How to Market Your Book on Amazon and Other Platforms v1.2

Learn How To Market Your Book On Amazon And Other Platforms Today!

By Bing Chat and John Monyjok Maluth

Introduction

Amazon is the largest and most popular online retailer in the world, and it also offers a great opportunity for authors to sell their books and reach millions of readers. However, Amazon is not the only platform where you can market your book. There are other platforms, such as social media, blogs, podcasts, email, and more, that can help you promote your book and grow your audience.

Related: Self-Publishing Ultimate Guide

In this article, we will share some tips and best practices on how to market your book on Amazon and other platforms. We will cover the following topics:

• How to optimize your book page on Amazon
• How to get reviews and ratings on Amazon
• How to use Amazon ads to boost your visibility and sales
• How to create a platform on social media
• How to leverage email marketing to build your list and engage your readers
• How to reach out to influencers and book reviewers in your genre
• How to guest post on relevant blogs and websites
• How to get interviewed on podcasts and radio shows

How to Optimize Your Book Page on Amazon

Your book page on Amazon is your online storefront, where potential readers can discover your book, learn more about it, and decide whether to buy it or not. Therefore, you need to optimize your book page to make it as appealing and persuasive as possible.

Here are some elements that you need to optimize on your book page:

• Book title: Your book title should be catchy, clear, and relevant to your genre and target audience. It should also include keywords that readers might use to search for books like yours.
• Book cover: Your book cover should be professional, attractive, and consistent with your genre and tone. It should also convey the main idea or benefit of your book.
• Book description: Your book description should be compelling, informative, and engaging. It should hook the reader’s attention, introduce the main characters or topics, highlight the main conflict or problem, and end with a call to action. You can also use formatting tools, such as bold, italic, bullet points, or quotes, to make your description more readable and appealing.
• Author bio: Your author bio should be brief, personal, and credible. It should showcase your credentials, achievements, personality, and passion. You can also include a photo of yourself, a link to your website or social media profiles, or a call to sign up for your email list.
• Categories and keywords: Your categories and keywords are crucial for helping Amazon’s algorithm and readers find your book. You can choose up to two categories and seven keywords for your book. You should research the best categories and keywords for your genre and niche, using tools such as Publisher Rocket¹ or Kindlepreneur².
• Look Inside feature: The Look Inside feature allows readers to preview a sample of your book before buying it. You can enable this feature by uploading a formatted manuscript of your book. You should make sure that your sample is well-edited, engaging, and ends with a cliffhanger or a question that entices the reader to buy the full book.

How to Get Reviews and Ratings on Amazon

Reviews and ratings are essential for boosting your book’s credibility, visibility, and sales on Amazon. Reviews are written feedback from readers who have bought or read your book. Ratings are numerical scores from one to five stars that reflect the reader’s opinion of your book.

Reviews and ratings can help you in several ways:

• They can provide social proof and testimonials that persuade potential readers to buy your book.
• They can improve your ranking and discoverability on Amazon’s search engine and recommendation system.
• They can provide feedback and insights that help you improve your writing and marketing.

However, getting reviews and ratings on Amazon is not easy. According to a study by ReviewMeta³, only about 1.5% of buyers leave reviews on Amazon. Therefore, you need to be proactive and strategic in asking for reviews from your readers.

Here are some tips on how to get reviews and ratings on Amazon:

• Ask for reviews in your book: One of the best places to ask for reviews is in your book itself. You can include a polite request at the end of your book, thanking the reader for their time and asking them to leave an honest review on Amazon if they enjoyed the book. You can also provide a direct link to your book page or use a QR code to make it easier for them.
• Ask for reviews in your email list: Another effective way to ask for reviews is in your email list. You can send an email to your subscribers who have bought or downloaded your book, reminding them of the value they received from it, and asking them to share their thoughts on Amazon. You can also offer incentives, such as free bonuses, discounts, or giveaways, to encourage them to leave reviews.
• Ask for reviews on social media: You can also ask for reviews on your social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn. You can post updates about your book, share testimonials from other readers, or run contests or challenges that involve leaving reviews. You can also tag or mention your readers who have left reviews and thank them publicly.
• Ask for reviews from influencers and book reviewers: You can also reach out to influencers and book reviewers in your genre who have a large and engaged audience. You can offer them a free copy of your book in exchange for an honest review on their platform and on Amazon. You can find influencers and book reviewers by searching on Google, Amazon, Goodreads, BookBub, or other relevant websites.

How to Use Amazon Ads to Boost Your Visibility and Sales

Amazon ads are a type of pay-per-click (PPC) advertising that allows you to display your book to potential readers who are browsing or searching on Amazon. Amazon ads can help you increase your visibility and sales on Amazon by reaching more customers who are interested in your book or genre.

There are two main types of Amazon ads that you can use for your book:

• Sponsored Products: These are ads that appear on the search results page or the product detail page of relevant books. They look like regular product listings, except they have a “Sponsored” label. You can choose which keywords or products to target, and you only pay when someone clicks on your ad.
• Sponsored Brands: These are ads that appear on the top or bottom of the search results page. They feature your brand logo, a custom headline, and up to three of your books. You can choose which keywords to target, and you only pay when someone clicks on your ad.

