Bookstagram Tactics

So, a couple of weeks ago, I made the decision to really pour my time and energy into building my author Instagram presence. I knew it would be a grueling task, but it wasn't my first time doing it. Although the account doesn't really exist anymore, I know how to build an account with thousands of followers. I know how to be a so-called micro-influencer, so I already knew I had the skillset ready to go. Still, growing a bookstagram account rather than a mental health awareness account is a completely different beast, and I've learned a lot over the past couple of weeks about what works, what sucks, and what really matters. I want to discuss those findings today.

First and foremost, I think it is VITAL to know ahead of time what your goal is. I know, you're probably like, "Wow, thanks for the sage advice on that one," but trust me when I say that I think a lot of people go into building social media without a clear objective. The second most important thing to understand is just how much work you're willing to put into achieving that goal. Again, I know, sage advice, but I really think people underestimate the reality of burnout. If you're trying to achieve a goal that comes from a place of lack or wanting, you WILL burn out so much faster than someone trying to achieve a goal from excitement and joy. 

If your goal on Bookstagram is to sell your books, and the reason you're doing social media is that you feel sad or disappointed that you aren't getting more book sales/reads/reviews, then you are in for a rough ride. If your goal on Bookstagram is to sell your books because you are excited and understand that it isn't a competition but an opportunity to network and meet new amazing people who also love to read or write, you're in for a much better ride. 

Because here is the thing. If your only goal on Bookstagram is a selfish one where only you benefit, but you don't care about other authors trying to do the same, people aren't going to show up for you. Why? Because, and I'm going to be a little blunt here, no one cares. No one cares that you wrote a book. No one cares how amazing your main character is. No one cares that you had 27,000 mental breakdowns during the editing process, so therefore they should acknowledge your blood, sweat, and tears. No one cares.

Which means you have to make them care. You have to make them see that you're not just seeing them as potential royalties waiting in the wings. You have to engage with them on a human level. You have to show them that they SHOULD care, because you care about them too. We cannot go about social media for the sake of book sales without giving a damn about the people buying our books or promoting our work. Sure, we all have real-world friends who will repost and like and comment... but that's because they already care about us. And why do they care about us? Because we care about them. We value their feedback and support. We value them beta-reading our hot mess 3rd drafts. We have shown them that it isn't JUST ABOUT US; it's about the relationship and the value we give to each other.

So, what did this revelation mean for me? It meant that I stopped just trying to sell my books. It meant I stopped just posting self-centered content, hoping someone would care, and started following other authors. It meant that I started commenting on their things and reposting their stuff too, because it costs me NOTHING to do that. I started pivoting my strategy away from "how can I better sell my book" and pivoting it towards "how can I show up in a way that makes someone actually care that I wrote a book." 

I started sharing my story of being a writer. I started trying to find common ground with others. I offered to follow for follows, and like for likes. I offered to feature others for no other reason than when I help them, I help myself too. And you know what happened over the two weeks I've been trying this new approach? My views increased by 1,900%. My follower count increased by 17%. I started making genuine connections, and IT STOPPED FEELING LIKE WORK. That's the biggest takeaway. When I pivoted my efforts away from self-promotion and moved towards collective engagement, it stopped feeling like a chore. It stopped feeling like I was shouting into the void, and it started feeling fun and interesting.

Now, full disclosure I have a small account. I started with fewer than 200 followers and basically no engagement. I went from no views during all of August to over 2,600 views at the time of writing this. I didn't start until the second half of September, and really only fully pivoted to this new approach about a week ago. I haven't hit 1,000 yet, but the keyword is yet. Because at the rate that I'm growing, I predict I will be rapidly closing in on that number, if not surpassing it by the end of October. 

So, you can look at those numbers and be like, "This chick doesn't know what she's talking about, those are small potato numbers," but I'm here to tell you that I've done this before. I've reached thousands of followers (back when it was trendy to have thousands of followers and only follow like 100 people back). I can see the writing on the wall, and I finally realize what it is. When I started that previous account to become a micro-influencer, I had no idea why I ended up succeeding. Now I get it, and if you're willing to test my idea yourself, you will also get it.

So, go forth. Like, repost, and comment on other authors and bookstagrammers like it's going out of style. Do that for two weeks and then look at the results. I guarantee your following will blossom, even if you're starting at zero.

Now it wouldn't be fair to preach the gospel of collective engagement and leave out the most important detail, which is this: my book sales have increased. Not a ton. I'm not buying a new car with royalties just yet, but they are moving upwards at a steady rate. It takes substantially more energy to move an object at rest than it does to increase the speed of something already in motion. The same is true for selling books. Sold books end up selling more books, and the more you sell, the more you will continue to sell. So, there you have it. If you want to grow your Bookstagram account, try the same pivot and watch things take off. If you want to follow me (which you should, because I'm awesome and will show your account love), you can find me @violet_lavere_rtedwins on Instagram. Much love!

-Violet