Choosing the right online platforms to promote a new book is like choosing the right location for a satellite dish. The right location will ensure that there is no interference with the broadcasts that you receive. In the same way, the right online platform will enable you to reach millions of potential readers. You will be able to broadcast a clear communication that your book is relevant and ready for your audience. And if you are strategic with your use of online platforms, you can reach a large number of people with a small amount of effort.
To promote your book, you must be able to make a loud and clear declaration that it exists. The easiest, most effective way to do this is via the internet. But the internet can consume your time quicker than a black hole consumes light. So, to get the biggest return on your time investment, target one or two online platforms to promote your book. Wherever you are most active or comfortable is a good place to start. But the platform where your posts are going to get the most visibility should be your top consideration.
Following is a brief overview of the most popular online platforms:
If you have a lot of Twitter followers, you can certainly send tweets about your book. However, tweets are like raindrops in a river. Tweets move so fast downstream that your tweet will be buried in a flood of other tweets in a matter of minutes.
The lifespan of a tweet is about 15 minutes – and that’s on the generous side.
Facebook is a great place to share posts about your new book. Be sure to post the announcement about your book launch to your timeline. Join Facebook groups that are relevant to your genre and that permit marketing among its membership.
Posts remain visible to your Facebook followers longer than they will to your Twitter followers. On Facebook, the lifespan of a new post is about five to six hours.
Instagram provides wonderful opportunities to promote a new book. You can create images, stories, and IGTV videos. Create visually captivating images, fun, short videos, and short blurbs about your book. Use hashtags and keywords in your descriptions to attract people who search for content like yours and to build your following.
The lifespan of an image or video posted on Instagram is about 24 hours.
Use Pinterest to grow your audience and direct them to your website where you should feature your book. To maximize your Pinterest strategy, learn how to create attractive rich pins (YouTube video link). You can create rich pins and provide links to online retailers where your book is being sold. You must have a Pinterest business account to create rich pins.
Also, create personal boards with keywords in the title and the descriptions. Be sure to include keyword-rich descriptions on all your pins. Then join relevant and active group boards. By doing this, you will be able to get your book before thousands of people on different boards.
Pinterest pins have a long lifespan. Pins can get shared for years after they have been created and pinned to a board.
Maximize the Power of Online Platforms with Auto-schedulers
Auto-schedulers like Hootsuite, Buffer, and Tailwind are great tools to help you reach a lot of people with minimal effort. Create several posts and pins and place them on the scheduler of your choice. For efficient use of your time, stockpile a week to 30 days’ worth of content. Certainly, you could manually post and pin, but that will become a full-time job in and of itself.
Buffer and Tailwind are auto-schedules that offer looping. Looping is a feature that gives you the ability to post or pin a graphic one time and then have your content shared endlessly as it is “looped” back into the cue at the end of each cycle. Truly, this is a great timesaver.
Pinterest no longer allows its members to auto-schedule pins through Buffer. Instead, you must use Tailwind on Pinterest.
Develop a Strategy and Schedule that Works for You
Your efforts to promote your book online will be successful if you put in the time and effort. When you choose the online platforms that work for you, be consistent with your activity. Engage with your followers. Share your content and share the content of other people. And don’t hesitate to engage with people whose content is similar to yours. When you spread your positive vibrations around, they are sure to bounce back to you.
Some versions of Proverbs 18:24 say that if you want friends, you must first be friendly. This is as true for social media engagements as it is for in-person interactions. So be genuine just as you would be if you were interacting face-to-face. No one wants a fake friend, even online.
Your activity on your online platforms will result in your successfully promoting your book. And you could develop some really great friendships along the way. Without a doubt, the rewards of your success will far exceed profits from book sells.
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Additional Resources:
Budget-Friendly Strategies to Promote A New Book
A New Author’s Guide to Choosing Budget-Friendly Book Promotion Sites
Why You Need Your Own Website and Email List to Promote a New Book
