Marketing your book on social media can feel like an overwhelming activity that takes up a lot of your time. However, you cannot give up and not market your book altogether. So what can you do? Here is a little hack to drum up sales for your book. Reach out to Reviewers! Ask them for a review of your book. Reviewers have a large following of avid readers looking to read new books that haven’t heard of before. So here’s a guide on how to get Bloggers & Influencers to review your Book.
WHY?
Now that you have published your book, how do you get people to notice your work? This is where digital comes in handy. If you get a bunch of bloggers to review your book, that means more chances of showing up on search engine results page and more awareness about your book. You may wonder how it’s any different from getting reviewed on Amazon or the other e-commerce sites. The reviews that you get on Amazon are in no way helpful in creating a buzz although they help in validating how good your book is. However, having bloggers review your book can help you create a buzz about you and or your book. Added to the great organic traffic that you get from this, you also have the followers of these bloggers getting to know about your book as well. If you do the math, you will realize that that is a new set of potential buyers of your book.
Reviews and recommendations are ruling the roost in the market. Review and recommendations have positive effects on buying behaviour. What is not surprising is books with a lot of reviews, irrespective of whether it is positive or negative, get picked up more.
HOW?
The first and the most important step to take while going for a blogger outreach program is to decide why you want bloggers to review your book. Some authors may need reviews to create a buzz, some may want to increase their online presence and some others just to see how their work is received. The next step is to draw out a detailed brief on what your book is about. This will help you narrow down your options and give you a clear idea of what kind of bloggers suit your need. In India, book reviewing is picking up pace with the quick adaption of E-books and on-the-go reading apps, people are embracing reading like never before. And this huge chunk of our population also trusts the few bloggers that have been exposing them to a new aspect of reading. So, how do you reach these few people that are influencing so many? Try searching social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook for communities of book reviewers.
STEPS TO DO IT:
- CREATE A SPREADSHEET
The world would be a complicated place if not for Excel sheets. Make a spreadsheet for the bloggers that you are planning to contact. Columns must have relevant details that you would like to consider. The most important ones being
- The name
- Contact details
- Link to their blog or Youtube Channel
- Links to their social media sites
- Names of books they have reviewed before
All the other steps may or may not be implemented, but having a tracker is of utmost importance.
- SIMILAR BOOKS
Go through the internet for other books similar to yours and check who reviewed them. Goodreads is the best place to start as most of the readers check the Goodreads page for book reviews and recommendations. Here are 5 Ways Authors can use Goodreads to promote their book.
- CHECK THEIR POLICY
Some bloggers have strict policies when it comes to reviews. Blogging is a serious profession and comes with its own ethics. Before reaching out, check out the blogger’s review policy on their blog and get a fair idea of what they want. Some bloggers don’t entertain pitches, while some others do, the key is to understand what they want.
- REACH:
The make or break for any deal is the reach. The most important parameter for blogging, a blogger’s reach can be ascertained by some of the following methods:
- Check their blog traffic
- Number of followers the blogger has on Social Media
- The engagement the posts garner.
An added point to be noted is to look at the timeline and note how often they update their blog. An active blog is a must.
- MARKET YOUR BOOK
Treat the exercise like a typical marketing exercise. Write a short summary of your book and of yourself and also the reason you are going for the review.
- ENGAGE WITH THE BLOGGERS
Make some time to engage with bloggers. Get involved in their blog and social media, leave comments, respond to questions and keep the engagement going. Book bloggers are not just reviewers, but key stakeholders who bring in a lot of buzz around your book.
- BE PATIENT:
The key to everything in life. After you have contacted them, be patient and wait for the review to be up. Don’t pester them and let them work at their own pace.
AFTER THE REVIEW
1) THANK THEM!
Once the review is up, thank the reviewer for their time and effort. Irrespective of whether the review was positive or not, thanking the bloggers is a must. Show them some appreciation by sending them a free copy of one of your other books. A small gesture like that goes a long way in building lasting relationships.
2) SHARE IT
Share the blog on your social media platforms for your followers to read and engage. You could also host the blog on your website with a link to the original blog post.
Asking bloggers to review your book may seem to be a lot of work, but reviews are an important marketing tool in getting people to notice your book. We hope with these tips, you carry out a successful blogger outreach program for your book.