In this episode, we'll dive into the fundamentals of advertising on Facebook and Amazon for authors. We’ll explore whether ads are the right choice for you, depending on your goals, budget, and readiness to invest in promotional strategies. You’ll learn about the benefits of each platform, what types of ads work best, and how to get started with your first campaign, including tips for optimizing results over time. This episode will help demystify the process and empower you to make informed advertising decisions.

OVERVIEW: Brief overview of the goals for this episode: helping authors understand if Facebook or Amazon ads could work for their book marketing strategy.

• Facebook Ads:
  • Types of ads (Boosted posts, Sponsored content, Carousel ads).
  • Audience targeting features (demographics, interests, custom audiences).
  • Advantages of Facebook’s powerful targeting capabilities for niche audiences.
• Amazon Ads:
  • Types of ads (Sponsored Product Ads, Sponsored Brand Ads).
  • Reaching readers directly
  • Advantages for visibility in highly competitive categories.

• Budget: Estimating realistic ad spend, starting with a modest budget.
• Marketing Goals: Identifying if you want to increase brand awareness, generate sales, or build your reader base.
• Understanding Ad Metrics: Basics of impressions, CTR (Click Through Rate), CPC (Cost per Click)
• Time Commitment: Emphasis on monitoring ads, testing, and optimizing.

Creating Your AD

Our Experiences

Sources & Links

• David Gaughran – Insights on Facebook Ads, and tips on how to leverage Facebook’’s platform for book sales. YouTube: Facebook Ad Tutorial We highly recommend signing up for his newsletter as well because he gives updated tips and trends of Facebook ads
• Jane Friedman – Facebook advertising strategies for authors, understanding audience targeting, and budget tips. “Amazon Ads for Authors: A Comprehensive Step-by-Step Guide” & “Amazon Ads: A Step-by-Step Walk Through for Beginning Authors”

Do Now:

Evaluate whether Facebook and/or Amazon ads align with your goals & your budget. Start small by setting up a test campaign with a limited budget to get a feel for ad management. Consult the links above for step-by-step instructions.

Full Show Notes are available on our website as well as free downloads mentioned in the episode.

Authors Talking Bookish https://www.authorstalkingbookish.com

Hope Gibbs, author of Where the Grass Grows Blue https://www.authorhopegibbs.com/

Donna Norman-Carbone, author of All That is Sacred & Of Lies and Honey https://www.donnanormancarbone.com

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