To use Amazon ads effectively, you need to follow these steps:

• Step 1: Create an Amazon KDP account and enroll your book in KDP Select. KDP Select is a program that gives you access to exclusive benefits, such as higher royalties, Kindle Unlimited, Kindle Owners’ Lending Library, and Amazon ads. You can enroll your book in KDP Select for free, but you have to agree to make your book exclusive to Amazon for 90 days.
• Step 2: Create an Amazon Advertising account and link it to your KDP account. You can do this by logging in to your KDP account and clicking on the “Promote and Advertise” button next to your book. Then, click on the “Create an ad campaign” button and follow the instructions.
• Step 3: Choose which type of ad you want to create: Sponsored Products or Sponsored Brands. You can create multiple campaigns for different types of ads, but you have to set a separate budget and bid for each one.
• Step 4: Choose which keywords or products you want to target with your ads. You can use Amazon’s suggested keywords or products, or you can enter your own. You can also use tools such as Publisher Rocket or Kindlepreneur to find the best keywords for your book and genre.
• Step 5: Set your budget and bid for your ads. Your budget is the maximum amount you are willing to spend per day on your ads. Your bid is the maximum amount you are willing to pay per click on your ads. You can start with a low budget and bid, and then adjust them based on your results and goals.
• Step 6: Write a compelling ad copy for your ads. Your ad copy should be catchy, clear, and relevant to your book and target audience. It should also include a call to action that tells the reader what you want them to do next, such as buy now, read more, or download a sample.
• Step 7: Launch your ads and monitor their performance. You can track and analyze your ads’ performance using Amazon’s reporting tools or other tools such as Book Report or BookAds. You can see metrics such as impressions, clicks, sales, cost-per-click, return on ad spend, and more. You can also test and optimize your ads by changing different variables, such as keywords, bids, budgets, ad copy, or images.

How to Create a Platform on Social Media

Social media is a powerful tool that can help you market your book and build your audience. Social media can help you connect with potential readers, share valuable content, generate buzz and word-of-mouth marketing, and drive traffic to your book page or website.

However, social media is not a one-size-fits-all solution. You need to choose the right platforms for your book and genre, create a consistent and authentic brand identity and voice, and engage with your followers and fans.

Here are some tips on how to create a platform on social media:

• Choose the best platforms for your book and genre: There are many social media platforms available, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, TikTok, or Snapchat. However, you don’t have to be on all of them. You should focus on the platforms that suit your book and genre, and where your target audience hangs out. For example, if you write romance novels, you might want to use Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest, where you can share images, videos, or quotes from your book or genre. If you write business books, you might want to use LinkedIn, Twitter, or YouTube, where you can share tips, articles, or interviews from your book or niche.
• Create a consistent and authentic brand identity and voice: Your brand identity and voice are the way you present yourself and your book to your audience. They should be consistent and authentic across all your social media platforms. You should use the same name, logo, bio, and image for your profile. You should also use the same tone, style, and message for your content. You should reflect your personality, passion, and values in your brand identity and voice.
• Share valuable content: Content is the key to attracting and retaining your audience on social media. You should share content that is relevant, useful, and engaging for your audience. You should also share content that is related to your book or genre, such as excerpts, teasers, behind-the-scenes, reviews, testimonials, or giveaways. You can also share content that is related to your niche or topic, such as news, trends, facts, statistics, or stories. You can use various formats for your content, such as text, images, videos, audio, or live streams.
• Engage with your followers and fans: Engagement is the measure of how much your audience interacts with your content and with you. Engagement can include likes, comments, shares, mentions, tags, or messages. Engagement can help you build relationships and trust with your audience, as well as increase your reach and visibility on social media. You should engage with your followers and fans by responding to their comments or messages, asking them questions or feedback, thanking them for their support or reviews, or joining their conversations or groups.

Conclusion

The article provides some tips and best practices on how to market your book on Amazon and other platforms. The article covers four topics: how to optimize your book page on Amazon, how to get reviews and ratings on Amazon, how to use Amazon ads to boost your visibility and sales, and how to create a platform on social media.

The article explains how to optimize your book title, cover, description, author bio, categories, keywords, and Look Inside feature on Amazon. It also explains how to ask for reviews in your book, email list, social media, or from influencers and book reviewers.

It also explains how to use Sponsored Products or Sponsored Brands ads on Amazon, and how to choose the best keywords, bids, budgets, and ad copy for them. It also explains how to choose the best platforms for your book and genre on social media, and how to create a consistent and authentic brand identity and voice. It also explains how to share valuable content and engage with your followers and fans on social media.

References

[1]. Rocket, P. (n.d.). Publisher Rocket: Self Publishing Software to help find Kindle Keywords. Retrieved from https://publisherrocket.com/

[2]. Kindlepreneur. (n.d.). Kindlepreneur – Book Marketing for Self-Publishing Authors. Retrieved from https://kindlepreneur.com/

[3]. ReviewMeta.com. (2018). How Many Amazon Reviews Are Fake? Retrieved from https://reviewmeta.com/blog/how-many-amazon-reviews-are-fake/

[4]. White, C. S. (2018). Email marketing rules: Checklists, frameworks, and 150 best practices for business success (3rd ed.). New York: Email Marketing Rules Press.

[5]. Corson-Knowles, T. (2017). Email marketing mastery: The step-by-step system for building an email list of raving fans who buy from you and share your message. Indianapolis: TCK Publishing.