Recently, in one of our previous blog we covered the topic – ‘How Authors Can Utilize Twitter In An Effective Manner!’ While, here in this write-up we are going to discuss the ways of selling more books with the help of a social media platform, called Twitter. Now, I agree that both the topics gives the impression of being similar, if we go by the headings. However, in reality both these topics, namely – How Authors Can Utilize Twitter In An Effective Manner as well as How To Sell More Books Using Twitter are very much different from each other!
Rather than focusing on the methods of using the social media platform of Twitter in an effective manner, this article shall lay down the tips for the authors to use Twitter in such a manner that they can easily sell more copies of their books. Now, it is a well-known fact that twitter is famous for being the platform that constrained updates limited up to Only 280 Characters! So, it is kind of ironic that it happens to be one of the most effective social media outlets for promoting full length books.
Nevertheless, even though you are only allowed a sentence or two of text for each update, there are countless ways to use the platform, making it difficult to determine how you should approach it for the best results. Today we have some advice on how you can use Twitter to add some muscle to your book marketing campaigns so you can sell more books!
Well, the following tips are meant to help you in selling more & more copies of your books with the help of twitter –
1) Be Engaged: You have to do more than just like and retweet; you have to start and join conversations. In addition, when a user @ replies you, take the opportunity to get a dialogue going.
2) Jump on the Hashtag Bandwagon: One of the best ways to engage on Twitter is to pay attention to and use the hashtags. Pay attention to trending hashtags, especially those that are prominent in the writing community, and tweet your take on them!
3) Build a Stockpile of Images: Whether you take some cool photos yourself or grab free images from Google Image searches, it is a good idea to have a roster of useful images handy. Research indicates that tweets containing images generate upwards of 300% more engagement. While, now that images do not apply when considering character count, there is literally no excuse not to add a great image to just about every tweet.
4) Have a Great Profile and Cover Images with a Strong Bio: This should be a no brainer, but it must be said that your profile needs to look good and contain up to date information about you in the bio section. Make sure you include a link to your website or to your mailing list signup page!
5) Use Tweetable Quotes and Passages from Your Book: Make sure to use any quotes or passages that are ultra-tweetable! Make a list of them first, since you can also make an impact by tweeting out images or screenshots that contain intriguing sections of your works.
6) Keep your Book Title Short: This might seem odd, but these days it is a good idea to constrain your book title with social media marketing in mind. If your title is too long, you might not be able to tweet about it effectively! In addition, even if the official title is not short, you can still refer to it in a more brief way when tweeting about the book, and include the link of course!
7) Get Inspiration from your Favourite Authors: You probably follow some of your favourite authors on Twitter, so take some time to analyse their social media personas and note down how they use the platform. If you like how they are connecting with their readers, feel free to use their techniques as inspiration for your own.
8) Take Advantage of the Twitter Lists: Lists on Twitter allow you to segment the users you are following so you can stay more focused on your engagement, instead of endlessly scrolling through an ever-cycling stream. Make lists of your top fans and engagers as well as ones for other authors and/or writing-focused accounts!
9) Use Quotes when You Retweet: If you see a tweet that you like then do not just Retweet it! Instead, add value by inserting a quote with your thoughts.
10) Tweet Often: Maintaining a consistent presence on Twitter is one of the best ways to maintain a consistent following. You need to tweet multiple times every day to make an impact, and you should always err on the side of tweeting too much. People online are hungry for constant content, so as long as you are providing variety and value, you can satisfy their needs. Remember: for every promotional tweet, you should send out four that provide real value!
11) Use Automation (But do not Overuse it): One way to ensure that you tweet on a daily basis is to schedule tweets using applications like Buffer and HootSuite. However, you should not rely exclusively on these platforms to put your tweets into the world. Make sure you are tweeting in real time on a regular basis, too, so your followers do not think you are a regimented robot.
12) Ask your Followers to Vote if your Book is in any Competition: There are several kinds of ‘Online competitions’ always taking place on platforms like Goodreads, Twitter or Facebook. Undoubtedly, it is a wise decision to enter into those competitions. However, it will be only half the effort if you do not ask your readers for vote. Therefore, make sure that whenever your book is competing for an award that is based on fan votes, use Twitter to get your people involved & gain some votes!
Written By NEEL PREET – Author of the Books, Voice From The East (2016); Journey With Time Place And Circumstances (2018) & Indian Defence Files (2021).
