Today’s society is increasingly technological and everything calls for a media presence in order for it to gain relevance. For example, people get book recommendations from TikTok, versus going to the bookstore and browsing the shelves. Regardless, it is a great way for authors to get the recognition they deserve. It is intimidating jumping into the world of Instagram with the ever-increasing job of social media influencers and entertainment creators, however, we are here to help.
For all of the up-and-coming authors out there struggling to get into the world of the media, here are a few tips to create a beautiful, visually appealing Instagram to get your content out there and circulating!
1. Come up with an interesting Instagram bio
The biography on your page is the first thing that people see when they click on your account page, so make it interesting! Lay it all out for your viewer who you are and what your page is about! Make sure you list your general location, where you are in the world, maybe put a quote that resonates with your content! Encourage people to want to interact with you! Bellow, I have an example from @author_mjames on Instagram.
2. Make your Instagram profile picture stand out to others
Authenticity is attractive! It is important that you capture an accurate representation of who you are as an author in your profile picture. Obtain a nice headshot of yourself, and make sure that your face is nice and centered in the frame so that people can see what you look like. It does not have to be professional unless that is what you want to portray to your audience. If you want your Instagram to be personal, maybe a selfie will suffice. As long as it is a centered, full-face picture then it is perfect!
On the other hand, if you do not want your face to be the first thing your viewers see, then make a nice profile picture of one of your books or something else that represents you as an author. However, we do not recommend this particularly because pairing a face to your content will create a more in-depth relationship with your audience. Putting a face at the forefront creates a more personable approach. The important thing is to remember is that you want your profile picture to accurately represent who you are, and what your content is about. Below are some do’s and dont’s for when you consider your profile picture:
3. Insert Linktree or linking service in your Instagram bio
In the biography section on Instagram, there is an option to insert a link. It is crucial that if you want your content to be recognized and intercepted by your audience, then you must insert a Linktree because it will connect your audience directly with your information and personal website. A Linktree is a mechanism where you can insert multiple links under one URL so that people have access to all of the links to your media. Some examples are a personal website, YouTube, Twitter, WordPress, etc. Also, if your content is changing you must keep the links updated so that people will keep revisiting your links. Below is an example of what your link tree should look like:
4. Determine your content theme
Something for you to consider when creating an Instagram for the first time is what you want to portray content-wise. What do you want to post? What are you going to be regularly updating your audience on? These are ideas to consider just so that everything is cohesive. For @author_mjames, she posts a lot about what she is currently reading. She also gives updates on her current work and how her storyboarding process is going. She creates a great bookish theme that resonates with a broad audience of fantasy novel lovers! Below is a good example for a good fall-themed post:
5. Make sure you post regularly
You want to be at the front of your reader’s minds, and you can’t do that if you post once a month. Create opportunities by having content themed around your books. For example, posting fun facts about you throughout the day, or recommending some of your favorite books, or whatever you are reading at the moment. What’s also important is what time you’re posting. The algorithm notices when you post on consistent days and times, and starts bringing your posts to the top of your audience’s feed. So if you post Tuesdays/ Thursdays/Fridays at 9 am then stick to those days and times so the algorithm can predict you.
Below is a good example of an author’s feed:
Now that you are all started and ready to go, here are more things to think about and keep in mind: take good pictures and make fun and cute captions! No one likes a blurry picture, it is irritating and not interesting. Set up cute backdrops, maybe add a filter or two. Ensure that all of your subject matter is within the frame, and align everything so that nothing is cut out or excluded from the big picture. For your pictures make captions that are not only relevant but interesting! Come up with something witty, something relatable! This makes people all the more interested and wanting to keep up with the content that you post.
Here are 5 authors we think are great examples:
The next step is to make sure your Instagram grows every day and engages your audience. Check out this article with tips on how to do that!