Within these chapters you will learn the various methods writers can use to create a unique brand. You will find best practices for building websites and blogs, insights into how to translate your author voice to social media, how collaborating with...
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On Instagram, it's all about the images. If you enjoy sharing photos of your writing life, story aesthetics, or even cute pet pics, this platform can provide a creative and organic way to engage with your audience.
Here are our best practices for using Instagram:
1. Stick to the 80/20 marketing rule. 20% of the posts should be focused on your works and 80% on other things.
2. Optimize your bio. Because Instagram offers only a single space for an external link, you'll want to take advantage of Linktree, Instapage, or another tool to create a link landing page to guide people to your other social media accounts. With a 150 character limit on your bio, you'll need to be concise, genuine, and don't be afraid to inject some humor here. Use relevant keywords and/or hashtags associated with your brand. Your profile picture should be recognizable, preferably the one you use on your other social media accounts.
3. Use hashtags strategically. Research relevant hashtags, such as those used by writers in your genre. Curate lists of your frequently used hashtags and rotate them. But keep your hashtag count realistic. Instagram removes captions with more than 30 hashtags. You'll also want to keep your hashtags in the main caption, not in a comment, otherwise IG's algorithm will not recognize them.
4. Have fun engaging. When a user comments on a post, engage with them. As with any social media platform, engagement is critical to growing followers organically. Try including a question in your captions to promote engagement.
5. Stay on brand. Post content that is consistent with your focus as an author. If you've chosen a brand theme or colors, you could create a template with those themes or colors and use it whenever you share certain content, such as quotes or story aesthetics.
6. Post regularly. Even daily. This will keep you in the sights of your followers and show them you post often. Experiment with posting times to learn which time of day sparks the most engagement.
7. Cross promote to your Facebook or Twitter accounts. Just remember that a bunch of hashtags don't look good on these other platforms, so you may want to tone them down for posts you plan to cross promote.
8. Share quality images. Nobody wants to look at dark or blurry photographs. Experiment with backdrops and lighting. Study the techniques of professional photographers. If you use an online image, be sure it's from a royalty free site such as Pixabay, Unsplash, or depositphotos.
9. Don't be afraid to share pieces of your life. Even brands need to show their human side to better connect with their customers. Try to strike a balance between your professional image and the real you.
10. Host giveaways. This can be done alone or in collaboration with other writers. Encourage users to answer a question on the post, participate in a poll, tag friends, or follow your other social media accounts for an opportunity to receive a prize. This could be a signed copy of your book or swag, such as a bookmark or sticker with your brand assets. Instagram has established promotion guidelines for running contests on their platform, which you'll want to consult.
