A New Book Marketing Plan for 2022 is a recap of, “Creating (and sticking to!) a Book Marketing Plan in the New Year” a recent episode on our Book Marketing Tips & Author Success podcast.
We delve deeper into our discussion about this important topic for authors trying to figure out the ins and outs of marketing, so be sure to download and listen to the show for all the details, recommendations, and considerations!
This post is about creating a marketing plan that you can stick to and tips for kicking off 2022 stronger than ever.
The “maybe it’ll work” and the “let’s try everything because I don’t know what works” mentality has to stop! It creates this frantic, exhaustive pace, and, frankly, if you’re running all the things at once with no consistency, you never really know that ONE thing that’s actually working.
Stuff takes time to work – it’s like planting a garden; you don’t plant something one day and then expect it to start growing the next day.
Strategy, focus, and consistency are key when it comes to setting yourself up for success.
Before we start giving you strategy recommendations to add to your book marketing plan, I want to remind everyone that we’re not suggesting this “fix” for marketing in 2022, which requires hours of effort every week. In fact, it’s the opposite. Creating a plan in advance is the key to spending less time marketing, but with better returns! The traction you can create with strategic planning is priceless.
Consistency
I first want to speak about consistency – which I know I mentioned earlier – but consistency is absolutely everything you do. I see authors dip in and out of stuff, trying this and that, and never really giving anything a chance to work. So consistency is a really big part of everything that we recommend. And this doesn’t mean that you can’t change things up. By consistent, we mean: always staying on track with “something.”
Once a month, take a look at your brand: check your website, your social accounts, your Author Central, and your individual book pages. This is just a quick, 30-minute run-through to see if you can tie everything together or update the content across the board with something current – like an announcement about your next book, an upcoming holiday, or a seasonal tie-in. It will make a huge difference in your book marketing plan.
Honestly, just 30-60 minutes per month to put eyes on everything you have “out there” will dramatically improve the impact of your brand on readers.
Social Media
Planning is absolutely key here. We could spend a lot of time talking about social strategy, but your takeaway should simply be making your life easier.
Choosing theme days, themed content, monthly video releases quickly help resolve the dreaded “I don’t know what to post today!” problem most authors have. Plus, the added bonus of choosing content in advance is you start to create consistency, and as humans, we gravitate toward consistency, and your readers will too!
Last but not least, don’t be everywhere, be everywhere that matters. So if you have accounts on all major platforms and are feeling overwhelmed, do yourself a favor and cut the cord on the ones you don’t use. It seems scary, but you’ll absolutely thrive once your attention is more focused. And a tip for making the transition – start posting content on the platforms you’re going to stop using that sends people to where you want. For example, if you’d like to finally ditch Facebook for Instagram, spend the next 30 days on Facebook pushing followers to Instagram and then commit to your final day.
Goodreads
I can almost hear the collective sighs, but add checking in on Goodreads to your planner. Why? Because Goodreads is entirely focused on readers, authors, and books, you basically have a captive audience.
Even if you just spend an hour a month responding to messages, posting a comment or two in genre groups, rating and reviewing a couple of books, and posting a quick update on what you’re up to, your footprint and exposure will grow dramatically. More readers will start clicking over to your profile and checking out your books.
Bookbub
BookBub ads are inexpensive, and the site is really intuitive. Plus, their template ads have gotten even better over the last six months! So you don’t even need to start with any design experience.
The best way to incorporate BookBub ads in your book marketing plan is to use them to support your other work. If you’re doing a limited-time discount, run BookBub ads. If you’re releasing a new title in a series, run BookBub ads. And hey, even if nothing groundbreaking is happening for you in a single month, BookBub ads will still help guarantee you’re getting in front of hundreds, and often thousands, of new genre fans!
Education, Market Research, and Fan Gratitude
Education can be as simple as reading blogs, listening to podcasts, and attending a few book marketing webinars hosted by individuals with a strong track record.
I also think a commitment to learning is a really great idea – and now, thanks to 2020, many of these conferences and webinars are virtual – so if you aren’t up for a flight, you can always attend from the comfort of your own home. Learning is an important part of your success because it gives you a chance to explore new ideas and gain some insight into things you may not have considered.
Market research sounds scary but really, what I mean is, take an hour each month to be a fan of your genre. Check the bestseller lists, follow top authors or book influencers on social and see what they’re up to, rate and review books – just dedicate some time to staying on top of what’s going on from the reader’s perspective. It will go a long way in your book marketing plan.
And finally, fan gratitude. Each month, do one thing that’s solely designed to reward your readers and fans. We did an entire book marketing podcast episode on gratitude that dropped for Thanksgiving, and I have a lot on our blog about creating bonus content. If you spend just a little bit of time going above and beyond for fans each month, you’ll stand out from the crowd of other books and authors out there.
Resources and Free Downloads
Are You Ready for Big Media Coverage
How to Sell More Books in 2022: New Year’s Planning Goals
22 Awesome Book Marketing Promotions and Predictions for 2022
Check out more episodes of our book marketing podcast!
Check out the Alliance of Independent Authors for news and resources
Such a great article and so many great things to focus on in 2022.
Thank you for a sensible, practical article that makes marketing seem less scary.