Our thanks to author Richard Larson for this guest post! Graphic courtesy www.freedigitalphotos.net

Authors can get social to sell more books and connect with fans. There are so many different ways to connect with readers, fans, and potential book buyers in social media. With this social media checklist for authors you can pick and choose which social channels fit best with your brand and your fans. Depending on what type of books you write and your fan base, different social channels might work better for you than for other authors. Test which channels work best for you; do not be afraid to experiment to find the best social channel match for you.

GoodReads.com: Goodreads is a special social channel that is perfect for authors to join and get involved with since it is designed for readers. Readers can share their favorite books and write reviews. The channel also includes watch lists, and a section for books to read. It is a great way to connect with readers, fans, and other authors. Also check out LibraryThing.com and Shelfari.com.

Online Reviews: Even though this isn’t a “social media channel” per se, we wanted to make sure to list it because online book reviews are so important to help boost sales. Keeping reviews at the top of the priority list in your social media marketing plan is essential. Ask and you shall receive! Make sure you regularly ask your readers to write reviews of what they think about your books. This is a very social way to have your readers, fans, and evangelists tell their network of friends about your books. Reviews are very important since word of mouth is a much more efficient way of marketing in today’s social world. Encourage reviews on Amazon and other review sites to help your army of readers get the word out for you.

Facebook Page: Make sure that you have a Facebook Author Page where fans can “LIKE” your page, not friend you. You should promote your Facebook page along with your other official social channels from your website and email communications with your readers. Keep your Facebook Fan Page updated often with fun information that your readers would like to know and to keep them engaged and anticipating your next book arrival. Depending on the type of books you have and your audience, you can also have a Facebook group page in addition to your Facebook Fan page. This might require more moderation, but also leaves the field open for much more interaction.

YouTube: Video is an excellent way to promote your books. Think about what your fans would want to see. Maybe is it graphics related to your books, perhaps it is a video of you reading the introduction or telling your readers what your latest book is about.

Social Events: Use online social meeting sites such as Facebook events, MeetUp, Plancast, and EventBrite to schedule your book signings and let your readers and fans know where you will be. When your fans sign up to attend these events, it is very easy for them to share these details with their social networks, easily spreading the word for you.

Google Plus: Google Plus may not be the most popular social channel; however it is connected to Google, so that helps you in two ways: Google search rankings and Google Authorship. Make sure to sign up for Google Authorship so that you can be connected with any blogs you write, your website, and any online articles or guest posts you author. You can also set up events here and it will automatically add them to the Google calendar of those you invite.

Email: Do not forget about the original social channel, and that is email marketing. Sending emails to your fans keeps you in touch with them and alerts them to what is happening in your world. Do not underestimate the power of communication in email because your fans want to hear from you. Make your emails personal to your fans. Update them about your latest book, your next book, what you are working on, upcoming book signings or other events, and also tell them what your favorite books are. Use it as a social opportunity to connect with other authors, don’t be surprised if they return the favor.

Blogging: Also another social channel often overlooked. If writing is what you do, then this should come naturally to you. Update your blog regularly with short stories in addition to the same information you would send through your other social channels.

Richard Larson is an author and Brand Manager for Go Promotional. He enjoys writing about online marketing and business tips and ideas.