Social media changes by the minute. What worked yesterday could flop today. Trends come and go and it can be difficult to determine exactly what is worth your time as an author. In 2018, the changes will just keep coming. So make sure you’re on top of them for this year’s promotions.

Expand the use of your existing platforms.

If you are already posting to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, it’s time to dial up your use of these platforms’ features. Making announcements via Facebook Live, hosting a Twitter chat and utilizing Instagram stories will not only broaden your reach, but it will give you a multi-media, diverse approach that sets you apart from the crowd.

Interacting in real time on a social platform where fans can watch and engage is quickly becoming the new norm for successful social media marketing. It’s no longer enough to just schedule out some interesting news and get back to writing. Each platform wants you to be truly active with your community.

Pay to play.

Paid advertising is the only way to go in a lot of social arenas. Authors need to identify useful options and be prepared to invest. Social media algorithms rule what your followers see on their feeds and often times if it’s not supported with paid advertising, the post will remain unseen.

Spend less time on organic posting.

If you’re struggling to fit all your social media needs into your schedule, pull back on organic (unpaid) posts a bit. Recently, a study found that an average of 2% of fans see unpaid posts from businesses on their Facebook feed.

Spend your time, money and energy on the posts that will benefit you most at the end of the day. Organic posts are necessary to have a well-rounded platform, but when it comes to spreading the word on Facebook, pumping your feed full of unpaid posts can be a lot of wasted effort.

Build your tribe of fellow writers.

You don’t have to befriend the #1 bestseller in your genre, but it’s important to foster relationships with writers in your niche. Go to live and virtual events where you know authors are congregating.

When it comes to finding fellow writers to connect with, it can be hard to track them down online. Joining online events like Social Media Bootcamp or dropping into a local signing will give you common ground with the authors in your genre.

Become a visual storyteller.

Now that smartphones have such sophisticated cameras, you don’t need to spend money on a camera, but you must learn how to take pictures well.

Visuals grab people’s attention and are easier to digest. It is important to use a visual element on all platforms as they scream for attention. If you want your post to stand out on Facebook, something visually appealing and unique will have a much better chance of being seen than a block of text.

Instagram feeds thrive solely on their ability to tell a story through an aesthetically beautiful theme and consistent uploading. The picture-taking game has stepped up and if you haven’t mastered the art of smartphone photography, it’s time to learn.  

Twitter is an excellent platform for short and informative posts and using pictures in conjunction with these posts just enhances your audience’s viewing experience and entice them to engage.

And on Facebook, the algorithm actually favors posts with a visual element so you are statistically likely to reach more followers if you use photos and even more likely if you use video!

Don’t ask for engagement. Earn it.

Facebook is penalizing posts that ask for tags, likes, comments and other forms of engagement. If you’re hoping to drive interaction, your content needs to be worthy of attention. And if it’s not, should you be posting it to begin with?

Host giveaways, hold live discussions, write enticing content, but don’t use gimmicks and tricks to drive up engagement.

Tighten your inner circle.

Use Facebook groups, hop on trending hashtags and involve yourself in thriving communities. Social media is no longer about casting a wide net, it’s about building a tight ring of fans, fellow authors and avid readers who all want what you have. A community of 500 true fans is worth much more than a crowd of 5000 passerbys.

Stop trying to be so unique.

Authors kill themselves trying to be whatever unique brand of awesome they think their readers want. Instead, find five authors in your genre who are killing it and start modeling some behavior off of them. Join email lists, follow on social and engage adoringly so you know what your fans love and why. Originality is overrated. Create a familiar experience that’s personal to you and readers will naturally gravitate towards it.

Stop considering other authors as competition.

Share exceedingly on social media the success of others in your genre. People will begin to naturally associate you with their favorite authors and be drawn in by your fellow fangirl behavior. There are way more readers than writers so throw yourself head first into promoting people you love on social media. The effort will not go unnoticed or unrequited.

Get training.

There’s so much information out there on social media marketing and very little applies specifically to authors. Check out Social Media Bootcamp, a 3-webinar series specifically developed for authors by author experts!