The Complete Guide to Social Media for Australian Authors and Writers

The Complete Guide to Social Media for Australian Authors and Writers

The Complete Guide to Social Media for Australian Authors and Writers

What’s the best way to use social media as an Australian author or writer in 2024? It’s time to check out the complete guide to social media for Australian self-published authors!

 

In the complete guide to social media for Australian authors and writers, we’ll be doing a deep dive into the dos and don’ts of social media as well as checking out some expert advice on how to succeed on social media as an Australian author or writer.

It’s tempting to jump feet first into social media and simply try and hard sell people copies of your books.

Don’t.

Social Media for Australian Authors and WritersNot only will you most likely not sell any books, but you’ll also not attract any followers of worth.

I’m not saying you can’t sell your books on social media. Still, if that’s all you focus on with your social media posts, you will find it challenging to discover any real engagement and build a meaningful audience.

In the complete guide to social media for Australian authors and writers, we’ll focus on:

            1. Do Authors and Writers Need Social Media?
            2. When To Get Started on Social Media for Authors and Writers
            3. How To Get Started on Social Media
            4. The Best Social Media Platforms for Authors and Writers
            5. What Not to Do On Social Media As An Author

 

Do Authors and Writers Need Social Media?

This is a good question, and the answer is both yes and no.

Do you absolutely have to be on social media to be a successful, self-published Australian author or writer? No.

Could being on social media help you become a best-selling Australian author or writer? Yes.

If the thought of being on social media, creating posts, and interacting with people causes you stress or leaves, you spend hours and hours every day struggling to come up with post ideas. At the same time, if your writing languishes to the side, you’re probably better off forgetting about it. However, scaling back or posting 1-2 posts per month instead of per week may help.

Social media as an author will require time, effort, and planning. The name ‘social media’ implies being social, and social media platforms reward you for being active on their platforms through increased organic post reach and engagement.

If you’re already using social media as an author or writer and struggling to come up with post ideas, check out 9 Post Ideas for Author’s Social Media. We discussed some great author social media posts and content ideas you can leverage to suit your requirements.

Unless you’re spending tens of thousands of dollars on marketing, social media is probably one of the most cost-effective ways to market both your book and yourself as an author or writer to the rest of the world.

There are a variety of benefits to having a robust social media presence as an Australian author or writer, and they include:

            1. It’s 100% Free – Social media marketing is free and only costs you your time (if you do it yourself). If you’re paying someone to assist on social media, it’s a relatively affordable way to maintain an active social media presence compared to other marketing costs.
            2. Brand Building – Having an active social media presence helps you to establish yourself as an author or writer while building your brand, and allowing readers to connect with you as an author can help create a stronger relationship with your readers.
            3. Built-In Audience – Once you do build an audience on social media, you’ll be able to tell them about upcoming books, new releases, special offers, discounts, and much more.

 

When To Get Started on Social Media for Authors and Writers

Social Media for Australian Authors and WritersNow. Yesterday. Don’t wait until your book is ready to publish before you get started on social media. The beauty of social media is that you can get it started well before you even hit the publish button and you might even be better off doing it this way compared to waiting until your book has been released.

It typically takes 6-12 months to write, plan, and publish your book. That’s a good chunk of time where you could slowly build up your author’s social media presence.

Despite the hundreds of messages you’ll get telling you they can help grow your account, collaborate with you, and get you thousands of followers, it takes time to build up an author’s social media account organically.

 

How To Get Started on Social Media

In this section, we’ll look at the basics of getting started on social media.

Choosing A Username

You’ll need to choose a username. This could be your author name or something author-related, but make it easy to remember and relate to you and your books. If you’re just getting started now, you may not be able to get your exact name, but you should be able to get something close.

Creating A Brand

Your profile picture, social media banners, and colors you choose to use should all stay genuine to your brand. It’s important to stay true to your brand and use the same profile photos, banners, and colors across all social media platforms to ensure people can recognize your brand easily.

