How to Market a Book to Millennials

Are you getting ready to publish and promote a new book? If so, there’s one demographic you definitely shouldn’t ignore: Millennials. This generation’s purchasing power has quickly risen to $200 billion per year, meaning their support could make or break your book launch. But, how do you target this powerful group of consumers? Follow these marketing tips:

Build suspense on Snapchat.

Snapchat is one of the fastest growing apps, especially for young adults and adolescents. Because so many Millennials are already on Snapchat, it’s important to use this platform to target users who may be interested in your book. Use Snapchat to build suspense leading up to your book by giving various sneak peeks in the days up to the launch. For example, authors can snap a series of pictures showing tiny portions of the book’s cover leading up to the reveal of the full picture. This tactic will help pique the curiosity of Millennial readers and drive their desire to purchase your book.

Create a hashtag.

Authors should create a unique hashtag that represents their book, whether it is merely the title of or a play on words related to the book. Use this hashtag on every social media post that you create with information about the book, and encourage other users to start incorporating it, too. The more times that your hashtag is used on other users’ posts, the more people will be exposed to your new book. Remember to do a quick search on Twitter and Instagram for any hashtags you’re considering using; make sure another brand has not taken it already. The last thing that you want is to have confusion about what or who the hashtag promotes.

Use Periscope for live readings.

Why do Millennials love Periscope? This app is one of the few social media platforms where users can connect on a much more personal level with a brand. Authors should use this intimate connection as an opportunity to entice Millennials to purchase their book. Live stream readings of the first few chapters of your book so Millennials can see whether or not they’re interested without making a financial investment. Let your hair down during these readings so you can also show Millennials your personality and what your brand represents.

Run a campaign.

Use all of your social media platforms to launch and promote a campaign for your new book. There are dozens of ways that you can run a campaign to attract Millennial customers, but whatever you choose, be sure to pick a strategy that can engage them. Are you launching a book of recipes targeted towards on-the-go Millennials? Ask your followers what recipes they’re hoping will be included before the launch. After the launch, ask followers to take and submit pictures of meals that they’ve made using your recipe book. Choose a winner at random and send him or her a signed copy of your book or a ticket to your exclusive launch party!

Host an “Ask Me Anything” event.

Because bloggers already have large followings that are highly engaged with their work, an ask me anything event is the perfect way to draw more attention to your brand and promote your book. Ask followers to submit questions via Twitter, and answer as many as you can as they come in. Be sure to use the hashtag that you previously made during this campaign so that Twitter users can track the conversation and learn more about your book. Not only will this generate interest in your book, but it will also allow your Millennial followers to feel closer to you, something that they crave from brands.

With these tips, your book will be one step closer to cracking The New York Times’ best seller list!

About the Author

Dividing his time between Los Angeles and Chicago, Nick Rojas channels his experience consulting for startups into insightful solutions for many publications, such as Entrepreneur, TechCrunch, and Yahoo. He waxes poetically on topics such as technology, marketing, and social media. Connect with him on Twitter @nickarojas.

Featured photo courtesy of Shutterstock.com.