A free guide on how to use social media to promote you and your book
By Charlotte Whitehead
We’ve heard it time and again. Riddled with websites detailing what to do when it comes to promoting your book, we can often feel daunted by all the advice presented to us. Marketing your book should not have to be stressful, it should be fun and care-free, making your book easily accessible to a host of web users. So, the question is, ‘how does one go about promoting a book?’ Have you tried everything but nothing seems to be working? If this is the case, don’t give up just yet! social media guru and intern at Mardibooks, Charlotte Whitehead, has some top tips when it comes to book promotion on social media.
‘we can often feel daunted by all the advice presented to us’
PRESENTATION
First of all, it’s all about your own presentation. If you haven’t read my previous blog about presentation on social media, then have a look here: http://www.mardibooks.com/7372-2/
We can and should CHOOSE how to present ourselves. Whether that be quirky, professional, fun or geeky. So, the first step is to align the presentation of your book with the presentation of yourself. If your book is an adventure story, chronicling the wild, unstoppable actions of a young hero/heroine, then match that with your own adventures. Where did the idea come from? Does the hero/heroine mirror you in any way? Write a short biography either on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Instagram, detailing how the story was born, how the characters do/don’t resemble you, what themes you like to explore in your writing, and what you would like to write in the future. People who like your profile and the way you present yourself will usually have a look at your books.
So, the first step is to write a biography for yourself – keep it short and sweet, don’t go over 100 words. Get a friend/relative to read through it, and put it up with some quotes and a link to your book(s) and maybe a photo of yourself too. People like biographies that will grab their attention in the first sentence, sometimes even the first word, so make it snappy and try to be as creative as possible! It’s not always about unlocking the world the author has created, it’s also important to find out more about the person behind that world.
‘photos are sometimes easier than words’
PICTURES
When it comes to promoting your book, whether this is your first, second, or one hundredth, people LOVE pictures! If you haven’t got Instagram yet, make sure you download it on any kind of Smartphone or Apple device (and follow Mardibooks !!). It’s not just for the young and active, taking photos of every single meal they eat, it can be for ANYONE and it can be a great tool for promotion. Take a snap of you writing, the cover of your book, illustrations (if you have any), a photo of your favourite place to write – anything and everything will be of interest to readers and writers alike. Instagram is also great for networking with other writers/publishers. Depending on who you follow, people from all over the world can see the photos of your latest novel, and it’s a great way to meet new writers.
So… if you haven’t got the app – download it now and get snapping! Similarly, if you’re an avid Facebook and Twitter user, why not add a couple of photos to your wall with a link to your book? Photos are sometimes easier than words, as the famous saying goes, ‘a picture says a thousand words’. So, don’t be afraid to combine pictures AND words – the more information you give out, the more publicity you will receive. If you’re worried about clogging up your friends’ newsfeeds with all your promotional stuff, then I would advise you to create a separate Facebook page solely for the marketing of your books. That way, you can invite friends/family members and other publishing companies to like your page and gain interest that way.
MARDIBOOKS
Don’t hesitate to use our services at Mardibooks. My job is to promote books and I do this every day via Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, blogs and LinkedIn. It is time consuming, but worth it when we receive such positive feedback and happy clients after their book has sold well. If you would like to write a blog, if you would like to send me some tweets to promote, pictures of your book or something to share on Facebook, then feel free to get in touch with the Mardibooks team (email: hello@mardibooks.com)
‘nothing is easier than promoting your book via social media’
OTHER
Starting your own blog or website can be a great way to promote your book. Complete with photos (I can’t emphasise this enough!), quotes from your book, links to your other works, and anything and everything else. Make the website/blog your own. Be unique and experimental, add a promotional video of your book linked to YouTube; write some top tips on how you started writing; vlog (video blog) about your latest books. I know it may seem crazy to think about how much technology has advanced, but it’s easy to jump on the band-wagon and enjoy the fun! Nothing is easier than promoting your book via social media.
There are SO many available promotional tools via social media that are all FREE! Please make the most out of them. Don’t let your book fall by the wayside just because you’ve been too lazy to download new apps or take some photos. These top tips are EASY and can really help you and your book. So, start thinking of some new blogs to write and some distinct camera angles – you’ve got nothing to lose when it comes to book promotion, it’s all at your fingertips.
If you’re struggling to get your head around Facebook/Twitter/Instagram, then read this guide on ways to help: http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/getting-started/
Not enough info? Mardibooks team up with Amazon UK in order to publish all our amazing books! So, have a read of their guide too: http://amazonauthorinsights.com/?ref_=em_kdp_mar
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