TIKTOK TAKEOUTS PART 2
In June, I went to the West Midlands Writing Conference. One of the panels discussed promoting your work on social media, particularly TikTok and Instagram. The panelists talked about a mystifying deity called The ALGORITHM.
The ALGORITHM, it seemed, has the power of life or death, at least over what they posted. Over what we all post. It all seemed a touch melodramatic. That was in June. I hadn’t yet joined TikTok, and I’d more or less given up on Instagram.
THE 200 TO 300 GAOL
But I’ve joined TikTok now. After the giddy heights of my first dozen or so posts, when, like a drug dealer offering a free trial, The ALGORITHM promoted my posts to hook me in, guaranteeing 700+ views, I’ve settled down into something that many people call the 200 to 300 gaol.
Out of the last sixteen posts, only two have passed 300 views: my two cats in a mocked up poster of Withnail and I and, bizarrely, a carousel of a scarecrow competition in a village in Staffordshire. Note that neither of them are to do with writing.
LESSONS LEARNED
So how do I break out of 200-300 gaol? Well, according to videos I’ve watched, there’s no magic beans.
The TikTok ALGORITHM is driven by AI. It promotes engagement and rewards people who keep viewers watching through a whole video. A good opening hook is vital. But so is being patient and building a community, liking other people’s posts and commenting on them.
I’ve also learned about push and pull marketing. Mostly, I’ve focused on push marketing, where I try to push my book out to people. It’s easier: post a picture of your book with some music playing over the background and a tagline.
I now need to start pull marketing, which for camera-shy people like me is absolute anathema. It’s when you talk into the camera, telling people about you and your writing journey, getting people invested in your story as a writer. I’m going to have to bite the bullet and go for it – and I should probably stop using my cats as eye candy in the videos!
So in conclusion, stop worrying about The ALGORITHM and just be yourself.
UPDATE: A few days ago, for no reason I could discern, a piece of push marketing for Do Not Keep Silent broke out of the 200-300 gaol, amassing 700+ views.
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