Self-published writers often find it hard to sell their books, whether online or in traditional bookstores. Publishing ebooks is far easier and less costly. An added benefit is that marketing books online can be done with little effort when using social media as a marketing tool. 

Which Social Media Networks Are Best For Book Marketing?

Although it is possible to use any form of social media for marketing books, Instagram is more suitable for the task. Book lovers are always posting book covers on their Instagram and it is relatively simple to use this to your advantage. You can even boost your post by purchasing Instagram likes, further increasing your book’s chances at popularity. 

It doesn’t matter if you’ve written an academic book or a novel, or even which genre. Instagram is a place where books are sometimes judged by their cover. Make sure your book cover is creatively designed and eye-catching. The same goes for your Instagram posts in general. 

Instagram Marketing Strategies

To promote your book and generate sales through Instagram, there are several strategies that can help you use the platform to its fullest potential

Interact With Your Followers

Before your book is released, you can use Instagram to involve your readers in designing your cover. Post different cover designs, and ask your readers to vote for which version they like best. In this way, you are both engaging the customer and promoting your book simultaneously. This is a form of consumer engagement.

Some writers also go as far as giving out free copies of the book before the release date to people for designing a cover for them. This is easy to set up. First, challenge your followers to design a book cover for you, with the incentive of the winner getting a free copy. After picking your favorites, let your followers decide the final winner. This method has a lot more marketing potential and it's a lot less work. 

Influencers

One of the most effective strategies to employ for any marketing on social media is Influencer marketing. Although some of the best influencers are expensive to employ, their impact on consumer purchasing decisions cannot be overlooked.

Keep in mind that there are many levels of influencers and not all of them cost the same, so search around, and you might find someone willing to work with your budget. High-quality influencers should have an audience that interacts with them, otherwise, the number of followers has little to no meaning. 

Give Your Follows A Sneak Peak

You may consider posting the equivalent of a teaser trailer of your ebook. Of course, you need to get creative and choose parts of the book that keep the reader asking for more. Meanwhile, your posts shouldn’t contain any spoilers or reveal any important plot twists. 

Post Other Content Too

If your Instagram page is only promotional content, many of your followers will be tempted to stop following you. By diversifying the content of your posts, and mainly posting non-promotional content, you can attract new followers. In this way, you can promote to people who come for your Instagram and are surprised to find that you’ve written a book, and not to people who are already fans of your writing and likely waiting for your next release.

To Sum it Up

Marketing on Instagram is an easy way for self-published authors to drive sales and generate revenue. Following the correct marketing strategy can vastly change the results of your social media marketing, allowing you to promote your book to the largest audience you can manage. Finally, do not hesitate to diversify your content to keep from boring your fans.