Book Marketing

Social Media 

The most common social media is FaceBook. It is free and I have found many authors gain quite a bit of traction by simply telling their friends that they have written a book. I have seen up to 100 books sold in a weekend this way. It is easy to post videos and post events on FaceBook. Authors can set up a FB page and gather followers. It takes quite a bit of effort to keep up on it, but if you are on a budget, it is a good way to gain free advertising. The press release is a good way to add your book to social media. 

Ready-Made Audiences

The least expensive traction for book author’s exposure is to use other people’s audiences. This does not mean to use people! What it means is that if there is a fair, set up a table with your book. Whoever is advertising the fair is making an audience for all of the vendors at the place to sell and show their wares. You are not surprising them by using their ready-made audience!

Facebook is a good place to start. Remember that Facebook only shows a limited number of posts from those you are in contact with, so you may need to do a bit of dancing to figure out how to reach a broader audience. There is a matrix with Facebook displaying posts, etc. Have you shopped for something on your phone and then, a few hours later, when you are on Facebook, you see an advertisement for something similar? They are gathering data from your search and using it for marketing purposes.
If you are going to use Facebook, then spend some time learning how the matrix works. I do not want to go into it here—but suffice to say, “Post often and comment on others’posts.” This will expand your reach.
 

Join Facebook groups. There are several Christian writers' groups. They have tips and people there support one another. Don’t be afraid to support someone who is struggling with their writing. That is what Christians do.

Make the cover of your book ‘live’ and post it on Facebook often. There is no limit to the number of times you can post something. But…mix it up so people won’t feel spammed. To make the cover of your book ‘live,’ go to Amazon, where it is sold. Open the version of the book you wish to advertise on Facebook. Copy all of the information in the top URL line of the page. This is the ‘address’ of your book on Amazon. I suggest putting the URL address on a page where you can retrieve it as needed. Now, go to Facebook and begin to make a post. You might say something like, “Here is my new book. It was just released on Amazon. Check it out.” Then take the URL address (it will be long) and paste it into the post. What will happen is the address will become hidden, and a picture of the front of your book will materialize. Voila! 

Hashtags
(source: https://www.facebook.com/help/587836257914341)

Hashtags turn topics and phrases into clickable links in your posts on your personal timeline, Page or groups. This helps people find posts about topics they’re interested in. To make a hashtag, write # (the number sign) along with a topic or phrase and add it to your post. For example:

I just saw the cutest puppy! #dogs.

When you click a hashtag, you’ll see a feed of posts that include that hashtag. You may also see some related hashtags at the top of the page.

Please keep in mind:

· A hashtag must be written as a single word, without any spaces.

· You can include numbers in a hashtag, but punctuation and special characters (like $ and %) won't work.

· You can search for a hashtag using the search bar at the top of any page.

· You'll only see posts that were shared with you.

Different Uses of Hashtags on Social Media
(source: https://blogs.mtu.edu/social-media/2022/05/16/usage-differences-in-hashtags-on-facebook-twitter-and-instagram-social/)

What is a hashtag? 

A hashtag is a keyword or phrase begun by a hash symbol (#) (i.e., #MichiganTech #ThisIsTech #TomorrowNeeds). On social media, hashtags allow users to find posts relating to the specific hashtag. 

How are hashtags used?

Hashtags are also used to draw attention to a social media post. On both Instagram and X/Twitter, it is not uncommon for users to follow a specific hashtag. An example would be how the main Michigan Tech Instagram account follows #MichiganTech because we want to be able to see posts relating to the University. We also follow #UpperPeninsula and #MTUBound.

When in doubt trying to decide on a hashtag, check out our MTU Hashtag list.

All in all, hashtags are necessary because they help people find your social media content.

X (formerly Twitter): 

X/Twitter has a limited character amount per post/tweet; therefore, when using hashtags on this platform, it is important to be succinct. 

Hashtag Recommendations for X/Twitter:

· We recommend using one or two hashtags on a single tweet.

· Only use hashtags when they are relevant to your tweet.

· Look at the trending hashtags and if it makes sense to join in on the conversation, don’t hesitate to use the hashtag in a tweet!

Facebook:

Facebook has grown and shifted—and hashtag usage on the platform has, too. There are key factors and best practices to consider when using hashtags in Facebook posts. 

Users Cannot Follow a Hashtag on Facebook

Not being able to follow a hashtag on Facebook is one large reason why usage has gone down. On other platforms, such as X/Twitter and Instagram, a hashtag that a user follows will show up directly in their feed, giving them an incentive to follow hashtags. Facebook does not have this feature.

Limit Hashtag Usage

Research from the Pew Research Institute indicates that the fewer hashtags you use, the higher engagement you will receive on a post. Sticking to relevant hashtags can improve your content engagement. 

Free hashtag apps like Hashtag Expert, Hashtag Pro, and Trending Hashtags AI help you find and generate trending hashtags for platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Other free tools, such as RiteTag and QuillBot's AI Hashtag Generator, offer suggestions based on keywords or images and provide analytics on hashtag performance. 

Google AI

Free hashtag generator apps

• Hashtag  Expert: Uses AI to find trending hashtags based on a starting keyword, offers performance tracking, and organizes hashtags into  collections. Available on the App Store and as a web tool, says Hashtag Expert.
• Hashtag  Pro: Generates over 40 hashtags from a single keyword for  multiple social media platforms, including Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
• Trending  Hashtags AI: Finds and suggests trending hashtags, provides  AI-powered suggestions, and tracks performance to help boost engagement. Available on Google Play.