Using Social Media for Publishing Companies

The growth of social media has impacted the publishing industry within the last decade. Major publishing houses like HarperCollins, Penguin Random House, and Simon and Schuster are now using social media to boost brand awareness, reach new readers, and market their author’s books.

Publishers must adopt social media as part of their book marketing strategy to keep a competitive edge. This guide will explain why social media is imperative for book publishing companies and offer best practices for creating a winning social media strategy.

Are you ready to transform your publishing house’s social media presence? Call 888-601-5359 to speak one-on-one with a WebFX strategist today!

Why is social media important for publishers?

Social media is a powerful tool for publishing companies. Learn the top benefits of using social media as a publishing house below.

Build brand awareness

Social media boosts brand awareness, meaning you reach new audiences while building a credible, trustworthy reputation — something that holds weight in the ever-changing, competitive publishing industry.

Plus, readers are more likely to follow and interact with your content — and become interested in your books — if your publishing house has a trustworthy and friendly online presence.

Reach new readers

Did you know 74% of shoppers use social media to make a purchasing decision? That includes readers — which is why Goodreads is popular amongst avid book lovers. Social media is the place to start if your goals are to find new readers and market your author’s books. 

Social media helps you create an engaged community, too — 96% of users who follow a brand on social media will interact with that brand. The more engaged your followers are, the easier it will be to market and sell more books. 

Market and sell more books

Readers love hearing what others say about new books before purchasing them. Goodreads, “Bookstagram” accounts, and YouTube book review channels are ideal places for spoiler-free book reviews. 

Use your publishing social media accounts to share authentic reviews, discussions, and information about your new and upcoming books. Share cover reveals, sneak peeks, and first chapters to intrigue readers and market new books. 

Develop business relationships

Social media helps publishing companies build and nurture relationships with influencers, bloggers, and book reviewers. These relationships are essential for a publishing company’s marketing department — as readers often look to book reviewers to make a final purchasing decision.

These relationships are mutually beneficial — you’re reaching their audiences to attract new readers while they’re reaching yours to grow their followings. It’s a win-win for both parties!

Collect feedback from readers

Social media helps you communicate with readers and collect crucial feedback. You can send out surveys, create polls, and ask for comments and feedback directly on your posts using calls to action. 

These strategies help you learn more about what readers want to see in the future — both on your social media pages and in future publishing projects. The better you know your readers, the bigger your bottom line.

Social media best practices for publishing companies

There are many reasons to build a social media presence for your publishing company. When you’re ready to get started, here are a few social media marketing best practices to keep in mind.

1. Get to know your reader audience

Before using social media to market new books and boost sales, create a social media strategy. Choosing the right platform is crucial to any social media strategy. Different readers have different social media preferences — get to know your reader base before you choose a social media platform. 

Consider your audience’s demographics. What social media platforms are your readers spending the most time on based on age, gender, and interests? Young adult readers spend a lot of time watching content on YouTube and browsing hashtags they’re following on Instagram. In comparison, book bloggers and writers prefer microblogging and sharing their content on Twitter. 

Once you’ve chosen the right platform, check out these eight tips for creating a winning social media strategy.

2. Have a goal in mind

Knowing whether your social media efforts have paid off without a tangible goal to measure progress is challenging. Before creating social media content, set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely (SMART) social media goals to measure your return on investment with analytics. 

Let’s say your goal is to create an advanced readers copy (ARC) email list for a new author’s upcoming debut novel. A SMART  version of this goal might read: “I want to capture 100 emails for this author’s ARC email list by running paid social media ads from January 1st to March 1st.” 

3. Be consistent

Once you have a strategy and have set a goal, show up for your followers. Consistency is vital for social media marketing. Set a posting schedule and stick to it with the help of social media scheduling tools. If it’s helpful for your content creation or marketing team, designate blocks of time to create content in bulk.

Consistency trumps frequency any day. Ensure you’re consistently sharing high-quality, relevant content instead of less relevant content in frequent bursts.

74% of people use social media when making a purchasing decision.

Make their decision easy with a stellar social media presence. See how your brand can level up by requesting a no-obligation proposal today.

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4. Partner with a social media management company like WebFX

Do you need help creating a social media strategy that helps your market and sell your author’s books? Partner with an award-winning social media marketing company like WebFX.

We’re a full-service digital marketing company specializing in results-driven social media management services for publishing companies and self-published authors. Our team of experts will develop a well-rounded social media strategy that results in more engaged readers and book sales.

Ready to create a winning social media strategy for your publishing house? Call 888-601-5359 to speak with a strategist, or request your free quote online! 

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