Can Authors Really Ignore Social Media?

 

The Number 1 complaint every day of the past decade that authors have expressed about book marketing involves social media. The question is: What could or should be done about it?

Look, you can defiantly, and perhaps ignorantly, tell social media to get lost. It just means that you have made your job harder and more challenging. The burden is on you to then work harder and better in other areas to achieve your goals. This means you need to be more active  in advertising, speaking, direct mail, traditional media, book reviews, book clubs, book awards, networking, etc.

The first wave of social media ushered in a revolution in how books are marketed. If you weren’t on at least one of these platforms, you were behind the eight ball:

* Twitter
* Facebook
* Linked In
* You Tube

Then, along came others:

* Pinterest
* Instagram
* TikTok
* SnapChat
* WhatsApp

Simultaneous with the growth and influence of social media the last 10-15 years came dramatic changes in what type of books got sold and where they were purchased. The first successful commercial e-book reader, the Kindle, was invented not even 15 years ago. Then audiobooks were digitized. Big box retailers, such as Borders and Waldenbooks closed down. Barnes and Noble dwarfed its footprint. Mall bookstores disappeared. Book review space in newspapers and magazines shrank. Many publications folded or merged. Road tours for authors have largely been replaced by virtual tours.

The book marketing landscape has really changed in major ways this century.

Today’s authors must evolve if they are to succeed. Just as they have gone from penning a book by hand to hacking away at a typewriter and now to clicking on a laptop, marketing tools have changed in profound ways.

Social media, if done properly, has the potential to:

* Build your image and brand
* Reach a lot of potential readers
* Get traffic to your site — for free
* Allow you to target your ideal reader profile
* Provide 24/7 access to a global marketplace
* Be used as a research and networking tool

A solid game plan for an author’s social media comes down to three things:

* Frequency and consistency of content posts
* Quality of the content that you share and your directing of readers/viewers/listeners to your site in a non-commercial way
* One’s dedicated effort to find new connections

The good news?

Authors who fear or despise it can be successful with it — if they take the time to learn the basic functioning and tricks of each platform. Just keep an open mind.

The lightbulb goes off for many authors about being very active on social media, even those who were reluctant and skeptical, once they are shown how to make it work for them.

Try it before you dismiss it and throw away what could be a golden opportunity.

Experiment with approaches, platforms, and mentors — and don’t stop until it feels right for you.

Get help from teachers and others. Find assistants or college interns to assist on executing some tasks.

Park your assumptions, politics, and tech insecurities— just use social media how you want to, in a way that supports your agenda.

Learn how to do things, have a game plan, dedicate time for it, commit to making a visit onto social media a daily routine, and always test, measure, and alter your strategy as needed.

Yes, you can avoid social media, but you may be better off running towards it.

Please Contact Me For Help

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com He is available to help authors promote their story, sell their book, and grow their brand. He has 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres.

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About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on Twitter @theprexpert. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2022. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America. For more information, please consult: linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum.