Now more than ever, our time is really limited. And for this reason, skipping or limiting social media has become a big conversation. The issue that many authors and publishers face is that the impact of social media seems to be lukewarm at best. Hopes of a post going viral or a TikTok video selling thousands of books overnight always seem to happen to someone else. It’s discouraging and often feels like a bit of a black hole.

But the issue is broader than that. First, consider the shelf life of these social platforms—meaning how long your posts are seen are typically visible:

• Twitter (X): 18 minutes
• Instagram: 21 hours
• Facebook: 5 hours
• LinkedIn: 24 hours
• TikTok: Instant decay

This matters because the shelf life of your posts is a direct correlation to how much work each site requires to remain visible. But beyond that, it’s also about knowing what your reader/audience really resonates with, and this is where the disconnect is for a lot of us.

Also, social media often feels productive, but it really isn’t. Yes, it’s good to have a presence on at least one social media site, but there are many other things that you can do that likely have a bigger impact than whatever you’re doing on your social channels.

However, if you’re going to do without it, you’ll need to sharpen the other tools in your kit to pick up the slack.

Let’s unpack some ideas!

Consider Video

YouTube is, for many authors, an underused platform—but videos have a 30+ day shelf life, so it’s something worth considering. Also, videos don’t have to be long. Short clips of an event, a tutorial of your book/message, a review or recommendation of another book in your genre, answering fan questions, a short book trailer … the options are endless. The other reason I love video is that it can be easily repurposed on your blog, in your newsletter, and on social media. YouTube is also a search engine, second only to Google, which is great for your online visibility.

Fine-Tune Your Website

So often our websites wind up at the bottom of our to-do lists—we know that they’re important, but they don’t get the attention they deserve. Your website is your resume. Think of it as the centralized location where readers can find everything they’d ever want to know about you, including news, reviews and accolades, upcoming releases, and what you decide to talk about on your blog. A lot of authors push readers to social media, but what happens if one day you get put into Facebook jail or lose your account altogether? Even if you still plan to keep one social media site going, it’s a good idea to funnel readers to your website.

Beef Up that Blog

Your blog is the “getting to know you” part of your website and a fantastic way to communicate with your readers. For fiction authors, it’s an opportunity to grow your fan base by having an ongoing conversation to keep followers updated on what you’re doing. But it also serves as a great tool for creating a multidimensional brand with insider info, deep dives into characters, and other creative elements that can expand on your book’s storyline or the world you’ve created.

And if you’re a nonfiction author or a publisher of nonfiction books, your blog shows you’re staying on top of current topics and the news cycle. Your blog then becomes a key piece of your portfolio for when you pitch other platforms for guest pieces and interviews—all the endeavors that support your becoming a thought leader.

Don’t Forget the Newsletter

Every author needs a newsletter; it’s key. And when you have a newsletter, you also need a strong reader magnet—a reason readers will want to sign up. By creating a solid newsletter, you’re also setting yourself up for potential cross-promotions with other authors in your genre, and it gives you some leverage to use in collaborations.

Pitch Podcasts

It seems that everyone has a podcast these days, doesn’t it? But there’s a good reason for that. Not only do episodes have longevity (a 174-day shelf life!), but podcasts have a tremendous reach. In fact, according to Exploding Topics Research, podcast listeners have increased by 40 million in the last year. By 2025, global listeners are expected to surpass 500 million—around 23.5% of all internet users. So, if you haven’t started pitching yourself to shows, now might be a good time. Also, podcasts can make great additions to your media room, and it’s great for sharing on any social media site you choose to keep.

You can also start a podcast. We’ve had one for three years (Book Marketing Tips and Author Success Podcast), as does IBPA, but as anyone who manages a podcast will tell you, it’s a lot of work, so plan for the long-term before you jump in.

Invest in Local Influencers

Local media often feels less glamorous than big national targets, but there’s a lot of value in digging into your local market. Yes, local media loves their local authors, but also consider the influencers: your local bookstores, specialty shops, libraries, lifestyle and activity through leaders with social accounts, and so on.

Bookstores, for example, almost always have a local author table. Stop by and see if you can participate in that. They may also have a seasonal table. So, around the holidays, you’ll see holiday-themed books. For Valentine’s Day, for example, you’ll see relationship books.

Libraries are also often overlooked, but we’ve had great success getting our authors into their own local libraries. Walk in with your book and ask the librarian if they’d consider keeping your book on the shelf. Also, libraries love large-print books, so if this is an option for you, it’s another consideration and another way to get into your local library market.

I knew an author who spent all her time saturating her local market. Her books or bookmarks were everywhere, and she sold a lot of books just from this local exposure. In fact, she told me that in her first month, she sold 5,000 books just to her local market. So, there’s value in focusing on local and, for many authors, it’s not always a top priority.

Other Creative Ideas

Listicles are another great way for authors and publishers to get out there. Consider Buzzfeed, which lives and breathes all sorts of lists and quizzes. And if your list or quiz is good, it’s not hard to get placement on that site.

Gift guides are another great option, and you can find a lot of these in HARO (Help-a-Reporter-Out). Also, gift guides aren’t just for the holidays; they are year-round, so it can stay on your ongoing to-do list.

Subscription boxes are another opportunity that authors often don’t consider. With all your newly found free time not playing the social media game, it’s worth the effort. Submission guidelines are on most sites, and your goal is to really find the best matches for your reader market. That’s the key. Yes, there are a lot of book-centric subscription boxes now, but what I’m talking about are boxes that aren’t heavily focused on books. Instead, zero in on that children’s subscription box if you publish children’s books, or a women’s lifestyle gift box if you publish something that resonates with a certain vibe or lifestyle philosophy.

Getting off of social media, or reducing the amount of social platforms you manage, really frees up your time to focus on other things that can drive more sales.

Deciding to Opt Out of Social Media Marketing

At this point, you may be thinking, “Well, skipping social sounds like an awful lot of work.” And yes, it is a lot of moving parts, but every choice you make for your brand, what you do and don’t do, leads you down a path—and no path is entirely clear of hard work.

If you have established accounts that you aren’t inclined to ditch, or if you have a robust following and lots of engagement on social, I wouldn’t recommend ditching it completely. Instead, keep what you feel most resonates with your readers; keep your strongest account that’s on a platform that’s statistically appropriate for your market. And on the other accounts you want to pull away from to free up some of your time, pin a post that says, “Follow me on …” and give your followers a heads up that they need to start following you on the platform you’ve determined really deserves your time.

The choice to give up social media or reduce the platforms you post to can feel daunting. But if you haven’t had much luck, consider investing the time you spend posting to your social channels elsewhere. I guarantee you’ll be surprised at how much you can accomplish and how much more tangible non-social media results can be.

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