Do you know who is and isn’t your target audience?

 

Your (not so) Target Audience

 

I’m going to say something that might shock you.

 

Brace yourself… 

 

I’m ok with losing followers.

 

Now, before you stop reading and think I’ve cracked a bit, let me explain.

 

When I am confident that my content is 100% true to my brand and serving my target audience, I am totally okay with losing a few followers. 

 

In fact, ever since my account grew past 50k, I’ve lost an average of 120 followers every single day.

 

What Audience Makes the Cut?

 

While I know who my ideal follower is, I also know who my ideal follower is not. 

 

Those who fall into the second category are never going to be engaged members of my community. So when those people choose to unfollow me, I don’t let it bother me. 

 

I’m sure you’ve heard people say something like, “Follower count isn’t everything.” 

 

While there is truth to the statement, it doesn’t feel very helpful when you’re trying to build a platform, market your books, or make sales. And it’s far too easy to take unfollows personally (I’ve sat with clients who were having full on breakdowns over zoom because of this).

 

So, let’s reframe that statement and look at it from a more helpful angle, shall we?

 

Quality of followers > Quantity of followers

 

Though this may still sound a bit cliche, it’s a mindset shift that can open the door to building a much more connected and active bookish community.

 

Quality over Quantity

 

Sure, it feels nice to have hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of followers, but if those followers are not engaging with your content, buying your books, or becoming connected members of your community, are they really the followers you want? 

 

So this is your permission (not that you needed any) to get as niche as you like. Yes, it may repel some followers, but it will attract the right ones who will buy your books, regularly engage with you, and sing your praises to other like-minded potential community members.

 

Be you… unapologetically!

 

Creating content that you’re proud of, that aligns with your values and dream life is vital to growing your ideal community. Developing a brand comes down to one important question… What do you want people to associate you with, and how will you get that message across?

 

If you haven’t done this yet, set aside some time to answer that question. Write out your values (personal and business). Dream up the life you want to build and how your IG platform can help you get there.

 

Get to know your target audience.

 

Get specific here, think favorite genres, authors, tropes, songs, movies…  Create a picture of these followers in your mind and create content curated to them. I’m currently picturing you sitting in a cozy chair with your favorite beverage in hand, Taylor Swift playing softly in the background, and a stack of books next to you that could rival Barad-dûr (LOTR, anyone?).

 

Ask yourself questions like these when picturing your target audience:

 

• What type of content do they interact with? (Do they hang out on the reels page, their feed, stories, or the explore page? Do they prefer videos, images, or infographics?)

 

• What are some problems they are facing? (a never-ending TBR, a search for a very specific type of book or trope, what to read after that book that left their world in pieces, trying to find a dark gothic fantasy with no spice…)

 

• How can your content solve those problems or directly speak to their deepest reader desires? (Tips on chipping away at that TBR, niche book recs, the tropes or a quote from your book that specifically hit on what your reader is looking for… you get the idea)

 

With these answers in mind, you’ll be able to create content that serves your dream bookish community and makes them feel connected. And when your ideal readers and followers feel connected, they will engage with you, buy your books… yeah, I already said all that.

 

So, stay true to your brand, even when it means some people leave. The people you attract are so worth it. 

 

Don’t be discouraged if honing in on your brand and staying true to your values means repelling some people (they weren’t the right fit anyways). Stay focused on attracting ideal followers and building a community full of your target audience.

 

If you want to dive into how to identify, reach, and consistently attract your target audience, there is a place especially for you in Bookstagram 101. You’ll learn all of this and SO MUCH MORE about using Instagram to build the bookish life you dreams. 

 

You’ve got this, friends!