Building an Author Website on Squarespace + Marketing 101
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If you're an author on the journey to publish your book, especially if marketing is a bit foreign to you or you've been hesitant to delve into the world of social media and website design, then you're in the right place. In this in-depth guide, I'm going to walk you through the essential processes and marketing strategies that will help you build an engaging online presence. Plus, we'll take an extensive tour of the backend of a Squarespace author website template to ensure you're well-prepared months before your book's release.
Start Promoting Your Book Early
First things first, one of the biggest mistakes authors often make is leaving their online presence efforts until the last minute. Don't fall into this trap. Ideally, you should begin laying the groundwork three to six months before your book's launch. This gives you ample time to establish your personal brand, create a buzz, and ensure the algorithms recognize and reward your consistency.
Building Your Author Brand
Your brand as an author is a crucial asset. Whether you specialize in children's books, environmental journalism, or any other genre, your brand should be evident across all your online platforms. Start by leveraging your existing social media channels, such as Facebook or Twitter, and gradually increase your posting frequency. While you don't need a detailed strategy from the get-go, remember that consistency is key to winning the algorithms' favor.
Share your journey—whether you're in the early stages of writing or you've already completed your book, there's a wealth of knowledge and insights you can offer. Being authentic is a powerful way to engage with your audience, especially since you're the foremost expert on your book's subject.
Creating Your Squarespace Author Website
Now, let's dive into the core of your online presence—your Squarespace author website. I'll provide an in-depth look at a Squarespace author website template that can serve as an ideal starting point. With your own title and content, you can transform it into a stunning platform to showcase your upcoming book.
Your homepage should make a strong first impression. Consider using impactful banner areas, bold typography, and compelling visuals related to your book. Include a "Buy Now" button or a similar call to action right away, as many visitors may not explore beyond the homepage.
Incorporate an "About" section to let your readers get to know you better. Share your journey, your inspirations, and what your brand represents. Testimonials and early book reviews are fantastic additions to build credibility and trust among your audience.
Don't hesitate to customize your Squarespace template to match your unique style. You can add media, such as interviews or promotional videos, to pique your audience's interest. Remember, your homepage should deliver the most value as it's often the first and last stop for many visitors.
Setting Up Your Online Store
Squarespace also offers excellent e-commerce features, making it simple to sell your book directly through your website. You can showcase your book's cover, add a brief description, and ensure the "Buy Now" button is prominently displayed. Squarespace takes care of the technicalities, allowing you to focus on what you do best—writing.
Whether you plan to handle shipping, payments, and customer information management or prefer linking to third-party platforms like Goodreads, Amazon, or your publisher, Squarespace provides the flexibility to cater to your specific needs. For authors with a reasonable number of titles (likely under 100), Squarespace's e-commerce capabilities are a fantastic choice.
Building an Email List
As you craft your online presence, consider building an email list. Squarespace simplifies this with its integrated email campaigns feature. Offer incentives for newsletter sign-ups, such as early access to chapters, exclusive content, or a sneak peek at your upcoming book.
Utilize Squarespace's email campaigns to stay connected with your audience. Whether you send weekly newsletters, book updates, or sneak peeks, this direct communication channel can be a powerful tool to generate buzz ahead of your book launch. Remember to maintain a professional email address—Squarespace conveniently integrates with Google Workspace for this purpose.
Leveraging Blogging for Success
Blogging is a valuable tool for authors. It allows you to share your insights, engage with your readers, and boost your website's search engine visibility. With Squarespace's user-friendly blogging capabilities, you can easily publish content and attract more visitors to your site.
When creating a blog post, pay attention to SEO. Craft a compelling title, write an engaging meta description, and use relevant keywords throughout your content. Squarespace provides options for URL customization, ensuring your blog posts are optimized for search engines.
Additionally, Squarespace's blogging platform enables you to schedule posts in advance, making it effortless to maintain a consistent posting schedule. This consistency can greatly benefit your website's ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs).
Remember to make the most of your blog content by seamlessly integrating it into your email campaigns. Squarespace simplifies this process with a one-click feature to create email drafts from your blog posts. This allows you to engage your email subscribers with your latest blog content and keep them informed and intrigued.
Refining Your Social Media Strategy
While you're working on your online presence, it's essential to continually refine your social media strategy. Analyze your engagement metrics to identify which posts resonate the most with your audience. Focus on creating more of the content that generates likes, shares, and comments, and consider phasing out posts that aren't delivering results.
Pay attention to the timing of your social media posts. Posting when your audience is most active can significantly boost engagement. Platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook offer insights into when your followers are online—use this data to your advantage.
Connecting with Publishers and Book Reviewers
If you're working with a public relations professional, they'll likely handle the task of reaching out to publishers and book reviewers on your behalf. However, if you're managing this process independently, research book reviewer sites and publications to send advance copies of your book. Building a media kit with engaging visuals, author bios, and book summaries can greatly aid your outreach efforts.
Consider any speaking engagements or book tours you may undertake. Events offer fantastic opportunities for face-to-face engagement with your audience. Bring copies of your book for sale, interact with attendees, and even set up a simple system to collect email subscribers.
Conclusion
In conclusion, your journey as an author involves much more than writing your book. Building an engaging online presence is key to connecting with your readers and ensuring your work reaches the right audience. Squarespace simplifies the process of creating an author website, managing email campaigns, and blogging, allowing you to focus on what you do best—writing.
Remember that success in the world of online authorship takes time. Consistency, authenticity, and a strong online presence will go a long way in helping you achieve your goals. Start your journey today and watch your author brand flourish.
Your Designer
I'm Travis, an expert Squarespace web designer and 7+ year former Squarespace employee. I have worked with every type of business, building platforms for solo entrepreneurs through to multi-million dollar corporations. If you want to discuss a potential project, you can email on travis@coyotemooncreative.com or get in touch with me here. Alternatively, you can book a 30-minute consultation call here.
