Monday Marketing Tips: Is Facebook Answer To Higher Book Sales?
Which is the best way to promote your book? Is it Facebook? Twitter? Pinterest? Blog? Letters to readers? Or just writing the best book you can and then leave it all to the publisher? If you are an author, I am sure you have spent countless hours figuring out an answer to this.
While I agree that social media channels like Facebook and Twitter have helped increase book sales, what is it that really works? Does mentioning your book ten times in a day on Facebook to the same set of people pushes your book sales? Or is it the hashtag used by thousand tweeples make a difference? Why exactly do you, as an author follow these practices of promotion in the first place? Is a Facebook account an answer to all your book promotion problem?
No. One has to realize that social media channels like Facebook and Twitter are just that - channels. They do not push sales. The real sales for your book always comes due to one simple reason - word of mouth. It has always been the same. Some one read your book and liked it. And then they tell two others. The two who read the recommended book tell four others who further pass it along. In a few days and months, a lot of people know enough about your book to spend few dollars on it. And that's what pushes your book sales. And unlike few years back when word of mouth promotion has to be literally that, social media channels like Facebook and Twitter today help people do it a lot faster and easier. And accelerate it like never before. You do not have to wait for months. It is possible in days.
So, the next time you wonder why on God's beautiful earth are you tweeting about your book ten times in a day and yet not getting higher sales, think about what you are tweeting. How is your tweet helping your book's word of mouth promotion? What is special about your Facebook post that will make your friend share it with 100 others?
Think. Do not post random social media posts. Have a strategy in mind. A strategy that will make people talk about your book.
Have you tried a planned promotion before? What has worked for you in the past?
While I agree that social media channels like Facebook and Twitter have helped increase book sales, what is it that really works? Does mentioning your book ten times in a day on Facebook to the same set of people pushes your book sales? Or is it the hashtag used by thousand tweeples make a difference? Why exactly do you, as an author follow these practices of promotion in the first place? Is a Facebook account an answer to all your book promotion problem?
So, the next time you wonder why on God's beautiful earth are you tweeting about your book ten times in a day and yet not getting higher sales, think about what you are tweeting. How is your tweet helping your book's word of mouth promotion? What is special about your Facebook post that will make your friend share it with 100 others?
Think. Do not post random social media posts. Have a strategy in mind. A strategy that will make people talk about your book.
Have you tried a planned promotion before? What has worked for you in the past?
My strategy is a combination of tweets: some personal, some about music, some about science fiction, and a few directly about my book.
ReplyDeletei do this everyday trying to hit each subject at least once.
Thanks Aubrie for sharing that with me...given your background, I think it is a great way to get like-minded people getting to know you!
ReplyDeleteShilpa, I nominated you for a Beautiful Blogger Award as you help keep our dreams alive. http://darlenefoster.wordpress.com/2012/09/03/beautiful-blogger-award/
ReplyDeleteSo true Shilpa. No wonder that a high number of twitter followers no longer translates into traffic for the site :) Well written, as always!
ReplyDeleteThank you Darlene!
ReplyDeleteAditya - Thanks Aditya. I hear ya. There is so much more to tweeting than just random tweets a day. Its too crowded a place for marketing anymore.