Building an Online Following

BONUS FREEBIE: I have a resource for you that will help you prepare to talk with media and audiences. It’s the 10 Questions Every Author Needs to Answer. You can grab the fiction and nonfiction lists here.

What good is it to have an amazing business, book, or creation if no one knows about it? You have to get yourself out there! I know it’s not always easy to toot your own horn. But it’s essential. There’s no point in doing all those wonderful things if nobody can find, enjoy, and learn from them.

This is something I say to authors and experts all the time: brag! It might not feel comfortable at first, but it’s the only way to make sure people know what you’re up to. And if you’re an author looking to get attention for your book, doing media through your own platforms helps give you credibility when pitching producers. I go into this and more in my new course Media-Ready Author — you can check it out here.

Kourtney Jason, book publicist and president & co-founder of the publicity and digital marketing firm Pacific & Court, knows all about the benefits of bragging. When she came on my live-streaming show Inside Scoop, she and I chatted about the ways everyone can benefit from intentionally increasing their presence online.

Here are our top tips for building your following through self-promotion.

1) “Be your own amplifier.”

Kourtney is so right with this simple phrase. It’s something to keep in mind when you’re considering your social media approach. You need to be sharing content across all of your social media platforms consistently. Just because you shared something doesn’t mean anyone saw it.

“There’s so much new content coming out online everyday. It’s so easy for things to be overlooked,” Kourtney adds.

And while we’re on the topic of sharing your content on all your platforms…

2) Get on multiple platforms.

People will follow you in multiple places. Sharing your content on every platform will help your followers find what they’re looking for.

Another way to do that is to think beyond social media. Create your own website. Have your own email list. No one else will ever own those and you’ll be in complete control.

3) Understand your platforms and create your content accordingly.

Not all the content has to be exactly the same on all the platforms.

“The big misconception for a lot of people is that they think, okay, I’m going to do this one thing. I’m just going to blast it everywhere. In the exact same form in the exact same way. And that’s actually not great,” Kourtney says.

Instead, tailor your message for each platform so that your audience can really connect with what you’re putting out there.

Here’s a good guide to work with:

• Instagram is great for photos. The Instagram algorithm recognizes faces, so Kourtney suggests posting photos of yourself and videos there.
• Share articles and links on X (formerly Twitter). X is ideal for sharing things that take you somewhere else online.
• Facebook is great for events and calendars. If you’re hosting an event, doing a speaking engagement, or a book signing that people can attend, Kourtney says to create an event so your audience can add it to their calendar.
• Hashtags work everywhere. Kourtney suggests that you, “really know what the popular and engaging hashtags are.” If you’re not sure what those are, check out Social Media Examiner. This is a great resource for taking advantage of these platforms.

4) Look at the analytics on each of your platforms.

Kourtney says to ask yourself when your audience is online. Use the platform analytics to figure out the best time to post, because it might not be what you think.

You should also know how many likes and comments you are getting so you know what works and what doesn’t. There are so many different services to track engagement on each platform. Make sure you’re using them!

So no more excuses — get started and get your message out there! If you’re looking for more tips, watch our entire conversation here.

And authors, you can also check out my course Media-Ready Author for how to take your online following to the next level and get more engagement for your book.

BONUS FREEBIE: Your message deserves the media’s attention. So how do you get out there in a bigger way? I’ve got you covered. CLICK HERE to grab my free “Checklist to Become a Go-To Media Expert.”