Five Ways to Increase Your Social Media Currency

Social media has shaken up every industry, and the book publishing space is no different. Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, book trailers and more are becoming mainstay tactics in the publishing world to connect with readers online.

But like all industries, publishing is a business. Social media strategy must align with business goals, and for publishers, that's selling books. Generating online word of mouth about new releases is an important step toward increasing sales, which can make social media a perfect fit for book promotion.

Books are social; they have been for centuries. Knowing how to leverage this in the social media space is key. Engaging readers and prompting them to share your content will help you create a fleet of "agents" who can share their passion with friends and family. Fans of authors and lovers of great books can generate subsequent waves of publicity for you in social media.

Here are five ways to boost the chances that readers will become digital evangelists for your titles:

1. Include social sharing 
options in all e-mail 
communication.

E-mail continues to generate one of the highest returns in online marketing. Ensure that e-mail recipients are armed with tools that make it simple to share your e-mail content with their social media networks, in addition to links to your own social media outlets. Many e-mail service providers, such as BlueHornet, include built-in sharing capabilities.

2. Include clear calls to 
action.

In a recent six-country survey by DDB Worldwide Communications Group (the "Facebook and Brands" survey, released in October), 92 percent of respondents said they would recommend a brand they currently "like" to a friend. Fans are willing to share, and being clear about what you'd like them to recommend to friends can nudge them toward taking action. For example, a publisher posts a book trailer for a new mystery novel to its Facebook fan page wall. Add a brief, relevant request to the post, such as, "Know friends who love the suspense of Author X's work? Share this video with them." Sometimes all you have to do is ask.