Part 1: Why Social Media Matters for Your Book

This post is the first installment in a series of articles designed to help you elevate your social media presence and author profile.

Consistency is one of the most important hallmarks of an effective thought leader brand. Whether you are a burgeoning expert or just beginning to consider how to get credit for the work you’ve always done, sharing your perspective on platforms that will reach your intended audience is just as important as establishing a posting rhythm and sticking with it over the long haul.

There’s no sugar-coating it: audience-building is a lot of work, and true success requires commitment. But smart authors and experts have a secret weapon to help them on their way—augmenting their essential original content creation with content curation.

Congratulations! Your book publication date is on its way. You’re probably excited about sharing your big idea with the world, yet you might be wondering what you can do to help stand out online and attract opportunities. An undertaking like this might sound overwhelming, but there are simple things you can do to spruce up your online presence and make your online searchability ideal for anyone wanting to contact you.

If you are like most people who have aspirations to extend their influence based on their experience, you’ve likely identified some of your objectives for pursuing that path. If you’ve taken the next step by externalizing your goals and formulating a strategy to help you accomplish them, CONGRATULATIONS!

As an author, you know that social media can be a powerful tool for building your brand and promoting your book. But knowing that social media is important and tackling the challenge of creating content and engaging with your community are two very different things.

Throughout history, virtually every successful civilization has maintained rules against stealing, and few would argue with the idea that taking what does not belong to you is immoral.

Luckily for you as an author, promoting your work doesn’t require you to steal anything. But that doesn’t mean you can’t borrow some good ideas from those who have traveled the publishing road ahead of you. All you need is the wisdom to seek out new and clever ways to promote your book—ways that other authors have already proven effective—and then put your own unique spin on them.

As a thought leader who has published a book to share your ideas with the world (or as someone who is considering doing so), you already recognize the enormous value that informing and engaging your audience can have in establishing, reinforcing, and expanding the public’s perception of your expertise. If you already have a book available in the marketplace, you are likely looking for ways to reach new audiences, and deepen your connection with the people who already know you.