Are you a new indie author struggling to think of content for your social media platforms? Are you suffering from ‘paralysis by analysis’, overthinking what to post, and feeling stuck in a sporadic posting cycle? Have you already tried and failed to create and/or maintain a content strategy, perhaps more than once? If so, this blog will help! 10 recyclable social media content ideas for authors will help you either devise an initial easy-to-stick-to content strategy, or give you some inspiration on the days you just don’t know what to post, until you figure out what content works best for your and your ideal readers.
1) Awareness days
Awareness days are fantastic for inspiring content. They unite people with common interests/passions and there are many that authors can get involved with. Not only that, there are awareness weeks and months too – NaNoWriMo being an obvious one – that provide plenty of content opportunities before, during and after the particular week or month they fall on.
Some notable writing/author related days during 2021 include:
- International Book Giving Day – 14th February
- World Book Day – 4th March
- National Read A Book Day – 6th September
2) Anniversaries
There are so many writing related anniversaries you can tap into for content, both more recent and further in the past. For example, you could post about the anniversary of the date you:
- first considered yourself a writer
- began writing your first (or second or third!) book
- published your first (or second or third!) book
- sold a book, or a certain number of books
- first read the book that inspired you to become a writer yourself
- read your favourite book or watched your favourite film adaptation of a beloved story
3) Throwbacks
This is where Facebook memories often come in handy! Sharing throwback content is a way to reveal more about yourself to your readers and hopefully forge common connections, such as:
- your favourite childhood storybook
- a holiday you had a book idea during
- your previous attempts/wins at NaNoWriMo
- a snap of an old friend you might have based a character on
- a picture of a place from your past you’ve used as a location in a book
4) Behind the scenes
Readers want to get to know authors. Even if you’re using a pen name and would rather remain anonymous, there’s still a lot of behind the scenes content you can share, such as:
- Your writing desk/view
- Your daily/weekly writing routines
- Word count tallies/updates (for accountability)
- Playlists you might listen to whilst you’re writing
- Sneak peeks of your current WIP(s) and/or planning notes
- Any cute feline or canine writing companions you may have
5) Personal updates
Connect with your audience by sharing your struggles and successes (if you feel comfortable doing so). As writers, we have them both. Perhaps you have writer’s block or you’re battling perpetual procrastination. You might have managed to write 5,000 words this week (or month) after neglecting your WIP for a while. Maybe you’ve finally pressed publish after overcoming new author paranoia. As Janet Murray, content marketer extraordinaire, says: “Everything is a content opportunity!” So consider sharing what you’re feeling – it’ll probably be extremely relatable!
6) Current work(s) in progress
To garner interest in your current WIP(s), you could share snippets of information about it/them, for example:
- excerpts
- plot points
- cover reveal
- countdown to publication
- character profiles/insights/celebrity lookalikes
7) New and old inspirations
Writers find inspiration everywhere. Consider sharing some of your inspirations in your social media content, for example:
- favourite books/stories you hold dear
- new releases from other authors you admire
- other stories fellow indie authors have written
- TV programmes or films that sparked an idea (or obsession!) in you
- quotes/excerpts from famous/favourite authors that resonate with you
8) Communities
Social media is, obviously, inherently social, so getting involved in communities is a great way to increase your visibility and give you engaging content ideas. Consider getting involved with:
- writing/meet the author challenges (either joining in one doing the rounds or creating your own)
- sharing screenshotted templates in Instagram stories and tagging others to join in too (or creating your own)
- discussions in author Facebook groups (beware of self promotion if not allowed, or only allowed on certain days!)
9) Value added posts
Helping other authors is always a good thing to do. We all need it at one time or another! Think about sharing:
- craft book recommendations
- your own writing hints and tips
- author podcasts you’ve learned something from
- author/writing mindset tips and recommended resources
10) Direct sales posts
It’s perfectly okay to create sales posts – readers won’t be able to find and buy your book (or borrow it if you’re exclusive to Amazon and they’re in Kindle Unlimited) if they don’t know it exists! However, it’s important not to spam your audience with sell, sell, sell posts. Instead, weave in your sales posts alongside your other content (which you should now have lots of ideas for!) and ensure your readers, and potential readers, are aware of key marketing alerts, such as:
- publication announcements
- any offers or promotions you’re currently running
- any awards and/or accolades your book/writing receives
- positive reviews (to help potential readers decide if your book is one they would enjoy – you should be proud to show off your reviews!)
- comparable books to yours (which, again, may help potential readers decide to give yours a try, especially if you’re a debut author)
Test and measure your content
All these ideas can be followed in order, mixed and matched, dipped in and out of, or just used as a starting point for your own social media content strategy. You can then test and measure your content to see what resonates with your ideal readers and what your audience enjoy seeing from you. Remember, too, that these ideas can all be recycled and repurposed across all your social media platforms. Canva is brilliant for creating social media posts and you can then update variants of those posts to keep your content looking fresh and relevant.
If 10 recyclable social media content ideas for authors has been helpful, please let me know in the comments! These related blogs might be useful too:
Why do writers need to be on social media?
4 ways to use social media to effectively promote your book
How to create a social media content series and turn it into an ebook
4 thoughts on “10 recyclable social media content ideas for authors”
Lots of great ideas!
Thanks Ritu! 🙂