Can an author survive without self-promotion? Not easily, so let’s discuss how to market yourself on social media!
Twenty years ago, Mark Zuckerberg created Facebook. It changed the world as we know it. Suddenly, instead of just having our small Social circles, we had the world at our fingertips. We were able to reconnect with old friends and acquaintances. Define our relationships by our status. And it became a primary marketing tool for businesses. But this is still not always easy for all business owners. Authors, in particular, often struggle with getting out from behind the page and promoting themselves beyond their social circles. So, how do you market yourself on social media?
Accepting Social Media
One of the main things I hear from authors is they don’t want to deal with social media. It’s fake, they don’t know what to post. They don’t want to take time away from their writing. All of these are valid concerns. For any business. Social media doesn’t feel genuine and it is sometimes difficult to come up with post ideas. And it can be time consuming. However, for your business to thrive or your books to sell, you need to get past these concerns and learn how to self-promote on social media.
Learn to Be Genuine in Your Own Way
For starters, you need to get past the idea that it is all fake. Yes, there are fake “influencers” out there. But you do NOT have to be one of them. However, you do need to be open to sharing on your terms. And do it in an authentic way. For instance, there are times when it’s great to be made up and “perfect” looking, but my most liked posts are the ones where I am sweaty and coming out of the gym sharing a personal victory or in my pajamas with my morning coffee and a book. Find your comfort level of what you’re willing to share and be your true self. You will build the best relationships with your followers that way, which is the true purpose of effective social media marketing.
Build Relationships
Have you ever been to a party where you’re cornered with the person who only talks about themselves? You end up finding any excuse to leave eventually, right? It’s the same on social media. If you only post when you have a sale or you’re asking people to buy, people will feel like they’re in that same one-sided conversation. You need to nurture a relationship with your followers and make them feel like they know you and have built a personal connection to you. Then when you post that sale or new book launch they’ll be more willing to support you and buy.
Expand on Shared Interests
You are building followers for a reason. To eventually sell them something. So, why will your product appeal to them? Expand on that interest and naturally cater to it. Readers will read WAY more than just your one particular book. Besides, they’ll need something to hold them over until your next one comes out. In the meantime, share your own love of reading. Share what you’re currently reading and enjoying. Talk about your own favorite books in your book’s genre.
Share other hobbies and interests that you have. I have celiac disease and am always looking for tasty gluten-free finds. I always include that in my newsletters and on my social media feed.
I can’t tell you how many people have reached out to me about that and it creates and instant bond and thing we have in common.
Share the work that goes on behind the scenes. I share my writing process, victories when I complete a new chapter or word count. I share scenes from my current WIP, pics of my writing space etc. Again, if I forge a connection and get my readers excited about the process and work of writing the book they will hopefully be more invested and apt to buy when it launches and goes on the market.
Try to Have Fun
Social Media might never feel natural for you or a way you’d choose to spend your time. I, myself, only go on for my business and to share pics of my kids with family and friends. But I’m not a natural social media scroller/follower. However, I would say I’ve found a way I’m comfortable marketing myself. I’ve found a way that works for me and enjoy engaging with my readers.
Hopefully, these tips help you have a better idea of how to market yourself on social media in a way that works for you also. Have a great week everyone!
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