You've written and published your book. Congratulations! Now it's time to get your book into the hands of eager readers. But how?
If you don't have a large marketing budget, (and sometimes even if you do) you'll need to use the power of social media.
But for all the power that social media wields, it can be equally overwhelming. Creating graphics, posting, engaging, and the dreaded algorithm. It can all be a lot! There are things you can do to reduce the stress of social media and the burnout (exhaustion) it can cause. Here are seven tips to help:
7 Tips for Avoiding Social Media Burnout for Authors
Find your audience
Figure out WHO your audience is and then find out WHERE (which platform) your audience is on. It's a waste of time to post on Instagram, if your audience is on Facebook. Find out where the people who need your messaging are and put your energy into that platform. Trying to manage multiple platforms is a lot of work and often ends up with inconsistent posting and lackluster results...and that can cause social media burnout too.
Strategize, strategize, strategize
Have a content strategy. Social media is a tool. Figure out your purpose for using that tool, create content that aligns with that purpose, then post - consistently. It's just that simple. Once that's done, just keep an eye on your post performance and adjust your strategy as needed for the results you want.
Plan it out
Reduce stress by setting aside time to plan your posts. Jot down ideas for the message you want your posts to convey to your audience, then create posts based on those ideas. You can even use the scheduling feature included on most social media apps to cut down on time spent posting throughout the week. Planning ahead rather than putting pressure on yourself to be creative in the moment, can make things run a lot more smoothly.
Use auto reply
Set up auto reply... but don't make it boring or generic. Let auto reply work for you by including information that would be valuable to your audience. Share your links (website, link to buy your book, or a link to your newsletter). You could also auto reply in a FAQ (frequently asked questions) style to answer some of the requests you get most often. Remember to let the person who sent the message know when to expect to hear back from the "real" you.
Set boundaries
Social media can be a time drain. If you go online without a clear time limit or purpose, you might find that hours have passed before you look up from your device. Set social media time limits and do your best to stick to it. That might look like 15 mins in the morning and 15 minutes again in the evening. Do what works best for you but definitely set a boundary to help manage your time.
Don't compare
Comparison is the thief of joy! While it can be helpful to keep an eye on the happenings in your industry, getting caught up in comparing likes and followers can be discouraging. Make your plan, focus on your audience, and let the algorithm do the rest.
Create a community
This one is important! If you hop on social media to only post about your book, your happenings, or your stuff and never engage with others, you may find yourself struggling to get seen online. Connect with others in your industry. Celebrate their wins. Share their posts (if it's relevant to your audience). Building an online community helps keep things interesting which can help to avoid burnout.
Make it fun
While social media is an important part of getting your book seen, don't take it too seriously. Have fun with it. Participate in trends when they resonate with you. Let your personality shine through and do what's comfortable for you. A positive mindset will shine through in your posts and make it easier to connect with your audience.
You've got this!
As you can see, there are a number of ways to avoid social media burnout. Use some or all of these tips to make the most of social media without the overwhelm. Remember, social media is a tool - "Use social media, don't let social media use you."
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