Successful sales businesses are being run on Instagram. With each passing day, Instagram is turning into a product showcasing platform. Essentially being a visual social medium, it allows for effective, market-oriented HD display of a range of products. Apart from being a complementary promotional space for big businesses, Instagram also serves as a virtual shop for home-based small start-ups. As creative as the uses of Instagram can get, we have some good news for all  authors reading this blog. You can use this platform for promoting your book as well. Instagram is very promising that way. Most of the accounts on Instagram are run as blogs. The users do appreciate and show love for the content they like. So, authors, get ready! We have listed down pro ways for you to use Instagram for your book promotion.

1. Get Started With a Business Account

Most of the blogs on Instagram are made as business accounts. While your purpose is book promotion, it is advisable to create a business account. A business account offers a ‘shop’ feature as well. Using this feature, people interested in buying your book can reach the buying options in one swift click. Consider it a rule that Instagram promotions work best with business accounts. With a clear purpose of boosting book sales in mind, your business account will enable you to avail a range of options. Ready to promote your book through systematic efforts? Create a business account on Instagram and there you go!

2. Devise a Content Strategy

You have a clear goal in mind; you want to promote your book to boost book sales. But there is a lot of competition out there. There are other authors working towards the same goal and utilizing the Insta space in pretty much similar ways. Here comes the importance of your content. Yes, the obvious content will include your book’s pictures. But imagine for a minute that there are no boundaries and you can let out your creativity in this virtual space at your disposal. Sync your book promotion strategies with an overall content strategy. Do share images of your book placed in versatile settings, but do not forget to complement this with a sneak peek into your lifestyle. Create posts about important literary events and holidays for example World Book Day, National Grammar Day, World Poetry Day, and even months like Library Lovers Month (February) or Read a New Book Month (December). Relate events, whenever you can, with your book and its themes.

3. Connect With Your Community

Should we tell you a little secret about your book’s Instagram promotion? The secret is called ‘shoutouts’. Show some generosity and appraise the work of other authors. This attitude will help you connect with the writing community and other authors will also return the favour. This way, your book will reach their followers. In the online spaces, ‘reach ’and ‘engagement’ is the key. What happens when some content goes trending in the virtual sphere? It has actually reached the greatest number of people across the globe. Hence, promote your book by allying with fellow authors and work towards maximizing the reach of your book.

4. Make Use of Influencer Marketing

While you are on Instagram, why not get the maximum benefit! Big following accounts rule the Insta world and are usually known as influencers. Get in touch with some influencers whose interests and posts are related to books and who are avid readers. A collaboration might work out and they might agree to talk about your book as either a post, a story or a small video. Again, this will add to the reach of your book. For a detailed guide, read our blog on book promotions through bloggers and online reviews.

 

If you wish to publish your very own book, submit your writing with us today and make it happen.

If you are confused about how to start your writing journey, have a look at our ‘How to Become An Author’ guide and find all the answers.

 

5. Make Use of Ads Feature

The best thing about Instagram promotion is that you can run ads about the specific product you are selling. Since this is going to be a paid venture, keep a share in your budget for this particular book promotion strategy. This money will pay you off well, and don’t worry since it is a small amount of money that can easily be managed. Remember how ads pop in while you are scrolling through the stories and posts? You must be very well aware that these ads do catch our eye and we often end up checking the ad runner’s account. Such is the power of ads. So, advertise your book!

6. Go Live

Insta Live feature is the best that could be introduced to this app. What a pleasure to talk to celebrities and your favourite bloggers! The stay home scenario has pushed a greater need for such live sessions. Make sure that your content schedule also includes a once in a while live session. Not just your followers but you, yourself, will also enjoy this communication. Talk about your book, talk about a bundle of other stuff and even before you know it, this fun session will help promote your book.

 

Austin Macauley Publishers has also made publishing your book easier than ever. Through an online submission form, you can get in touch with us and make a submission of your manuscript.

 

7. Use Hashtags

To ensure better reach and engagement on your posts, using appropriate hashtags is a must. While looking for a particular thing or idea, people usually search for relevant hashtags to help them land on the right spot. If someone is looking for book suggestions, they might just put that hashtag in the search bar. Instagram will show all the posts with ‘#BookSuggestions.’ So, promote your book using the right hashtags. Compile a basic set of hashtags and then use a mix with additions and subtractions according to a specific post. For example, if you have shared an aesthetic picture of your book, never forget to use the hashtag ‘#BookPhotography.’

8. Arrange Signed Copy Giveaways

An important pillar in your book promotion strategy is giveaways. Giveaways on Instagram attract a lot of people. You have your book to send as a giveaway gift. You can make it even more attractive by announcing a signed copy with a small note as the giveaway reward. Link your giveaway contests with festive occasions. Whenever you send a copy, ask the winner politely to share feedback once they are done reading your book. This way, you will have one more review to add to your Instagram book reviews. More people will be attracted to your account through the giveaway rules that you will set. For example, tagging friends, asking them to follow the account and the like.

 

All this said, let us conclude by saying that Instagram has a lot of potential in terms of promoting your book. Make use of what this app has to offer for free.

We wish you all the best!

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