How to Market Your Book on Social Media
EPISODE NINETY SEVEN
You're posting about your book on social media, but nothing's happening. A few likes from friends. No real engagement. No significant growth.
Here's what most authors don't realize: the problem isn't just your content. It's that you skipped the three essential steps that make social media actually work.
In this video, I'm showing you exactly what successful authors do BEFORE they start posting - the foundation that transforms random posts into strategic marketing that actually gives you results.
Stop guessing. Start building the foundation that makes your social media work.
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Transcript
If you're trying to market your book on social media but you're not seeing results - or worse, you feel like you're just shouting into the void - this video is going to be a game changer.
I'm Jenn Hanson-dePaula, and I'm a marketing expert with over 25 years of experience. And I want to talk to you about the biggest mistake I see authors making when they try to use social media to market their books.
Most authors jump straight into posting. They see what other successful authors are doing, they try to copy it, and then they wonder why it's not working for them. They start thinking, "Maybe I'm just bad at marketing" or "Maybe they aren’t interested in my book."
But that's not the case at all.
Here's what I'm going to share with you today: the three essential things you need to do BEFORE you start posting on social media. When you skip these steps, your social media falls flat. When you take the time to address them, your content stands out, resonates with readers, and actually drives book sales.
And I promise, this isn't complicated - but it is essential.
Let me describe what I see happening all the time with authors.
You know you need to be on social media. So you open Instagram, Facebook or TikTok, and you start posting. Maybe you share your book cover. Maybe you post a quote from your book. Maybe you talk about your writing process or share what you're reading.
You're showing up. You're posting consistently. You're doing what you think you're supposed to do.
But nothing's happening. Your posts get a few likes from friends and family. Maybe an occasional comment. But no real engagement. No book sales. No momentum.
So you look at other authors whose posts seem to get tons of engagement, and you think, "What are they doing that I'm not?" You try to copy their style. You talk about similar topics. You post at the same times they do.
And still...nothing.
Here's what's actually happening: those authors who seem to "just know" how to do social media? They're not winging it. They've done the foundational work that makes every post more effective. And without that foundation, you can post every single day and still see zero results.
It's not that you're bad at marketing. It's not that your book isn't good enough. It's that you skipped the essential prep work that makes social media actually work.
Before I show you what that prep work is, I want to offer you something that'll help you get things started. I've created a free Book Marketing Blueprint that breaks down exactly what you need to do to market your book effectively. This will give you the roadmap so you're not guessing what to do next. You can get your free copy in the notes for this episode.
Okay, so here's the first essential element you need before you start posting: you need to know exactly who you're talking to.
And I don't mean "people who like books." I mean you need to get specific about who your ideal reader is - what they're struggling with, what they care about, what makes them tick.
Here's why this matters so much: when you don't know who you're talking to, your content ends up being generic. You're trying to appeal to everyone, which means you appeal to no one.
But when you know your ideal reader intimately, everything changes. You know what problems they're facing. You know what questions they're asking. You know what language resonates with them. And suddenly, your social media content feels personal and relevant instead of generic and forgettable.
Let me give you an example. Let's say you wrote a productivity book. If you think your ideal reader is just "busy people who want to be more productive," your content is going to be vague and forgettable.
But if you know your ideal reader is a working mom in her mid-30s who's managing a full-time career, raising kids, and feeling guilty that she never has time for herself - now you can create content that speaks directly to her experience. You can talk about the specific challenges she faces. You can address the exact objections she has. You can use language that makes her think, "This person gets me."
The same applies to fiction. If you wrote a romance novel and you think your ideal reader is "people who like romance," your content will be forgettable. But if you know your ideal reader is a woman in her 40s who loves emotionally complex second-chance romances with strong female leads and authentic relationship dynamics - now you can create content that speaks directly to what she's looking for.
When you know your ideal reader this specifically, you stop posting random content and start posting content that actually connects.
This is the first step. You cannot skip this. Because every piece of content you create should be crafted with this specific person in mind.
The second essential element is clarifying your messaging. And this is where so many authors get stuck.
Your messaging is the core idea that runs through everything you post. It's the consistent thread that helps people understand what you're about and why your book matters.
Without clear messaging, your social media feels scattered. One day you're talking about your writing process. The next day you're sharing a recipe. The next day you're posting about your book. There's no connection between any of it, so your audience never gets a clear picture of who you are or why they should care about your work.
But when your messaging is clear, everything you post reinforces the same core ideas. Your audience starts to recognize your voice. They understand what you stand for. And they can clearly see how your book fits into the value you provide.
Let me show you what this looks like in practice.
