12 Secrets to Promoting Your Book on Instagram
Launching a writing career is a dream come true for a lot of authors. So what say you of being able to pursue said career while enjoying your favorite past-time: posting on Instagram.
You probably know by now that writing a novel, or any form of well-written text doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get immediate recognition. That’s why book promotion is a very essential part of your book marketing. It will help you generate leads and motivate people to buy your work. Since social network platforms can be great promotional tools, today we’re bringing you twelve reasons why Instagram is the ideal one for you.
1. Focus on Promotional Content
The first thing to think of is how to attract and retain the attention of your target audience, which is something you can’t exactly do with half-baked content. Therefore, the first thing you should consider is to publish fresh content on a daily basis. What better way to do that as a writer than to post promotional content related to your work? But you need to keep in mind that the content in question should align with your marketing goals.
If you have a hard time coming up with a constant stream of content, head to this link here. You need to remember though that promotional content for books isn’t the same as the other content posted on Instagram. Aside from the book cover itself, there aren’t many visuals that can be used. So the best thing to do there is to cultivate your own persona as an author on Instagram and promote that as well as your book.
2. Use Analytics and Paid Advertisements
Creating paid ads on Instagram has proven to be a highly effective technique in reaching out to the right audience for your content. These ads dramatically increase the chances of readers purchasing your book. Paying for ads on Instagram stories is the best, considering that thousands of users watch stories on a daily basis. Analytics tools are great for tracking progress, activity, and figuring out what influences your sales. They can also provide you with other useful information, such as the best time to upload content and the frequency with which you should do it. This will help you better manage your content and upload the schedule.
3. Launch a Challenge or Giveaway
However, you don’t always have to pay money to make money as they say. While ads are great and bring in guaranteed results, there are other less-costly ways to make money. For example, you can launch a challenge or a giveaway of some sort. Remember those posts where you tag a friend and follow an account to get a gift? This works in exactly the same way. Or, for example, the requirements for your challenge may include taking a lovely photograph with a pet and tagging your account. Then, you can give a couple of your books for free to randomly chosen Instagram followers who took part in your giveaway. The effectiveness of the outlined tip has proven to be 100% effective.
4. Come up With an Appropriate Marketing Strategy
It’s essential for you to utilize a wide range of marketing tools to help users find out about your book easily. For that, you might want to contact a book marketing service to help you achieve your goals in spreading the word about your book. And, what’s more, you are free to choose from the vast variety of book marketing services according to your goals and expectations.
5. Post Some Teaser Quotes
A reader is almost always hooked by a gripping line. Which is where this technique comes in. It might require some thought, but it’s worth it. First, brainstorm and try to decide on the best and most interesting quotes from your book. Next, come up with a hooking image to go along with it and you’ve got yourself the perfect lure. After all, people appreciate stunning visuals, that’s why they’re on Instagram, isn’t it? So, intriguing readers with some catchy quotes accompanied by beautiful visuals will garner a lot of attention!
6. Add Readers’ Posts to Your Instagram Stories
People are more likely to trust something once they have seen other users’ positive reviews on it. You can opt for making use of hashtags and asking readers to place pictures with the product. Then, create a highlight with reviews and pictures. Once you’ve managed it, search for similar posts and add them to your Instagram story highlight. Don’t forget, you will need to mention your readers and give them credit to get their loyalty.
7. Introduce Your Characters
To make people want to purchase your book, let them get acquainted with your book’s characters. In case you write non-fiction, post short introductions to chapters. To make such practice more unique and individualized, post such posts, for instance, every Sunday. Your followers will undoubtedly come back to your page to read these posts and share them with friends.
In case you are uncertain of how to write an intriguing character or topic description, utilize a professional essay writing service. Expert writers are here for you to assist you with writing and delivering pieces of text of the highest quality and according to requirements.
8. Take a Well-Lit Photo
Well, it is now time for you to put your photography skills to the test. The atmosphere surrounding your Instagram pictures shouldn’t interfere with your book’s vibes. You can use natural and light colors with a neutral background as well as dark colors that create a mysterious atmosphere. It is all up to you and your preferences. Poorly taken pictures seldom encourage users to even read the post, don’t they? Remember, it is the image that grabs people’s attention, so take advantage of that!
9. Use Instagram’s Live Streaming
It’s hard to be detached when you can talk to your favorite author and see what they’re up to. That’s the advantage of using the live streaming function on Instagram. Not only will you be able to get acquainted with your readers, but they will also be able to ask you some questions. Seeing you live will help them get to know your personality and see your strengths. Besides, streaming is a great option if you want to introduce yourself and eliminate barriers in your communication with your readers. While talking to the audience, you can definitely generate more interest in your book!
10. Upgrade Your Profile’s Bio
Instagram users will often head straight to a profile’s bio to know more about the account they’re perusing. Leaving the description field blank is a huge mistake that will prevent you from attracting your target audience. So, try to outline the information about yourself in the form of smart bullet points so that users can quickly get a general picture of you as a writer. Additionally, you can attach a link to your book website or other sources you find relevant for visitors to navigate. Provided that you attach a link, users will be able to easily access the website and make a purchase any time they want. This will naturally be very convenient.
11. Don’t Underestimate the Value of Hashtags
While SEO specialists use appropriate keywords to reach the audience, Instagram users use hashtags. While hashtags can give you a helping hand while promoting your book on Instagram, there’s something you should always keep in mind. Do not overuse hashtags, especially irrelevant ones. As an example, posting a book picture with a hashtag #spring or #friends would be weird and confusing. So, try to puzzle out the most appropriate hashtags and use them to attract more readers.
12. Get in Touch With Other Authors
Last but not least, don’t hesitate to follow different authors who write within the same genre as you. Engage in other authors’ campaigns and build a rapport with them. Doing so will immediately bring you new friends and allow you to know the main promotional strategies they use. One way to find other authors and to find profiles similar to yours would be to use a tool such as Kicksta, which will help you better your author following.
If such authors are to some extent more popular and knowledgeable than you, you will become familiar with the target audience’s preferences once you follow them. The great thing is that you will be able to discover the market! Besides, you will easily figure out what to do with your promotional strategies in the future.
Conclusion
Overall, Instagram has surprised us all with how resourceful and powerful it is in the grand scheme of things. It appears that its use as a promotional tool is just one of the many advantages it has to offer. It’s only right for us to make the best out of such an all-round useful tool. From marketing campaigns to book promotions, analytics and more. Just consider all the ways it can help you make sales and boost your book’s reach.
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