Platform. Just the word alone is enough to make me shudder. In a perfect world, I would just get to do all the writing and post on social media for fun. Unfortunately, I don’t live in a perfect world so I have to be aware of this stuff. Yay.
It’s so important though. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of actively having a presence on social media platforms. We don’t look for products and services the way we once did and if you’re not careful your book can get lost in the shuffle of everyone else promoting their writing on social media. There’s a reason there are whole businesses dedicated to marketing, advertising, SEO, content creation, and all things internet promotion. It’s its own industry.
So bearing that in mind, I believe this post will serve a better purpose as a resource guide instead of one author, who’s still learning the art of internet presence herself, musing outside her knowledge base. Because for all the fear and trepidation the world of internet promotion can bring an author, there’s that much more inspiration and information to be found from others. Here are just a few resources that can take some of the fear out of platform, marketing, and the big scary world of social media.
1. Mixtus Media
I found Mixtus Media through Instagram when I first started my author account. This site is a great resource to have in your platform toolbox. Their content is very specific to authors trying to market their books online and their resources are very straightforward. Their blogposts alone gave me so much valuable information going into starting my social media platforms. You can find posts concerning just about every angle of book marketing and I’m always learning something new.
2. The Creative Penn
Another great resource in the toolbox of an author out of their marketing depth, The Creative Penn is a how-to gold mine. Joanna Penn’s honest and relatable approach to book marketing easily puts a nervous writer at ease and her wealth of information is honestly staggering. I can’t even begin to tell you just how many resources she has available for authors who don’t know where to start. It was on her site that I first got a sense of direction and where I should be starting. What’s more, she offers her resources through a variety of formats that every learner can get something out of. Blog, books, podcasts, audiobooks, she’s got it all. It’s impossible to go on her site and not find something that advances your work as an author.
https://www.thecreativepenn.com
3. Monarch Marketing
While these guys aren’t specifically tailored to authors, their marketing prowess speaks for itself and can’t be denied as a resource for authors like myself (you know, the ones rocking themselves in the corner every time the word marketing is brought up). As a digital marketing agency, their expertise can be a great help for an author who can’t wrap their head around all this terminology that everyone keeps saying is absolutely important. In addition to the services they offer, a platform building author can find constant helpful tips and posts through Monarch Marketing’s social media platforms. I particularly enjoy their “Monarch Minutes” where they discuss a specific facet of digital marketing in a simple, straightforward, and easy to understand way.
https://monarchmarketingllc.com/
https://www.instagram.com/monarch_marketing/
The world of social media marketing is big and scary to start, but it doesn’t have to stay that way. The more you dig, the more you can find dedicated experts who have invested so much time into making sure authors like us don’t have to make a go of this alone. Don’t underestimate the value of finding and using these resources. It doesn’t change the amount of work ahead of you, but it all becomes so much more bearable and doable when there are others coming alongside you and pointing out the path. Social media marketing is scary, take a friend.
Let’s find some joy,
A.R.