If you're struggling to find readers on Instagram, stop posting and do this instead
Six steps every writer should take when using Instagram to get readers - most people start and stop at number 3
One of the most common mistakes I see writers making when you come to promote your books on Instagram is that you go straight for the jugular!
You pounce on post ideas and trends and devour them hungrily, spitting out content onto the internet with the ferocity of a lion’s pride scrapping over a kill, with no thought about what you’re going to eat the next day, or the one after that.
But every time a lion gets hungry they have to start the whole hunt again. Sometimes they’ll come back with nothing and go hungry. And this is exactly what happens for many writers and authors when you’re trying to promote your work on Instagram.
Soon after your first post, you need to do it again, and again, and you end up spending far too much time scrolling ‘for inspiration’ and possibly find none. You scratch your head, your frustration growing, until you post any old thing because you feel like you should and hope that it works.
The first step to remedying this problem is fairly simple: stop posting.
Not forever though. That won’t work either 😉. But just for a bit while you lay some important foundations for your book marketing.
Six steps every writer should take when using Instagram to get readers for your book
Step one
Define your ideal reader (which, incidentally, is the name of a workshop I’m running next week 😉 see below for details).
It’s sometimes a hard truth for authors to take that not everyone will want to read your book. That’s not to say it’s not good, it’s simply that you shouldn’t waste your time trying to convince people to read it when there is a group of people who are primed and ready to read your book, but who don’t know it exists. Yet. The job of your Instagram content is to find and attract those people but first you have to be clear about who they are!
In one hour, get to know who your ideal reader is so you can stop posting-and-hoping and start using Instagram (and your other marketing activity) to attract the people who will want to read your book. Tickets are £25*, click the button for more details and to grab your spot. A recording will be available.
*members of TOO MUCH INSTAGRAM will attend for free. Upgrade your subscription to become a member.
Step two
Use your book, combined with your understanding of your ideal reader, to choose 2-4 topics to post about that will appeal to your ideal reader while acting as a gateway into your book.
These are your content pillars or are sometimes called content buckets. Plan to post a mix of content that is part useful, interesting and/or entertaining for your ideal reader, part bits and bobs about you, and part promoting your book, and you are good to go onto step 3.
Step three
Generate post ideas around your chosen topics that are going to appeal to your ideal reader. By talking to them about the things they care about, that are relevant to your book in some way, you will make it more likely that they will buy and read your book. Supplement this content with posts about you as a person outside your writing (approx 20-25% of your content), and updates about your book (approx 20-25% of your content).
Step four
Create your posts and optimise them by using different tactics for different goals and purposes. If you want to read a bit more about what that can look like on Instagram, have a look at this free to read post:
FAQ 7: when should it be a Reel, a carousel, a static image or a Story?
This post is part of series where I answer some of the questions I am most frequently asked about social media. To browse or read the rest of the series click here.
Step five
Collaborate and build relationships with other writers, other thinkers in your space, bookstagram-ers, podcasters and your potential readers.
It’s never too early or too late to start developing a network of people who will really look forward to the publication of your book, who will help you spread the word about it, and Instagram is a great place to do this.
Admire loudly, share work you like with your audience, be an active Instagram citizen (for a few minutes each day), and behave in a way you’d like others to behave towards you. Basic human shit tbh, it just happens to be taking place through a screen.
Step six
Give yourself time. One of the things that often trips writers and authors up is you expect - or at least hope for - instant results. This stuff takes time, you have to build your skills, get to know your audience and what they want, and start to become trusted in the space you’re in before people will share your content so you build momentum. It can be a slow process. Put the ground work in though and stay consistently on message and growth is like a snowball - as it gets bigger, it speeds up.
All of these steps are important to the success of your Instagram book promotion but, like plants, buildings, and children, Instagram book marketing thrives when it’s built on strong foundations.
Skip step one, and dismiss step six, at your peril 😉
Not sure who your ideal reader is? Join me on Wednesday 6th Nov at 6pm BST/ 1pm EST/ 10am PST for a 60 minute workshop where you will define your ideal reader to elevate your book marketing.
Tickets are £25*; for more details or to grab your spot, click the button. A recording will be available.
*members of TOO MUCH INSTAGRAM can attend this workshop for free. Upgrade your subscription to become a member.
Really looking forward to the Define workshop! My book is yet to be completed but am excited by the idea of setting a good foundation for it.
I know my ideal reader, but write in series and each one is different although within the same genre. Also, I rapid release. So, I wonder how content pillars would apply with ever-changing themes and tropes.