Helping Your Books Sell on Social Media
Since social media wants to keep users on the platform, hashtags, keywords, imagery, and your bio are the best way to sell a book
One of the best free marketing tools out there for authors is through the power of social media.
Social media contains thousands to millions of active users each day. An audience who is consistently checking the news feed on social media platforms such as Instagram, X, Facebook, Threads, TikTok, and more. Which is exactly why it’s considered such a powerful tool.
However, there is a catch.
While social media platforms remain a useful tool in growing awareness about a product, brand, or event, social media platforms goal is to keep it’s audience on the platform. This means that posts with links leading away from the social media app almost immediately get low exposure.
In terms of authors who are trying to share their books with a link, this means that not many people are going to see it.
Now the question remains, how do authors convert the interest that a social media user has to a sale if a post with a link gets less exposure?
This is where we need to think outside of the box and try our best to pique our audience’s interest enough for them to follow through.
Hashtags and Keywords
Hashtags and keywords are still very useful in this situation and in terms of SEO.
And more importantly, now is the time to utilize them.
Tips:
The book page on Amazon for your book gives you categories that your book ranks in, use these for hashtags and keywords to help your audience find your book
Research keywords that are working with your genre and work them in a natural, readable way into your text for the post
Pair this post with an image of your book cover and be sure to mention where your book can be found (For example, You can find Anywhere Else on Amazon, Google Play Books, and Barnes and Noble)
By using hashtags and keywords, you increase the change that algorithms are going to bring your content to your audience.
Imagery
You can do a lot with the image that you attach to your post.
Not only is it proven then posts with images garner more attention, but you can add text such as where to find your book and quotes from readers here too.
Here are some examples:
Thankfully, this has a less likely chance of any algorithms flagging your post and decreasing its exposure.
Why?
Because even if we do all this work such as giving a great pitch and telling readers where to find it, they still have to do the next step on their own. Going to where the book is sold and buying it.
Want to go a step further?
Try your hand at creating a book trailer. This is also a wonderfully engaging way to entice your audience. And at the end, you can tell them where they can get the book.
Your Social Media Bio
One of the best things you can do for yourself is to get all of your links together and place them on a Linktree.
By doing this, you cut down your audience’s time and efforts by having it all in one place. And better yet, you can copy and paste that link into your social media bio. Chances are that whoever comes across your profile is going to at least take a peek at that link.
Here is an example of mine:
https://linktr.ee/authorkaylahicks
X
And as you can see, when I have them across my accounts, it makes it easier for my audience to find my stuff. Especially when I have my Amazon Author Central there which also allows you to have followers, telling the via email when I release a book.
Trying to market your book as an author is a tough feat, and it always will be.
Social media is a powerful tool that every author should be using, but keep in mind that we need to work within its rules.
I can’t promise that hashtags, keywords, imagery, and your social media bio are going to make that reader take the next step. But what I can say is that if you do the research on your audience and try to craft marketing materials that appeal to them, you can increase your chances of selling them a book.