Social media promotion is a type of strategic book marketing.
Promoting a book through social media channels and industry associations are two approaches to strategic book marketing. Other common strategies for selling books involve looking for conferences and facilitating sales at the library. Networking activities, book subscriptions, and establishing channels through major online book distributors are other ways to make book marketing easier.
Employing social media can be a fruitful method of strategic book marketing for several reasons. It’s often a cheap way to advertise a book sale, and this may be more true for e-books. Social networks can also provide fans of a particular author with a communication channel through which they can share opinions and comments with friends and family.
Relationships with industry associations often play an important role in the strategic marketing of books to nonfiction works. For example, a nonfiction book on how to improve employee performance might be relevant to a human resources industry association, and the author might use her industry connections to publicize the book. The author may be invited to give a keynote presentation at an industry conference, and after the presentation she may be available to autograph hard copies. Other conferences on strategy book marketing may include appearances at trade shows or serving as a panelist at an industry-sponsored forum.
Libraries are the biggest buyers of books, and there are businesses that cater specifically to this niche. A strategic book marketing campaign often includes advertising and other interfaces with libraries to facilitate library sales, such as attending library conferences. Libraries may have labeling requirements, such as registration and proper placement within the International Standard Book Numbering System ( ISBN ) codebook.
Particularly in the area of children’s fiction, libraries can also provide strategic book marketing opportunities through special events that bring book authors into the library. Some libraries also host book reading groups. For titles that may have broad appeal in a regional area, these groups can spread book news through word of mouth marketing.
Networking activities and book subscriptions are also commonly used to stimulate book sales. Building relationships with peers and industry associations is most commonly done in the strategic sale of nonfiction works. Book signings are often used as a way to inspire and engage fans of fictional stories.
Establishing distribution channels through online sellers is a common method of strategic marketing from books to e-books. Some online merchants specialize in certain genres, while others offer self-published books. Others still try to carry a large selection of books. These sites often have tight integration with social media, allowing buyers to read book reviews and post comments.