Wednesday's MPIBA FallCon panel discussion on social media action plans for bookstores featured a combination of booksellers and influencers. Miranda Berdhal of Windy City Books, Casper, Wyo., moderated the conversation that included Kelly Brown of Magic City Books, Tulsa, Okla., and David Landry of Class Bookstore, Houston, Tex., as well as Wyoming-based blogger Cathy Holman of PrairieWifeInHeels.com and writer Adam Vitcavage of Debutiful.net in Denver.
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| (l-r) Cathy Holman, Adam Vitcavage, Miranda Berdhal, Kelly Brown, David Landry | |
Landry recommended that stores approach different platforms differently, saying, "You can post the same things... but the way that you speak to those audiences has to be different." TikTok users are often younger and more video oriented, so posts with a lot of text don't perform as well as those where the video does most of the talking, while Facebook users tend to be older and more receptive to long-form posts.
Brown added that it's helpful to reshare content from other users when it can be tied into reminders about upcoming events or book releases, something that Holman underscored several times throughout the conversation. It's crucial to build social networking from an aligned set of mission, vision, and values. "Know who you are," said Holman, and communicate that clearly with any staff whose hands touch the store's social media accounts. Let the rest flow from that sense of identity. "It doesn't matter the numbers of people you work with if they align with your values and mission."
"Don't be afraid to be you," Landry agreed, whether that's highlighting quirky employee reading recommendations or collaborating with other establishments that share parallel missions. Holman spoke about forming a book club with Berdhal and Windy City Books, where they lean into offerings by local authors and schedule book signings for the monthly selection. Vitcavage also suggested reaching out to new-media outlets, local media, alt weeklies, newspapers, and others, with non-advertising ideas that can be mutually advantageous, such as writing proprietary listicles that can be cross-posted.
For most of the panelists, developing an identity and voice through these strategies has been broadly successful, with very few setbacks, even when posts veered into politically dicey areas. "You get three swipes for someone to decide if they like you," Holman said, and those who stick around do so because they connect with the mission, vision, and values presented. When negative feedback enters the comments section, it's often drowned out by more supportive ones. But if controversy runs high, it's important to provide staff with a clear plan for addressing complaints. Show compassion to detractors outwardly, even if you don't always feel it inwardly. And remember that even negative engagement is recognized as a reward in the landscape of algorithms.
On a granular level, getting social media to work for a store can be a process of trial and error. Offer in-store customers a QR code to your profiles. Provide links, store info (like hours of operation), and a call to action with every post. Embed links with tracking and pay attention to analytics when determining what successfully produces conversions.
Announce events as soon as they're solidified and increase the frequency of those posts as the date approaches. Tag everybody (authors, publishers, off-site venues) and use hashtags to help broaden your reach. Holman recommended AI generators for producing a variety of text options to include with each post as well as identifying useful hashtags to save time and effort. There are also free and searchable hashtag banks available online, for those who would prefer to do it themselves. But in any case, test each one to ensure they collect the right content.
Creating posts can be a fussy and frustrating process. Don't be afraid to experiment, and if it doesn't work, pivot and move on. At the very least, an awareness of what's popular on social media can be reimagined for store displays. Brown has found success with "As seen on TikTok!" displays, especially during the holidays, when parents and grandparents are seeking gifts for the younger readers in their lives. --Dave Wheeler, senior editor, Shelf Awareness