Expert Advice

Sign of the Times: The Social Media Takeover  “Social media is a great platform to share your message with a much wider audience than traditional media provides.”

Social media has embedded itself into nearly every facet of our lives. We use it to network with colleagues, share information, stay in touch with friends and family and to market ourselves. Social media helps you create a personal online brand, and that brand is cultivated each time you interact with your social media accounts.

Everyone from President Obama to Lady Gaga has realized the power of social networking sites to market themselves, and Author Solutions Social Media Specialist Maggie Hames thinks you should use it to promote your book.

“Social media’s reach is undeniable,” Hames said. “There are more than 100 million Twitter users and 500 million Facebook users worldwide, and they’re becoming a growing source for insight on consumer habits. Top companies are engaging with consumers and ultimately generating sales. Authors can do the same.”

And they have. Bestselling authors J.K. Rowling (The Harry Potter series) and Meg Cabot (The Princess Diaries) dove headfirst into social media with Twitter accounts and blogs. Cabot’s fans often express their gratitude to the author for her candid blog posts, and it appears she’s formed a stronger connection with some of her readers. “So thank you a million for giving hope to a ‘dreamer’,” reads one reply on Cabot’s page.

According to Hames, social media is one of the best ways to build a relationship with your followers.

“Twitter and other sites are perfect for connecting with your audience,” she said. “Find out what their favorite chapter was. When you see people talking about your book, thank them with a reply. Use your blog to write about interesting topics related to your book. Listen to readers’ ideas and feedback. The more you can involve readers, the better.”

While positive results can come from any form of marketing, social media helps you connect with your audience on a more personal level, something other marketing tools can’t do for you. AuthorHive offers personal website and social networking site setup to help you reach out to your public, and help them feel more in touch with you.

“One of the most important parts of social media campaigns is author involvement,” Hames said. “To be successful, you need to post content regularly. While AuthorHive lays the ground work, our goal is to train authors to stand on their own at the end of the campaign. Authors that are eager to dive into social media and get involved often have the best results.”