What is that authors want most? Other than being able to create and express themselves, they often want validation for their months (sometimes years) of blood sweat and tears that went into bringing their literary work to life.
Though not all authors write and publish \” for the money,\” books sales are an important in the eyes of publishers, bookstores and sites like Amazon. The world of book sales is a crowded and busy place, so how can authors get their work in front of the eyeballs of their ideal customer?
Social Media.
Once considered an \”add-on\” to any marketing plan, social media is now a huge part of ALL marketing plans for business great or small. Love it or hate it, sites like blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram are effective tools for raising awareness because…that\’s where buyers are hanging out.
Social media is a fantastic tool to help start conversations with prospects and customers. However, if those customers don’t transition to your website then you may not be reaching your sales and marketing goals. A few tweaks to your social media strategy may help you gain the traffic you desire.
#1 Make Your Content Searchable
Sites like Twitter allow you to include tags in your posts, aka hashtags#. Pinterest allows you to identify categories and include tags. Use these features in your post so that your prospects can readily find your information. This simple tactic will help attract more people to your social media profile and subsequently more people to your website. Some of the more popular hashtags include #Amazonbook, #kidlit (for children\’s books) #Iamwriting #authorlife #must #read and the whatever genre your book is in (#YA, #thriller #western #romance)
#2 Obvious Contact Information
You might be surprised how many business owners have social media pages and profiles but their website address is a real challenge to find. It’s a simple thing; make sure your URL, email address, and even your phone number are on your site. Be completely transparent so prospects feel comfortable trusting you. Additionally, the more obvious your URL is, the more likely a prospect is to click on it and visit your website.
Side Note: Magazine writers are always looking for possible interviewees for featured stories or even expert quotes in their articles. To miss out on a national opportunity for a name and book mention in a magazine is something you don\’t want to miss because you don\’t have clear contact information.
#3 Incentivize
Give your social media followers a reason to visit your website. Host a special promotion for them. Give something away, or hold a contest or sweepstakes. For example, you might offer a printable coupon for Facebook followers only.
#4 Value Driven
Before you post anything on any social media site, make sure it provides value to your audience. If it doesn’t have a clear benefit, don’t post it. That means often keeping personal posts and business posts separate – unless your personality and personal life are relevant to your brand. Many authors fall into the \”all about me\” trap when posting which in turn becomes very off-putting for those following them on social media.
The rule-of-thumb when posting on social media is 80/20: eighty percent is sharing OTHER people\’s info and twenty percent of your own news and links. If that sounds skimpy, keep this in mind; you want to build trust and relationships with those who follow you. The selling will come later.
Test and track your posts to identify which posts generate the most traffic and interest. Also consider including a call to action and a link in some of your posts, and test and track those as well.
#5 Tease
Some social media posts should lead directly to your website or blog. Include a few sentences teaser on your social media page and a link to read more. You can do this on any of the social media sites, from 280 characters on Twitter to tantalizing paragraphs on LinkedIn, Google+, and Facebook. Cover reveals are a great way to build excitement for an upcoming book launch and it allows authors to get some fun and buzz going without having sales pressure.
There are dozens of tactics for using social media to drive prospects to your website. At the end of the day, it requires two key steps. The first is to make sure you’re providing value to your prospects. The second is to test and track your result so you know what works.
One More Thing
COMING SOON! The much-anticipated sequel to JIAB intern, Hannah Rials\’ runaway YA hit, Ascension. Book Two in the Ascension series is Clandestine and its already bringing in raves reviews.
“Gripping until the very end.” – Scott Reintgen, author of Nyxia
“Dark, surprising, and full of twists, the Ascension series is a delectable addition to vampire canon. Rials paints a rich and engrossing world of vampires, half-vampires witches– each with their own agenda. Cheyenne’s struggle to be free is one that every girl will recognize, and I rooted for her as she bristled against the roles cast for her by society. It’s the story of a girl yearning to come into her own powers, powers both frightening and beautiful.” ~Maggie Thrash, author of L.A. Times Book Prize nominee Honor Girl
Cheyenne Lane never believed it could come to this—imprisoned by her own family, who are plotting to overthrow the vampire Council. Ripped away from the happiness of her summer romance and friendship in New Orleans, Cheyenne is forced to begin her education at Clandestine, the secret Deuxsang University, one year early.
She is guarded constantly, separated from her best friend Anne, and desperate for any word from Eli and the witches. Meanwhile, her cousin Lilith has discovered that Cheyenne possesses all four vampiric abilities—unheard of for a Deuxsang—and intends to use her in the Ascending’s rebellious scheme.
At 17, Cheyenne finds herself the center of a centuries-old conspiracy involving the vampires, Deuxsang, and witches, and everyone is telling her who she should trust and what she should do. Her head is too full of voices and opinions, and it’s time for Cheyenne to make up her own mind.
Is she ready to step into the role she was made for? Who can she trust? Who is her friend and who is her enemy? Is she really a born leader? All questions that only she can answer. As the information and scenario gets more confusing, she knows she must listen to her intuition if she is going to shift the truth from all the lies.
Pre-order Clandestine HERE (release date: July 21, 2018)
