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When promoting your book on social media the most important thing you have to keep in mind is why people actually use social media.

They use it to escape, to learn something, to laugh, to find like-minded people – but they typically don’t use it just to spend money. So if you’re using social media to sell books, you’re using it the wrong way. Social media is about raising awareness – awareness of your book and your brand – and engaging with readers.

So with that, let’s revamp your mindset and reconsider why you’re on social media.

Make it About Your Followers

People want to feel connected, and they want to feel understood. Having a connection to a person, brand or product is extremely important for people to spend their money, even if it’s just a $3.99 eBook. People won’t buy what they aren’t connected to, which is why focusing on your followers is so important.

So with that in mind, it’s important to focus on what matters to them. What drives them, what do they want to see more of on your social channels. I can’t argue that this isn’t always easy – I get it. Sometimes you have to spend a lot of time trying to figure out what to post and when. But here’s a tip: find other/similar authors and follow them – don’t copy but let them inspire some new ideas. This could really help you pave the way to better engagement on your social media platforms.

Make Yourself a Resource

I don’t know about you but I see a lot of posts on social that I’m just not moved by. Maybe it’s because they aren’t saying anything unique, or maybe their content just isn’t engaging enough. Becoming a resource isn’t easy, I get it. But it’s really about posting content that is useful to your reader. That’s the bottom line.

And becoming a resource isn’t just for the non-fiction author – this is an area that everyone can participate in. And fortunately, the term “resource” can take on a lot of different meanings! Consider the exhausted working mom who might love funny memes that show other women are experiencing the exact same feelings. (bonus points if this tethers to your book!). Or if your readers are political thriller fans and predominantly men they might get really engrossed in government conspiracy theories!

Make Your Content Both Predictable and Unpredictable

One thing is for sure, regardless of what you’re posting on social media, you need to be consistent, that’s how you become a resource for your fans and followers. And that’s absolutely key.

Create a content plan and stick to it!

The number of posts per week should depend on the platform. For example, the common recommendation for Instagram is 3-5 posts a week. But on X, a lot of times you’ll read advice that says 5 tweets per day! For TikTok you need a lot more, and so on.

Knowing how many times you need to post every week will give you an idea of how much predictable content you’ll need – meaning, how many funny memes you should do per week, how many inspirational quotes per week, how many book recommendations you should make per month, how many how-to or advice tips you should post per week – I hope you get the idea.

Then there’s the unpredictable content. This should be less common but more personal. Maybe it’s a picture of your dog, or your workspace, progress on your garden, or the barista you count on every morning for your daily cuppa! Be spontaneous and fun with this content because it’s gold – it humanizes you and makes you relatable, and it’s priceless.

Make it Count When You Talk About Your Book

Here we go. Many of you have probably heard of the 80/20 rule. If not, it’s pretty simple; 80 percent of your content should NOT be about your book (or services or business). That’s right, only 20 percent of your content should be blatantly selling your book or reminding people you have books to buy.

That might sound debilitating, but don’t think of it that way. Think of it this way: when you do post about your book, it will stand out more.

And it means you have to make it count, so your book-related content will be better. Have something important to say!

Perhaps it’s a limited-time discount, a giveaway you’re doing, or a stand-out review you want to highlight – or an exciting interview or feature somewhere online or an event at your local library.

Use the idea that you only get to post about your book 20% of the time to fuel your drive to not get lazy and keep the things you have to say about your book exciting!

Make It Easier on Yourself

Did I bury the good stuff on this one? Maybe. But there’s no reason to talk about making promoting your book on social media easier if you don’t first wrap your mind around tips 1-4 first.

And here’s how you make it easier – you plan.

Planning is front-loaded work, but a couple of dedicated hours at one time can save you a dozen hours of scrambling, or even worse, posting lame content that doesn’t give you a return for your effort. Eeek!

But seriously, we’re big fans of themes. Maybe you always kick off Monday with something funny or light-hearted. Perhaps Wednesday is your day to get serious or offer a useful tip or recommendation. Friday could be motivational.

My point is, this is where consistency comes into play – full circle!

When you plan out a month or two of Monday posts, BAM, promoting your book on social media gets so much easier.

At the end of the day, we always say you don’t have to be everywhere, you need to be where it matters. Each social media platform has a majority demographic, and if that aligns with your demographic then that should be your primary focus. And if that means changing things up, embrace it! You’ll get a better return for your efforts when you check all the boxes and stop spinning your wheels.

As always, please reach out if you need some help brainstorming ideas. I’m here to help!

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