29 May 2020
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Troubador's Assistant Marketing Manager Philippa Iliffe explains how the company is making the most of social media during lockdown
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We are always looking for ways to increase our social media presence and the current climate means that more people are staying at home and are reaching for their bookshelves to provide comfort and entertainment.
When lockdown began towards the end of March, we decided to test a new video series on Instagram’s IGTV function (Instagram TV). Knowing that many of our authors were at a loss as to how to promote their books and knowing just how popular Instagram is becoming for publishers and authors alike, we thought there was no better time to do it. Until this point, we had used Instagram to showcase our upcoming books through eye-catching graphics and photos but hadn’t yet utilised the video function.
Simply dubbed ‘Meet the Author’, the series aims to showcase our authors and help them to find new readership whilst gaining exposure. With episodes posted every Tuesday and Friday at 2pm, what started out as an experiment soon turned into a popular offering. The videos have received brilliant engagement, and we now have a list of authors signed up in slots until the beginning of August. Watch this space…
Not only has it increased the engagement rates on our page, but it has also opened the doors to other opportunities for us. We’ve joined authors on ‘Insta Lives’, signed up new book bloggers to our PR mailing lists, collaborated on podcasts and have taken part in Q&A sessions.
On Twitter and Facebook, we noticed that a lot of publishing and media companies were changing how they interacted with their followers, notably introducing more interactive and ‘fun’ content. We’ve taken this on board and have introduced a variety of new posts each week to keep spirits and audience engagement high. From ‘Motivation Monday’ posts where we share an inspiring quote, to ‘Tips Tuesday’ where staff members impart their wisdom on a particular topic relating to publishing, these posts have gone down very well. We’ve even introduced ‘Fun Friday’ where we share a meme or graphic that requires audience participation. All of this has helped us to stay connected whilst continuing to grow our social media following at the same time.
Besides social media, we’ve been posting weekly blogs packed with tips and advice and have just edited our next company Podcast episode, which has been launched this week. Within it we have covered editing tips, social media advice, the impacts of COVID-19 on publishing and a special focus on historical fiction books.
Lockdown has allowed us to experiment more with our social media offering and we’re very much looking forward to seeing how we can further expand on this in the future.