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• InterVarsity Press on Facebook
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• Join the IVP Authors Facebook Group

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• InterVarsity Press on LinkedIn

YouTube

• IVP on YouTube

Unless you are prepared to put significant time and effort into building a new social media audience, stick to the platforms that you are already active on. If you are NOT on any social media platforms or don’t have time to invest in them, it’s okay. We do not suggest simply starting social media for your book, unless you have the time to really engage. It is perfectly okay to focus on other types of marketing, like speaking, networking, or publicity, instead of forcing a social media presence. Social media isn’t for everyone.

When discussing your book, tag IVP. This helps us see your book posts so we can share. If you have a significant event or interview coming up, feel free to let us know ahead of time so we can be on the lookout for posts.

In order to make it easy for readers and influencers to recognize you on social, make your profile photo a photo of you and your social handle as close to your real name as possible.

In your profile bios, include mention of your book, including launch date/month, link to order, and book hashtag.

Engage! Engage! Engage!

In addition to posting a consistent stream of content, the best thing you can do to boost your audience and increase awareness of your book is engage with others’ content. That means commenting, liking, tagging, retweeting, replying to comments, and sharing the work of others. Not only does the algorithm favor this, but people are more likely to interact with your content if you interact with theirs. Remember: the 1st word in social media is “social.”

All social platforms are trending towards more video content. Whether it’s a selfie video in your office or a professionally produced recap of a conference you attended, videos are increasingly more attractive for users. They also provide the opportunity for readers to learn more about you beyond the pages of a book. Posting short videos (or “Reels” on Instagram) is highly recommended.

No one expects perfection on social media. Increasingly, users prefer just the opposite. Whether it’s a shaky phone video at a conference or a photo of the time you spilled coffee on your manuscript, posts like these make you relatable to your followers.

Some general content ideas for posting on social media include:

• Milestones along the publishing process: contracted, edits submitted, cover reveal, 1 week to launch day, 1 year anniversary, etc.
• Posts with photos perform best.
• Book quotes + endorsements.
• Show followers your writing space
• Post about other books that inspired or informed your own book.
• Photo or video of you opening the box of your book for the first time.
• Photos of your book in the wild.
• Ask questions to your followers to increase engagement and show that you are open to conversation.

• Hootsuite and Buffer are great for scheduling posts ahead of time across all platforms.
• Canva is a popular tool for creating your own graphics.
• Lightroom is great for free photo editing.

Using a page, personal profile, or both is completely up to you! Here are some things to consider:

• Pages allow you to run ads, schedule posts, and run analytics.
• Creating an author-specific page allows you to keep your personal page personal if desired
• If you create a new page in preparation for a new book, set it up as early as possible. Creating one last minute with no followers will not help support the book. Promote the new page on your personal if desired.
• If you prefer not to accept book fans as friends on your personal profile, then it’s best to create a separate writer fan page.
• The downside is that you will have two Facebook pages to manage, but it works for some authors.

Posts that have hashtags perform worse than posts that don’t. Hashtags are primarily for platforms like Twitter and Instagram. Tag people or organizations whenever possible to increase reach. Include links whenever appropriate – links to your book, organization websites, articles, etc.

Going live is highly recommended, especially for launch day, anniversaries, special holidays, etc. Bonus if you include other people! Live videos are great for launch team gatherings and engagement. In order to have multiple people on a Facebook Live, you’ll need to stream through a Zoom webinar or free tools like StreamYard.

Here are some ideas for what to do on your Facebook Lives:

• Read from your book.
• Host a live Q&A.
• Share why you wrote the book.
• Narrate a tour of where you write.
• Report from a conference where you are speaking.
• Interview a friend or fellow author.

Join Facebook Groups that are relevant to the topic of your book. This will help gain audience insight and introduce you to new relevant communities.

Consider using a Facebook Group for your launch team. It’s a great way to streamline communication and share content. Check out the Countdown to Launch section of the Publishing Playbook for more information!

• Follow a diverse group of people in your area of interest or similar authors.
• Make sure your personal feed has an equal number of replies and retweets of others’ content as your own content. This forces you to engage with others and shows that you are an active participant in the conversations you are writing about.
• Tag others as much as possible.
• Link to your book whenever appropriate.

• Consider creating a templated graphic for quotes. Not only is consistency visually appealing, but it also increases recognition of your content in the feed.
• Instagram live videos (especially with other people) are great for increasing engagement and showing the personal side behind the posts.
• Post in all places: regular posts, stories, and reels.
• Use hashtags at the end of your posts.
• Whenever possible, tag others in the caption and image of your post.

• We will post on social media book quotes and endorsement graphics.
• We will post author videos and book trailers.
• We will post publicity hits, book reviews, and award winners.
• We will run ads on various social media platforms.

If you are curious to know more about any of these, please ask your marketing manager about them.

Giveaways are a great way to engage our fans and create excitement for a new book. IVP runs giveaways on various social media platforms, such as Goodreads, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. You are also encouraged to run giveaways on your own page or partner with organizations or individuals to co-host a giveaway. 

The “prizes” in IVP-hosted giveaways are typically books and book-related promo items, but you are more than welcome to think out of the box. Offer a coaching session, a signed book, or to Zoom into the winner’s small group or book club!

It is important to be aware of the rules and regulations around social media giveaways. Be sure to clearly state the rules of your giveaway (number of winners, location limits, duration of giveaway, etc.) Wherever you post, be sure to specifically state that the giveaway is not affiliated with the social media platform. 

IVP attends dozens of conferences throughout the year for not only book sales, but also brand awareness, and networking throughout the publishing industry and beyond.

Conferences are also a great opportunity for IVP and for you to promote your book on social media. By posting or sharing IVP book photos at the conferences we attend, you not only can engage your following in what you are currently doing, but also reach new audiences as well.

If you are attending any conferences throughout the year, it is vital that you check in with IVP and let them know you are going and inquire if they are exhibiting as well. This way, IVP can give as much support to you and your conference efforts as we can.