Marketing Your Book Takes Building a Platform
Marketing a Book Requires These Platforms
Because of today’s high competition level, a robust book marketing platform is a minimum requirement for success. Gone are the days when writing a book is automatically newsworthy.
Therefore, authors must establish their marketing platform and set a clear path for promoting their books long before they are published. If you’re not sure about book marketing platforms’ essential elements, read on for more information. Or you might already be familiar because publishers, agents, and publicists will evaluate your platform before they agree to take on your book. It takes many elements to succeed in an ever more crowded marketplace.
Social Media Presence: The most effective authors are always present on social media. If you’re an author and aren’t active already, starting to build your social media platform(s) far in advance of your publication date is essential. It allows you to authentically grow your network and build trust with your followers before formally introducing your book.
- For book marketing purposes, begin by following media contacts, review outlets, influencers, etc., who you hope will cover your book in the future. Identify and follow authors and individuals you’d seek endorsements from when the time comes. Follow authors in your genre who are active on social media—it can be one of the best ways to learn tactics and strategies for posts and content.
- If social media is new to you, identify one or two platforms that speak best to your brand and your book’s concepts, and master them. It’s important to know where your audience lives. Facebook is a must if your message is geared towards mature readers. LinkedIn is critical for business authors and experts. Instagram is the fastest-growing social media platform for authors—fiction authors, in particular. Whichever platform(s) you ultimately choose, start early, and update often.
2) Website for Your Book: A website is essential to the platform for marketing your book, and it’s your virtual business card. It is your home base online and the place you’ll direct all readers, reviewers, and media contacts. Your site content needs to include information about you, your book, your message, and your mission. When developing your website, consider creating an author domain name—not a book domain. It establishes brand visibility and lets you incorporate future releases into your existing site seamlessly.
- You’ll want to launch your SEO optimized website at least three months before your book publication date; however, if you have the details of your book and vision for your brand longer in advance, don’t hold back. You can begin to incorporate the website link into your social media marketing right away, subtly plugging the book in your posts and tweets.
3) A Network of Contacts: Every author needs to understand the role his/her community can play in marketing a boo. They are friends, family, coworkers, local business owners, business partners, alumni groups, and more. Identify your team early and formalize an email list. Think of people outside of your core networks such as reader groups interested in competing authors, similar-minded writers, and writing peers/fellow writing club attendees. Message your team to let them know you’re going to be calling on them in unique ways to play a role in support of your book launch.
- As you near your publication date, reach back out to your network list and give them the specifics such as publication date, synopsis, target reader, etc. Also, ask them to share the news with their networks. For example, provide your contacts with a ready-made social media post that they can easily share. Of course, you’ll want to ask anyone interested in purchasing your book to please take the next step to leave a review.
