How To Run Short-Term Social Media Campaigns

7/11/2019 How to Run Short-Term Social Media Campaigns | Jane Friedman
 Blog  Books  Online Classes  Speaking

 Resources for Writers

Work with Jane
About Jane
How to Run Short-Term Social Media Campaigns

Posted on October 20, 2016 by Chris Syme | 6 Comments
https://www.janefriedman.com/run-short-term-social-media-campaigns/ 1/13

Today’s guest post is an excerpt from Sell More Books with Less Social Media by Chris
Syme (@cksyme).
A short-term marketing campaign is a series of strategies designed to reach a goal in a

defined period of time, and include projects such as book launches. A short-term
campaign has four definite phases: planning, pre-launch, launch, and follow-through.
Campaign marketing is often misunderstood. Sometimes people believe a short-term

campaign is a waste of time because, well, it’s short. However, if you build awareness
going into a campaign, the momentum can boost your results, and a follow-up will keep
your campaign on the horizon. Without the four stages, your campaigns may just be seen
as a rude interruption.
Before we dive in, let’s look at some of the characteristics of campaigns.
You can break posting frequency rules during a campaign.

If your fans see you as a friend, they will cut you some slack during short-term

campaigns. If you have a one-day event and let your fans know, you can post more often
Blogsocial media
on your
 BookspromotingtheOnline
 outlets Classesdanger of losing
event without  Speaking
loyal fans.
People know you are going to sell at some point, and they don’t mind you doing so

provided you are giving them enough valuable content to balance out the selling.
Campaigns can reap benefits besides sales.

If your campaigns have contests or giveaways, you can tie participation to an action such
as commenting, using a hashtag, or asking people to like a post that promotes your email
sign-up. Contests can bring new fans to your page or increases email sign-ups for free
books. Just make sure to follow the contest rules on every social media channel. Book
launches also give you opportunities to promote other books, especially if they are part of
a series. Think creatively about how you can use a campaign to help reach other long-
term goals.
Campaigns need above average value for maximum impact.

“What’s in it for me” should be evident to your fans. I have one client who runs two
thank-you campaigns every year with a goal of increasing her social media numbers—one
around the December holiday season for her Facebook group and another in July for fans
of her Facebook page. The two events have multiple prize packages given away around a
theme where participants have to take a social action (comment, like a post, add to a
Pinterest board, etc) to enter the daily giveaways. It’s the highest time of engagement on
both of her pages.
Campaigns that have a successful pre-launch have a better

chance of success.
Campaign success is accelerated if you step on the gas pedal leading up to the launch. It’s
all about momentum. Build anticipation before an event and people will be primed to
take an action. The pre-launch phase needs to be short in proportion to the entire
campaign length. I’ve done successful book pre-launches that were only ten days out. The
key to success is planning.
The Four Phases of Short-Term Campaigns

1. The Planning Phase. When planning a short-term campaign, start with a calendar. I
suggest you plan all your launches and short-term campaigns on an annual cycle, if

possible. Whether you have a planning calendar application or just use a spreadsheet or
 Blog
Word doc, an annual Books
 plan  Online
makes sure your Classes
campaigns will not overlap Speaking
 and burn out your
fans. They need a break from selling messages. However, that doesn’t mean you never

sell anything outside a campaign. Since campaigns elevate the noise level on your social
media channels, you need to give people spans of time to feel normal before you start
again.
After you have chosen your campaign dates for the year, work backwards on the calendar
to know when planning and pre-launch phases should begin. This might sound daunting
at first, but using this system will reap rewards once you get started. Using a calendar to
book your campaigns will help ensure that your marketing is manageable.
Your planning phase is the most important of all phases. If I am doing a book launch, I
start working on the planning phase three months or more ahead of time. Even though I
usually don’t start a pre-launch until a month before the launch, I design, write, and put
together everything I will need during the planning phase. I will spend chunks of time
here and there to get the work done so I can keep writing, blogging, and doing life. Once I
have a template for a campaign, it is easy to judge how long tasks will take the next time.
The first time is always the hardest.
During your planning phase you will put together all your graphics, draft all your email
blasts, put together a book page on your website, send inquiries out to potential
reviewers, secure endorsements from influencers, enlist a launch team, and have all your
tactics scheduled on the calendar for pre-launch, launch, and follow-through. Just
remember that the calendar is a work in progress; stuff happens and you’ll have to
rethink the timeline.
How much time you spend on planning is dictated by the size of your campaign. If you’re
just starting out, I recommend keeping it simple.
2. The Pre-Launch Phase. A pre-launch starts anywhere from ten days to one month
or more before a book launch. Keep in mind this phase is about building momentum.
There are a number of proven strategies authors have used during pre-launch, including
giveaways and contests on social media channel, preorders, guest appearances on other
author blogs, email blasts, and so on.
If you’ve prepared well, the rocket should take off smoothly. Once you push the launch
button, the phase becomes more about monitoring and gauging feedback to see if
adjustments need to be made in what you’ve already set up.

