For your book marketing efforts to be as effective as possible, you need a strategy. This includes implementing a strategy for content creation. But what does a content strategy for authors look like? Well, it follows the same formula as all content strategies. Below we’ll define what a content strategy for authors looks like, explain how it works, and tell you what you can do to develop one.
What is Content Strategy for Authors?
Like with any business or brand, a content strategy allows you to use your content in a purposeful way to reach your marketing goals. For authors, this means selling your book and growing your author platform by creating a strong and consistent on-brand presence online. So, creating a content strategy for authors is just part of your book marketing strategy as a whole. It allows you to create content with a focus and a plan so that you stay on track and on top of your book marketing goals.
Why Do Authors Need a Content Strategy?
Authors need a content strategy because it allows them to get more out of the content they create. Having a strategy for your content also means you’re able to analyze the impact of your content and adjust as necessary to get the best results from your efforts. A strong content strategy results in more visibility and author platform growth.
If you’re simply putting out content because you know it’s part of your book marketing strategy, but don’t have any solid goal in mind, you could be wasting your energy. And we all know book marketing energy, time and budgets are limited. A content strategy for authors creates structure and accountability.
Important Steps in Creating a Content Strategy for Authors
Creating content is a huge component of your overall book marketing strategy, and it needs to be done with focus and purpose. This means first identifying your target audience. Because the goal is to appeal to them. You will be creating content with them in mind. This is why you need to recognize who your audience is from the very beginning.
Understanding Your Audience
Knowing your audience means you know what they are looking for and where and how you should be marketing to them, and not just everyone who reads. So, first and foremost, a content strategy for authors will require you to have a solid understanding of your readers. This will require research on your part. Who are your ideal readers? What type of content will they want to see? Where will they find this content?
The next step in building your content strategy is defining goals.
Defining Your Goals
Although book marketing is about selling your book, it isn’t the only goal of your book marketing efforts. So, a content strategy for authors will focus on other goals as well. This can mean building a community and strengthening your author platform, or establishing yourself as an authority and expert in your niche. As you can imagine, this will require creating different types of content, depending on specific goals. These goals can even shift, depending on timing.
Hatching a Plan
A solid content strategy for authors will require having a plan for what type of content you’ll create, and when and where you’ll share it. Mixing up your content output is a solid strategy, especially in the beginning. For instance, just posting direct promotions every day on social media for weeks at a time will not be as effective as adding a video of some inside perspective on your book to the mix, or linking to your latest blog every week.
In other words, sharing a variety of content, and scheduling it for the right time, depending on your goals, is essential to an effective content strategy. It’s also super important to check in on your analytics to see what is working and what isn’t. This way you can adjust your scheduling times, platforms, and content types to align with your audience engagement.
What a Content Strategy for Authors Might Look Like
Once you define your audience and your goals, you will hatch your content strategy plan. As we mentioned, this means deciding what type of content you will create, and deciding when and where you will share this content.
Deciding when and where you will share your content will depend on your audience and goals. This will be fine-tuned over time by reviewing your analytics and seeing what is working and what isn’t.
It may look like scheduling a video about your process on Wednesdays, a book cover image on Tuesdays and a link to your blog on Thursdays. Maybe you’ll engage with your audience by asking questions on a chosen day of the week, or use this engagement strategy to supplement other content. Remember, it’s all about reaching your audience and speaking to them directly.
It Depends on What Works for You and Your Audience
Your audience may be on Instagram, and they may prefer to view video content. Or your audience may keep up on industry news and would prefer to read your Substack on the topic or even a guest blog you wrote on a platform they follow. This is why knowing where your audience is and what type of content they consume is key to a successful content strategy.
So, a content strategy for authors may involve weekly blog posts or newsletters. It may involve writing longform content like this only monthly. Depending on your audience, you may post on your chosen social platform every day, or you may only share a few times a week. When it comes time for direct promotion to boost book sales, you may ramp up these efforts and share more book-related content or start an ad campaign as part of your strategy.
The point is, your content strategy will encompass creating a variety of content, on a strategic schedule, and sharing it on the right platforms.
Some keys to a successful content strategy for authors:
- Creating and sharing a variety of content- the type your audience wants and expects
- Knowing where to share it- which platforms your audience uses
- Knowing when to share your content- your schedule and appropriate timing
- Doing this consistently and analyzing the results of your efforts
- Implementing keywords and SEO for discoverability
Some Author Content Strategies: Blogging, Social Shares, and Beyond
A content strategy for authors requires consistency. So make sure that your content creation schedule is sustainable. This may mean creating the content you’re most comfortable with and an output you can handle. It requires some creativity, and some trial and error. So, find out what works for you, and make sure it lines up with what your audience responds to.
Also, make sure you create a calendar and stick to it! You’ll need to hold yourself accountable.
Longform Content for a Slower, Quieter Strategy
If you’re limited in your time and energy and have an aversion to putting yourself out there, longform type content may be what you choose to focus on. A regular blog or newsletter can be the foundation of your author content strategy. Just make sure you choose a schedule and stick to it. Post at least once a month at a bare minimum, but ideally, weekly or biweekly. Although you don’t need to rely on social media entirely, it’s a good idea to share these blogs on your chosen platform or focus on growing your subscriber list. You can also plan on supplementing your strategy by creating ads.
If you feel like this could work for you, but don’t know what topics authors can write about, read this blog for ideas.
Tips for the Social Media Savvy
If you already have a social media presence and you’re savvy, this may be your focus. Although, a solid content strategy for authors will require that you vary your content, and put a lot of energy into gauging what is working best for you, and on which platforms. Make sure you use a mix of image-based content(with high-quality photos and graphics), engaging video content, and promotion of your other author platforms. Share insider info about your book and your process along with your direct book promotion and insights on relevant, related topics.
Ideas for the Platform Builders
If your main goal as an author is to build your platform and establish your expertise you may want to focus on promoting your website with a regular blog or newsletter and building your subscriber list. To reach a wider audience and establish your authority, writing articles, guest blogging, or growing your Substack can support this goal. A space like LinkedIn may be your social platform of choice. You can concentrate your shares there on insights, your expertise, and promoting your content on the topic. You can also go as big as creating courses on your area of expertise and promoting these (and/or your speaking events) there.
Ultimately, you’ll want to focus on what works for you and what appeals to your audience while reaching your personal author goals. But, it still stands that an author content strategy will require research, planning, and consistency. If you stick with it, create a sustainable plan, and are willing to adapt as needed, your efforts will pay off.
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