46. Social Media for Authors: Big Mistakes Many Make

Social media seems like an obvious choice when it comes to marketing your book. Now, in this episode, we’re not talking about Facebook ads, but we’re talking more about using social media, specifically Facebook, as a way to connect with your readers and attract new readers.

When Allison Garcia started marketing her book using Facebook, she set up a Page, as many authors do, and posted updates every few weeks. Once all her friends and family bought her book, she decided to get more serious about selling her book and began posting more often and consistently.

She joined The Author Transformation Alliance Group on Facebook and took part in reader attraction challenges, which boosted the number of times she was posting, as well as posting content other than just “Buy my book.” This brought people to her page, who then helped share her book with others in their circles.

The content she began posting was contant she thought people were going to be interested in and connect with, but still keeping it relevant to the book, itself. Because she writes Latino Christian fiction about undocumented immigrants, she posts relevant news stories, as opposed to posts about Stephen King’s new book, since it has nothing to do with her genre.

 

A lot of her Page’s success has come from sharing important posts that people are more willing to share, as well as word of mouth about her, as an author, in general. She has also taken advantage of spending a few dollars here and there to boost posts from her page. She’s also been more encouraged to go to in-person events, which has grown her page and email list. These also led to making connections to future events she could attend.

Now Allison has a launch team, many of whom have come from her newsletter, and she has found her book ranking highly in Kindle sales of her book. Between interacting with her readers and learning from her past mistakes, she now finds marketing fun, rather than painful.

"I've grown to enjoy marketing, which is something I did not enjoy at all" - Allison Garcia

Bio of the Author in the Case Study:

Allison K. Garcia is an author and Licensed Professional Counselor. Her short stories and books have been the recipient of numerous award nominations and honorable mentions. She has been featured in local newspapers for her connections in the Latino community in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

A member of cultural competency committees for work and a participant in several Dream Act rallies and other events in her region, she also sings on the worship team and enjoys get-togethers with the hermanos in her church. With the help of her husband, Julio, and their son, Miguel, she has been able to nurture her love for the Latino people.

For more information, visit the show notes at http://kindlepreneur.com/e46