3. The Launch Phase. Here are some examples of launch phase activities:
Blog your guest

1. Fulfill Books
 blog and podcast  Online Classes
responsibilities Speaking
on the launchcalendar. Promote
your appearances and publicly thank your hosts afterwards.

2. Mail out prizes awarded during pre-launch.
3. Monitor ads and promotions to track upticks in sales, making allowances for a
promotion’s life. For instance, tweets have almost no extended life. Even when they
are shared, their life expectancy is still low. Repetition and well-written posts are the
keys to more life. Podcasts, guest blogs, and interviews have more life because they
are not necessarily accessed in real time.
4. Check to make sure review team members have posted their reviews and send
personal thank-yous to those that have.
5. Adjust the frequency of planned social media posts if necessary.
6. Check up on your social media street team to make sure they have plenty of content
and images to share. Set up a website page ahead of time where they can download
content.
7. Be present regularly on your social media channels to answer questions and thank
fans for their support.
8. Keep writing and doing life.
Be mindful of all the new followers, subscribers, and loyal fans you have gained. If your
launch went as planned, you should have heightened engagement and increased numbers
on your social channels and email list in the two or three weeks following the launch. By
the time your follow-up starts, your social media posting frequencies should have
returned to normal, but now you need to add another piece to your marketing mix:
introducing yourself to new followers.
4. The Follow-Up Phase. Remember that new followers need nurturing to stay
invested, so have some “wow’ content ready for the follow-up period. This is also a key
time to show value to your loyal fans so new followers can see how much you appreciate
your supporters. If you have done giveaways during the launch, I recommend sending a
written thank-you note with each gift you mail out, asking winners to post a picture on
your Facebook page or group when they receive their goodies in the mail. I also
recommend using a mix of content during this time that may include the following
tactics:
1. Produce short video thank-yous to dedicated fans who helped you launch your book.
You can use your phone to produce these and post them on your Facebook page and
also on Twitter. Make sure you tag the person in the video so they see them.

Blog forget to 
2. Don’t Books
thank  Online
those people who Classes
hosted guest  Speaking
posts and podcasts with a public
shout-out on social media and a link recommending their blog.

3. Review excerpts from fans are good post-launch social media. You can drop these into
Canva templates and make them into an image.
4. Give shout-outs on your social media channels to new followers.
5. If you made social media cover photos promoting your book launch, change the cover
to reflect that the book is now the latest release.
6. Remind your advance reader team to post reviews.
7. Stay vigilant when replying to messages on your primary social media channel.
At some point during the follow-up, business will return to

“normal” and you’ll probably be well into writing your next
book. Just remember, your work is not done. In his book
20,000 Days And Counting, author Robert Smith says, “You
never really cross the finish line. Accomplishing a big goal
(like writing a book) isn’t the finish line, it’s the new starting
line.”
If you enjoyed this post, I recommend taking a look at Chris

Syme’s Sell More Books with Less Social Media, now
available in print and also available for pre-order as as a 99-
cent ebook.
Share this:
   
Related
How to Use NoiseTrade Books as Book Marketing 101 How to Find and Work With a
a Strategic Marketing Tool Book Publicist—Successfully

Posted
 Blog in Guest Post, Marketing
 Books & Promotion and 
tagged book marketing
Online Classes and promotion,Facebook marketing,
Speaking
online marketing, publicity.

