Does Your BookTok Marketing Get Me Book Sales?
This is one of the questions I am asked the most about my BookTok marketing packages. And it’s one that requires a more in-depth answer. It’s not as simple as a “yes” or “no”. Of course, we all want more book sales and as indie/self-published authors, if you’re looking for book promotions, you want sales. But to really understand how this works, you need to understand the nature of book marketing, as well as how BookTok users work. So, let’s go ahead and dive into this a little bit, so that you can learn about what I do.
The best way to fully understand how BookTok works is to participate yourself – as a reader. That’s what I did and this is how I learned that much of what I had been previously doing to market my books on that platform was wrong. It’s essential to understand how readers on TikTok think, so that you know what influences their buyer decisions.
So, now back to that question…
Does Your BookTok Marketing Get Me Book Sales?
The simple answer: Usually, yes.
However, I don’t guarantee sales with this order, and here’s why. First, this is not an advertisement. It’s not going to generate an ROI the same as a direct ad. It’s not that kind of marketing, and it’s really important you understand this going in so that you can set your expectations appropriately and get the most of your experience.
This is influencer marketing. My audience is all Booktok-engaged readers, my videos stay up forever, they show up in Google results for the book title typically within 24 hours. And you have a tool you can use in all of your marketing efforts for as long as the book remains live and for sale.
I prefer to push the guaranteed benefits of my gig over sales because there are too many factors that impact sales that I have no control over – your price point, your cover, the genre, if the book is actually well-written, and more.
Another thing to keep in mind is that natural readers don’t often buy a book instantly and begin reading it that second. Most BookTok users will add the book to their TBR and then come back to it. They may not read it until they finish the book they’re currently reading. They may not buy it until 3 months from now. This doesn’t mean by videos “don’t work”; it just reflects the natural way that readers operate. It’s important to understand this when doing BookTok marketing.
BookTok Marketing for Free Book Promos
Any time you decide to use your free promotions with Amazon (or any time you make your book free for a set period of time with whatever platforms you are on), you want it to be seen by the most amount of readers. This is where a BookTok marketing promotion can be very helpful. Engaged readers are already on TikTok and they’re searching hashtags for free books and Amazon deals.
I highly encourage authors to try one of my packages every time they do a free promo because it gets more eyes on the promo. It gets people talking about your book. Free book promos tend to do very well, especially if they are on Amazon. If you host on your own website and require a signup to get it, there may be fewer downloads. If you use a distribution site that the readers are familiar with, they’re more likely to give their information to get the book. Again, know your audience. Test different things.
BookTok Marketing Continues Over Time
The most important thing to understand is that BookTok marketing continues working for you over time. You may not get a burst of sales on the day the video posts (although it does happen). But once the video has time to get onto the FYP (for you page) of the target readers, it will grow from there. We also have to understand how buyer thinking works with books. Most of us don’t buy a book the second we see it in our feed.
If it’s a free promo, they will usually download immediately. If its a discount promo and they are interested, they may go ahead and snag it up. And some readers who have the disposable income may just purchase any book that interests them, but when being realistic about how REAL readers/buyers operate, they may not purchase the book instantly.
Also, since the videos stay up forever and I use targeting keywords, someone could see the video in a week, a month, or even a year from now and buy the book. There’s no way to account for all the potential future sales it might get that trace back to the video. So, I am most comfortable encouraging authors to look at the many other benefits this gig can offer, outside of the sales numbers themselves.
How to Order
If you understand everything I’ve said above and you’d like to try out some BookTok marketing and get your book seen in the community with people who are regular readers, you can order directly from my site. I try to make it as easy as possible so you can order at any time day or night and you don’t have to speak to me first. I will confirm your order as soon as I’m back at my desk.
Remember, this is BookTok influencer marketing, and I do not guarantee sales (see above), nor can I using tracking links (TikTok doesn’t have hyperlinking) and this does not work like a traditional paid ad. That said, there is little to no risk in this order because you get all the benefits listed above, plus a great marketing video you can share about your book. Any book sales that come after are just a happy bonus!