Chapter 13

Promote Without Being Promotional

Heroes must see to their own fame. No one else will.
Gore Vidal

How people perceive you online can be very important in your branding. In your social networks, it’s important to be likable and avoid rubbing people the wrong way. Someone once told me that there’s a fine line between arrogance and confidence. I immediately thought: That’s not true. There’s a huge difference. I feel some people exemplify the difference perfectly. Malala Yousafzai is confident enough to talk with world leaders and ask them to change their policies. Yet she never seems arrogant.

Why is this important? It’s an important distinction because we like working with confident people, but we don’t like engaging with arrogant people. A UCLA study concluded that likable people ask questions, are genuine and honest, don’t seek attention, and smile (among other things). These are easy things to do online and will go over better than being clever and snarky.

As the owner of a digital branding and publicity company, I know that perception is everything. If you seem confident, you’ll thrive. If you seem arrogant, you’ll alienate people. It’s that simple and that important, so focus on being likable and sharing good information.

The best way to share good content is to refer to the work you did in phase 1. If you know your readers and what they need, your content will resonate with your audience. A good rule of thumb is to promote others more than you promote yourself. For example, in any given week you may want to share good content from other people and tag them. They may be inspired to return the favor. Be sure to pick the most relevant social media sites for you and your readers. If you try to be everywhere, you’ll burn out.

Creating compelling content

If you are a published author, you’ve already done the hard part: You have written your book and had it published. There are all sorts of ways to use the content in your book to market yourself in the world of social media. Obviously, this is easier for nonfiction authors. However, novelists can also use some of these ideas.

If you peruse your book, you will easily see short sentences that pop out as quotable and are perfect for tweets. Look for those compelling quotes that showcase your expertise or fabulous writing and are less than 140 characters for Twitter. Find short quotes (120 characters) that people are likely to retweet. Create a hashtag using your book title each time you tweet to promote your book.

Facebook posts can be longer. You can create Facebook posts from quotes or use excerpts from your book. Snippets from your book that are helpful to others or inspire dialog among your Facebook followers make for ideal posts. You can also use the content of your book to write all sorts of tips. Tips are a great way to brand you as an expert because they are short, highly readable, and easily shared. When your Face-book followers share your tips, they are helping promote you and your book. If you have written a novel, you can help other authors write their own Great American Novel by providing inspiration and ideas.

To inspire more interest in your book or in you, create short lists that highlight your content. For example, if you wrote a cookbook you could write a short list entitled “Three Recipes You Can Try This Week” and use those three recipes to promote your entire cookbook. If your book is about leadership, write a short article on “Five Ways to Lead Your Team Through a Crisis.” Articles that are written as quick, numbered lists appeal to people who are short on time but interested in your content. You can include a link to purchase your book and links to your social media sites within each article. Reach out to websites/blogs that are likely to share your lists (everyone needs content) and soon others will be helping you build your brand.

Each of the chapter headings in your book can be turned into blogs. Tease the content in your book by writing a shorter version of a chapter in blog form. It’s a simple way to create a quick blog and tout your book with a sample of your content. Any stories you tell in your book or personal anecdotes you share can also make for compelling blogs. Be sure to always include a link to purchase your book in every blog you write. It’s best to keep that link permanently in your bio.

Obviously, some of these ideas won’t work if you are writing a novel, but you can adapt them for your own audience. You can write about the research you are doing or things you are discovering about your characters or yourself. You can interview other novelists or write about the challenges of writing a novel. Just remember to match the tone of your content to the tone of your book. If your book is fun and flirty, don’t write blogs that are dark and sad. The idea is to attract likely readers.

All these ways will help you promote your book without feeling overly promotional. It takes a while to find your rhythm, and sometimes you will cross the line—but if you are being real and genuine and vulnerable, you’ll be forgiven for any missteps.

Tip for #BusyAuthors

The bottom line is this: Don’t spam ever, on any network. Always show respect for others and their time.

Quality over quantity

Consistency is important in social media. In my experience, authors who post regularly (daily or several times a week) see higher engagement. Consistency builds brand recognition for companies and for people. If you keep showing up in my feeds, I will remember you.

Many of my clients complain about being a “content-generating machine.” I understand their frustration. However, a little shift in attitude can make a big difference. First, it’s important to think of the posts you make as conversations rather than announcements. Second, it is helpful to think of your community as family rather than people you never see. That little shift often enhances the quality of the posts for my clients and increases the level of engagement as well.

Although consistency is important, you really need to “show up” with good-quality information. Everything you do and say and post reflects on your brand. In any case, remember that a small, engaged community is much more valuable than a large number of followers. Respect and quality should be the cornerstone of your brand no matter what you write about.