How to Do Book Marketing on Social Media: 6 Easy Steps to Follow
In today’s digital age, social media has become one of the most powerful tools for marketing books - at the bare minimum, you’ll have to use it to market your book successfully.
Whether you're a debut author or a seasoned pro, building your digital can help you connect with your audience, build a loyal readership, and, ultimately, boost book sales.
After helping dozens of authors launch their books, here are The Boutique COO team’s tips on successfully marketing your book on socials.
6 Steps to Marketing Your Book On Social Media
1. Define Your Goals for Your Book Sales
Before diving into content creation, get clear on your goals. Are you trying to increase book sales or to grow your personal brand as a whole? Are you wanting to leverage your initial launch into other media launches? Understanding your objectives will help you measure success and guide your content.
2. Choose the Right Platforms for Your Audience
You don’t need to be on every platform – choose 2-3 where your audience is most active. Here’s a quick breakdown of popular platforms:
Instagram: Great for visual storytelling, cover reveals, and connecting with “bookstagrammers.” This is a must-have platform for almost all authors to share their work.
TikTok: Perfect for creative, short videos (think character teasers, funny writing moments, or #BookTok trends). If your content is mostly targeted towards young readers, TikTok is a great place to start.
Facebook: Use author pages or groups to build a community and share updates. Facebook’s users tend to be middle-aged or older, so it’s a great place if that’s your target audience.
LinkedIn: Ideal for non-fiction authors targeting professionals or discussing a more technical topic like math, psychology, or medicine.
Twitter: Great for engaging in conversations about writing, publishing, and current events related to your book’s theme. If you’re an educator or commenting on current events, this platform is excellent!
3. Create Engaging, Authentic Content About Your Book
Your content should not just promote your book - it should also entertain, inform, or inspire your audience. Today, people prefer to follow people rather than businesses on social media. So, bringing your unique point of view into your content is super important.
Here are some ideas:
Behind-the-Scenes Stories: Share your writing process, research, or challenges you overcame while writing the book.
Live Q&A Sessions: Host live streams to connect with your audience, answer questions, and build excitement.
Remember, authenticity is key!
Readers love seeing the human side of their favorite authors, and it’s okay to share your honest opinions, as they will help you reach your target audience.
4. Engage With Your Audience
Social media is a two-way street. Don’t just post - actively engage with your audience by:
Responding to comments and messages.
Participating in book-related hashtags like #BookTok, #AmReading, or #IndieAuthor.
Joining groups or communities related to your genre.
Building relationships with your readers fosters loyalty and keeps them invested in your journey.
5. Utilize Paid Advertising - Strategically
If you have a budget, paid ads can be beneficial to boost your visibility.
Platforms like Facebook and Instagram offer targeted advertising options that allow you to reach readers based on demographics, interests, and online behaviors.
Start small, test different ads (e.g., carousel ads with multiple images or video ads), and adjust based on performance metrics like click-through rates and conversions. This is something that really requires a professional to guide you, so we’d recommend you work with someone on this.
6. Analyze Your Online Book Sales & Adjust Your Content Strategy
Most social platforms provide analytics to help you track your performance. Pay attention to metrics like:
Engagement rates (likes, comments, shares).
Follower growth.
Link clicks to your book sales page.
Use these insights to refine your strategy, focusing on what resonates most with your audience. Oftentimes, what you think resonates may not perform best, so it’s important to be data-driven as you shape future content!
Social media offers endless opportunities for authors to market their books, connect with readers, and build their brand. While it requires time and effort, the key to success lies in authenticity, consistency, and a deep understanding of your audience.
Start small, test what works, and, most importantly, enjoy the journey of sharing your story with the world!
Need Help Marketing Your New Book?
Our clients have seen a 11x+ increase in followers and 135x increase in engagement on average within 6 months of working with us on their social media, which in turn helps them sell more of their products and services.
