There's nothing wrong with book reviews, but there are so many other options to consider when you choose to market your book! No matter how great your book is or which influencers you work with, you need to be creative with the type of content you're using for your influencer marketing campaigns. Ensuring the content is delivered in a fun, relatable, and engaging way will help you stand out in a crowded marketplace and capture the attention of your audience.
You need content that the influencer would typically provide, along with the content types their audience looks for and expects. If you choose content formats that the audience just doesn’t relate to, you aren't going to get as much traction from your marketing efforts. It could even be off-putting to some of your target market, stopping them from developing any interest in your book.
Here's what to consider when looking for creative content formats:
Tips to Get Started
The first thing to do is research your audience. You're already doing that in terms of demographics that would love your book and the influencers who typically interact with them, so just take it a step further.
- Along with asking yourself what the audience for your book will connect with, look at which platforms they're on and the kinds of content that does well on those platforms. That can help you expand your ideas and do more of what your audience will want to see.
- Consider any unique aspects of your book, too, and how you can highlight them in a way that's unique and creative. If you can find a way to do that and also capitalize on what's trending, that can really help you increase interest.
Just remember that the goal isn't to fit a square peg into a round hole. It's to adapt a current social media trend to your book and gain readership.
Video Content
Video content can be powerful tool! Depending on the audience, video may be a more compelling format than written content, and also helps your audience form more of a connection when they see you, your logo, or images of the book itself. When you're working with your chosen influencer, there are four kinds of video content that you can use relatively easily, to see what your audience enjoys or responds to most.
- Book Trailers & Recommendation Videos
- Book trailers can create excitement about your book both before and after publication
- Trailers typically last from 30 seconds to 2 minutes and may include narration, text, music, and video clips
- Your tone should always match the genre and style of your book
- Recommendation videos build trust with potential readers and encourage them to take action
- Videos can vary, but typically 1 to 3 minutes in length is common
- Can include recommendations from individuals or be a compilation style video
- Book trailers can create excitement about your book both before and after publication
- First Impression Reviews
- Offering an immediate, fresh perspective on your book, these videos feature readers sharing their initial thoughts after reading the first few pages or chapters of the book
- Thirty seconds to 2 minutes is the typical length for these reviews
- Can be featured on social media platforms and/or in email marketing campaigns
- Live Author Chats or Q&A
- Allow you to interact with readers directly and take live questions from viewers
- They usually last 30 to 60 minutes, but they can be shorter depending on the platform and audience size
- Be sure to promote the event in advance
- Live Reading Session
- Connect with your existing and potential audience via a reading of a particular passage from your book
- Length of the reading should be anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes; allow time for some audience questions when you've finished your reading
- Follow up with attendees after the event to thank them for their participation
Any of all of these can work for your marketing purposes, but it depends on the kind of book you have and the audience you're trying to reach. Some readers would really enjoy a live chat with the author, while others are more interested in a review or a trailer for the book. A live reading session is also a way to hook readers with something catchy that they might not be expecting, to help your book gain traction before or soon after it’s release date.
Interactive Content & Challenges
Another way to create engaging campaigns through influencer marketing is to provide interactive content and challenges to get them talking about your book, reading it, and sharing it with others.
- This can take the form of book clubs, reading challenges, or book-themed quizzes or polls. People like to feel included, and most people enjoy a little friendly competition from time to time.
- Prizes don't have to be big. You might offer a signed copy of the book to the winner of a contest, for example, or provide other small tokens of appreciation or acknowledgment. The goal isn't to give away a lot of things, but to get a bigger audience talking with each other about your book.
Creative Storytelling
Being creative with the book's themes and characters through creative storytelling is another excellent way to engage with your audience. Consider creating the following:
- Fan fiction and fan art, as well as UCG photos & videos
- Book-inspired playlists or songs
- Develop and share book-themed recipes or DIY crafts, or ask readers to come up with some of their own
Some books naturally lend themselves to certain activities, and you'll want to think about what your audience might appreciate. If the main character has a passion for baking, or they like to sing, these are natural leads for recipes and songs or playlists. Even if your character doesn't have those kinds of interests, you can turn to the world you've built around them for inspiration.
Get Creative to Engage a Bigger Audience
Not all ideas will work for all books, but you can get creative with content in a variety of ways. You and the influencer you’re working with should be a good creative team, and brainstorm with each other for new ideas. Staying open to each other's ideas and understanding the thought processes of the book's audience can help you both come up with the best and most creative ways to get people talking about your book and buying it for themselves and others.
Maybe your influencer has a content format they want to try, or you have ideas for recipes or crafts they could do to match your book's theme. When you and your influencer get creative in ways that the audience can relate to, you'll have a better chance to see your book's sales grow. That may also help your future goals, because it opens the door for ongoing collaboration and creation for future books, too. Keeping your audience engaged and wanting more is very important.
.jpg)
