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Get To Grips With Social Media And Sell More Books

By on March 4, 2017
Get To Grips With Social Media And Sell More Books - WritersLife.org

Once your book is ‘out there’ you’ll no doubt want to do everything in your power to sell as many copies as possible and to build your fanbase.

Most authors know that when it comes to marketing your book, using social media is unavoidable. Many authors shy away from social media channels - if they aren’t used to using them regularly in their personal lives, or simply just don’t feel comfortable promoting themselves in this way, trying to increase your books saleability via these social media can be daunting.

However, doing it right can see a huge increase in the number of books sold as well as giving authors the ability to connect to a huge potential readership that otherwise they might not have been able to reach.

When it comes to social media much of it is about trial and error, and simply testing different methods to see what works and doesn’t. In all cases however, really trying to understand your audience is key.

Make a profile of your ideal reader and really get to know them. Who are they? Where do they come from? What other books do they like to read? How often do they read? Why do they like to read? Do they like to be thrilled? Do they like to get lost in another world? Do they want to be challenged? Knowing your audience will help you create successful, targeted social media campaigns that will help you sell more books.

Make connections and give your readers something they need. Promoting your work on social media is important, as without awareness you can’t expect people to buy your book. However, there is a fine line between making readers aware of your book and becoming annoying and pushy in which case you will immediately be dismissed. Doing social media right is a balancing act, you need to give your audience what they want, answer their questions, solve their problems, make them laugh, and give them information that they find valuable and interesting. Being overly promotive seems desperate and is totally off-putting.

Make sure you connect your social media accounts to your book. If readers decide they do want to buy your book they want to be able to do it fast. Make it easy for them to find a link to buy your book straight from your social media account. If you can make this process as smooth and streamlined as possible you are minimising the risk of them changing their minds.

You can use different social media channels to experiment with different ways to try and sell your book. Create a book trailer or an author Q & A on YouTube, create a targeted Facebook ad, use Twitter to tease readers with lines from your book, or create an Instagram account with pictures of what inspires you as a writer.

If you are going to choose one social media platform to concentrate on, choose Facebook. Here you can create an author page, you can set up and promote events such as books signings, you can create targeted advertisements, upload videos and pictures, and create buttons which can link to where fans can buy your book. Facebook is by far the most effective platform for selling books so if you want to get to grips with social media, this is the place to start.

The power of social networking and using social media to promote your work is pretty huge. It takes time and dedication to become impressive and impactful when using social media, but if you are willing to put the effort in, it can be an excellent way marketing your book and taking your writing to the next level.

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

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