There are at least 1,670 new Kindle ebooks published on Amazon every day. That’s more than one book every minute! The most critical moment to do that is around the time your book launches. Preparing for your book launch isn’t as simple as many Authors think. It can take months of preparation to do it right.
But if you want to reach a critical mass within your target audience and spread the word about your book, that preparation is well worth your time. Here are 8 tips for creating your post-launch content and dates
1. Pay Attention to Special Dates
Be sure to take note of what else is on the calendar when you enter the dates for your content. Is there a significant holiday approaching? If so, is there a way you might incorporate the Christmas motif into your ideas? Also, think about avoiding particular times to post. On Thanksgiving Day, there is a strong chance that no one will notice your LinkedIn post. Understanding when people’s focus will be on you and when it won’t is important for creating an effective content calendar.
Monday and Friday are generally not the best days to post. Too many things are going on at once, or people are thinking on other things. Better days are Tuesday through Thursday. But every platform differs, so if you have a good idea of where your users hang out most, you may want to do a bit of research about the best timing for that specific channel.
2. Use Content Planning Tools—but Use Them Wisely
Even if you’re not an expert with Photoshop or other high-end image editing programmes, you may still create images to market your book. Canva is a fantastic tool for creating content quickly. But don’t choose a template at random. Make sure the graphics will appeal to your readers and that they are consistent with the overall tone of your book.
For instance, if your book is about becoming bigger at the gym, you generally wouldn’t choose illustrations with a swirly, curlicue font. Consider what will be most effective for your target audience and their preferred platform, not just your own particular aesthetic preferences. There are also content planning tools that can help you plan your content calendar in advance. 2 reliable examples are HootSuite and Later.
You can automate your postings using these tools so that they are sent out to your audience at a set time. But be careful not to rely too heavily on this function. Using third-party posting tools could have an impact on your social network algorithms, particularly if you use the service to push to multiple platforms at once. If posting your own material is the difference between having it noticed or having it buried by a social network algorithm that believes it to be spam, it is well worth the time and effort.
3. Change Things Up
Your content calendar should ideally include a range of media. Change it up because repetition of the same types of information makes people bored. Think about producing blog entries, articles, quizzes, movies, photos, audio, and quote graphics. There are many different techniques to keep your material interesting for your target audience.
We offer 15 articles spread out over 2.5 months to authors who subscribe to our Scribe Author Impact service. These pieces are interspersed with pictures that include quotes from the book, reviews, or other intriguing stuff. Variety is your best friend when it comes to grabbing people’s attention because different people are engaged by various types of media. But remember, don’t post more than 2 times per week on most platforms. You don’t want to flood your audience and annoy them.
4. Continue to Treat your Tiers Differently
After launch, you can engage your closest audience more frequently. However, be ready to behave differently with others who don’t know you as well. Don’t inundate them with information. They will sign up for your email or follow you on other platforms if they want to learn more from you.
Consider the platform you’re posting on as well. On Facebook or Twitter, sharing entertaining, interesting stuff frequently may be fantastic, but on LinkedIn, sharing a few times each week is sufficient. Even less should be published in your newsletter. The frequency will rely on how much worthwhile stuff you can actually offer.
5. Make Sure It All Works Together
Even though diversity is excellent for holding viewers’ attention, you also want to convey a consistent, recognisable Author brand. While switching between videos, graphics, and articles might be beneficial, be careful to avoid drastically altering your ideas.
Don’t post about beginning a 401k one week and then talking about how you dropped 20 pounds in a week if your book is about retirement money. Keep your ideas and messaging constant. The majority of authors aspire to be the authority in their industry. But in order to become the go-to, you must first ensure that people are aware of your mission.
Maintain a consistent tone and brand. Avoid alternating between a humorous and a too intellectual tone. Give your audience a sense of what to expect from you when they get in touch with you. Make sure all of your post-launch content flows together by being very deliberate about how you want to express your thoughts.
You could make a series of social media postings to promote an article you published called “5 Steps for Organizing Your Finances,” for instance. For each phase, divide your postings into two to three separate ones. In this approach, each post offers a different piece of content while being cohesive.
Or, consider this as yet another excellent illustration. Utilize a LinkedIn post to share a narrative that introduces your content. The narrative need not be included in your book. It might only be connected to a concept from your book. When readers identify with this tale, they will be motivated to find your book and read more.
6. Plan 2-3 Months of Content
Plan to stay in touch with your readers regularly for two to three months after your debut. A calendar should be created for each of these touchpoints, just like you did for your pre-launch advertising. This will guarantee consistency.
You won’t have to worry about coming up with fresh ideas every week if you have a long-term continuing content plan in place. The greatest approach to ensure that your promotions go as smoothly as possible is to plan beforehand.
7. Don’t Post the Same Content Everywhere
It might be simple to write a single post and decide to share it on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and your email list. However, that’s not the best plan. Every media outlet has a distinct audience. Think about creating a unique post for each channel.
For instance, the post you write for LinkedIn should have different material (and presumably a different tone) than the one you write for Twitter if you wish to connect to an article you wrote for Forbes.
8. Don’t Go Overboard
Don’t go overboard, even though all of these communications will be beneficial. Send your email on time, and publish on social media often. When it comes to interacting with your audience, consistency is the best guiding principle.
A gradual, ongoing relationship will be more beneficial than an abrupt burst of communication. If you don’t already have a regular communication cadence established, start with twice weekly.
PRO TIP: Use no more than 5 hashtags per post if you choose to do so. When you use too many hashtags in your material, your audience may become distracted and your message may be diluted because it will appear excessively promotional.