SAVAGE EDITS

Many indie authors begin the journey of self-publishing a book because they love to write. So the dire importance of marketing can come as a shock. Completing a manuscript is an important milestone, but it is still far from the end of the road. Marketing your book is one of the most important steps along the way. And developing a successful schedule on social media, for writers, can be a steep learning curve.

Thankfully, we are here to guide you along the way. Let’s look at the five key social media platforms and learn how to utilise them for the purpose of marketing your book.

Marketing your book on Facebook

Facebook is one of the big three social medias that every writer needs. Not only does it have a large user base, but Facebook also has a wide demographic. From teenagers to middle-agers to grandparents, most people have a profile. And its reach extends all over the world.

Around 1.66 billion people log in to Facebook every day.

Those are all your potential readers. We highly recommend you create an author page on Facebook. Some decide to use their individual Facebook profile to market their book. While this technique can allow a personal touch, it can also be seen as less professional and restricting. And it’s not always wise to mix business with your personal life. That is, after all, what marketing your book is – a business.

By creating an author page, you give readers a place to engage with you, as a writer, and your books. You can post anything. Just keep in mind your target audience. Make it relevant and engaging. You might update your readers on the progress of your latest book. Or write about a recent indie author convention. Or comment on the latest events in your genre. Your fans can then get in touch by liking, commenting, sharing, and posting on your page. That’s how your community grows.

You can also consider making a Facebook Group. This connects you with other authors as well as fans. It might be a group based on your book genre. Or maybe it’s for beginner writers. Or perhaps it has a particular purpose like promotion or asking questions about the self-publishing process. This is another great way to expand your audience.

A writer who has mastered Facebook marketing: Paulo Coelho.

Marketing your book on Twitter

Twitter is all about quick, snappy, and immediate content. It focuses on what’s happening right now. If you use it correctly, you can ride the fast-flowing wave. But it’s also easy to get swept away and forgotten. Most social media marketers recommend for writers to post 2-3 times more on Twitter than they do on Instagram or Facebook. That’s because you need to write regular Tweets to stay at the top of people’s feeds.

Twitter has more than 330 million active users.

Don’t get lost in that huge crowd but master the art of witty and relevant Tweeting. More than any other platform, Twitter is about trends. Know what is trending and why. And if you can link a trending hashtag to your writing, your books, your genre, your brand, all the better.

You’ll be surprised at how many literature-related holidays are celebrated on social media for writers. For example:

#worldpoetryday on March 2

#worldbookday on April 13

#bookloversday on August 9

And be aware of yearly trends that last for weeks. Like #IndieApril which celebrates and supports indie authors for a whole month of the year. Or #nanowrimo which reminds us about National November Writing Month, when we’re encouraged to write a whole book in one month. Don’t let these events go unnoticed! Jump on the trend, write a Tweet, link it back to your book.

An important part of Twitter is its follow-for-follow culture. Users mutually build each other’s communities through an unspoken agreement of following back a new follower. That’s why #writerslift is another significant hashtag. Use it to post a link to your book, follow other writers, and invite them to follow you back. That’s a common way to grow your author and reader community on Twitter.

A writer who has mastered Twitter marketing: JK Rowling.

Marketing your book on Instagram

As you already know, Instagram is all about pictures. It is the social platform most focused on visual marketing. And it is the platform that is absolutely vital for targeting a younger audience. On Instagram, your content must transform from words to images. Thankfully, creating aesthetic and engaging posts can be a lot of fun. Instagram is easy to use and gets you easily addicted.

Be creative with your designs. Whether they are words from your manuscript. Or quotes from inspirational authors. Or pictures that relate to your genre. Or photos of your newest book cover. Instagram is not just for artists and photographers. It is also a fantastic social media for writers. Through Instagram, you can artistically develop your book’s brand through colour schemes. You can also give insight into the background work behind your writing in progress. So your audience gets the personal touches of your real life filtered through the romantic hues of life as a writer.

