How to Develop a Social Media Strategy for Authors

If you're an author who is completely overwhelmed with social media and feel like you're being pulled in a million different directions, I’m glad that you're here. In this post we are going through the seven steps that it takes to create a powerful and effective social media strategy.

This strategy is going to help you save time, make your post more effective, and save your sanity.  So let’s jump in!

Step #1: Identify Your Goals 

Goals give us something to aim at and point us in the right direction. With clear goals we are able to create a plan and outline actionable steps to reach where we want to go. 

Goals can be very different from author to author - they are unique to you. It’s how you will define a successful outcome for you and your book. What I might define as success might be completely different for you. So having a goal can help you to make sure you are on track, that your efforts are working, and you can make adjustments as needed. 

Step #2: Identify Your Ideal Reader

To stand out in a very noisy online world, you have to share specific and detailed content in order to stand out. When we just talk to a general demographic or try to reach anyone and everyone, we will blend in with the rest of the noise and our content won’t be seen. 

When we clearly identify an ideal reader with a specific age, interests, hobbies, and buying habits, it helps us to create content that is specific and detailed. This content will make us more visible online, help us stand out, and connect with the right people. 

If you want to get started with forming your ideal reader, click here to download the Book Marketing Blueprint. It’s free and a great way to get your marketing into shape.  

Step #3: Do a Social Media Audit 

You don’t need to be on every social media outlet in order to be seen. You just have to be where your ideal reader is already hanging out. Once we identify who our ideal reader is we're able to make a better decision as to where we should be. 

If you’re already on multiple social media outlets, I would suggest you do an audit. Take a look at the metrics - is your audience commenting, liking, or engaging with your posts? This information is an indicator of where your ideal reader is. You want to see if they are going from social media to your website, if they clicking the links that you share, and so on. You can tell all of from your social media and website analytics.

Taking note of where people are most active and where you’re making the strongest connection will be a great indicator of where you should actually spend your time online. 

Step #4: Do Some Research

Taking the time to see where other authors are hanging out, how they are connecting with readers, seeing if readers are active, and making general observations is very helpful. It's not to copy what other authors are doing but rather to see if they are being effective at reaching readers. Doing just a little bit of research will help you to make the right decision as to where you should be online.

Step #5: Pick One or Two Social Media Outlets

Again, as an author you do not need to be everywhere online to be seen you. You've done some research, you have identified who your ideal reader is, so now you're able to make a more educated decision as to where you are going to be as well. 

If you’re feeling overwhelmed or stretched too thin, just focus on one social media outlet. This is powerful because it enables you to spend more quality time on a single outlet to engage that community and not spread yourself too thin. 

Step #6: Create a Posting Schedule 

I'd encourage you to look at your calendar and ask yourself how much time you can realistically spend on social media each week in order to post consistently. Consistently post quality content three times a week is more powerful than doing mediocre posts every day. 

If you’re just getting started, try to post two or three posts a week on the same days every week for a month. Once you feel really comfortable with it, maybe add another post per week. But if you’re seeing great results from three posts per week, stick with it and keep going. 

Start simple - you can always get fancy later. 

Step #7: Create a Content Calendar 

Now that you have your posting schedule figured out you can create a content calendar. This will help you to plan ahead and be intentional with your posts. Pick which days you arer going to post, what time your post will go live, and start to map out your content. Identify what kind of content you want to share. Maybe it's sharing two graphic images and then one video or Reel a week. You could try doing all Reels. Whatever it might be, plan that out so it leaves less guesswork and take less time. 

And there you have it! You’ve created a powerful social media strategy that you can put to work right away. Taking the time to map this out ahead of time rather than just winging it from day to day will make your social media posts more powerful and less stressful.

Don’t forget to download your copy of the Book Marketing Blueprint for free!