Think TikTok and Instagram are only for sharing trending dances and carefully curated photos of your family, pets, and food experiments? Think again.

Writing a book is a huge endeavor filled with many exciting milestones and decisions, and the work doesn’t stop with a finished manuscript. Putting a book out into the world brings a whole host of new opportunities and challenges for authors as they work to get their books into the hands of readers.

Social media platforms offer fantastic opportunities for authors to connect with readers, increase book visibility, and generate buzz. While paid advertising can be effective, not all authors have the budget for it. Thankfully, there are plenty of free ways to promote your book online. Below are seven strategies to help you effectively harness the power of social media without spending a dime.

Your book tells your story. Whether it's a fantasy novel that speaks to real world issues, a self-help title to improve readers’ lives, or a guide to building and growing a business, you’ve put it all down on paper for the world to see. But reviewers, guest bookers, and journalists don’t have time to look over a 300 page manuscript.

Photo by Don Agnello on Unsplash

In the world of books, nothing is more valuable than word-of-mouth marketing. While there are many strategies to foster buzz for your book on and offline, getting your book into the hands of new readers remains the ultimate goal. To reach those new readers, giving your book away should be a key element of your marketing strategy.

Your website is one of the most important places to showcase your brand and your work. It’s a virtual home base for all resources related to you, your network, your products—and, most importantly, your book.

A new year brings new ideas, new goals, and newfound motivation to revitalize your book marketing efforts and engage new readers. To help you get started, here are 12 ways, one for each month, to promote your book in 2023.

With the new year just around the corner, the Greenleaf Book Group marketing and branding team discusses the trends they predict will dominate the marketing landscape in 2023.