How many times have you posted something about your book on social media, checked back later, and thought, “Is this thing ON?”
You got three likes: one was your mom, one was another author, and one was quite possibly an accidental thumb slip by somebody you went to high school with.
We’ve all been there, done that.
And when it happens, what do we automatically blame?
The algorithms.
But I don’t believe the algorithms are the real reason most authors struggle on social media.
We’re blaming the algorithm for a problem we’re creating ourselves, and it’s the single biggest social media mistake I see people like us make every day:
They create content from the perspective of the AUTHOR instead of the perspective of the READER.
I promise…now that I’ve said that, you’re going to see it everywhere…maybe even on your own feed.
But that’s okay because this is extremely fixable.
In this post, I’ll teach you how to totally transform your social media strategy and turn it into a virtual book vending machine!
Let's Talk About It!
Nobody Cares (Literally...They Don't)!
Here’s what authors are unfortunately still being taught to post about.
- Your book.
- Your writing progress.
- Your word count.
- Your writing desk.
- Your journey.
- A “character sketch.”
- Your book next to a pumpkin because it’s October.
- Your book next to a Christmas ornament because now it’s December.
And then we wonder why virtually nobody engages.
The problem with posting those kinds of things is that it’s all about YOU.
And we’re asking complete strangers to care, when, the cold hard truth is that they simply don’t care…NOT YET, anyway!
Think about how weird this would be in real life.
Imagine you’re at a party, and somebody you’ve never met walks straight up to you.
They don’t ask your name, what you do, what you’re talking about, or what you’re interested in.
They just start…talking at you.
Them: “Hi! I’m writing a novel.”
You: “Okay, cool.”
Them: “I wrote 2,147 words today.”
You: “Fantastic.”
Them: “Chapter Eleven is DESTROYING me.”
You: “I’m sorry…what?”
Them: “My character Nathan did something yesterday I wasn’t expecting.”
You: “I don’t know Nathan.”
Them: “My preorder is available now!”
You: “I was just leaving.”
You laugh (cus it is funny), but that’s basically what authors do on social media all day every day.
We walk into a room full of strangers and immediately start broadcasting information about ourselves and our books, neither of which they’ve heard of, let alone give a fig about.
Then we’re gobsmacked and incredulous when we see that no one is responding at all.
Not "Everybody" Will Want Your Book!
I’ve coached and mentored indie authors for 20 years, and I can tell you firsthand that 90% of authors think they know their readers, when in reality, they’re once again listening to old, outdated, recycled advice and concentrating on things like:
- gender
- age range
- geographic location
The truth is that NONE of those things matter at all.
I teach my clients how to build something called an Ideal Reader Avatar (IRA).
Your IRA is the specific person who already absolutely LOVES the type of book you’ve written, and they’re actively seeking them out and even raving about them online.
Not “readers.”
Not “women from 18 to 85.”
Not even “fantasy readers.”
A historical romance reader is NOT looking for the same content as a dark romance reader.
A cozy mystery reader and a psychological thriller reader aren’t necessarily laughing at the same jokes.
And a sweet romance reader and someone whose favorite fictional relationship involves kidnapping and twelve felony charges probably aren’t looking for the same experience.
Different readers. Different expectations. Different humor. Different tropes. Different conversations.
Different readers require different content.
Once you find, learn about, and understand your Ideal Reader Avatar and the content they post and enjoy engaging with, you need to change the question you ask yourself.
Instead of thinking, “What can I post about my book today?”
Ask, “What can I post today that makes my ideal reader recognize herself?”
Before you create anything on social media, stop and imagine your IRA scrolling the feed, then seeing your post.
Would what you post make them say, “THIS IS SO ME!” OR “THAT IS MY KINDA PERSON!”?
If the answer isn’t a resounding, “Hell, yes!” then, for the love of all things holy…don’t post it.
Now, let’s talk about how you can study your IRA and figure out what they actually want to consume instead of guessing and failing over and over again.
Create Content Intentionally And Purposefully!
Give yourself permission to stop stressing over what to post on social media because your readers are already telling you exactly what they want to see…every single day…for free.
And figuring out what they love to post about, talk about, and engage with is easy, peasy, like a breezy!
