What is the Book PR Value of Social Media? from Smith Publicity's blog

Since its rise to prominence, social media has been a hot topic in conversations among book publicity professionals. Just how much can it do to promote books? What are its limitations? How is it used most productively? Can it be combined with other PR tactics to support a campaign? These are just a few of the questions people have, and today more is known than ever about the answers. The most significant piece of learning from the past ten years is there is no exact approach that works the same for everyone. It's subject to each author's personality, posting habits, fan base, and the various platform algorithms.

Everyone understands the value of going viral and that we live in a celebrity-driven online culture. Both can be factors in social media that bring substantial marketing advantages to certain people's books. But they are already famous and have enormous followings – or get lucky by some fluke and become a viral sensation. While there is no doubt both are helpful, they exclude 99 percent of authors who write books. Therefore, what should most writers do to promote their work? Be present on social media but manage your expectations. Combine it with other time-proven PR tactics to promote your book.

You need to build a following to do well on social media, and the best time to do it is before you write your book, not after. It takes time and excellent posts people want to share in building your following. Getting to milestones in followers – 10,000, 25,000, 50,000, 100,000 – isn't easy and takes time for most people. Getting a head start always helps; when it comes time to mention (gently promote) your book, you'll have a sizeable group that's large enough to help. Some authors are lucky enough to be in genres where fans and followers are hyper-interested and loyal. It's easier for them to sell books.

If you have a solid following, other important questions to consider are what to post and how often to post. Each has a bearing on how successful you will be and plays a role in attracting followers. Experts advise keeping your social media accounts active and never letting them go dormant. At the same time, you want to avoid over-posting, which can cost your followers. Many authors make daily social media posts or do so several times a week. Either approach will keep your accounts active and followers interested. Posts are best when they are authentic, so bring up things that highlight your knowledge.