Those who buy your books fall into two categories – the real fans, who buy up everything you release and the first-timers. Some first-timers will immerse themselves thoroughly in your book, fall in love with your characters, live the plot and then its all over. The book ends but it’s what happens next that is important – do they move on to another author or do they become fans? Well, much of that depends on you.

If they can connect to your social media accounts then you are more likely to have gained a fan, simply because they don’t have to look too far to get news about your work but how do you get them to follow you on Facebook or Twitter? These three tips will put you on the right path:

Advertise!

The more your readers can see your profile, the more likely they are to follow you. Add links to your social media profiles in everything you write, including at the end of each book, even at the beginning of the book if you want, too.

Give Your Readers A Good Reason

Usually, when a person looks at a social media page it's because something has drawn them to it. You need to give your readers something they aren’t going to find anywhere else – content that fits with your books. You need a balance of information, friendly banter and entertainment as long as it is relevant. You might think that this is a no-brainer but many authors forget that they are posting as an author and end up posting content that just doesn’t fit.

Share Some Love

For the most part, a first-timer is going to visit your social media page because they want to see more of your work. One of the best ways, believe it or not, to get these readers to stay with you, is to share information that relates to other authors. Now, you might think that is counterproductive but think of it this way – if that reader has taken the time out to go to your profiles, they want more of your work; your library will only have so much in it so, once that’s been exhausted, give them something similar. Suggest other books by other authors that your readers might like and, as time goes by, these readers will start to visit your profile regularly, looking for more news on when your next book is coming out.

There is another upside to this – links go two ways. If a person is looking for information on a specific author you mentioned on Facebook or Twitter, they will eventually find themselves on your page. And you get to build up great relationships with other authors who may return that favor and recommend you to their readers. Nobody can lose!

There are so many ways that you can coax your readers into following you on your social media accounts; the three above are just for starters. You just need to remember:

Advertise – a lot.

Provide relevant interesting content.

So long as you do that, your readers will find their way to you and stick around.