A Deep Dive Into Digital Marketing for Authors

We’ve discussed so much when it comes to preparing your book for publication. Now to look at the dreaded advertising. Yes, I know some people enjoy it. However, most authors I talk to dread marketing their books. On top of everything we have to do, marketing is the most daunting. I’ll be breaking down marketing into 3 categories: Digital, In-Person, and Advertising. Today, I’ll be talking about digital marketing.

If you’re new to the series, welcome! This is the Book Marketing Planner Series where I discuss the information contained in my Book Marketing Planner. This planner contains over 35 pages of publishing information, perfect for writers just starting a new project. It walks you through budgeting, editing, pricing, royalties, marketing, and so much more. You can check out the previous posts here.

Following along? We’re looking at page 31-32 of the Book Marketing Planner. Need a copy? The paperback is available on Amazon and the digital download is available through the Bound to Writing Shop.

Let’s get started talking about digital marketing and how it can help you promote your book before and after publication.

What is Digital Marketing?

Anything that can be done online is considered digital marketing.

Types of Digital Marketing:

Cover Reveal

Hyping up your cover before release day can be a good way to get readers interested in your upcoming release. So go ahead and decide if you’ll put together your own cover reveal or hire someone to run it for you.

Here’s an example of the cover reveal I ran for my book Speaking the Truth of Family. I also had other bloggers and friends on social media share the cover as well.

Release Day

Promoting your book on release day is another good way to market your book. The more people that you can get to see your book on release day, the more likely that the algorithm will push your book to other readers.

Figure out some fun ways to engage readers during release day. For example, going live on social media or getting a group together to post about your release. Getting the word out is the best way to attract new readers.

Here’s an example of the release day promotion I ran for my book Speaking the Truth of Christmas. Just like the cover reveal, I had bloggers and friends help me with the promotion.

Virtual Book Tour

This can go hand-in-hand with your release day or anytime after release. You can hire someone or do it entirely yourself. The goal with a book tour is getting as many people interested in helping you promote your book during a certain time period.

For example, release days, book anniversaries, giveaways, and discount promotions are a great time to run a book tour.

Do I Need Digital Marketing?

In 2024 many things are digital. It has the largest reach. So if you want a bigger chance at success, than using digital marketing is going to be beneficial to you. It can surely be intimidating at first, but start out small and you will find what works for you and your audience.

I hope this post has given you the insight you need to confidently use digital marketing. Next time we will be talking about In-Person Marketing so please stay tuned by subscribing or checking back.

The Book Marketing Planner is available in Paperback and Digital Download today.