Buffy's write zone: How to promote your book via social media

When my debut novel, “The Yearbook Series: Gina and Mike,” was published, I shared the news via various digital platforms.

Of course, I did the usual Twitter and Facebook, but I also employed some other tools that you might not be quite as familiar with.

I will discuss NewHive, YouTube, SoundCloud and Tout in this post.

In a companion post on Steve Buttry's blog, I discuss RebelMouse, Storify and Pinterest. Be sure to read BOTH posts.

NewHive

NewHive is a lot of fun. Think of it as a blank canvas and you get to put whatever you want on it. Your creation is called an expression.

It’s uber easy to use and a fun way to promote your book.

I like creating expressions around a particular topic and I have created several, from an Author Expression to a Gettysburg150 Expression.

I also created one for “The Yearbook Series.”

This tool allows you to drop text, images, music, videos, etc. onto your blank canvas. And, you can link out to various sites, like Amazon.

Each expression gets its own url and there are the normal social share buttons. These include Google+, Pinterest, Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook and Reddit. You can also embed your expression in a blog post or article web page.

On The Yearbook Series expression, I have a pin that links to the Yearbook Pinterest board.

I included my book trailer from my YouTube channel.

I have review snippets that link to a blog post with more reviews.

I have the book cover that links to Amazon. I also have a module with links to connect with me via various social networking sites.

I can edit the expression at any time, adding or subtracting content or changing it. People find expressions via featured, network and community feeds as well as through tags and search. And, like with the other social networks, you can “heart” an expression and share it.

Authors could consider having a YouTube Channel. Here is my YouTube Channel. I uploaded videos and my Soundcloud clips.

Authors could create book trailers. Here is one I did for The Yearbook Series.

They could also include videos of someone interviewing them about their book. The ideas are endless.

Here’s another short video I did promoting my social media blog, Buffy’s World.

Tout:

Think Twitter for video. This free publishing platform lets you share 15-second embeddable video status updates with your friends and followers. You can create touts using the mobile app or from your desktop using the Tout webcam publisher.

Authors can use Tout to do short video book promotions. I edited the trailer I did for YouTube and distributed it through my Tout account.

Like other social networks, users create profiles and connect with others. It’s actually very similar to Twitter in that you can retout someone’s tout and direct reply to their tout. And it has your typical social share buttons -- Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest and Linkedin.

Soundcloud

Soundcloud is an online audio distribution platform. Users can record, upload and promote their sounds via social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Google+) and email. The soundcloud is also embeddable.

I recorded the openings of most of my novels using SoundCloud, even before I sold them. I figured it was another way to perhaps draw attention to my work. Listen to the Soundcloud of The Yearbook Series.

Here is a link to my Soundcloud Channel.

For more tips on promoting your book (or any content), continue reading my tips on my colleague Steve’s Buttry’s blog.

And, by the way, that’s another way to promote your content. Ask friends to help. In this case I proposed a guest post for Steve’s blog, linking to my blog for additional tips. Likewise, I linked to his blog for more of my tips. It’s a win-win. I get traffic from Steve’s blog that I perhaps wouldn’t normally get and he gets traffic from my blog that he wouldn’t normally get. And, we both benefit from the cross-promotion.