Are you using the most effective book promo tactics on social media? Maybe you’ve been wondering if promoting your book on social media is even worth trying, or you’ve been putting in the effort and not seeing results? It may be because you need to focus on what actually grabs reader’s attention and what the algorithms reward.
The truth is, nothing is guaranteed to sell books and social media algorithms are fickle, but there are some book promotion tactics that are proven to work far better than others. We’ll go over some of those below and list the formulas that both readers and social algorithms seem to favor.
What We Know About Attention and Engagement
The types of book promo tactics that work best online have something in common: attention and engagement.
You’ve probably noticed that online content has been steadily moving towards video and interactive formats. Reels, other video content, and interactive posts such as carousels on platforms like Facebook and Instagram dominate the landscape, and people’s attention. It’s happened on most other platforms too. The same is true of ads. When was the last time you noticed an ad on social media? Was it static or was it video or interactive content?
There’s a reason for this. Movement captures attention. Interaction keeps users engaged. The goal of these platforms is to keep people watching or scrolling, so algorithms reward time spent engaging. The more time spent, and the more people engage, the more this signals to the algorithms that the content is valuable and therefore worth exposing to even more users. This means that these types of posts are favored and therefore rewarded with even more visibility.
More visibility equals a higher discoverability. So, we can take advantage of this by adopting these favored formulas.
Some facts about attention and engagement on social media:
- Algorithms favor video and interactive content
- Movement captures attention
- Interactivity keeps users engaged
- Then, algorithms reward engagement with visibility
Use These Book Promotion Tactics on the Right Platforms
Yes, video and interactive content gets the most attention online, and you’ll find it across multiple platforms. But some are built specifically for it. In this post we’re focusing on Instagram and Facebook because they are user friendly, and they offer reels, and other short-form video and carousel formats. And coincidentally (or not) they’re the two biggest social platforms for successful book promotion. Of course, there’s TikTok as well. But BookTok seems to be hyper-focused on certain genres. The point is, these book promo tactics rely on a specific style of content: video and interactive. Where you post this content or place your ads will depend on where your audience happens to be.
Need some guidance on Facebook (Meta) ads? You can read our post on the topic here.
In case you’re wondering about how post type affects engagement and discoverability:
- Static content has the lowest engagement and low discoverability. If your book photos and promo graphics aren’t performing well, this may be why.
- Reels are short-form video (up to 90 seconds long), vertical video designed for full-screen viewing on mobile. This content, and other video content, has the highest engagement rate and is best for reaching non-followers.
- Carousel content allows users to swipe or scroll through multiple images, video, and other content blocks in a singular, unified post. This content is said to be best for deep engagement and has moderate to high engagement, reaching followers first. Of course, you can use carousel ads to reach beyond your followers and audience for more visibility.
Instagram even offers trial reels where your content is exposed to audiences outside your own to test how it performs. This gives you a chance to test your book promo tactics and gather valuable data before buying ads or running your next promo!
You can read all about how these trial reels work here.
So, what does all this tell us about how the tactics we use can mean the difference between being overlooked and getting clicks and book sales? We think you’re probably starting to figure that out.
Tried and True Tactics: Use a Good Formula,Test, and Repeat
First, for these book promo tactics to really hit their mark, you must know your audience. Who are they? Where do they spend time online? Then, you tailor your content based on what you discover. You must speak directly to them.
Then, just as with your book marketing copy, you will need a hook. That hook is what brings them in and piques their interest. You’ll also need to appeal to their emotions. You can do this by using high impact words and the right tone. It’s how advertising works. And it does work!
You can read all about how attention-grabbing book marketing copy works here.
Social proof is also a tried and true tactic that builds trust and therefore, pushes readers to take a chance. Adding snippets of reviews and endorsements (a.k.a, blurbs) gives you this social proof.
Of course, to grab attention in the first place, you’ll need some eye-catching imagery. So use high-quality images and video, text overlays, and movement.
If you want to keep them engaged, make them want more by including snippets from your book. Then they’ll click through your carousel and keep reading. Remember, engagement is rewarded with more visibility!
The formula that works for these book promo tactics:
- A hook reels them in
- Eye-catching settings, images and graphics
- Show social proof to build trust
- Appealing to emotions: Word choice and tone matter!
- Keep them watching, swiping or scrolling
- Don’t forget the CTA!
Remember, the point of these book promo tactics is to grab the reader’s attention, draw them in and to keep them engaged. Video and carousel are the perfect way to do this, whether in a regular social post or in a paid ad. This is how highly effective active book marketing works!
Putting these Book Promo Tactics to Use
These videos don’t need to be live action, include you, or even show your book! You can get creative. Look for images and graphics that fit the tone and theme. Use engaging text overlay and clear captioning. Think mini book trailer.
Use the carousel format to share a snippet from your reviews or endorsements bit by bit. Mix it up even: Start with your hook. Next, share a carefully edited endorsement. In the next block, introduce them to the opening paragraph from your book. Leave them wanting more by asking a question, or ending on a cliffhanger. Finish up with a CTA and if it’s an ad, leave the link to buy right there.
Check out what other authors are doing on their socials. Do a bit of research on how to make compelling video and carousel content. Before you know it, you’ll be putting out promos that get noticed.
Yes, you’ll need to do some work and get creative. You’ll need to test each post or ad to see which performs the best. But then, you can use this template over and over with a few tweaks. You can switch these up on different platforms for different purposes. Take advantage of trending topics and seize viral moments by tailoring the copy and your captions to fit.
What are we talking about here? Read this post to learn about this marketing tactic.
To start using these book promotion tactics you’ll need to:
- Do some research
- Get creative
- Level up your Canva skills
- Polish your marketing copy
- Compile images/graphics
- Test your promos
- Make templates of the best performing posts
The Work You Put in Will Pay Off!
These book promo tactics work because they appeal to both readers and social media algorithms. The more users engage, the more the algorithm rewards your content by making it visible to even more users.
Whether you create your promo content for ads or post on your social media platforms, these formulas grab attention. Try some out and see what happens! If you compare your posts using these book promo tactics to your static posts and ads, we’re betting you’ll see a big difference.
Need some help crafting engaging marketing copy for these promos? Reach out to our copywriter.
What about graphics, composition, and general social media guidance? We offer in-house social media help. Get in touch and see what we can do for you!
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