• 4-minute read
• 2nd October 2018

5 Social Media Tips for Self-Published Authors

It may seem social media is just there to distract you from writing, but platforms like Facebook and Twitter can be invaluable resources for self-published authors.

After all, social media allows you to promote your writing directly to readers. How, though, can self-published authors make the most of such opportunities? Read on to find out more.

1. Focus Your Efforts

With a world of social media out there, think about which platforms your readers are most likely to use. If you write self-help books for business owners, for example, you may have more luck on LinkedIn than Pinterest. Generally, though, Facebook and Twitter are must-haves.

2. Have a Posting Schedule

Updating social media regularly is vital. But since you can’t always be online and ready to post fresh content, you may want to ready posts in advance.

This is especially useful if you have a big event, such as a publication day, on the horizon. On Facebook, for instance, you can set up a page for yourself or your book. This will let you schedule posts ahead of time, as well as letting you create events or pay to promote specific posts.

For other platforms, you can use a scheduling tool to prepare posts and track account activity. You can even do this across multiple platforms from the same tool for extra efficiency.

3. Engage and Respond

Social media is a two-way street. In other words, as well as broadcasting to the world, try to engage with what other people are saying online. Part of this means responding to messages from your followers, but you can also spend a bit of time each day to ‘like’ posts and chat with other people.

As well as this, you can try networking with industry figures such as authors, publishers and booksellers. Getting in touch with a local bookshop, for example, is a great way to set up a public reading.

4. Link to Your Website

Don’t forget that your profile is just as important as anything you post on social media. Try creating a short biography outlining who you are and what you write. And make sure to include a link to wherever readers can find out more about you (e.g. your website or blog).

On most platforms, you can also ‘pin’ a post to the top of your feed. This option is great if you want readers to see something as soon as they visit your profile, since you won’t have to worry about it disappearing down your feed as you post something new.

5. Giveaways and Contests

Finally, we’ll share a psychological tip that could change your world forever. Are you ready for it? Here it comes: people like free stuff.

Shocking, right? But you can use the universal human desire for a bargain to your advantage. For instance, you could encourage people to like and share your posts by offering a prize to one lucky follower. Or you could give away a sample chapter of your book to readers.

The key is using giveaways, discounts and contests to encourage followers to engage with you online. This approach can also help you reach people who might not see your posts otherwise.

Summary: Social Media Tips for Self-Published Authors

As a self-published author, you can promote your work on social media by:

1. Focusing on the platforms your readers use most.
2. Posting regularly and using a scheduling tool.
3. Engaging with others online and replying to followers.
4. Linking to your website and pinning important posts.
5. Running giveaways and contests for followers.

And don’t forget to follow Proofed on social media for more tips! You can find us on Facebook and LinkedIn for updates and more helpful tips.