There is continuing debate among publishing pros like publicists, literary agents, publishers – about the role and value of social media in book marketing. Unless you're a major celebrity, experience has shown that a social media-only book marketing campaign rarely leads to significant success. But there is an increasing body of evidence that it can be advantageous when part of a broader campaign that includes media outreach, events, and other traditional methods. If you're an author, you'll want to carefully plan your book launch and publicity and support it on your social media. Build your following early.
Developing a sizable following takes time and authentic participation. If you're overly promotional, people will lose interest in your posts. You need to be present (but don't post too often) consistently and offer helpful information that people value. Therefore. It's essential to learn some dos and don'ts to help you find greater success. One of the biggest ones is never to let an account go dormant. Pick one or two social media channels and keep them active with a post a day or several posts a week. It's acceptable and preferable to include things from your life, but avoid divisive topics like politics.
As you get underway posting, remember that an author's social media isn't only about book promotion. It's about building your author brand and helping fans and followers get to know you better. It's wise to look at what other authors in your genre are saying on social media. You don't need to copy them, but their posts will inspire you to find things about your life and interests to share. The goal is to connect with people and share information that helps them become more interested. You'll want to interact with fand and may selectively reply to their posts or share them with your audience of followers.
PR pros remind authors using social media that there is a fine line between being present and posting too much. There are free online tools to help you manage posts and see the optimal times for reaching your audience. If you say something of interest when more people are logged on, it will naturally have a more beneficial effect. Social media sites also work similarly to search engines, and it means keywords are valuable. If your posts include things people might type into a search bar, they will reach more people effortlessly. Strategically think through what you're writing before you press post.
