and voice.
Promotional posts are those relating to your book or yourself as an author. Promotional posts should never consist of the words, “Buy my book.” No one likes a hard sell. Instead, try the following:
This type of content should always be presented in a humble, so-excited-to-share sort of way. Read all promotional posts aloud to see if they sound braggy. Promotional content should feel like exciting news you’re sharing with your followers rather than blatant self-promotion.
Interactive posts are those that engage other users. On Twitter, interactive posts refer to @ replies and RTs. On Facebook, it’s likes, comments, and shares. On Pinterest, it’s re-pinning, liking, or commenting. These posts put the networking in social network and show that you’re an active member of the community.
If you post only promotional content, people will start un-following you because your feed is basically an online billboard. If you only interact, people will un-follow you because you’re not posting anything original. If you post only personal content, you miss out on the whole reason you’re on the social media platform in the first place. You want to rotate through each type of post on a regular basis.
Your frequency of posting will vary depending on the platform. I’ve included that frequency on the below social media cheat sheet:
Again, this may seem daunting, but you don’t have to come up with unique content for each platform. It’s perfectly acceptable to cross-post content, as long as you tweak the wording slightly to fall in line with the language of that particular platform.
For example, say you want to post an article about The Girl on the Train becoming a bestseller. Here is how you would tweak your post to fit the various platforms:
Twitter: Insight from @Goodreads on how THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN became a runaway success: [link]
Facebook: I still haven’t read THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN, but since the book launched in January, I’ve seen it everywhere. Check out this interesting article about how Goodreads played an integral role in the book’s success: [link, with link preview]
LinkedIn: Books don’t hit the bestseller list because they’re lucky. Books hit the bestseller lists because publishers market them in strategic and calculated ways: [link, with link preview]
It’s the same content, just presented differently.
Many authors are so focused on promoting their books and building their following that they lose sight of social media’s primary purpose: networking. At their core, all social media platforms are meant to connect people online. At Facebook’s conception, it was about connecting college students. Instagram is about sharing cool photos with friends. LinkedIn is all about professional networking online. While businesses capitalize on these platforms to market their products, ultimately, social media is about making connections.
According to Nielsen data, twenty percent of readers report discovering new authors because a friend or family member recommends them.[15] Who’s to say that friend or family member couldn’t be someone who’s connected to you on social media? By networking with readers, other authors, librarians, and booksellers, you are able to generate buzz and increase word of mouth.
The first step is to connect with these types of influencers from your various social media accounts. Start off by searching people from your email contacts (most social media platforms will offer to do this automatically when you sign up). Then, start plugging in author friends, your local bookstore, library, etc. Start with people and places you actually know. From there, take a look at who those people/places are following. Are there other authors you recognize? Librarians? Media pros? If successful authors are following them, there’s probably a reason.
You are also able to perform organic searches for types of users and hashtags from any social media platform. Plug in keywords like “books” or “librarian” and the social site will search users’ profiles for those keywords. You can also search for influencers using sites like Klout and FollowerWonk, but organic searches tend to work just as well.
Once you’ve followed enough people, your feed will be populated with content on a regular basis. Now you can move on to the second step: engaging in conversation. This falls under the “interactive” post category and can include commenting on posts, @ replying, etc., and should be done in an organic, natural way. Think of it as a conversation with a group of people; you wouldn’t just stand there and listen to people talk—you would add your two cents. When someone posts something you can offer your opinion on, or offer another point of view or if you want to point them to another article they may be interested in, it’s appropriate to offer that reply.
A good rule of thumb is to ask yourself whether or not your response is adding to the conversation and if it falls in line with your brand. If someone offers a political opinion that you disagree with, I wouldn’t recommend voicing that opinion unless you write books with a political bent. And if your response is a simple “I agree” or “me too,” then you’re not really adding to the overall conversation—it’s better to limit your interaction to liking or sharing it.
Make it a goal to engage with one new person each day. Soon, these users will become more than just people you follow; they’ll be part of your network.
