Great analysis of a viral social media post. Really appreciated the insights on these types of one-off, happenstance posts that end up generating so much attention (but minimal long-term traction).
This is a helpful reminder that the number of likes on a post doesn't correlate to potential readers. It's about connection--people read to connect with other worlds. As authors, finding connection points with readers helps them discover our books.
totally agree. And to keep it real - authors want to sell copies of your book, afterall - book sales and reaching new readers will happen as a byproduct of these genuine connections just because of the network effect ❤️
Great article Nic! And yes - aiming to "go viral" is such a red herring. Viral social media content is surface level. Buyers need much more connection in order to be moved.
Absolutely - and what is more likely to move people than anything else is a genuine recommendation from someone they trust. That can be the author themselves, but can just as easily be someone the author has connected with - genuinely - who then shares their book with other people! It's not shiny, or super-charged, but it is effective!
Shocking numbers – such high views translating into little sales – and love your reframe of just showing up in a way that works for us not the algorithm. That's definitely hard because often the work invested doesn't pay off (the algorithm is powerful...) but there's so much to be said for trying anyway in a way that works for each of us and being smart about it, too. Thanks for another great post Nicola.
Thinking about what suits you is super important, especially in relation to *not* prioritising the algorithm. It's also important to remember that the algorithm responds to engagement which comes from people so that's a really important part of the puzzle too - what is it that my ideal reader is interested in? How can I build that into my content?
SO FRUSTRATING!! And demoralising. Making it fun for yourself is really important for your wellbeing, but as you recognise here, the strategic part is in also making it fun (holding that word lightly) for your ideal reader
Great analysis of a viral social media post. Really appreciated the insights on these types of one-off, happenstance posts that end up generating so much attention (but minimal long-term traction).
So interesting……
Thanks for reading Penny ❤️
This is a helpful reminder that the number of likes on a post doesn't correlate to potential readers. It's about connection--people read to connect with other worlds. As authors, finding connection points with readers helps them discover our books.
totally agree. And to keep it real - authors want to sell copies of your book, afterall - book sales and reaching new readers will happen as a byproduct of these genuine connections just because of the network effect ❤️
Thank you for mentioning my podcast! I’m glad you enjoyed it and found it useful.
I did enjoy it - thank YOU!
Great article Nic! And yes - aiming to "go viral" is such a red herring. Viral social media content is surface level. Buyers need much more connection in order to be moved.
Absolutely - and what is more likely to move people than anything else is a genuine recommendation from someone they trust. That can be the author themselves, but can just as easily be someone the author has connected with - genuinely - who then shares their book with other people! It's not shiny, or super-charged, but it is effective!
Shocking numbers – such high views translating into little sales – and love your reframe of just showing up in a way that works for us not the algorithm. That's definitely hard because often the work invested doesn't pay off (the algorithm is powerful...) but there's so much to be said for trying anyway in a way that works for each of us and being smart about it, too. Thanks for another great post Nicola.
Thinking about what suits you is super important, especially in relation to *not* prioritising the algorithm. It's also important to remember that the algorithm responds to engagement which comes from people so that's a really important part of the puzzle too - what is it that my ideal reader is interested in? How can I build that into my content?
Yes- when the work isn’t paying off. So frustrating.
That’s part of what I’ve learned about Nicola’s membership : that there can be a strategy involved in having fun.
SO FRUSTRATING!! And demoralising. Making it fun for yourself is really important for your wellbeing, but as you recognise here, the strategic part is in also making it fun (holding that word lightly) for your ideal reader