Short-form video sharing platforms like Instagram and TikTok have quickly risen to become must-use channels for aspiring and current authors. With dedicated communities like Bookstagram and BookTok, these platforms and their tight-knit communities can transform how fans and new readers alike engage with and enjoy your work. Here’s what to know to make the most out of them.
Table of Contents:
• TikTok for book promotion
• Promoting your book with Instagram reels
• Should you post cross-platform?
TikTok for book promotion
The first step in getting the most out of TikTok is to create your author profile and bio. Use a professional photo and create a short but engaging bio. Highlight your book’s genre or share a curiosity-driven hook and choose a username that’s easy for readers to remember.
Every TikTok profile allows you one clickable link. This is a great place to add your author website. If you’re publishing with BookBaby, it’s the place to add your BookBaby Bookshop URL so that viewers can purchase your book from you directly while you earn the highest royalty rates.
To succeed on TikTok, it’s first important to make the algorithm (and thus your readers) aware that you exist. That means posting consistently, anywhere from 3-5 times per week. Ideally you’ll want to keep your book top-of-mind without overwhelming your followers.
You’ll also want to develop a visual theme with your posts. This is a great place to use your book cover design to showcase something that’s uniquely yours. Over time, the book cover and its theme will become instantly recognizable to your followers and fans.
TikTok is bursting at the seams with inspiration. The most-common post ideas for authors include:
- How I became a published author
- Behind-the-scenes looks at my writing process
- Character inspiration
- Settings worth exploring
Combine popular community-based tags like #BookTok or #ReadingCommunity with tags that are specific to your genre, like #YAThrillers or #FantasyReads, to get the attention of both general reading audiences and specific groups who enjoy your genre. You should also create a custom hashtag with #YourBookTitle to help showcase user-generated content and, over time, build brand awareness.
Social media is very much a battle for attention, which means that you have only seconds to hook your viewer. Welcome them into your world with a captivating quote, then share a cliffhanger or a visual that grabs their attention. Reveal potential cover ideas, scenes, or “a day in the life” to get readers involved in your journey as an author.
Another popular idea involves introducing your characters or plots. Use colors, props, or music to help bring out the atmosphere and ambience of your book and its characters. Create challenges inviting users to film their own blind reactions to a final chapter, or their own “what if” scenarios, then compile the highlights into a reaction mashup. Small, bite-sized pieces of content like “X Things (Character) would NEVER Do…” give readers a glimpse into your world and your imagination.
Promoting your book with Instagram reels
Similarly to using TikTok, Instagram (and by extension Instagram Reels) will offer you an excellent opportunity to position and promote yourself as an author. As with TikTok, you’ll want to create a compelling bio and add in your BookBaby Bookshop URL so that readers can purchase your book directly.
Reels are a fantastic way to show off your personality. Both Reels and Stories give you a canvas to share fun writing quotes, book themes, character backstories, and much more. You can take advantage of this to create short quotes or key scenes from your book.
The secret to growing a following on Instagram over time is to be authentically yourself. Respond to comments, thank users who tag you, and cultivate conversations to grow your fanbase. It’s not something that happens overnight, but rather little by little over time. Instagram Insights will tell you who your post reached (for example: followers vs. non-followers) and what your audience demographics are. Use these insights to drive topic ideas when you post so that you squeeze the maximum engagement out of everything you publish.
Should you post cross-platform?
Many authors wonder if they should post what they share on TikTok with Instagram and vice versa. The answer is: absolutely! Share your TikTok videos to Instagram Reels, adjusting hashtags and captions accordingly. Always keep your branding top-of-mind when engaging with users on each platform. Don’t forget to let users know through your video that they should check out your “Link in bio” that points to your BookBaby Bookshop page on both Instagram and TikTok.
The bottom line is that by leveraging both platforms, you truly do get the best of both worlds. TikTok is a viral marketing machine and every post you make there has the potential to get shared and spread in ways that other social media platforms can only dream of. Likewise, Instagram focuses heavily on discoverability, so if you’re a new author, it’s worth connecting with your ideal readers and introducing them to your space, your creativity, your imagination, your characters, and your process.
The key, as with any marketing initiative, is to start small, post regularly, and use the tools that both platforms place at your disposal. Be authentically yourself and don’t fall into the all-too-common trap of doing things like buying followers. It takes time and patience, but the results are well worth it – there’s simply no better way to reach potential readers worldwide and turn them into devoted fans!
Need help getting your book into the hands of your new-found audience? Be sure to check out BookBaby and our variety of services for aspiring and published authors alike. From cover design to editing and even marketing services (including ads on Instagram), we offer a complete suite of tools designed to help make your book – and you as its author — shine on social media and beyond. Contact us today to learn more!