If you're a non-fiction author, your messaging should connect to the transformation your book provides. Let’s say you wrote a book about building financial confidence for women, your messaging might be something like: "You don't need to be a financial expert to build the wealth you deserve." Now every post you create - whether it's a money myth you're busting, a story about a client who transformed their finances, or practical tips for getting started - all connects back to this core message of financial empowerment for women.
If you're a fiction author, your messaging connects to the themes and emotional experience of your books. Let’s say you write cozy mysteries, your messaging might be something like: "Escape into stories where justice is served, communities support each other, and everything wraps up nicely." Now your content - book recommendations, writing insights, behind-the-scenes glimpses - all reinforces this same feeling and value.
When your messaging is clear, people don't just follow you because they liked one post. They follow you because they understand what you're about, and they want more of it.
This is why authors with clear messaging seem to "do better" on social media. It's not that they're posting more or working harder - it's that every post they create reinforces the same core ideas, building trust and recognition over time.
And the third essential element is crafting your hook. Your hook grabs your reader’s attention and shows the compelling reason why they read your book right now.
But more often than not I see authors just post an image of their book with "Get your copy" or "Check out my book." That's not a hook - and it’s not compelling them to buy. A real hook makes people curious. It creates desire. It makes them think, "This is for me - I need to read this."
Your hook should answer the question: What's in it for the reader? What will they gain? What problem will you solve? What experience will you deliver?
For non-fiction, your hook focuses on the transformation your reader is looking for. It's not "I wrote a book about time management." It's "Discover how to reclaim 10 hours a week without sacrificing the things that matter most to you." See the difference? The first version is about you. The second version is about what the reader will gain.
For fiction, your hook focuses on the emotional experience readers are looking for or the compelling story question. It's not "I wrote a romance novel." It's "What happens when two people who swore they'd never speak again are forced to work together to save the family business they both love?" That creates curiosity and emotional pull.
When you have a clear, compelling hook, you can weave it into your social media content naturally. You're not just randomly promoting your book - you're consistently reminding people of the value it provides or the experience it delivers.
And here's what's powerful: when you combine all three of these elements - knowing your ideal reader, clarifying your messaging, and crafting your hook - your social media transforms.
You're no longer posting random content and hoping something sticks. You're posting strategic content that speaks directly to the right people, reinforces what you're about, and creates genuine interest in your book.
This is the foundation that makes social media actually work for authors.
Let me give you a real example of what this looks like.
I worked with an author - I'll call her Maria - who was posting on Instagram several times a week but seeing zero results. She'd share quotes from her book, post about her writing routine, ask engagement questions like "What are you reading?" Nothing was working.
When we dug into it, I realized she'd skipped all three of these essential elements. She didn't have a clear picture of her ideal reader. Her messaging was all over the place. And she didn't have a compelling hook for her book.
So we did the foundational work. We identified that her ideal reader was women in their 50s who were navigating life transitions - empty nest, retirement, career changes - and were looking for stories about women finding themselves again. That specificity changed everything.
We clarified her messaging around the idea that "It's never too late to become who you were meant to be." Now every post connected back to this core idea.
And we crafted a hook for her book: "A powerful story about a woman who thought her best years were behind her - until one unexpected phone call changed everything."
Once we had these three elements in place, her social media content transformed. She wasn't posting anything radically different - she was still sharing stories, insights, and updates. But now everything connected. It all pointed to the same core ideas and spoke directly to the right audience.
Within just a few weeks, she began to see her social media following grow, and in the next few months her audience doubled. But more importantly, her book sales increased and continued to grow because the people finding her on social media were exactly the right readers for her book.
That's the power of doing this foundational work first.
If you're realizing that you've been posting on social media without these three essential elements in place, here's what I want you to do.
First, if you haven't already, grab that free Book Marketing Blueprint I mentioned. It's going to walk you through the entire book marketing process so you have a clear roadmap. The link is in the notes for this episode.
Second, get my Book Marketing Starter Kit. This is where I walk you through exactly how to identify your ideal reader in detail, how to craft messaging that resonates with them, and how to create hooks for your book that actually compel people to read it. It includes templates, examples, and step-by-step guidance for fiction, non-fiction, memoir, and children's books.
This is the foundation that makes everything else work - your social media, your website, your newsletter, all of it. When you have these three elements dialed in, your marketing becomes so much easier and so much more effective.
For less than what it costs for a night out with dinner and drinks, you get the complete system that stops you from guessing and starts giving you real results. You can get your copy by clicking the link in the episode notes.
The key is to do this work before you keep posting more content. Because posting more of the same isn't going to give you different results. But when you build this foundation first, every post you create becomes more powerful.
You’ve got this - and I’ll see you in the next episode.