Still feeling overwhelmed by the posting schedule? There are several tools that will help streamline your content—and reduce the time you spend generating it:
This program allows you to monitor multiple social media accounts, schedule posts ahead of time, and respond to comments/messages without leaving the site. HootSuite supports Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. The free version allows you to update three accounts and there are several paid options, which support more accounts and offer analytics data. There’s also an integration for Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox so you can easily share content from around the web (similar to the “Pin It” button).
This program is similar to HootSuite in that you can manage many accounts and schedule posts, but it only supports Twitter. If you only have one Twitter account, then I recommend using HootSuite, but if you’re updating several Twitter accounts, then TweetDeck is a bit more streamlined.
This is the most popular program among what we refer to as the “movers and shakers” in industries. Users who frequently link to articles and serve as aggregators for industry news favor Buffer. Like the previous programs, it allows you to schedule posts ahead of time and has an internet browser integration. It also offers more advanced analytics on the performance of your individual posts. However, you’re unable to monitor your feeds, mentions, etc., like you are with the other platforms.
This paid program is a comprehensive marketing platform that has far more capabilities than social media management. It’s able to analyze users and their relationship to your website (if they click on your Twitter profile, what they do after they click one of your links, etc.). However, most authors don’t need such an extensive tool. If you write nonfiction and your ultimate goal is to gain more customers for your business, then HubSpot is something you may want to consider. But if you write fiction and you’re just concerned about selling books, then it’s not worth the return on investment.
If you’re somewhat tech-savvy, then IFTTT (If This Then That) is a handy tool to manage your social media content as well as your other online platforms. This program allows you to create “recipes” that dictate how your apps behave. For example, you can create a recipe that says if you post a video to YouTube, then it will be shared on Tumblr. Or if someone tags you in a photo on Facebook, then it will be saved to your Dropbox or iCloud folders. It can be a bit more time consuming to set up and optimize, but everyone who uses IFTTT swears by it.
While this isn’t a social media management tool, it is a useful platform for generating new content. Instead of hunting down articles to post to social media, Feedly compiles the latest posts from blogs and websites you’ve preselected into one place and offers a preview of the content. You’re able to sort the sites you’ve selected by category and easily find the type of content you’re looking for.
As you can see, there isn’t one tool that does everything. Each platform has different benefits. For most authors, HootSuite is the most comprehensive and easiest one to use. You can get by with having free accounts—just pick the three platforms that are the most important to you. But if you are trying to save as much time as possible, then the Pro version isn’t a huge investment.
Depending on what you write, your goals for the book and your career, and your level of tech-savvy, these other platforms may be handy additions to your toolbox.
Twitter.com
Facebook.com
Tumblr.com
Instagram.com
LinkedIn.com
YouTube.com
Pinterest.com
Reddit.com
Google+ (plus.Google.com)
Klout.com
FollowerWonk.com
HootSuite.com
TweetDeck.com
Buffer.com
HubSpot.com
IFTTT.com
Feedly.com
[11] Ingrid Lunden, “Pew: Reddit Used by 6% of U.S. Online Adults, Putting It on Par with Tumblr, But Far Behind Facebook,” TechCrunch, July 3, 2013, http://techcrunch.com/2013/07/03/pew-reddit-used-by-6-of-u-s-online-adults-putting-it-on-par-with-tumblr-but-far-behind-facebook/.
[12] Matthew Peters, “2013 Search Engine Ranking Factors,” MOZ, July 9, 2013, https://moz.com/blog/ranking-factors-2013.
[13] Irfan Ahmad, “#SocialMedia 2014: User Demographics for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest – #infographic,” Digital Information World, October, 13, 2014, http://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2014/10/social-media-user-demographics-linkedin-tumblr-facebook-and-more-infographic.html.
Maeve Duggan, Nicole B. Ellison, Cliff Lampe, Amanda Lenhart, and Mary Madden, “Demographics of Key Social Networking Platforms, Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech, January, 9, 2015, http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/01/09/demographics-of-key-social-networking-platforms-2/.
[14] Eric Blattberg, “The Demographics of YouTube, In 5 Charts,” DIGIDAY, April 24, 2015, http://digiday.com/platforms/demographics-youtube-5-charts/.
[15] Nielsen’s PubTrack Consumer, 2009–2013 (previously owned by Bowker).