Imagine writing a book, publishing it, and no one buys a single copy!
I just wrote an author’s worst nightmare!
Unfortunately, for some authors, this nightmare becomes a reality because they don’t market their books the right way.
No, it’s not because their writing is inadequate. I have seen some pretty questionable books sell a million copies simply with their marketing. (cough.. 50 shades…cough)
And that’s what you need as well!
In this blog, I’ll tell you exactly how you should do social media book marketing and how to leverage scheduling tools to automate the process.
Short Summary
- Many authors struggle not because of bad writing but because they don’t market their books effectively.
- Social media is now the top place where readers discover new books, especially through communities like BookTok and Bookstagram.
- Building an author brand is essential; readers want to follow real, relatable writers, not just book ads.
- You must focus on community building over constant promotion using the 80/20 rule: mostly value-driven content, with occasional sales posts.
- Use AI tools to save time, repurpose content, schedule posts, and analyze audiences, but keep your authentic voice.
Trust me, you’ll learn some real strategies in this guide!
So let’s get started!
Your Book Won’t Market Itself!
Stop letting great stories die in your drafts. With Social Champ, schedule everywhere in minutes and show up where readers already are!
Why Social Media Marketing for Books Is Important?
I know, I know. You’re a writer, not a marketer.
Your time is best spent crafting beautiful sentences, not scrolling TikTok.
But trust me on this: social media is the single greatest tool available to authors today!
It’s Where Readers Are Looking for Books
Many readers (including me) are skipping traditional searches and heading straight to platforms like TikTok (BookTok) and Instagram (Bookstagram) to ask: “What should I read next?”
They trust the recommendations from fellow readers and authors they connect with, not just sponsored ads.
You Need to Build the Author Brand, Not Just the Book
Readers buy books, but they follow authors.
Every successful author today has an identifiable brand, a unique voice, a specific set of interests, and a reliable vibe.
Social media is where you show the world who the creative, relatable human is behind the powerful story.
If you’re not there, you’re missing the main bookstore floor.
Take the example of author V.E.Schwab, she’s the author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and is a master of projecting an enduring author brand.
Her social media isn’t just a list of her books.
She engages with the writing process, shares her thoughts on other media, and generally projects an image of a creative, relatable person.
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How to Promote a Book on Social Media?
Forget about the old ways of book marketing that put your money on the line.
Nowadays, marketing has become so smart that you can start hyping up your book before even finishing it.
Social media is your best bet for that!
In 2021 alone, BookTok helped in selling 20 million books, contributing to total sales of the year.
So now you know that people on social media are not just scrolling through book marketing videos; they are actually making purchases.
Here’s how you can also do a book promotion on social media!
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Strategy 1: Make Short-Form Video Your Primary Language
If you take one thing away from this post, let it be this: Video is the primary language of the internet, now and forever.
Platforms like TikTok (BookTok), Instagram (Reels), and YouTube (Shorts) are all battling for short-form video supremacy.
Their algorithms are designed to push fresh, interesting video content to people who will engage with it.
Aiden Thomas is a fantastic example of an author who leans into the fun, creative, and community-driven side of BookTok.
He uses TikTok to introduce his characters and share hints and secrets about his upcoming books to keep his audience engaged and interested in his books.
Check out this video for an example!
@aidenschmaiden #greenscreen SUPER SECRET REVEAL for “Celestial Monsters”, the sequel to “The Sunbearer Trials”! Xio apologists, now is your time!!! link in bio to get your copy! @Fierce Reads #aidenthomas #cemeteryboys #booktok #author #authorsoftiktok #thesunbearertrials #celestialmonsters #bookish #bookrecommendations #bookworm ♬ Trendsetter – Connor Price & Haviah Mighty The 3-Platform Repurposing Model
Don’t panic! You don’t have to create three videos. You create one high-quality, short-form video and adapt it slightly for all three major platforms.
Platform Vibe and Key Focus Actionable Tip TikTok (BookTok) Authenticity and Trends. Highly niche communities and trending sounds/challenges. Original Creation. Focus on a specific niche hashtag (e.g., #DarkAcademiaFantasy) and use a fast-paced, trending sound. Be slightly chaotic, it works here! Instagram Reels Aesthetics and Conversion. Slightly higher production value, great for direct shopping links. Polish and Captions. Use a slightly longer, more polished caption. The aesthetic matters a bit more than on TikTok. YouTube Shorts Discovery and SEO. Great for long-term discovery, as they live on the second-largest search engine (YouTube). Text/Keywords. Ensure your video title and description are keyword-rich (e.g., “Must-Read Sci-Fi Books 2026 -
Strategy 2: Stop Pitching, Start Community Building
It’s not just marketing that’s growing; people are also becoming smarter, and their ad detector is constantly on when using social media.
Readers are quick to dismiss any promotional post and look for organic recommendations.
So what does it mean for you?
Be a human, not a brand trying to sell their product!
Apply the 80/20 Rule for Authors
Your feed should not be 100% “Buy my book!”
- 80% Engaging/Value Content: Content that entertains, educates, or inspires your target reader, even if they never buy your book.
- Fantasy Author: Share a mood board of your world’s capital city.
- Self-Help Author: Offer one actionable tip for overcoming writer’s block or achieving a daily goal.
