As my time as an intern at Beaufort comes to a close, I find myself reflecting on everything I’ve done this summer. From book cover research to submissions and social media, I’ve gotten a taste for what this industry looks like from the professional side of things. (By the way, if you’re thinking about applying for an internship here, please, I beg, do it. We have Fall, Spring, and Summer internships, and they are all AMAZING!)
Out of everything that I’ve learned these past few months, making content for social media stuck out to me the most. As a college junior and member of Gen Z, I’ve always loved social media. So, you can imagine how excited I was to get to do it professionally. I mean, who wouldn’t be excited for that?
So, for my last blog as an intern, I’ve decided to compile a list of the Top Five Instagram Posts Every Author Should Make.
1. An Introduction to Yourself
This one is pretty self explanatory, but make an introductory post! If you’re comfortable sharing a picture of yourself, awesome! If not, you can use something else like a picture of a pet, a cartoon of yourself, or the cover of your book.
You can include some fun facts about yourself such as where you live, how many pets you have, your favorite hobbies, your favorite books, etc. If it’s something you would be interested in learning about someone else, put it on there!
Also, if (like me) you think that music is a good way of getting to know people, you can make a playlist and share it on there too.
2. An Introduction to Your Book(s)
Similar to the previous post, this one should introduce what books you’re writing or have written. Make sure to include the cover and title of the book somewhere on the post so that people can look it up if they’re interested.
I also found including the description of the book to be really helpful. You can do this by making a swipe post. This way, people can read about your book while still staying on your profile.
3. Video Content
Lately, Instagram has really been pushing video content, so if you want to reach a wider audience, reels are a great way to go. Being intentional about the audios you use also helps. Try out some trending audios or audios that you think have the potential to trend.
You can get some inspiration for what exactly to post by researching other authors or Bookstagram accounts in similar genres to you. A few simple ideas could be to post the first line of your novel or to make a video-style moodboard for your book.
You can find quick templates for video content on CapCut and Canva.
4. Book Reviews
Book reviews are the bread and butter of the Bookstagram community. By posting reviews of your own and interacting with other peoples’ reviews, you can begin to create a community of your own.
Reading is awesome and talking to people about reading is even more awesome, so go support your fellow authors and post some reviews!
5. Stories
Instagram stories stay up for 24 hours, so this is a place for you to really have some fun. Repost memes, host a Q&A, post pictures of your delicious lunches, show what song you’ve got on repeat. Anything works here. You can also choose to save your stories into a Story Highlight so that people can watch them after the initial 24 hours have passed.
Most importantly, make sure to have fun! Instagram is a way to both connect with other members of the bookish community and to express yourself. By posting things that make you happy, you’ll begin to build an amazing community of support.
I’m having a hard time wrapping up this post knowing that it will be my last, so I’ll stop here before I start to ramble some more.
Read some good books, post what makes you happy, and give the next set of interns all my love.
DumBEAUledore