Authors
ask the same three questions when it comes to social media:
·
Is it really necessary? I hate it.
·
How do I get something to go viral? The
dumbest things seem to get millions of views.
·
Do social media posts lead to book sales?
It seems like a waste of time.
The
answers are: YES. It is possible. Yes.
But,
there is a caveat. You need to post with:
·
Intention
·
Consistency
·
Regularity
·
Creativity
·
Attitude
And,
you need to properly reach out to people beyond just those that already follow –
or are connected to -- you.
Let’s
look, first, at what an author can post on social media. Each social media
platform has unique features. The more platforms you are actively on, the
greater the chance of discoverability. Right? Being on four platforms is better
than one or two, although not all platforms are equal, Facebook, for instance,
is way bigger than X. However, X does not limit your number of connections,
making it easier to reach more people than on, say, LinkedIn.
Authors
must know why they are on social media. It could be to:
·
Sell books
·
Get clicks on a web site
·
Promote a brand
·
Market a message
·
Build up a followership to monetize as an
influencer
·
Angle for a book deal
·
Sell some other product or service
·
Download a freebie
Authors
must also know what the people on social media seek to get out of being online
and interacting with you. In other words, for the people that you hope consume
and share your content, what is it like for them?
Why
should they like what you said – or be so impressed that they feel compelled to
share it with others? What would move them to comment on it? What is it that
makes them feel inspired/touched by your posts to buy a book?
What could you post on social media?
1.
Photos/illustrations/paintings
2.
Digital imagery
3.
Satirical or distorted images
4.
Memes
5.
Give-aways/offers of discounts and deals
6.
Infographics/charts/stats
7.
Links to blogs or other content by or
about you
8.
Links to content from other
people/sources
9.
Lists
10. Slideshows
11. Videos
12. Audios
13. Quotes, with or without your commentary
14. News of the day with or without your analysis
15. Jokes
16. Contests/awards
17. Press release announcements
18. Event notices
19. Fundraiser links
20. Recruitment/sign-up links
Will your content reflect:
·
Sentimentality
·
Counterintuitive views
·
Controversy
·
Outrage
·
Fear
·
Fun
·
Pride
·
Hope
·
Philosophy
·
Pets/animals
·
Family/friends
·
Love
·
Psychology
·
Faith
·
Finances
·
Charity
·
Sex/relationships
·
Sports
·
Politics
·
Disaster/death
·
Travel
·
Nature
·
Food
·
Health
·
Wellness
·
Entertainment
·
Beauty
·
How-to tips
·
Cultural arts
·
Predictions
·
Questions
·
Pronouncements
·
Secrets revealed
·
Opinions
·
Advocacy
·
Honoring a person, events, holiday, or anniversary
·
Complaints
The
list can go on. There is no end as to:
·
Which content you share
·
How often you share it
·
The ways you choose to present your
content
·
How people respond to your shares
There
is no formula for going viral, though I suspect it involves images of cute
dogs, hot bodies, and political mockery – or all three. But authors should know they need to embrace
social media and to use it purposefully with some urgency and creativity.
Need
Book Marketing 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 over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in
all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator!
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About Brian Feinblum
Brian Feinblum should be followed on LinkedIn. This is
copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2023. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now
resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue
dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The
Writer and IBPA’s The Independent. This
award-winning blog has generated over 3.4 million pageviews. With 4,600+ posts
over the past dozen years, it 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 2021 and 2018
as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by
www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades,
including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book
publicity firm, and two jobs at two independent presses, Brian has worked with
many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with
best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen,
Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard,
Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C.
Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He recently hosted a
panel on book publicity for Book Expo America, and has spoken at ASJA,
Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction
Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland)
Writers Association, APEX, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association.
His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal,
USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News
(Westchester) and The Washington Post. He has been featured in The
Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald. For more information, please consult:
www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum.
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