We rely on organic marketing efforts for the majority of our book launches, but during launch week, we like to pull out the stops and buy social ads. Advertising is a reliable way to increase awareness about your product and boost sales, but not all ads or ad platforms are created equal.  Some social platforms deliver consistent results, while others tend to disappoint, no matter the budget.

Here’s our guide to the different types, their pros and cons, and what we’d recommend.

Facebook & Instagram

Facebook/Instagram ads are consistent performers and our go-to for clients launching books.

Pros:

• Low point of entry. Ads can be purchased for as little as $20.
• Great targeting. You can get very granular in targeting to find your niche audience.
• Strong reporting. Facebook ads have easy to read metrics to let you know if your ad is doing well or not.
• Conversions are solid. If you create a good ad, with strong language to connect with your audience, you’ll see solid conversions . . . meaning more people are buying your book.

Cons:

• You need to have a personal profile to purchase ads, but you must also have a brand page in order to run ads.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn ads do very well for business and leadership authors, and we often recommend them to clients with a healthy ad budget.

Pros:

• Ads for business and leadership authors are placed in a professional environment. Even without targeting, ads are in front of a generally interested audience.
• LinkedIn’s targeting is not as robust as Facebook’s but it does allow targeting around job titles, duties, and companies.
• Conversion rates are strong.

Cons:

• The price of ads is much higher on LinkedIn than on Facebook, and ads reach fewer people per ad dollar spent. Basically, you’ll pay more to reach the LinkedIn audience.

Twitter

Twitter ads are not ones we recommend to clients, because ads on other platforms just perform better.

Pros:

• Ads can be purchased for as low as $20.
• Twitter offers a monthly plan that boosts every tweet up to 100 per month for just $99.

Cons:

• Conversion rates are lower than other platforms. We don’t consider these ads worth the investment.

Google

Google ads can deliver exceptional results, yet we never use them for book launches.  These ads are terrific for businesses and events, but we’ve found they don’t do a great job selling books. It’s like using a blowtorch when a match would do.

Pros:

• Keyword targeting allows you to get your ad in front of interested people in mid-search for just what you offer.
• Strong conversion rates as long as your keyword game is on target.
• Great for businesses, events, and other resources.

Cons:

• These ads can get expensive FAST.

Overall, we have great success with Facebook and LinkedIn ads, and often use them in concert to drive interest and sales. Every product is different, as is every book. If you are interested in ads, experiment with small budgets to find the platform that works best for you. Even a monthly boosted post can help raise your profile, grow your audience, and sell your books.

Happy advertising!

Christy Kirk

Christy Kirk, Vice President of Client Services, is a social media strategist, writer, and former television journalist, who’s done everything from launch a news department to create social content and strategy for Fortune 500 companies and brands including Pampers Diapers, Pantene, Luvs Diapers and Carlson Rezidor Hotels. Now, Christy manages marketing projects for Weaving Influence, with an emphasis on social media marketing. She is also a wife and mother of three children, one dog, and one cat. She loves reading, baking, running, hiking and exploring new places.