Social Media and You - 5 Real Ways to Promote Your Book, by Jennifer L. Jacobson

Pick An Audience.

Take a piece of paper and jot down exactly who it is that will be reading your book. Imagine them. Where do they work? What is their social life like? What kind of car do they drive? Do they pay for groceries with a credit card or with a check? What restaurants do they go to on a Friday night? The more you imagine your target reader, the easier it will be to attract potential readers to your book. Once you have completed this "Target Reader Profile" keep it in a place where you can look at it often, and add to it when inspiration strikes. This will be the person you are talking to when you use social media and social networking platforms.

Pick a Platform.

Now that you know who your target market is, start looking for social media platforms that your "target reader" will likely be on. Be sure to keep a list of these sites next to your Target Reader Profile, as it is easy to get caught up in the rabbit hole that is modern social media. If you are a professional writing a book about high-end services, you may want to contribute to prominent online blogs and forums that your target readers are members of. If you have written a book about gardening, you may want to set up a blog on a free social media platform and write seasonal tips for green thumbs.