Social Media Strategy: 3 Simple Ways to Jumpstart Your Author Presence

Social Media Strategy: 3 Simple Ways to Jumpstart Your Author Presence. Ready to dive in?

You’re in the throes of writing your book: first drafts… edits… revisions… you name it. And now you have to think about how to market and sell your book to your ideal reader. How do you make those deeper connections utilizing social media? Well, it's time to set your intentions and start developing a social media strategy that will work for you.

Building your social media strategy doesn’t have to be intimidating – it doesn’t even have to be time-consuming. The trick is learning how to develop a sustainable strategy that works for you, so you can make impactful connections with your ideal readers. Because the reality is… you have to have a presence on social media to remain relevant in the conversation. 

Read on to learn the 3 key strategies to jumpstart your author presence on social media:

3 Simple Ways to Jumpstart Your Author Presence using Social Media

1. Pick a Social Media Platform

• Choose one (or two) platform that you’re comfortable with. It’s better to do well in just one than spread your presence too thin. Too many authors think they need to be on every single platform, but that's an overwhleming and unrealistic goal.
• Select a platform based on the authors you follow and enjoy. Remember, you need to be enjoying the platform you're using, don't pick Instagram if you don't like taking photos and videos. Be mindful about common interests and goals. Follow… engage… grow organically.
• Be knowledgeable. The top 3 platforms for the writing community include Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (and the new up and coming platform is Tik Tok and using the trending hashtag amongst authors #BookTok). 
• PRO TIP: Do not ever pay for followers. Ever. Also, don't fall into the follow-trains, like-for-like, or follow-for-follow gimics. Your time is valuable and not only is this a mega time-waster, but you'll end up with followers that don't care about you, your message, or your book! Mama told you not to take shortcuts and we are doing the same!

2. Engage with your audience

• To build your organic audience, start by research authors in your genre. Engage with them. Comment on their content and seek out their other forms of marketing (podcasts, videos, blogs, etc.)
• Commit to 15-20 minutes a day of external engagement. Simply put, you can have the world’s most beautiful content, but if you’re not spending the time engaging with others, the organic growth you seek will not happen. 
• Hashtags are key. Research relevant hashtags in your genre. Create a cheat sheet that caters to the audience you’re hoping to reach with each post. 
• PRO TIP: Meaningful engagement matters. Don't post emoji comments and expect to build a core audience you actually connect with. Truly engage with other authors and your followers, the work you put in will pay off. You're building relationships!

3. Post your content

• Utilize programs that allow you to schedule your posts in advance (Later, Hootsuite, Facebook Business Suite, etc.). Avoid posting on Fridays and weekends. The best time to post is mid-morning Monday – Thursday. However, you should always test the best time of day to post for your followers, it might be different!
• The sweet spot is three posts per week. For every one post that promotes your book, you should have two posts that focus on other parts of your writing journey. PRO TIP: Don't post too many external links, Facebook's algorithms in particular do not like them unless you're paying for an ad. 
• Always consider your brand. Your branding is what will sell your book. Be authentic. Try to keep your aesthetics consistent in theme, font, color palate, and tone. Your most recent post should tie-in or build upon your last post. Every post should have an action item. Ask or tell your reader what you want them to do with the information you’ve posted. 
• PRO TIP: Be Real. Be Authentic. A great way to make deeper connections is by posting content that celebrates in your individuality, creativity, and authentincity. The world is full of superficial content, give your readers something valuable that they can relate with.

To jumpstart the organic social media growth you seek, follow these strategies. Make the deeper connections, make an impact with your outreach, and have fun! After all, it’s about the journey – not the end result.

Social Media Strategy: 3 Simple Ways to Jumpstart Your Author Presence Article by: Julie Navickas Burning Soul Press Public Relations Manager in collaboration with DeShea Bentley Burning Soul Press Branding Impact Manager

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