A Step-By-Step Guide to Using BookTok on TikTok for Book Marketing

by Penny Sansevieri | Feb 7, 2023 | Social Media for Authors

Reading Time: ( Word Count: )

Reading Time: 4 minutes

It’s hard to go to any publishing event, or read any news piece on the industry and not find some reference to BookTok which began its rise on TikTok in August of 2020.

Not only had BookTok become an online sensation, the recommendations in this stream have also found their way onto bookstore shelves – some of which have entire shelves recommended by “Booktokkers” a name given to decided TikTok users who use the Booktok stream or hashtag to recommend books. Their influence is so powerful, that 20 million books were sold in 2021 with the help of Tiktok.

And for this reason, lots and lots of authors want to jump into this selling stream. But before you jump into this, let’s first uncover what BookTok is, exactly as well as the demographics of the TikTok platform.

What is BookTok?

BookTok, at its most basic, is a hashtag that grew in popularity on TikTok. Users would share books, book recommendations or their colorful bookshelves using the #booktok hashtag and the rest, as they say, is history.

The #Booktok hashtag is an innovative platform that enables authors to promote their books and gain a larger readership. It is a great way to reach an engaged audience of potential readers, as well as to connect with influencers and other authors. Even if an author does not have a robust TikTok profile, they can still take advantage of BookTok’s unique features to market their book.

Understanding the Demographics of TikTok

Being a relatively new app, TikTok is primarily popular with the GenZ crowd but according to Wallaroo Media, these numbers are changing fast. In fact, while 60% of it’s users are between 16-24, 80% are between the ages of 16-34 and 26% are between the ages of 24-44 – but this number is growing as older users start to find their way onto the platform. Much like what happened to Facebook and Instagram, as social media sites grow in popularity, they start to pull in a wider variety of users.

Now, let’s explore various creative and effective ways that any author can market their book on BookTok, regardless of their TikTok presence. We will look at how authors can create engaging content, build relationships with other authors, and use analytics to track the performance of their campaigns. We will also discuss how to leverage influencers and leverage the power of trends and hashtags. By the end, you should have a better understanding of how to effectively promote your book on BookTok, even if you don’t have a large following.

Creating Engaging Content to Propel your #Booktok Success

The first step in marketing your book on BookTok is to create engaging content. This includes videos, images, captions, and more. Your content should be unique, interesting, and engaging. It should also have an element of surprise and provide value to your followers.

To make sure your content is of high quality, you should focus on the details. Look for ways to add extra elements to your content, such as text and animation. You can also experiment with different video lengths and formats and use editing tools to make your videos more visually appealing.

Once you have created your content, you should post it regularly. This will help you stay top of mind with your followers and increase the chances that they will engage with your content. You can also try to repurpose content from other platforms, such as Instagram and Twitter, to maximize your reach.

Building Relationships with Other Authors on TikTok

In addition to creating engaging content, you should also focus on building relationships with other authors. This is an important part of marketing your book on BookTok, as authors can support each other and help promote each other’s work.

There are several ways to do this. You can start by commenting on other authors’ posts and engaging with them on their videos. You can also join groups and communities on BookTok and take part in conversations there. You can also reach out to other authors directly to see if they would like to collaborate on a project.

Using Analytics to Track Performance on TikTok

Once you have created content and started building relationships with other authors, you should track the performance of your campaigns. This is important, as it will allow you to identify what is working and what isn’t.

BookTok has an analytics feature that allows you to track the engagement, reach, and performance of your campaigns. You can also view the demographics of your followers and the performance of individual posts. This information can help you refine your campaigns and ensure that you are targeting the right audience.

Leveraging Influencers on TikTok

Influencers can be a great way to reach a larger audience and increase the visibility of your book. By partnering with influencers, you can get your book in front of their followers and potentially increase your sales.

To find influencers to work with, you can search for hashtags related to your book or look for authors in your genre. You can also look for influencers who have a large following and are active on BookTok. Once you have identified potential influencers, you can reach out to them and see if they would be interested in partnering with you. Keep in mind though that some influencers charge for this service – meaning to share your book on their platform. Not all do, but for some it’s become a very lucrative business!

Leveraging Trends and Hashtags on TikTok

Trends and hashtags can be a great way to increase the visibility of your book. By leveraging popular trends and hashtags, you can increase your reach and potentially get more people to discover your book.

When using trends and hashtags, you should make sure that they are relevant to your book. For example, if you are promoting a fantasy novel, you might use the hashtag #fantasybooks. You should also make sure to use trending hashtags, as this will help you reach a larger audience.

Ready, Set, Go BookTok Promotion

With the right strategies and tools, any author can market their book on BookTok, even if they don’t have a robust profile. By creating engaging content, building relationships with other authors, and leveraging trends and hashtags, authors can increase their visibility and reach a larger audience. They can also use analytics to track the performance of their campaigns and leverage influencers to get their book in front of more people.

By following these steps, authors can use BookTok to effectively promote their books and gain a larger readership. So, don’t be discouraged if you don’t have a large following – you can still use BookTok to market your book and reach new readers.