If you’re like the average Internet user, you’ve spent a good chunk of your time camping out on social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and blogs.
While you may feel like your time would be better spent working on your next manuscript, the truth is that as a self-published author, having a strong social media presence is more important than ever to attracting and growing a loyal audience.
Social media has become a part of everyday life, and if the trend over the past two decades is any indication, we can safely assume that it is here to stay and will continue to grow as a powerful marketing tool.
Instead of viewing your social media accounts as time-sucking distractions, make the shift to view them as effective and affordable ways to connect with more of your prospects and build relationships with them over time.
Does using social media really lead to more book sales?
Many authors and publishers avoid creating and committing to a long-term social media strategy because they don’t think it will help them sell more books.
But take a closer look and it’s easy to see why that thought process is deeply flawed and how it can lead to many valuable missed opportunities.
While it’s true that social media is generally not a channel for active book sales like an e-commerce shopping cart or dedicated book sales platform, it’s quite possible to use it as leverage to spread the word about your books. book deals far and wide. width width
When your message resonates with the right people, your brand gains rapid exposure through word of mouth.
It also establishes and deepens your relationships with groups based on common interests and allows you to give your prospects an easy way to get to know you that simply wasn’t possible before the advent of social media.
The bottom line is that if you want to sell more books, you need a larger and more loyal reader base to make it happen.
Social media can be the tool that can get you there faster if you combine it with a comprehensive marketing plan.
How social networks help you get more readers
Using social media as part of a comprehensive marketing strategy can help you grow your audience and enable you to sell more books, but how?
There are many ways that social media connects you with the right people and grows your list of prospects.
- Help promote your brand
Brand recognition is one of the most important aspects of marketing.
When someone in your target audience sees or hears a marketing message and instantly connects with you and your books, they know you have a well-established brand.
Building awareness of your brand becomes much easier when you promote your books and yourself on various social media platforms using messaging that features consistent brand elements.
- Easily access new audiences
One of the best things about social media is the ease with which you can get referrals and recommendations from your current audience.
One-click sharing of posts, videos, images, and tweets enables quick broadcasts of your message to a new audience. If those new prospects like what they see or hear, following you for future messages is as simple as clicking a plus button.
- Increase traffic to your website and email list
Social networks are an excellent tool to drive traffic to your website.
This is an important part of a long-term marketing strategy because it allows you to create a situation where you can establish ongoing communication with your prospects who may only visit your website once and then click never to see them again.
- Allows you to gather social proof
In modern times, consumers are saved more than ever. Rather than take their word for it that their books are good enough to deserve their attention, consumers look to their peers for feedback on their offerings before they buy.
If your books have ever improved or changed someone’s life enough to share your experience with others, that’s very powerful.
Reviews and testimonials are two of the most powerful forms of social proof that can encourage more people to believe and pay attention to your brand.
- Establish and deepen relationships
Another amazing aspect of social media is that it allows you to establish and grow a loyal fan base who become ambassadors for your brand.
If you bring enough people together under the umbrella of a common interest, it’s amazing how quickly they will organize and take the initiative to advocate and spread your message to other like-minded people.
- Facilitates Networking with Influencers
Social media has made it easy to connect with just about anyone in the world, including the most influential people in your space.
An amazing marketing strategy to grow your reader base very quickly involves tapping into influencer audiences.
Think of Oprah, who is one of the most influential people in the world, and you will begin to really understand the potential of social media to grow your audience simply by knowing someone else’s.
- the viral effect
The viral aspect of the Internet has given self-published authors the ability to quickly and fully penetrate a market through the power of peer-to-peer sharing.
It doesn’t happen very often, but if you somehow manage to strike the right chord with your audience, you might find your message spreading like wildfire across the internet.
This makes it possible to gain exposure to a large number of new people in a very short period of time.
- It’s easier to pre-sell your prospects
Social media is powerful because it gives you quick and direct access to your audience.
Use it effectively and you can communicate inspiring, educational and entertaining messages to your reader base outside the confines of your books.
For self-published authors who focus on nonfiction types of writing, this can be particularly valuable. However, for all writers, social media provides a unique opportunity to showcase the things that make your brand special and different.
You continually pre-sell your audience by giving them snippets and previews of what’s to come. By communicating regularly and delivering value to your prospects, you’ll get them closer to buying your books every time they’re published.
Over time, it increases the level of enthusiasm and passion your readers have for your message, your brand, and ultimately, your books.
- Show your personality and be a real person
Not long ago, authors were seen as faceless entities cloaked behind the iron curtains of their publishing houses.
Today, with the introduction of social media and the fact that many authors are self-publishing, all of that has changed.
Readers now expect to meet the person behind the manuscript, and social media is the perfect vehicle to make that possible.
You can let your true voice and personality shine through and let your audience know that you are a real human being with thoughts and feelings just like theirs.
All of these factors lead to a gradual increase in the number of prospects primed and ready to buy, which ultimately means you’re not promoting more than you normally would through your marketing channels, but rather generating more readers and sales. for your efforts. .