Chris Syme
View posts by Chris Syme
Chris Syme is a 20-year veteran of the communications and

marketing industry and is the founder of CKSyme Media
Group. She is an author and speaker on the topics of social
media marketing and reputation management. She is a former
university media relations professional and crisis management
consultant for college athletic departments, businesses, and
sports event venues. Chris also co-hosts the popular Smarty
Pants Book Marketing Podcast with her daughter, USA Today
bestselling author R.L. (Becca) Syme.
← 9 Tips to Building the…
How to Use Reddit to… →
6
Join the conversation
Join the discussion...
5 1 0   2

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

 Subscribe   newest  oldest  most voted

How to Run Short-Term Social Media Campaigns – iWriter Magazine
[…] view post at https://janefriedman.com/run-short-term-social-media- 
campaigns/ […]
 0   Reply  2 years ago
Michael LaRocca 
Thank you, Chris. Thank you, Jane. Your timing could not have been more perfect. I
was already planning to give away my horror novella the week of Halloween. Hi
there, short-term campaign. Let’s rock.
 0   Reply  2 years ago 
Chris Syme 
Good luck Michael!
 0  Reply  2 years ago
Creative Currents: Best News of the Week for Creative Entrepreneurs 10-23-
[…] How to Run Short-Term Social Media Campaigns (for authors) via Chris 
Syme […]
Monday Must-Reads [10.24.16] 
[…] How to Run Short-Term Social Media Campaigns | Jane Friedman […]
Web Design Relief’s Links Roundup, November 2016 - Web Design Relief
[…] How to Run Short-Term Social Media Campaigns via Jane Friedman – 
The importance of short-term marketing campaigns is often overlooked
because they seem limited in scope. But short-term marketing campaigns can really
 Blog bolster
your long-term results!
Books  Jane Friedman
Online walks you through
Classes the steps to
 Speaking
develop effective short-term campaigns to create maximum impact. […]

0 Writers
 Resources for  Reply  2 years ago
Subscribe to Jane’s Blog
Daily edition: Receive emails that include the full text of each new post
Weekly digest: Receive a Sunday weekly e-mail digest of new blog posts
My latest book
"Destined to become a staple reference book for writers.” —Publishers Weekly
Most Popular Posts
Start Here: How to Get Your Book Published

A Basic Guide to Getting Permissions + Sample Permissions Letter
Start Here: How to Write a Book Proposal
Start Here: How to Self-Publish Your Book
How to Find a Literary Agent for Your Book
The Complete Guide to Query Letters

Recent Posts
A Short and Sweet 

 Blog Beginner’s
Books Guide to Securing
 Amazon Reviews
Online Classes  Speaking
The Key Book Publishing Paths: 2019-2020
From Romance Novelist to Literary Novelist: Anna Schmidt 
When Teen YA Authors Hire Ghostwriters
 Resources
Context: When for Writers
a Story Demands More Than Plot
Recent Comments
Jane Friedman on The Key Book Publishing Paths: 2019-2020

Lyn Miller-Lachmann on The Key Book Publishing Paths: 2019-2020
Top Picks Thursday! For Writers & Readers 07-11-2019 | The Author Chronicles on Trying to Make Your Story
“Unique”? Beware of These Common Pitfalls
Top Picks Thursday! For Writers & Readers 07-11-2019 | The Author Chronicles on Public Libraries: How
Authors Can Increase Both Discoverability and Earnings
Caroline on A Short and Sweet Beginner’s Guide to Securing Amazon Reviews
Categories
Business for Writers

Publishing Industry
Getting Published
Self-Publishing
Ebook Publishing
Social Media
Digital Media
First-Page Critiques
Marketing + Promotion
Creativity + Inspiration
Guest Posts
Blog Archives
Select Month

The Hot Sheet
The essential publishing

industry newsletter for
authors. Learn more.

Free Resources
Jane’s Free Newsletter
(Electric Speed)
Jane’s Writing Advice
Archive
Best Books on Writing
Other Resources for
Writers
Products +
Services
The Hot Sheet
newsletter
The Business of Being a
Writer
Self-Study Course: How
to Write Your Book
Proposal
One-on-One Consulting
Find Jane

Elsewhere

 

 
 
Jane Friedman Media LLC | Site design by Jane Friedman | proudly built with Wordpress + Vantage Theme | Privacy Policy

How To Run Short-Term Social Media Campaigns

Încărcat de

Informații document

Titlu original

Drepturi de autor

Formate disponibile

Partajați acest document

Partajați sau inserați document

Opțiuni de partajare

Vi se pare util acest document?

Este necorespunzător acest conținut?

Drepturi de autor:

Formate disponibile

How To Run Short-Term Social Media Campaigns

Încărcat de

Drepturi de autor:

Formate disponibile

7/11/2019 How to Run Short-Term Social Media Campaigns | Jane Friedman

 Blog  Books  Online Classes  Speaking