Instagram has 1 billion active users.

That makes it another unmissable social media platform for any writer. It’s always a great place for promotions, sales, and giveaways. When marketed well, those offers really jump out on an Instagram feed. And with such intimate insights as Instagram Stories and Instagram Live, many authors develop a very tight-knit community. They invite their audience into their everyday lives, both showing the development of their writing and their life beyond it. Post photos of your dog relaxing with you at the end of the day. Show them the walk you took at lunch. Snap the sunset outside your window. Let your audience see the life outside of what you’re selling. After all, that is part of your brand too.

A writer who has mastered Instagram marketing: Rupi Kaur. 

Marketing your book on Goodreads

Goodreads is a social platform literally made for writers. It is built to connect authors and readers. The role of readers is to rank writers and their books. They can then share their ratings and reviews with friends and the public. For beginner writers, this can lead to brilliant exposure. Many readers want to find hidden gems. So if you’re a budding author, you can benefit from being on the first steps of your rise to fame!

Goodreads has more than 20 million members.

Most of those members are readers looking for new books! It is important to note that this social media is owned by and connected to Amazon. So your ranking on this platform can directly influence your book sales. High ratings will improve your chance of becoming an Amazon Best Seller. Especially as KDP author, making the most of a Goodreads account can make all the difference.

The author program on Goodreads is also great for advertising. It allows you to control adverts, target your readership, and make a profit from each click. The platform embraces the promotion of the self-publishing business. It understands the importance of marketing your book as a professional author.  And it helps you create giveaways and promos to spread awareness and gather your audience.

A writer who has mastered Goodreads marketing: James Patterson. 

Marketing your book on Pinterest

Pinterest has always been an important platform for businesses. It is the perfect space for buying and selling. Ultimately, growing your audience and readership is for the purpose of you selling and them buying your book. Pinterest is an underrated social media gem that can make that goal even more possible. Product Pins directly lead your followers to the checkout page where they can buy your book.

Every month, 335 million people use Pinterest.

Pinterest is far less fast-paced than other social medias. It is not especially social. You create a post, and indeed, like a pinned post-it note, it stays put in one place. Then you will experience a steady stream of views. Likes and comments do not all come at once. Nor do you have to stay updated and current. The platform times the flow of traffic for you. So you can just create a pin and step back. Pinterest is, for sure, the most low maintenance of the social medias. But, for this reason, it is widely underestimated. And if you can learn how to utilise Pinterest as an author, you will already be ahead of the crowd.

A writer who has mastered Pinterest marketing: Sylvia Day.

Now you know the top five social media platforms for writers and have created an account and a page for each, there is one thing left to do…

Engage!

The trouble with this final step is that engagement is not a one-time activity. It requires daily effort. Your interactions with others need to be regular and consistent. It simply takes time. In the world of marketing, many will pay for promoted posts and more followers. And true, this is one way to lessen the amount of time spent on social media. But not everyone can afford it as an option.

Luckily, there is one thing nobody can buy – your organic and authentic voice. You are a real thinking and thriving person. You are not a bot. So you can organically engage with your audience on social media. Reply with specific and genuine comments. Find the readers and other authors who interest you most. Engage with posts that inspire you and stir you and make you laugh. That is what you need to do. Every day.

Marketing Services: Social Media for Writers

As you might have guessed by now, marketing your book takes a lot of time and effort. And every minute spent on it is another minute you aren’t writing. You are the writer. That’s what you should be focused on, writing. Social media for writers doesn’t always come easily. If you see it as a necessary evil rather than a fun past time, consider hiring a social media marketer.

At Savage Edits, we have a brilliant team of social media experts who invest the time and commitment needed to market your book online. You don’t pay for inauthentic bots. Instead, you work with a real person with a natural and personal voice who can organically grow your community for you. Which gives you more time to work on your next book. Get in touch to find out more.

For more advice on marketing, read our article How to Self-Publish a Book: The Ultimate 10-Step Guide.