- Romance Author: Share your “ship” playlist or a funny, relatable meme about the “enemies-to-lovers” trope.
- 20% Promotional Content: Direct sales pitches, cover reveals, links to reviews, and giveaways.
Seek Out Micro-Communities (Reddit and Discord)
Facebook groups and Instagram are great, but for deep, high-engagement connections, you need to be in hyper-niche communities.
- Reddit: Subreddits like r/Fantasy, r/RomanceBooks, or a subreddit specific to the historical period of your book (e.g., r/VictorianEra) are where passionate, genre-specific readers hang out. You can’t just spam links! You must participate genuinely, offering recommendations and being an engaged member of the community.
- Discord: Create a private Discord server for your most dedicated fans. This is your “inner circle.” Offer them exclusive sneak peeks, hold voice chats, and let them vote on things like cover color options or character names. This turns fans into stakeholders and super-fans.
- 80% Engaging/Value Content: Content that entertains, educates, or inspires your target reader, even if they never buy your book.
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Strategy 3: Leverage AI for Efficiency, Not Authenticity
AI is deeply rooted in the world of marketing now, like it or not, it’s here to stay, so better work with it.
Try to analyze your audience and work with tools to make your content better.
Do not replace your voice with AI, but make it more profound and consistent with the help of tools.
While we’re talking about AI tools, it is a must to mention how, as an author, you can’t have time to post content consistently on multiple social platforms.
That’s where AI tools like Social Champ come in to help!
You can schedule your content in advance to 11+ platforms from one single dashboard and go back to writing your next chapter.
It also helps you analyze your posts’ performance and choose the best time to post so your posts reach your audience when they’re most active!
Social Champ’s Dashboard Here are some other ways in which AI can make your life easy!
Task How AI Can Help You Benefit Audience Targeting AI tools can analyze reviews of bestsellers in your genre to identify underserved reader segments, most frequent keywords, and optimal ad-copy structures. Smarter Ad Spend: Your paid ads will be laser-focused, reducing wasted money. Content Repurposing Generate 30 unique social media captions from one chapter or a single blog post. Turn a 60-second video transcript into 5-10 keyword-rich blog post ideas. Massive Time Savings: One piece of content can fuel a month of social media posts. First Drafts AI can draft a basic outline for a “Behind the Scenes” post or a script for a character reveal video. You inject your personality, voice, and humor. Beat Writer’s Block: Get a starting point so you’re not staring at a blank screen. Now tell me, isn’t it better to make friends with AI and spend more time on what’s important: Writing!
Your Readers Scroll Fast, Your Content Shouldn’t Fall Behind!
Use Social Champ to stay consistent, keep momentum rolling, and make sure your book stays in everyone’s feed, not buried under cat videos.
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Strategy 4: Be Found With Long-Tail Keywords
Did you know, a massive percentage of Gen Z and Millennials are now starting their product search (including books) on TikTok and Instagram instead of Google?
They’re not searching for an author name; they’re searching for a feeling or a trope.
Targeting the “Long-Tail” Feeling
You need to optimize your content to be discovered by people searching for the vibe your book delivers.
The Reader’s Search/Feeling Your Content Strategy “Books that feel like the movie Knives Out” Create a video titled/captioned: “If you love cozy mysteries and family drama, this book is for you! #KnivesOutVibes” “Best emotional enemies to lovers book” Use a popular romance trope hashtag: #EnemiesToLoversBook, and create a 7-second “emotional punch” video showing your book’s most heart-wrenching moment. “Sci-fi books with amazing female leads” Create a graphic or video titled “Meet the Captain of the S.S. Aurora” with a quote from your strong female protagonist. Target the #SciFiWomen and #StrongFemaleLead tags. -
Strategy 5: Use Smart Hashtags
The days of using 30 random hashtags are gone. The best practice is to use a mix of:
- 2-3 Broad/Huge Tags: #BookTok, #BookRecommendation, #FantasyReads (Gets you into the big pool)
- 3-5 Niche/Specific Tags: #YoungAdultFantasy, #CozyMystery, #HistoricalRomance1800s (Targets your ideal reader)
- 1 Custom/Branded Tag: #YourAuthorNameBooks, #YourBookSeriesTitle (Helps fans find all your content easily)
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Strategy 6: Build Up Your Hype
If you’re a new author hoping to publish your book in a few months, you need to start posting content now!
The sooner you let people know about your story, the better it will be for your book!
A lot of the new authors start documenting their writing process and keep updating their audience about their progress.
This keeps the audience intrigued and gives them a slight insight into your book.
Take the example of Hayley Pham. She’s a YouTuber turned writer who has been creating book content for YouTube for a long time.
She has millions of followers who got to see her write her first book because she kept them updated. Here’s one of her videos as an example:
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Conclusion
When you write a book, remember that you’ve already finished the hard part; marketing is simple and doesn’t need to be stressful.
If you think social media book marketing is not for you, AI tools are always here to help, but try to find a solution instead of choosing to stick to old marketing ways and praying for success.
Be your real, goofy, sensitive, and inspiring self on social media. Trust me, that sells!
People nowadays are looking for real connections, and especially in the book industry, readers prioritize organic recommendations.
So, don’t over- or undersell your writing; find the right balance, and master book marketing on social media.
