Nathan Jamail says that “social media is just another tool; it is not a sales plan.”
Yes, social media is powerful, he says. There are many people who have used social media to achieve many things, including authors who have tapped it to push their book to bestseller lists. Social media can help an author build a platform and become better known. It can also take “word-of-mouth to another level.” Possible social media platforms include Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. But by themselves, they will not do much to increase book sales.
The proper place for social media is to “work in conjunction with a marketing and prospecting plan,” Jamail declares. That needs to be in conjunction with other proving marketing activities.
I couldn’t agree more. Everyone, including authors, is jumping on the social media bandwagon. This isn’t a bad thing—unless, in the process, they abandon proven forms of promotion and platform building initiatives.
I agree that social media is a tool, but it is just a tool. It is not a marketing solution or a bookselling machine that can function apart from other marketing methods. If you like social media, by all means, use it. Just be sure to use it inclusively, not exclusively.
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Peter Lyle DeHaan is an author, blogger, and publisher with over 30 years of writing and publishing experience. Check out his book Successful Author FAQs for insider tips and insights.