So, how does an author use social media to promote their books and brand themselves? Which networking platforms are the best to use? And how do you do it?
Would Your Time Be Better Spent Writing?
Every day, the typical person spends 2 hours and 25 minutes on social media. That’s a colossal waste of time. This corresponds to about 20 full work weeks each year.
To put these figures in context, if you spent that much time each day writing instead of scrolling around social media, you could probably write three whole books in a year (if you followed a good writing process).
So, it begs the question? Would your time be better spent writing? or is social media for authors worth it? Well, yes; and no!
Then, absolutely, authors require social media. They are one of the most efficient types of marketing nowadays and are utilized for book promotion. This is not to argue that books cannot be sold without the use of social media. There are undoubtedly individuals that do, but unless you truly know how to market, or if you’re lucky enough to get on the charts, building your author platform is your greatest hope for long-term literary success.
Do you want to make money by selling books? Do you want to earn a living by selling books? Then keep reading to learn more about social media authors use to sell their books!
It is becoming increasingly necessary for writers to have some form of online presence in an ever-expanding and ever-connected digital world. Because it is something you own and manage, the author platform is one of the most significant assets for a writer. It is not controlled by your company or publisher—you have complete control over the message, its content, and where it is delivered. Social media may be used for a multitude of objectives, including marketing yourself and your books, as well as engaging with and eventually building your following.
How to Promote Your Books
Marketing professionals are immersed in the worlds of marketing, content production, books (and publishing), and so on. They can tell authors a lot about what catches people’s attention. What actually counts in social media marketing for authors and aspiring writers?
Social media has changed the way books are promoted. You don’t have to rely on the traditional press system to properly launch a book: you’re not at the whim of a publisher that only advertises your book to a specific group of retailers, and you don’t need millions of dollars in marketing money to reach your aims. You can advertise your book to millions of prospective readers with a well-thought-out social media strategy and a little imagination and effort.
What Is The Significance Of Social Media For Authors?
I believe it was game designer and writer Jeff Tidball who stated that he sees Twitter as a watering hole for stay-at-home freelancers, and I believe he was correct. Because authors rarely have the opportunity to communicate with other writers, social networking fills that void. It’s a fantastic method to connect with, share with, and chat with other authors and creatives. It is critical for authors to network with other writers, even if they self publish. That’s how we gather comments on our books or figure out which bottle of bourbon to test. Previously, you had to attend conventions and conferences to do so.
Instagram is another medium with a sizable writer community. It is also critical to utilize hashtags on Instagram. Many of the same hashtags work, but I’d also include #writersofinstagram. Instagram, like many social media networks, has a dark side. Body image difficulties have arisen as a result of the variety of filters. Some of my pals don’t look like themselves anymore. You may, however, utilize it to your advantage and create an outstanding author picture.
Where Do You Proceed From Here After Working In Social Media For Writers?
If you were to ask me which social media platforms are ideal for writers and authors, I would choose Pinterest and YouTube. The rationale for this is that these two platforms bring in the appropriate quantity of traffic while also increasing at an exponential rate. Other social media platforms, like Facebook and Instagram, do not provide a comparable return on investment. These platforms take long to develop and produce little returns.
I’ve published articles, blogs, and even a section of my ebook about the importance of social media marketing and networking for freelance writers. Yes, it’s an excellent tool to get clients and network with other authors. However, there is another form of material and project for which firms pay authors, and that is for their social media accounts.
Social networking is an excellent tool for shy authors to network. If the word “networking” makes you cringe, you’ll appreciate social networking since you may come and go as you choose, and you can interact with individuals through the written word.
As An Author, How Do You Utilize #bookstagram?
Instagram is one of the most popular platforms for book authors to promote their work. They owe their gratitude to the hashtag #bookstagram, which links people who are talking about books and sharing their love of all things literary.
#bookstagram is a famous Instagram group where fans and authors share gorgeous photographs of books. If you’re a well-known author, it’s a terrific method to promote your novels. Personally, I prefer to utilize Instagram to engage with my followers in a more personal way while still giving pertinent platform updates. Many users with public Instagram accounts publish one or two photographs every day on average. However, you should feel free to experiment to find out what works best for you.
Writers And Social Media
Authors use social media to promote their books. They also devote time to engage with their fans and develop their brand. They not only create material for social media, but they also edit and publish pieces. This might indicate a lot more than you realize. For example, there is an ideal time to publish posts for each platform and audience, and the author of social media content must be aware of this. This is where tracking user involvement becomes critical. It’s also not only about daily schedules. It is also about how frequently you publish. There is a delicate line between publishing too much and not posting enough.
