Becoming Digiliterate: Marketing Our Ebook

Sad sad SAD, I am so sorry that we never got around to advertising this bad boy!  That's one of my fave things to do, and with my job, I kind of know how to go about marketing.  Here are a few ideas of social media marketing strategies that I hope are helpful, and who knows?  Maybe this thing will make it big!

• Facebook.
• Your best friend.  Create a page for the ebook, and list it under the "book" category.  Make the cover the profile picture, but then be sure to make the cover picture something with PEOPLE in it, preferably a group picture of the class or something.  This will make the page seem less like an advertisement and something that people who know class members will want to know more about. 
• Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words...and people like them way more than a thousand words.  Document the progress of your ebook with pictures and post them as it progresses.  This will create anticipation for the final project and people will be more likely to check it out once it's done.  Maybe they'll even ask you guys about it!
• Invite EVERYONE to be a part of the group or to like the page.  They probably will.  Then once they do, they'll receive all of your updates.  Be sure to invite author pages or people who will have an interest in the project to like the page.  (Like, if the Provo Library has a Facebook page, invite them.)
• Post like, 2 or 3 times a week.  Post questions, polls, etc. (things that generate participation).  
• Like other people's stuff and comment AS THE PAGE (this will be better if everyone in the class is made an administrator/contributor.) Be sure that you only comment or like things that you WANT the ebook to be associated with.  For example, like and comment on BYU's page, or write on their wall or something.  But don't go liking offensive images or things like that, especially when you're on as the ebook.
• Instagram
• You can use Instagram to post to Facebook.  Create an Insta account that the class has the username and password to so that they can post related images and gain a good following from their personal friends.  
• Instagram makes pictures cool and also incorporates hashtags really well, so use hashtags like #literacy, #byu, #english, #digiliteracy, etc.  and your posts will come up whenever anyone searches one of those.
• Use apps like Like4Likes or other apps that you can download.  These basically just get random people to like your pictures, but the pics with the more likes show up the most on Instagram when people click on the little magnifying glass.  Also, it'll get you a lot more followers.  Since this book is something that is easily downloadable, it can get popular wherever and isn't confined to a nearby audience, like a local business or something would be.
• Put a link in your bio.  Either to the Facebook page or where it's available for download or the class blog.  There are no hyperlinks on individual posts, so say "Link in bio" after a post if you want to direct your audience somewhere else.
• Twitter
• Start a Twitter account under Becoming Digiliterate or something and USE THOSE HASHTAGS.  
• Follow a lot of people and they will follow you back
• Post questions and stuff to start discussions, but also the occasional funny meme or something.  People like humor.
• LinkedIn
• I'm not super familiar with this one, but it's great for finding professionals.  Most authors probably have a LinkedIn account, so get the students to make accounts and get in touch with them there.  
• Have them ask authors, professors, etc., to review the book and give their opinions.
• Goodreads
• Start a Goodreads page for the group!  Invite your friends and start discussions on the wall.  Give links to the Facebook page and where the book is available.  Participate in other discussions and  MAKE REFERENCES TO THE EBOOK. 
• Use Goodreads to post on Facebook
• Amazon
• Get people to review this thing on Amazon.  We know that the higher people rate it, the more it will be suggested.  Ask through all other media outlets for people to write reviews and rate your ebook.  ADVERTISE THAT IT IS FREE. People LOVE free stuff, no matter what it is.
• BYU
• Post flyers on the boards around campus for the social media accounts.  Tell them which hashtags to search.  Put them on the corkboards around the JKB, JFSB, the Wilk, wherever you want
• Use The Scoop.  Ask Tess Hauglid to put a plug in for the ebook in the Humanities newsletter that goes out once a week.
• Ask your professors and classmates to download and review the book.  Be proud of your work and they'll be impressed!
• Piggyback
• Reading in the Digital Age had quite a lot of downloads.  I'm not sure how to do this, but I bet it's possible to find out where those downloads came from.  Advertise Becoming Digiliterate as a sequel and available for free download.  You've already got an audience, so don't lose them!  They can be a really great place to advertise and will most likely read book 2.
• On the class blog
• I don't know if anyone really followed our blog, but there are ways to put "widgets" on the blog, or little pictures of the Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter logos that you can click on and they'll direct you to the respective pages.  Super helpful!  
• Put down contact info if people have questions.  Since the rest of the class will be leaving, this should be optional for them, but Dr. Burton should have his email or some way that readers can get in touch with him for more information.