With that final keystroke, your magnum opus is complete! But what good is a Pulitzer Prize worthy exposé, the next Great American Novel, or a sizzling audiobook… if you don’t have a digital presence?
Beyond printed marketing collateral and strategic events, today’s writers and creators are tasked with reaching larger audiences by building communities of engaged online followers. These audiences become your earliest fans and, ultimately, the most loyal among them will decide if your work falls into obscurity or erupts into immense popularity championed by its fandom, as it should.
As business consultants and marketing specialists, SNR Creative provides you with the insights and tools necessary to survive AND thrive in the digital landscape. And it all starts with one not-so-tiny bit of advice: Be everywhere. How? Good question. Below are our best recommendations on establishing and maintaining an online presence.
Connect the Physical to the Digital
Use business cards, bookmarks, and postcards wisely. We say wisely because, yes, these items are part of your physical marketing collateral portfolio. However, physical collateral can easily tie back to the digital world.
One example of bridging the gap between the physical and digital is the QR code. Simply by opening their smartphone camera, readers can interact with you and follow your work online. Once they click the link generated by the QR code, they can be transported anywhere you want—to social media, your website, a link to order your book, a newsletter sign up, and so much more.
Don’t Ignore Social Media
Of course, the main way to be everywhere is to have a presence on the social media platforms your target audiences use—Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, and LinkedIn are the big five, but there are plenty of other platforms out there. Sounds like a lot, we know.
That’s why it’s important to determine which platforms are going to provide you with the best reach based on the content and themes of your work. Most importantly, you want to be where your audiences are. From there, you can start to build marketing campaigns that get the word out.
Remember, the recommendations we receive from our social networks often determine what we buy, watch, and which news we trust. Start connecting with your audiences through social media long before your book launches. This way, you already have an engaged audience when it comes time to promote your new publication or announce in-person appearances at upcoming events, festivals, and book tours.
Your Website is your Digital Home
Another way to be everywhere is to build a website incorporating Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques to receive inbound leads and web traffic from people using search engines, like Google, to find information on the internet. Though it may not come naturally to someone focused on writing creative prose or journalistic investigation pieces, SEO is a critical part of digital content creation that drives more eyeballs to your website.
The better your SEO is, the more potential readers will discover you organically through search. Once on your website, they can purchase pre-release copies of your book and you can direct them to your blog and social media channels, where they can get to know you and your work and become your biggest mega fans.
Don’t Forget a Press Kit
The last part of being everywhere is getting your work covered by the press. A vote of confidence from a respected critic, a trendy podcast that reviews books, or even the more traditional industry publication can expose your work to significantly wider audiences.
Be sure to request copies of and save every media interview you appear on, so you can share it on your social media platforms. Adding a press page to your website is another great way to distribute press coverage.
With so many digital touch points to cover, building a strong online presence takes a lot of time and energy. Some authors shy away from it until it’s too late. But you don’t have to go it alone and hope for the best. Get in touch today to see how SNR Creative can help you build a digital presence worthy of promoting your well-crafted masterpiece.
