Social media marketing is fun if you can get all its elements right. With over 4.6 billion active social media users, Facebook or Instagram book marketing can skyrocket your book sales and make you more efficient and successful as an author.
However, social media marketing is a beast and can take a lot of your time in planning and execution. Besides, there are so many platforms and opportunities. Choosing the right social media platforms for authors might get a bit overwhelming.
We have constructed this blog to help self-publishing authors understand social media in 2023. We will show the best social media platforms for writers and tips to make your strategy work on each platform.
Best Social Media Marketing Platforms for Authors in 2023
Social media is a perfect tool for both personal and professional reasons. It not only helps you keep in touch with your readers but also shows them your personal side, a part of you that is beyond your self-published books.
While there are many social media platforms, writers can benefit the most from the following ones.
Instagram for Writers in 2023
Instagram is probably one of the best book marketing platforms for authors in 2023 as it has the right balance between visual elements and text.
You can turn anything into a post, carousel, reel, or story.
The books you read convinced you to become an author.
Your all-time favorite dialogues from your previous books.
A place, real-life incident, or a person that inspired you to write your book.
Your safe haven for writing your book.
Your self-publishing strategy.
And more.
You can turn anything into an Instagram post.
With Canva, you can simply create compelling posts in a matter of a few minutes. And as a writer, writing the caption should come quite easily for you.
We have curated an exclusive blog on Instagram Book Marketing for authors; you can read it here.
You can also read our blog, “Five Instagram Tools for Authors to Boost Book Sales in 2023.” The features and functionalities of the Instagram marketing tools provide different automated advantages for authors, such as direct Instagram publishing, hashtag analytics, caption ideas, smart post scheduling, and more.
Instagram’s Explore feature helps people follow new accounts based on their searches, likes, existing following list, and other interests.
If you use hashtags the right way, add a great caption, and update your bio accurately, there’s a chance readers will discover you too.
You can also create ads or turn your existing posts into promotional content through Instagram Paid Advertising and reach target readers more quickly.
Facebook Book Marketing for Self-Publishing Writers
Despite all the Meta problems, Facebook is still the most popular social media platform for collaboration and communication. And unlike Instagram, which caters to a younger crowd, Facebook has users across all demographics.
Facebook book marketing will be better for you if your book’s target audience is older, say 45 and over.
Besides, Facebook offers diverse options for self-publishing authors. You can not only create an author page but also join Facebook Groups specific to your interests.
For instance, if that’s children’s book is your genre, you can join an Author Group for Children’s Book. Or, become a part of groups that focus on kids, such as Mommy forums, Parenting groups, etc., to expand your audience reach.
Joining Facebook Groups is the perfect way to get the right exposure when you are just starting as an author.
For a seasoned author, a Facebook Author Page gives you more control over your posts.
You can share anything and everything on your Authors Page, including news about your upcoming books, events, contests and giveaways, website link to seasonal discounts on your books, upcoming titles, live reading sessions, and more.
Like Instagram, Facebook also allows creating and sharing of Organic and Paid Content.
With paid content, you can improve your chances of getting noticed amidst the vastness of the Facebook universe. Facebook book marketing premium features give you the option to create multiple paid content, such as Video ads, Photo ads, Messenger ads, Story ads, Carousel ads, and Slideshow Ads.
LinkedIn Book Marketing for Non-Fiction Book Publishing
While most book marketing strategies focus on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, for a non-fiction book, LinkedIn could be a more valuable networking and advertising tool in 2023.
LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional social networking site that can help you in your book publishing journey.
If you have written a marketing book, published a self-help book, or thinking of issuing a textbook on a less familiar subject that will benefit a niche group of students, talk about it on LinkedIn.
If you want to leverage LinkedIn Book Marketing for Non-Fiction Book Authors, read this blog.
Our blog provides Book Marketing strategies and tips for LinkedIn that will improve your presence as a thought leader, eventually increasing your book sales.
Twitter for Authors
You will be surprised to learn how cool and effective Twitter could be for book marketing in 2023.
Since Twitter is completely text-based, it is an ideal social media platform for authors. But it is also one of the popular channels that will shine in 2023.
Despite the limited word count, it creates an exceptional impression on readers. You don’t have to be creative. You just have to be crisp and informational.
Twitter surely teaches people how to filter unnecessary information and arrive straight to the point.
Additionally, the social media platform for authors not only helps you practice your writing skills but also supports you in book marketing.
Twitter offers paid marketing, allowing you to promote your book in several ways.
Social Media Marketing Tips for Twitter
- Post every day, even twice or thrice a day.
- Post about anything under the sky. However, ensure it is niche relevant, informational, and worthy of people’s time.
- Example: Post your thoughts, quotes from favorite books, information about your latest book and upcoming title, and other feelings.
- Retweet other authors’ content.
- Use writing-related hashtags to increase your discoverability.
- Reply to people who tweet about you and your book.
- Use Video ads to create trailers of your book, Moments ads to tell a story or describe your books through a series of Tweets, Followers ads to promote an account, Amplify ads to pair your posts with that of top publishers and authors to get the required limelight, and Twitter takeover to be on Twitter’s Trend list.
- You also have the standard Image ads, Carousel ads, and Text ads to your advantage.
Goodreads for Authors
It is THE PLATFORM for Authors, Writers, Poets, Self-Publishers, and Readers.
Unfortunately, with the advent of Facebook and the likes, we have forgotten all about Goodreads’ goodness when it comes to book marketing via social media. Goodreads is a social media platform designed only for writers. It is a go-to place for authors, readers, reviewers, editors, and book publishing companies and exists only to connect readers with their authors and vice-versa.
You can register on this platform as a reader or an author. While the former gives you the authority to review and rate books, the latter offers more perks.
When you sign up for Goodreads Author Program, you get to use all the exclusive features otherwise unavailable for readers, such as Goodreads advertising tools.
Since Amazon owns Goodreads, your ranking on Goodreads will determine your position on Amazon. It directly correlates to whether your book will be a bestseller on Amazon.
However, to join Goodreads as an author, you must have a book published or a soon-to-be-published book added to Goodreads’ database. Once your profile is verified, it will be displayed with an official Goodreads Author Badge.
How to Use Goodreads for Book Marketing?
- To get discovered, update your profile and keep your information latest.
- Stay active. Answer the questions in the “Ask the Author” section. This will help you connect with potential readers and open up opportunities to talk more about your book.
- Read, review, and rate books of fellow authors. Readers like it when their favorite authors have their own favorites and recommend books besides their own.
- You can also use Goodreads Advertising Tools to run giveaways (Kindle Book Giveaway and Print Book Giveaway) and promote your books across a wide audience niche.
- NOTE: Make sure you tell your readers to post their Goodreads review and Amazon review individually.
Wrapping Up
So, you might want to know how many social media platforms you should pick for book marketing in 2023.
Realistically speaking, we recommend only one platform and use its features and tools optimally to drive the best results.
You might have the urge to stay active across all platforms. But that will make you manage multiple accounts without mastering none. Truthfully, being a jack of all trades wouldn’t work in book marketing. You have to master one by giving your full attention there.
Don’t have time for social media marketing for your book? Our standalone self-publishing packages for writers can maximize your efforts and minimize your workload. Have a look at them here.
Though we have provided a guidebook on how self-publishing a book works, you may need help with certain elements, such as social media marketing, book cover designing, website development, and other nitty-gritty.
But if the idea of buying a fixed-publishing package for only one solution sounds expensive, we would be happy to customize the package for you and fit it right into your budget.
Have a happy and successful new year, 2023.
