7 Mistakes That Drive Readers Away on Social Media

An author once told me, “Sometimes I feel like I’m missing out on some big secret to success on social media. Like everyone else is in on it but me!” 

Let me assure you, there is no big secret to success. But there are often many little mistakes that pile up that make it more difficult for you to connect with the right people online. 

And many of these problems are easy to fix. 

So I put together a list of seven mistakes authors make that drive readers away on social media.  

They don’t know what you have to offer.

You need to remember that people are picky about what will end up in their feeds, so we need to clearly state in our bios what we are all about and what we have to offer. When readers visit your social media outlets, they are asking themselves, “Why should I follow them?” It’s so important to clearly state that in your profile. If you’re unsure about how to do that, click here to learn how!

Low quality pictures or visuals.

Visuals are the first impression that will really catch your readers attention. But if you’re thinking, “I’m not a photographer!” or “I don’t have time to take a bunch of pictures!” rest easy. You can create amazing images and visuals with Canva. It’s incredibly easy to use, it provides you with everything you need, and it takes mere minutes to create fantastic images that will draw new readers in.

Too much promotion.

The best way to drive new readers away is to constantly promote your book. Adopt the 80/20 rule - 80% of the time share engaging, personable material and 20% you can promote your book. So if you post 10 times a week, two of those posts can be promotional. The best way to attract new readers is to post content they can relate to, or that provides value to their life. 

It’s all about you.

Social media is a great way for people to get to know more about you, but you need to remember that as an author you need to share content that focuses on your readers. I know there are tons of profiles or celebrities that post nothing but selfies, but that isn’t going to help you attract your ideal reader who will want to buy your book. Throwing in a selfie now and again is fine, but if your feed is full of them, it’s going to drive your ideal reader away. 

Too many tags.

This is a big one - and a personal pet peeve of mine. Tagging people with the hope that they will see your post and follow you is not a good way to grow your audience. In fact, it’s a great way to get blocked. If your post is something relevant or if you’re reposting something of mine, yes, that’s great - tag away! But if it’s random and there is no direct connection, you’re going to drive those people away. 

Not responding to comments.

It’s so important to stay engaged and in touch with your readers. Taking just a few minutes to respond to comments or even “liking” a comment will do so much for your social media presence. Don’t just set it and forget it - make sure to engage with your readers. 

Not showing your personality.

You are a unique soul and your social media outlets don’t need to look or feel like every other profile out there. Show your personality! You can still be professional and be yourself at the same time. When you’re relatable and personable, readers respond to that and want to know you more.

Making these simple adjustments will give you bigger results. Remember, always put yourself in your ideal reader’s shoes. Look at your posts, your profile, your images, etc., from every angle and make sure all of your bases are covered. 

Ask a friend or one of your trusted readers to look at your profile. See if they have any suggestions or ideas. Having a fresh set of eyes always helps!

If you want to go a step further and get all of the tools, resources, and help that you need to market your book, grow on social media, and sell more books - join The Author Circle membership!