If you are using any platform of social media simply for the purpose of entertainment then I would not hesitate to tell you that you are wasting a huge amount of time and a grand opportunity, which is right in front of you! In today’s date and time almost everyone, be it an organization or even an individual is using social media for the purpose of promoting themselves or their work or art or writing or product or services or anything else. Nevertheless, the fact remains that majority of the people have now started using social media with a target and for the promotional purposes!
Now, in this write-up we shall cover the ways of carrying out book promotions on that particular platform of social media, which has been the first choice of the users since last five years. Yes, you guessed it right; we are talking about Instagram, a social media platform that is continuously trending among the top 5 social media platforms for more than 5 years as of now!
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Instagram is a great place, everyone loves it and almost everyone wants to grow on this platform of social media particularly even if that requires neglecting the old favourite, Facebook. Well, such is the craze for Instagram among the social media users and interestingly it is growing with each and every single day.
Believe it or not, Instagram is one of the best social media platforms. It can be a perfect place for your marketing strategy and book promotional activities as –
- Instagram has 700 Million monthly active users!
- 65% of top-performing brands post on Instagram feature products!
- 1/3 of Instagram users have purchased a product, they first discovered on this platform!
Well, now you do not have to do the craziest calculations to understand that Instagram is a great platform for promoting your book and for developing your Author brand value.
Therefore, let us focus on all of those vital and result yielding methods through which you can utilise Instagram judiciously in carrying out Book Promotional Activities, check the points mentioned below –
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1) Create an Instagram Business page: If you use Instagram, it is more likely you have a personal account. To promote your book, you should better create a business account as it has options to make the process of establishing contacts with followers easier.
2) Add Information about your page: To interest more people and turn them into your followers (and maybe readers), you need to hook them. Thus, you should better provide Instagrammers with as much information as you can.
3) Use Statistics to understand your Audience: Business accounts on Instagram have Instagram insights that allow you to understand who your followers are and what do they like most about your page. Moreover, you can see when they are online in order to adapt your schedule to their online presence.
4) Build an Instagram Strategy: Running a business profile is not the same as posting your selfies and posting photos on a private one. If you want to promote a product, you need to build a win-win Instagram strategy. Even though you plan to promote your book on Instagram, do not focus on it only. To create an interesting profile, you need to keep a balance. So publish brand, entertainment, and educational posts as part of your content strategy. Do not get carried away with too much call to action statements.
5) Post regularly: When you promote a book on Instagram, posting regularly is a must to keep your followers interested. According to several studies, posting 1-2 times a day is enough. However, never post to fill your daily social schedule. Be sure that your posts are interesting and may increase engagement. To achieve success on Instagram, you need to analyse your posts to see what works well for your audience. Business profiles have statistics, so you can understand what posts are the best for your audience and when your followers are online to optimize the post timing.
6) Interact with your Target Audience: When people share photos on Instagram, they crave for likes and followers as these are the most common ways to prove appreciation for our posts. If you want to be heard, put your target audience first. Find a person who matches your criteria, follow her or him, like and comment on their photos (but avoid selling your book). Show the true interest in their account, and you will see that they are interested in your profile too. Interacting with your target audience pays off as you grab their attention.
7) Collaborate with Opinion Leaders: Word-of-mouth marketing is booming and around 80% of the Instagram users say they look for recommendations from friends/family when considering a purchase. For 65% of them, it is more likely to purchase a product after a friend or family member shared it via social media. Many brands offer their products for free to get a review in the form of a post on Instagram. For example, you can send a hard copy to book reviewers or your target audience who have many followers to get a post with a tag.
8) Launch a Challenge or Giveaway: While advertisements are great and bring in guaranteed results however, there are other costly effective ways to make money. Well, you can launch a challenge or a giveaway of some sort. Then, you can give a couple of your books for free to randomly chosen Instagram followers who took part in your giveaway. The effectiveness of the outlined tip has proven to be 100% effective.
9) Understand the Value of Hashtags: While SEO specialists use appropriate keywords to reach the audience, Instagram users use hashtags. While hashtags can give you a helping hand while promoting your book on Instagram, there’s something you should always keep in mind. Do not overuse hashtags, especially irrelevant ones.
10) Add Readers’ Posts in your Instagram Stories: People are more likely to trust something once they have seen other users’ positive reviews on it. You can opt for making use of hashtags and asking readers to place pictures with the product. Then, create a highlight with reviews and pictures. Once you have managed it, search for similar posts and add them to your Instagram story highlight. Do not forget, you will need to mention your readers and give them credit to get their loyalty.
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Overall, Instagram has surprised us with how resourceful and powerful it is in the grand scheme of things. It appears that its use as a Promotional Tool is just one of the many advantages, which the platform has to offer. It is only right for us to make the best out of such an all-round useful tool. From marketing campaigns to book promotions, analytics and so much more. Just consider all the ways it can help you make sales and boost your book’s reach.
Written By NEEL PREET – Author of the Books, Voice From The East (2016); Journey With Time Place And Circumstances (2018) & Indian Defence Files (2021).