Power to the People Social Media and Book Marketing - podcast

Social media has exploded in popularity over the years. But when it comes to book marketing, is it really worth the effort? In this interview, marketing expert Shelley Rogers Landes discusses the importance of social media in book marketing plans. She says that social media is the quickest and most affordable way to reach a broad audience of potential readers. It has put marketing control back into the hands of the author. It used to be that traditional media acted as gatekeepers; they determined which books were relevant, which books the public heard about. Today, authors have the ability to communicate directly with a target audience through social media, and then the audience can decide for themselves whether a book is relevant. Authors should consider using Facebook, Twitter, and blogging, if you have the time to update your blog regularly. There are many resources that can help you get started—books and online tutorials can help you set up a Facebook page or blog and make it look the way you want. Using social media is one of the cheapest, most effective ways of marketing your book, and you should definitely take advantage of it.