Is Your Use of Social Media Marketing Efficient? by @wendygarfinkle

Is Your Use of Social Media Marketing Efficient? by @wendygarfinkle, BadRedhead Media

Being a published author means stepping into the world of marketing, specifically, online social media marketing. Yes, there abound opportunities for in-person marketing – book launches, author readings, book fairs, author/reader mingling events…and the list goes on. But most of us cannot afford the money or time needed to attend most of the in-person author events out there, so we must take advantage of the online marketing opportunities available. And there are hundreds – if not thousands – of them. Many at little to no financial expense.

Even if you’re published by one of the “Big 5” (isn’t it 4 now?) presses, odds are, you’ll need to do some of your own marketing. Unless you’re a prolific and multi-bestselling author or full-time writer, you may have to work harder to sell books or climb to the top of the bestseller ladder. And even prolific authors have an online presence that encourages readers to interact with and learn more about them as people and not just as authors.

If you expect your publisher to do all the marketing while you sit on your laurels collecting the royalties, I have a question for you – where can I buy some of those rose-colored glasses you’re wearing? No one gets something for nothing. The work doesn’t stop just because you finished writing the book and it’s been published. No. Now the REAL work begins. In order to earn the royalties, you have to sell the book. Even if you’ve received an advance, you still have to EARN that advance, or never see a PENNY in royalties.

How is this done? By MARKETING.

In our modern, technologically advanced world, most of that marketing can be done online. Not just advertising and posting, “Please buy my book!” but through being approachable, personable, cross-promotions, by marketing others. At least this is the way we do it with the Hybrid Publishing model.

During the month of February, the multi-talented, marketing guru Rachel Thompson emailed FREE marketing tips every day for 30 days to those of us who accepted her challenge. If you didn’t take advantage of it, not to worry, we’re currently editing and updating the content to release the entire 30-Day Marketing Challenge as a book. It will be available within the next couple of months. We’ll keep you updated.

Until then, I’d like to share some of her marketing tips. Since I’m still working on the whole marketing thing myself and sometimes feel overwhelmed, I’ll just list a few things from Rachel’s challenge.

Is Your Use of Social Media Marketing Efficient? by @wendygarfinkle, BadRedhead Media

Social Media and Author Platform Basics

If you’re a published author, then you need to have, at the very least:

Additional social media and marketing opportunities:

  • authorRise – FREE services & PAID Facebook boosts. You set the budget to pay for the boost(s), and they do the rest.
  • BookMarketingTools.com – You pay $14.99, fill out ONE form and reach 35-40 sites!
  • Guest blogging (like I’m doing right now! 🙂 podcasts and interviews. This is free marketing, builds relationships and gains new readers. Trade off with authors and bloggers who write what you write and/or have similar branding platforms. AC Fuller has a popular author podcast.
  • To gain more followers on Twitter, you need to follow more people. But not just ANY people. As simple way to discover who/what you should follow on Twitter (based on your own interests, branding platform – other authors, book reviewers, etc.), use a follow/unfollow app such as ManageFlitter.

So. Now you have your marching orders. Go forth! Try some (or all!) of these marketing opportunities and I guarantee you’ll be pleased with the results. For many more exceptional marketing tips and challenges, visit Rachel’s Author Marketing Archives. 🙂

 

Wendy is a writer who holds degrees from three different universities, including MA and MFA in Creative Writing from Wilkes University. Her debut novel, SERPENT ON A CROSS, which was published October 30, 2012, by Northampton House Press as an ebook, was re-released digitally and in print – with new content – by Booktrope, in August 2014.
She’s authored numerous poems, and is currently juggling several Shiny Things (AKA, Works in Progress). She has served as a copy editor and panel reader for Hippocampus Magazine, and a reader for the James Jones First Novel Fellowship. She works as a Editor and Proofreader for her publisher, Booktrope, and its Gravity Imprint, as well as freelance editing.
In her day job, Wendy is a crime analyst for a county sheriff’s office. Her hobbies include writing, reading, and traveling. She lives in South Florida with her teenage son.
Social Media Links:Wendy Garfinkle, author, editor
Website & Blog
Twitter
Facebook Author page
Facebook Personal page
Goodreads
Amazon

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photos courtesy of Unsplash

2 Comments

  1. Five Links Friday 5/20/16 | Write Good Books on May 19, 2016 at 10:03 pm

    […] Marketing! Yes, we know is the most important thing a writer can do (besides actually writing). But Is Your Use of Social Media Marketing Efficient? Let Wendy C. Garfinkle answer that for you in a guest post at Bad Red Head […]

  2. Jeandavis on October 18, 2021 at 9:36 am

    Okay, your information on social media marketing is really helpful for us;
    Thanks for sharing this information with us…

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