Should a self-published book author have social media platforms set up for help with publicity and book marketing?
Yes. Self-published authors should seek out numerous and varied opportunities to be seen and heard by various audiences. At our firm, Annie Jennings PR, we encourage authors to build out social media platforms on the more influential and popular social site such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube and LinkedIn. If the topic allows, the author could also start a TV channel perhaps on Twitch.TV.
Self-published authors should commit to a schedule of social posting
Be reasonable with yourself and your commitments. There are many things an author has to do each day to further their book promotion not to mention their other responsibilities to their job and family. The important consideration for the self-published author is to decide on the amount of time they have to spend on their marketing. For social media, it would be nice to be posting every day but given a hectic schedule, setting a more reasonable schedule that the author can commit to makes more sense. Just do what you can, but do it well.
Keep up with the Jones (and other self-published books)!
While it is not imperative or even necessary to post everyday, be consistent in your social media. It is better to be current in your social media as this shows you are engaged, have high energy and are committed to your book marketing as well as your community. A staggered posting history suggests there might be other problems going on such as over-whelme or an inability to organize.
Know what message you send with your online presence.
As with all online strategy, you can be evaluated by how you present yourself online. Your community knows you by what you show them. If you show them high quality posts, they will be more likely to view you favorably however, if you are inconsistent or drab in your sharing, appearing as if you really did not care about the quality, they may decide you are not worth further engagement on their end.
When I visit a new client’s website I check out some vulnerable areas for them. I view it as my job to help our clients become as successful as possible for them. If I notice their social media is falling far behind or their blog posts are not relatively current, I would advise them to bring these up to date.
Everything online about the author sends a message. I advise authors to package themselves the way they want to be seen. Consistency is the key. If you are unable to keep up with all of the social media platforms, just set them up as your time allows. In fact, since your social presence is very important to you, your book, your sales and the ability to attract new opportunities to yourself, it’s better to set up a reasonable schedule that works for you. Some authors hire an assistant to keep the flow going for them and this is not a bad idea. Plus you can schedule posts for later in the day or week so perhaps a little help via an assistant might work out well for you.
If you love the camera, why not try Youtube videos?
This social platform works great with the author creating HOW TO videos that show the viewers how to do something correctly. An example could be, let’s say your book is on quilting, you can create a series of videos demonstrating the various components of quilting. And if your book is an ‘all they need to know about quilting’ type of book, sharing some tips via video might entice viewers to buy your book right away so they have access to all of your tips pronto.
For me, I would release a video a week or every two weeks to be consistent, then share via social media the video has just been posted and include a link to the video. I would also be sure the description section below the video reveals more about the content of the book, what’s in it for the readers, how to buy your book and how to contact you if they would like to work with you or invite you to provide lessons, a class or workshop. I always include our website and my email just to make it nice and easy for an interested person to connect with me.
After all, isn’t that the end game – attracting new clients, readers or opportunities with our social sharing?
