Thinking about book social proof marketing tactics? Getting your book in front of the right readers is the main goal of most marketing tactics for books. The most well-known strategy is to write authentic book reviews that potential readers can review to entice them to try the book, but the influence of social media has changed the game.
Instead, many authors and book promoters have turned to book social proof marketing to connect with readers and potential book buyers, creating a new avenue for self-publishing authors to use to create an interested, excited audience for their work.
- What is Book Social Proof Marketing?
- 1. Book Social Proof Marketing: Encourage Authentic Fan-Generated Content
- 2. Book Social Proof Marketing: Partner with Book Influencers
- 3. Book Social Proof Marketing: Pursue Awards and Recognition
- 4. Book Social Proof Marketing: Leverage In-Person Events
- The Ultimate Book Social Proof: Publishing Your Book
What is Book Social Proof Marketing?
Psychology has informed many marketing tactics because pairing up natural human actions and reactions with a marketing goal utilizes the most basic of human nature. People naturally tend to put their trust in something or even be tempted to try something new when they see others doing it.
Book social proof marketing leverages this human tendency by creating social media scenarios that showcase a new book being enjoyed, celebrated, or discussed, thereby encouraging potential buyers to purchase or try the book. When social media users see other trusted or known users reacting positively to a book, readers subconsciously see this as proof that the book is worthy and are more likely to try it out themselves.
1. Book Social Proof Marketing: Encourage Authentic Fan-Generated Content
Seeing others who love an author, a genre, or a story as much as you do, discussing an author’s latest book is a very powerful book social proof for many readers. And content that is authentically created by fans is the best way to reach potential readers because it creates opportunities for fan engagement with a writer and their work, drawing in potential readers to the excitement and energy the social media posts create.
Cover Challenges: Readers love to show off their connections to favorite books and authors, so a cover color challenge is a good way to tap into this interest to create compelling book social proof that others are reading and loving a book. Readers are asked to post photos of their book cover with other like-toned objects, like a bright green book cover next to a swirled matcha in a coffee cup. These crazy matchups often create the most memorable book social media posts that garner even more likes and shares, further increasing their impact on potential readers.
Fan Art: Authors often encourage readers to post their own art and graphic designs that support or imagine the characters, worlds, or stories in a book. Posting them to their own pages and tagging the author, the book, and even the genre is a great way to create excitement and draw new readers to a book.
Show Me Where You Read Challenge: Authors can ask readers to snap a picture and post it to social media in the spot they love to read, often using a hashtag to connect each post. Readers love to show off their unique or favorite locations and authors can be rewarded with a photo that also includes the cover of their book, further enhancing the book social proof of this kind of fan-generated content.
TikTok Challenges: Authors on BookTok can engage readers to use creativity, book knowledge, and just plain fun to attract potential readers and other genre enthusiasts to try their book. Authors start by reading the first half of a line from a new or published book, then challenge readers to “finish the line” to anticipate the direction of an unfamiliar story or to remember what has happened with familiar characters.
2. Book Social Proof Marketing: Partner with Book Influencers
Similar to finding a spokesperson to promote a product, connect with book influencers to talk about your book with someone your readers already trust. BookTok and Bookstagram are perfect platforms for reaching potential readers in the same way that a book review might, because influencers often provide their opinions about a book, story, or writing style, just like a traditional book review might.
First, stalk the platforms to find a handful of book influencers who read your genre and also have a relatively large reach based on their number of followers, views, and number of posts they make.
Reach out to them to let them know that you have a new or upcoming book that suits their interests and give them a brief pitch on the book.
Ask them to read your book and to consider using it in a post in the future.
Be prepared to offer them something of value in return for their time, but never an outright payment, to guarantee an authentic response that followers will recognize as genuine. Some authors offer an ARC or even a special giveaway code that the creator can offer to their followers to increase engagement from the post.
If you are hosting a live event, consider asking them to appear to give their thoughts on the book, providing you with a great opportunity to increase your views when a popular book influencer’s followers come to see them at your event.
Follow up after the post or event to keep the content from disappearing from potential readers’ social feeds by posting snippets from the influencer’s comments or re-sharing a bit of the video that highlights the creator’s promotion of your book.
3. Book Social Proof Marketing: Pursue Awards and Recognition
Book reviews can give readers insight into an author’s writing style and a peek into a created world, but when an author is recognized by their peers for excellent writing, potential readers can feel confident that the author’s work might be worth trying out. This validation by your peers can also lend you credibility as a writer for years to come because winning or even being shortlisted for an award turns you into an “award-winning writer,” something that stands out against all of the other books on the shelf.
Seek out small wins if you are a new or undiscovered writer. Local book outlets often put out “authors to watch” lists, so look for ways to get your book in front of the decision makers at your local library or indie bookstore.
Drop off a few copies of your book at a local bookstore that stocks your title, along with some shelf notes to encourage employees to read and promote it in-store.
Pursue contests through indie publishers and organizations like the Forward INDIES Book of the Year Awards, The BookLife Prize, and the Eric Hoffer Book Award. Even though the competition is fierce, earning a mention or consideration can be a great recognition for a writer.
Consideration in regional contests can help you increase the odds that your book will be chosen for a meaningful award. Look for recognition possibilities within your genre, as a first-time author or even for books that meet other unique qualifications so you can begin to garner awards centered around your professional writing skills.
Genre contests like the one held by ITW are a great place to start your search for recognition for your work.
Publications like A Library Journal offer “Best Book” picks that can be a game-changer for authors seeking an audience.
If you do win an award or notable recognition, don’t let it go unnoticed.
Create an award banner to pin on your book social proof platforms and on your author’s website.
Add the award or recognition title to your email signature.
Include “award-winning” in your official bios and book descriptions across all platforms. If appropriate, include a brief description of the award if its significance is not obvious in the name of the award.
Print and attach “XYZ Award Winner” to any books you can. Ask booksellers, libraries, and other retailers when you can come by to make the addition and bring along a short announcement to give to them so they can include it in their author or book news that they share with their readers, community or customers.
Rewrite your podcast or live event introduction to include a reference to the new award.
4. Book Social Proof Marketing: Leverage In-Person Events
Creating online visuals on social media is not the only way to use the power of book social proof; participating in-person events can be just as influential in the minds of a potential reader.
Attend conferences or events, and pursue author panels, roundtable discussions, or speaking engagements at them so potential readers will see you as an expert in your field. Being referenced as an expert panelist enhances your credibility as an author, and your inclusion in the conference or event’s brochures and online information creates a strong social proof, too.
Offer your knowledge as a guest speaker or expert author at local colleges or writing workshop events to enhance book social proof.
Set up book readings at your local bookstore or library of your latest or most relevant book to demonstrate your writing expertise directly to the community. Your participation and recognition as a published author who brings value through the reading will build your credibility as an author.
Enlist a friend to help you document your in-person book social proof with video and photos of the event to add to your pre-event posts hyping it up and post-event commentary that keeps book social proof value high over time.
The Ultimate Book Social Proof: Publishing Your Book
Your journey as an author begins with bringing a gorgeous book to your readers, and Dazzle Printing can help you turn your manuscript and cover concept into a beautiful book your readers will love. Presenting them with an expertly designed book cover and perfectly bound pages is the first step in demonstrating your expertise as a writer, and partnering with Dazzle Printing is the best way to take this first step.
