The current social media strategy you have heard of but probably haven’t tried

Beyond writing a great book, considering the reasons why you wrote it is an asset in convincing your audience to read it. In other words, existing outside of solely your book. Social media is the necessary friend you need, to 1. Understand yourself as an author and 2. To be seen and heard. The common knowledge is that authors must read a hell of a lot to get through, or even to feel relevant to begin with, but listening is the underdog I recommend you do more of.

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What are you listening to?

Taking over an increasingly larger section of the social media scene over the last year has been the boom of not only vloggers and YouTube, but podcasts.

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Like the effort you bring to your book itself, in reading this blog, podcasts encourage an unobtrusive way to discover more about what people are literally talking about. They are a slicker way of having a wide range of your own hand-picked radio shows at your fingertips and ears respectively.

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How a Podcast may take your publishing journey to a new level

A recent article from WNIP (What’s New in Publishing) tells us that with “a third of people listening to a podcast at least once monthly”, a more intimate approach to communication may be the secret to fixing your self-publishing woes, where subscribers, fans, budding writers, or passer-byers that may become either-one, can be a part of not only your current projects, but your general creative output.

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You may not have listened to a podcast ever, or have no idea on the distinction between that and the radio, but the incentive lies with what could be a refreshing approach to your Social PR (see https://publishingpush.com/blog/your-social-media-strategy-stinks/) and here’s some reasons for taking the podcast plunge:

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1. Be present, be inspired

It’s no secret that self-publishing can be a confusing business and finding the right platform for you to do so is important. Podcasts specifically targeted to this process are information havens, from actionable ideas to something more business focused.

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Check out two of Kindlepreneur’s picks for self-publishing podcasts including ‘Self-Publishing Formula’ – hosted by Mark Dawson and former BBC journalist James Blatch, or ‘Sell More Books Show’ – with Jim Kukral and Bryan Cohen, which sees through many of the unanswered questions I guarantee you haven’t explored, always keeping you up to date with the most current news. Both are available on iTunes and Android.

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2. Talk, and write

Consistency is key. Where a podcast may outrank the comparatively more popular Instagram, is if you chose to create one yourself. Perks can involve the chance to explore monetization opportunities, address your audience directly (tone conveys personality), and guide your marketing and PR in a personal capacity. Nobody is keen to read a thesis under every one of your Instagram images, and Podcasts can allow you to engage freely in conversation that doesn’t feel overwhelming and still provides a blog-like sound. Self-publishing is a pivotal process in feeling unapologetic to share your work with the world, without the permission from someone ‘higher up’. A couple of simple but not limiting examples of platforms to investigate from Podcastinsights.com include: Buzzsprout and Simplecast. Look at the website for more information: https://www.podcastinsights.com/best-podcast-hosting/

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3. Provide yourself with an edge

Digital marketing trends are taking precedence within the podcast community and one way to be social media savvy, is to use them as a tool for professional growth. By that, we mean playing with the same crowd, differently. By putting yourself out there in closer proximity to your audience, listeners develop a relationship with you. Time is a difficult medium to barter with, and it can be quite an undertaking to dedicate yourself to a podcast. So, another thing we want to suggest is partnering up. Are there people you know in the same position as you? People you get your inspiration from, somebody who is on the same stepping stone? If there’s one thing that’s sure to get a little more attention on the social media front, then it’s a collaboration, or equally a podcast guest.

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4.  Social Media is first and foremost a community.

In marketing your book, the aim of the game is to receive as much exposure as possible. To gain something that you couldn’t anywhere else. It is often suggested that though podcasts are popular within the writing community, they are still comparatively less-well known, but arguably more effective. Specifically, within the Self-Publishing industry, podcasts will help re-educate you into understanding why you are writing, and what the world can best offer you for what you choose to give it, and in what we’d say is one of the friendliest social media stages on offer right now.