You’ve carved out the time in your schedule for some online book marketing: great work!
Photo by George Pagan III
Now you find yourself staring the screen… wondering what the heck do I post on social media to promote my nonfiction book….?
When the crickets are chirping, this post is for you! Here’s some help for authors who are struggling with social media!
But First, Some General Social Media Tips:
a) Do this with as much joy & authenticity as possible. Post when you feel good… If you are posting out of a sense of obligation, that energy can carry through. Make sure the content you post is meaningful to both you and your audience in some way.
b) Consider planning out and creating multiple posts at a time. Unless you want to, there’s no need to work “post by post” – why not aim to create a few weeks’ worth (or even a month!) of social media content in one (or more) sitting(s), when your creative juices are flowing? This also gives you the chance to carefully spell check everything ahead of time. My friend and photographer Jennifer Squires Ross works with monthly themes when she’s planning out her social media schedule! What a great idea.
c) Frequency. How often should you post? It is really up to you. Whatever you decide about your posting frequency, just do your best to be consistent.
d) Get clear on (someone! from) your audience. Pick someone you really like from your real (or imaginary) audience, and pretend you’re talking directly to them. That will help you naturally and easily project professionalism and friendliness to those you want to attract.
e) In general, be concise! Science tells us that short is sweet. E.g., the sweet spot for Facebook posts is 40 characters (with spaces) or less. For Instagram research shows that “138–150 characters” is the way to go.
f) Relationships are everything. What is the point of social media, if not to connect meaningfully with people? Don’t forget to recognize and show enthusiasm for those who take time from their busy day to engage with your content.
g) Be Strategic: Figure out why you’re even doing all this in the first place… Instagram doesn’t allow clickable links in the posts (other than in your bio (or, now stories, if you happen to have a verified account), so if your main goal is to get people to your blog then Facebook is better for that. Instagram is better for building relationships through visual content. Also, study the demographics to make sure that the audience you want to reach is using the platform you choose.
h) Call to Action. On Facebook, you may be tempted to direct people to your book’s sales page every time you .. However, in some cases you’ll want to hold off, so people don’t get overwhelmed by too many options (e.g., for the question posts below).
i) Ask a few friends to regularly “like” and “comment” on your FB posts. This can give your posts a greater momentum over time, including older posts that can get “bumped up.”
Here we Go!
Social Media Post Ideas for Authors
1. Post links to your blog posts (with an image containing a quote from the blog)
I learned this simple tip from Mike Shreeve in one of his incredible programs. This is best for a FB post (since Instagram doesn’t allow clickable links in the post).
Write something like this:
[BLOG POST] “Voice Acting: Get the Gear you Need to Record Professional Voice Overs from Home”
If you are an actor wanting to earn money working from home, our blog post is worth a read! In it you’ll learn all the details you need to set up your own professional level recording studio in your own home.
Click here to read the post! https://www.getcleverabout.com/voice-overs/voice-acting-get-the-gear-you-need-to-record-professional-voice-overs-from-home
2. Ask for Input!
People really love to be asked for their opinions. For example, during the book design phase, I always recommend authors post images of their 2 favourite cover mockups to let fans potentially have some input. This also builds excitement for an upcoming launch! In my experience, people love to be asked questions about design– you will be amazed! Make sure to phrase your post as a question, e.g.,: “Which book cover design do you prefer, and why?”
3. Ask for Help
Very similar to the “Ask for Input” (above) is ask for help. So if you need some help, ask! For example, if you have a question about grammar or something related to your writing. Or a productivity question. People really perk up and resond when they are asked for help!
4. Other Questions: Ask Engaging Questions Related to your Subject
Did I say this already? People love to be asked questions. But not just any questions.
Opinions: As mentioned, ask people for their opinion about something (e.g., “What do you think about…?” “What would you do…?” “Which is your favorite…?” “Would you rather…”)
Trivia! Set up a regular (e.g., weekly) trivia post where you tickle people’s brains about your topics, and let people show off what they already know!
True or False? This is so fun!
Try this: set a time for 45 minutes, and type out as many questions as you can think of (keeping in mind you’ll want to find a potential image to accompany each!).
5. Show off a photo of your work area
For an easy “behind the scenes” post, show people a picture of where the magic happens!
6. Tag + Thank you Post!
I am in love with thanking people (the power of gratitude, generally!). Tag and thank people for all kinds of fun and exciting reasons like helping you reach important milestones, for inspiring you, for writing you a book review, or any reason at all you can think of!
Done sincerely, adding “thank you” into regular rotation on your social media platforms is a beautiful and effortless way to draw people into your online social life.
7. Book Blurb
Copy & paste an endorsement/testimonial of your book into a post, and find a way to turn it into a question (of course, if you don’t have any endorsements yet, please put this on your “to-do” list!)
8. Recycle someone’s comment into a new post
If someone posts a great comment or question on your page, find a way to turn it into a new post to potentially start a new discussion.
9. Share the Amazing Work of Other Authors
Helping incredible authors in your field (or people whose work is “peripheral” to yours) is so much fun. This is an easy post that feels good. It’s win/win.
When done freely and regularly, the benefits are so huge.
You can take this a step further and reach out to the person you’re promoting (e.g., on LinkedIn) to let them know what you love about what they’re doing and let them know you’re sharing their work! It will make their day. You are putting yourself on their radar in a positive way and before you know it, they may be following and promoting your work as well!
Just always remember that your primary goal here is to help your audience.
10. Random Page From Your Book Post:
Ask: What random page number would you like to see from my book [Book Title Here]?” Then randomly choose one person’s answer and post a screenshot of that page or screen (or a photo of your hand holding your book to that page)! Easy and fun.
11. Individual Greetings (Groups)
Do you have a Facebook group built around your topic (highly recommended as an audience building tool)? When someone joins, greet and welcome them individually! A personal welcome can really have an impact on someone who is interested in you and your work, and gives you an opportunity to connect with them personally.
12. Story Post
Although most of your posts will be short and concise (see above), people love stories: write a longer post that tells an intriguing story, e.g., about the “why” behind your book.
Do this once a month or once a week even!
Example: [INTRO] “X years ago when I was just starting out in voice acting and I had no idea how much I had yet learn still…” [MIDDLE] “I resourcefully created a home recording studio in my basement, no realizing…” [CONCLUSION] “And now I know better! What mistakes have you made with recording? [CALL TO ACTION (optional)] If you want to learn how to avoid the most common voice recording mistakes at home, you will love my book.
Goal? Get people interested in you and your book in an engaging way (people love stories!)
Bonus: Make it about a time you really screwed up! People will fall in love with you when you make yourself vulnerable, and it shows how confident you really are now. How did you overcome the problem?
Post Image Ideas: Post a dorky picture of you when you were younger. People love to see faces, period. People love authenticity, period.
Call to Action: Not every post needs to end with a call to action to buy your book – why not ask people to tell you about something specific from their own experience?
Conclusion
In keeping with who you are, don’t be afraid to be a bit wacky! A very good friend of mine (Lili!) gave me this amazing piece of business advice when I was launching my first business: don’t be boring.
These tips can get you going when you’re not sure how to engage with and build your community.
Above all, have fun with it!