Social Media Marketing For Authors - 5 Things You Can Do - Getting Started

Social Media Marketing for Authors

5 Things You Can Do

Getting Started

by Susannah Greenberg,CEO, Susannah Greenberg Public Relations, A Book Publicity Firm for Publishers, Authors, and Book Industry Organizations

August 9, 2018

So many authors I work with have questions about social media marketing and how to get started, that I have decided to write down some of the advice I give them as well as offer social media coaching services.  

If you have been reluctant to get started for any reason, the first bit of advice I can give you is to get started one step at a time. Try breaking it down into actionable steps you can take daily.

In that spirit, here are 5 Things You Can Do. Try exploring just one of the five things to begin with.

1. Sign Up for Amazon Author Central.  Create your Author Page. Complete your author profile. Make sure to upload a book jacket image, author photo, and a book description. You can also include video and a link to your blog. This simple step will increase your visibility on this leading book selling site. There is no fee. You may think of Amazon as a shopping site, but it is also a social media site and go-to site for discovering what to read. Learn more at: https://authorcentral.amazon.com/

2. Create an Author Page on Facebook. This is different than your profile page.  It is a business page. On a business page you can connect with an audience rather than socialize with friends.  You can buy low-cost targeted Facebook advertising to promote your books or page. You cannot advertise on a personal profile page. I recommend you create an author page rather than a book page in case you write more than one book.  Be ready with author photo and book jacket images to upload.  Be sure to fill out the ‘About’ informational sections. Learn more here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/creation/?ref_type=universal_creation_hub

3. Get a Twitter Account.  Go to https://twitter.com/signup  Sign up. Start tweeting, retweeting, following, and searching. Use # hashtags. A tip: For a better Twitter experience, be selective about following accounts and don’t follow too many accounts.  It’s better to organize accounts into Twitter Lists rather than follow them. A List is a curated group of Twitter accounts. You can create your own Lists or subscribe to Lists created by others. Viewing a List timeline will show you a stream of Tweets from only the accounts on that List. More on how to use Twitter lists here: https://help.twitter.com/en/using-twitter/twitter-lists

4. Build an Author Website.  If you’ve been putting off getting yourself an author website, the good news is that it is easier and less expensive to build a website now than it has ever been.  Most DIY website services offer a free basic website with upgrades available for a fee. Your website will likely be the more static of your social media sites, a sort of home base which should provide basic information and link out to your other social media sites. Check out these services which can help you to build your website:

wix.com

weebly.com

wordpress.com

5. Start Blogging. Would you like to communicate with your audience at length, more than a tweet’s or a Facebook post’s length, and do so frequently? Then blogging might be for you. Blogging is another way to increase your visibility online, establish your expertise and promote your books. It’s free to set up a blog. Many blog sites are also website builders and allow you to incorporate your blog into your website. Top blogging sites include:

wordpress.org

blogger.com

weebly.com

There’s so much more to be said about all these social media sites and how to use them as well as more social media sites to explore; Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Tumblr, YouTube, Google+, and more.  But this list of 5 Things You Can Do is a good place to start!

Now get started! You can do it! Use Social Media. Learn, Explore, Connect, and Share! Enhance your visibility and find your readers! Sell more books!