Figure out where your IRA posts and chats the most about books like yours they love (and even hate), like:
- BookTok
- Bookstagram
- Facebook reader groups
- Substack
- Threads
- Amazon reviews
While you’re in these magical fortresses for booklovers, DO NOT follow other authors because your intent is not to support them (there’s time for that another day).
Other authors can absolutely become readers, there is such thing as crossover, and author community matters enormously…just not when you’re building your fanbase.
I’m not telling you to go dramatically unfollow every writer you know and announce that Christina told you to do it.
(Please don’t create that problem for me on Monday.)
Right now, your sole focus needs to be on communing with your target audience of readers and only those readers…and studying them.
While you’re hanging out in these places, pay attention to:
- What gets comments?
- What gets shared?
- What gets saved?
- What jokes keep appearing?
- What tropes generate arguments?
- What characters are readers obsessed with?
- What frustrates them?
From now on, your content strategy needs to deliberately attract your ideal readers, and make them your book besties!
5 Content Types That Actually Attract Readers!
You don’t need 400 post ideas.
You need a handful of categories (marketing gurus call them “pillars”) you can repeatedly pull from.
Next post, I’ll teach you how to create an easy to follow and stick with it content plan, but for now, just create a list of pillars with at least these 4 starter types of content.
#1 IDENTITY & EMPATHY CONTENT
This is content that says to your IRA that you’re exactly like them, and you have the same habits, likes, preferences, and so on.
Below are some visual examples to demonstrate.
If a reader sees your post and will think, “That is SO me!” then, they’ll be exponentially more inclined to stay more than 3 seconds (critical).
But also, they’ll also engage with that post (more critical), and quite possibly even tag and share (the best marketing ever created)!
BONUS POINTS if you can hit them in their feels!
#2 OPINION & CONVO CONTENT
Book people LOVE opinions (can I get an “amen?”).
In this pillar, you can either record yourself in a short-form (7 sec) video or create a static image in Canva posing your question or comment.
(The more likely it is to spark debate or even touch a nerve…THE BETTER! Trust me on this.)
And if you pay close attention, everybody commenting is giving you invaluable market research, again, totally free!
They’re telling you what they like and dislike, and you can’t put a price tag on that kind of marketing.
#3 ENTERTAINING CONTENT
Entertaining doesn’t mean you have to learn and nail every goofy TikTok dance (I do, but then again, my girls call me “extra” so I just lean into it!)
It just means you make your readers feel seen, heard, and understood…with a knowing smirk.
Include humor, memes, pithy observations…whatever your IRA can relate to and fits your brand voice.
And don’t chase every trend.
If a trend fits you and your readers, great.
If you’re standing in your kitchen doing something you hate because somebody told you “the algorithm likes this,” trust me…people can feel that.
#4 BOOK RECS & REVIEWS
One of the easiest ways to attract your ideal readers is to…talk about books.
Revolutionary, I know.
Recommend books in your niche, review them, talk about what other books in your genre you’re reading now and what you think so far…
Now you’re useful.
You’re participating in the culture your reader already enjoys.
And when you eventually bring your OWN book into that conversation (eventually…I promise), it makes sense.
Wrap It Up, Christina!
There’s just so much that goes into learning how to correctly and effectively create social media content and post it, and most importantly, leverage it to your advantage!
So, for now, I’ll end this by giving you your first assignment.
Search TikTok, Insta, and Facebook groups (ONLY reader groups in your niche, not author groups!) using the search bar and keywords relevant to your book’s niche (i.e., “dark romantasy” or “cozy mystery”).
Spend time devouring the paying attention to the content posted by your IRA that is getting tons of engagement, and don’t forget the comments.
CLICK HERE and open (and immediately save) my gift to you, which is a FREE copy of my “Social Media Content Planner for Authors!”
FOR NOW, fill in the second column of the first sheet with ideas for content you come up with based on your research.
STOP THERE because next week, I’ll be teaching you how to create a plan, come up with more ideas, and post the right way (hashtags, captions, hooks, etc.).
Until then, please do me a favor and drop a comment below, letting me know if you found this post helpful (or not).