Many internet materials may be accessed through social media. They can assist you in spreading the word about your work. They may assist you in locating a support system, as well as editing and publishing your writing. Keep an eye out for a list of social networking sites for authors. Especially networks you believe will be useful to you.
Social Media For Authors And Writers
In general, social media is a cheerful and friendly environment for authors. But I have conflicting views about Facebook. It appears to have two sides to it. You have your personal feed on one side. For me, it largely comprises of other writers and authors, and most of them either don’t come by very often or come every day to moan about low sales.
For authors, social media has become an absolute requirement. It helps increase the internet visibility of your brand. The sheer number of social media platforms available is bewildering: WordPress, Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Pinterest, and many others.
The Most Effective Social Networking Platforms For Authors
In the previous 5-10 years, finding the finest social networking sites and discussion boards for authors has grown increasingly tough. It’s interesting how some really well-known sites suddenly vanished once Facebook ascended to the top of the mountain. You have to include Twitter, Linkedin, Pinterest, or Facebook in this list. We’ve all heard how effective these platforms are for marketing your platform and your work.
There are writers’ and authors’ social networks and websites, as well as discussion boards. These websites are important to writers for reasons other than marketing. Too often, we are just concerned with how to sustain ourselves through marketing, with little regard for other writers or even the websites that assist us in promoting our books and work. So go to these sites, become a part of their communities, and help them thrive as the finest social networking sites and discussion boards for writers on the Internet by enrolling and visiting them on a daily basis.
There Are Four Social Media Channels That Authors Should Think About Using To Market Their Work
Obviously, the best social media sites for authors are where the traffic is, and that is Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.
Some writers are concerned about their usage of social media. It’s no surprise that many of us are introverts by nature. We’d rather write behind a computer than advertise ourselves and our work. But the rewards outweight the risks. Using social media platforms may assist you in spreading the word about your work and so attracting more readers. And, in the end, more readers equals more purchases.
Unveiling of the Book Cover
The Internet is a visual environment. Posts containing photographs tend to be more well-received worldwide, making Instagram the ideal social networking platform for authors. Because guess what’s visually appealing: book covers. New, gleaming cards. Your book’s proof copy has arrived in the mail. Aesthetically pleasing. I’ve sold more books on Instagram than any other medium simply because people have fallen in love with my covers.
Twitter is an excellent medium for announcing book deals, new drawings, and book cover reveals. It draws attention to your submission by including an image of the book or a publisher’s announcement in the marketplace. Remember to tag your agency, publisher, or author group in order to earn some retweets. You can plan your postings ahead of time if you use a service like Tweetdeck or Hootsuite to schedule your tweets.
Instagram is a fantastic platform for exposing book covers. It’s all about the pictures and videos. Consider posting an Instagram post for your next book launch. By concealing the majority of the book cover and releasing a bit more each day, you can build anticipation until the whole book cover is revealed on launch day.
Writing Clubs On Facebook
Groups: Tell your Facebook pals what you’re up to, and you could get a suggestion for an assignment. Look for groups to join that are related to your interests. For freelance writer Melinda Schnyder of Wichita, Kansas, joining writer and entrepreneur Alexis Grant’s secret Facebook group “Rockin’ the side gig” paid off. “I saw in the group that the editor of a website that gives app reviews was searching for a staff writer,” Schnyder explains. Schnyder was able to break into a new writing area as a result of the assignment.
Facebook groups are another inventive approach for authors to use social media to get recognized and encouraged. Joining a Facebook writer’s group is an excellent method to connect and cooperate with other authors. You could even land your next writing job.
Writing groups on Facebook vary in size from small and private to enormous and vigorous. The themes and emphasis change, but the essential advantage stays the same: friendship with other authors.
On Facebook, there are some highly effective writing groups. Some of the writing organizations that have found a home on Facebook are kidlit411, ya book club, writer’s digest community, and nf 4nf. Joining a Facebook writing group is a terrific way to connect with other authors. Members of certain organizations are even encouraged to publish query letters and first pages for comments.
Although Instant Articles isn’t quite what publishers had hoped for, the technology has potential for authors. According to 2016 data, Facebook Instant Articles get 20% more hits and 30% more shares than regular articles. You may republish the material on Facebook’s native platform without it being labelled as duplicate content, just like you can on Pulse. Unlike Pulse, though, Facebook has created a number of connectors that let authors post more easily. Because of these interfaces with content and blogging platforms, it is no longer essential to recreate articles within Facebook.
Additionally, they make it simple for authors to post to Facebook’s native platform.
If you’re a writer or novelist, you should understand the significance of social media. There are so many social networks for writers and authors that newcomers are unsure which to utilize first. All the social networks listed here are excellent for writers and authors. So, what are you waiting for? Pick a social networking site and get started developing your personal brand. Then, pick another one.
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