 

The Best Social Media Platforms for Authors and Writers

The first thing you need to decide is which social media platforms you’re going to be focusing on? Below, we’ll list each of the main social media platforms and a little about each one:

X (Twitter) – Twitter recently underwent a rebrand, changing its name to X. Twitter is more text-based compared to other social media platforms, allowing you to Tweet short status updates and thoughts, but it also includes the ability to post photos and videos.

Facebook – Facebook is probably considered to be the classic social media platform. Facebook is owned my Meta, who also owns Instagram and Threads, which allows you to do some convenient cross-posting. Facebook gives you the ability to create Author Facebook Accounts, Facebook Pages, and also Facebook Groups. Most forms of content work on Facebook, including text, photos/images, and video.

Instagram – Instagram started as a photo editing and sharing application but quickly evolved into a powerhouse of social media after it was purchased by Facebook. While photos are still extremely popular on Instagram, Reels, their short video format is becoming extremely popular.

TikTok – TikTok may be the new kid on the block, but thanks to tags like #BookTok, authors and writers are finding a new home for their social media activity. TikTok is all about short-form videos, so be prepared to get on camera and interact with readers and followers if you want to succeed on this social media platform.

YouTube – YouTube is a video platform that allows you to create and post longer-form videos, but they also recently added a short video form known as Shorts. You’re going to want to spend some time creating high-value content on YouTube if you want to succeed on the platform.

Niche Social Media Platforms

Goodreads – Goodreads is an author and reader social media site that allows users to review books they’ve read and connect with one another. Amazon owns Goodreads, and they’ve recently started to push some of the book reviews from Goodreads to Amazon book listings. You can join groups on Goodreads, but make sure you read the group rules.

Threads – Threads is the newest arrival and another social media platform owned by Meta. While it’s only new, it’s expected to rival Twitter, and it is almost identical in its format.

It’s important to note here that you don’t have to be on all these social media platforms at the same time, and if your plan is to use them all, then be prepared to dedicate some serious time to it.

 

What Not to Do On Social Media As An Author

There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to social media as an Australian author or writer, but I will suggest that taking a hard sell approach only won’t pay the dividends you want.

The first thing you should do is define some goals for yourself:

            • I want to grow my social media audience (set a goal) to this amount.
            • I want to see more engagement on my posts (likes, comments, and shares).
            • I want to expose my books to an audience that’s suited to my books and genre.

Think about your audience, and don’t post content that’s too broad. If you write science fiction books, stick to content that would appeal to sci-fi readers. If you write romance or YA, try to create content that appeals to that audience.

While some readers will jump between genres, most tend to stick to genres they’re familiar with and enjoy. You’re more likely to entice a sci-fi reader with sci-fi-related content than posting content that’s too broad.Social Media for Australian Authors and Writers

Avoid simply hard-selling your book. For sure, you can add some sales posts to your content. After all, that’s the reason you’re on social media in the first place, but if you’re just posting the same ‘Here’s my book, buy it here’ posts over and over, you won’t see any account growth or engagement.

A post about how you created the cover, what the symbols in your book mean, and how you created the world your characters are based in will ultimately sell the book but also see more engagement from readers and appeal to a broader audience.

 

The Complete Guide to Social Media for Australian Authors and Writers | Conclusion

There’s no ‘one size fits all approach’ to social media, but it doesn’t have to turn into a full-time job, even if it feels like it sometimes. The best way to manage your social media is by focusing your energy where you get the best return on your investment, scheduling content in advance, and sticking to platforms where you feel the most comfortable.

If you have any questions about the self-publishing process, please don’t hesitate to contact us

At Author Services Australia, we support Australian and New Zealand self-published authors and writers with a full range of affordable self-publishing services, including ghostwriting, copyediting, developmental editing, proofreading, ebook and paperback formatting, book cover design, children’s book illustrations, graphic design services, manuscript uploading assistance, and social media and marketing.

If you have any social media tips you want to share with new Australian authors or writers, drop a comment below. We’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback. Don’t forget to subscribe to the blog to avoid missing out on any future author news and updates.

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