Many authors still believe that social media is where people go when they need to talk about unimportant things. They think that social media can be a distraction to their writing. All these points can be argued. However, social media can be a great marketing tool when used properly. It is a space where authors can talk to many people and promote themselves. Even traditionally published authors need to improve their brand using other ways than their publisher’s marketing techniques – social media is a great place to do that.

Authors should also know that their readers are on social media. They are frequent visitors to sites like Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and Pinterest. Authors can bring their books to the audience by taking part in conversations on social media. Here are some ways authors can use social media to introduce their content to readers.

Set yourself apart as an expert

One of the ways in which you can make people want to buy your books is to establish yourself as a knowledgeable person in your field. Regardless of what genre or category of books you write, there are many ways to show people that you know your stuff. Create posts that show how well you understand various aspects of your field. Also connect with other popular authors in your niche.

Another great way to get people's attention is to make sure that you link to authoritative websites and blogs relating to your posts. Include links to photos and videos that will help to boost the impact of your post. When people know that you are an expert, they will be more responsive to your posts and might even be more willing to buy your books.

Focusing on a book’s contents

Many authors with a presence in social media often go overboard with promotional posts for their books. However, people do not respond well to a person who seems to be trying to sell something all the time.

The best approach to promoting a book is to engage the audience about the book’s contents. For instance, an author might talk about what inspired him to write a certain book. He might make posts that give people more insight into how he came up with characters for a book. He can talk about why his main character did some things. Talking to people about the contents of a book increases their interest in wanting to read the entire book.

When the audience has been involved in many conversations by an author about a book, they will be more tolerant if the author occasionally promotes the book. An author that successfully creates a buzz about his books inadvertently makes more people want to buy the book. Eventually sales figures will increase.

Successful authors create video trailers for their upcoming books to create anticipation among their audience. These authors sell more books than they could have if they did not create the video teasers.