It’s no surprise that the Amazon marketplace is responsible for most online book sales. If you want to create a buzz around your title, Amazon is one of the best places to get noticed and gain momentum.
It takes work. It’s not something that you should be thinking: … ummm, today is Friday—I’m going to do a bestseller campaign next week. That’s a huge nope—and a recipe for failure.
Below, I’m sharing 20 ways to create a successful eBook Amazon campaign.
We’ll look at:
20 MUST Do Steps for Amazon Campaigns for eBooks
1. Start 4 to 6 weeks out.
To do an effective Amazon campaign, start 4 to 6 weeks out in your planning. If you don’t plan, you may miss opportunities or let important details slip through the cracks.
2. Use Amazon’s KDP Select platform (only).
Giving Amazon exclusive rights to the digital version of your book for Kindle will allow you to offer up to 5 FREE days within a 90-day period or LOWER your price for up to 5 days. You can also choose to do a COUNT DOWN,—dropping the price and then increasing it each day until it reverts to the original price.
Note: Make sure your eBook is not available on other platforms. Amazon can penalize you if your eBook is published anywhere else. After 90 days, you can terminate with KDP Select and publish your eBook on other platforms.
3. Shorten your Amazon link.
Go to your ebook’s details page, capture the full link, then go to either bit.ly or TinyUrl.com and create a customized link that includes a portion of your ebook title, your name, etc. Short is better. You will use this on all social media pushes, including posters that are created.
4. Build your social media following.
Work on all areas of your author brand, including consistently building up your followers on social media. This means not only posting but engaging with your followers regularly.
5. Use hashtags strategically.
When posting on social media, hashtags are a great way to get you in front of your ideal audience. If you’re not sure which hashtags to use, you can just start typing in the search bar of your social media platform and most will have an autofill that offers a list of current hashtags. Another option is to see what other authors in your genre are using for hashtags. Don’t forget to create one with your author name, #YourName.
6. Grab a handle that identifies your author brand.
Handles are usernames on social media that begin with “@.” The challenge in creating handles is finding one that’s available on all of the platforms you will use. There are a lot of handles being used online so you may find that the handle (username) you select has already been taken. Before you commit to one, check other sites to ensure you won’t have to change it. You can search multiple platforms at once using the website BrandSnag. The search is free.
7. Join social media groups.
From Facebook to LinkedIn, groups with your ideal readers are everywhere. Join all the groups you can that relate to your genre, etc.
8. Identify your Amazon push date(s)–is it free or fee—and set it up.
Verify what your window time frame is and schedule it. Amazon has specific guidelines on when final files have to be uploaded and dates can be changed, so make sure you have all of the pertinent dates marked so you don’t miss one.
9. There are book promotion sites for placing ads.
Getting your ebook in front of as many people as possible can help with sales and boost the effectiveness of your book campaign. Amazon’s algorithm likes a strong showing on launch and special promotion days. Using book promotion sites is a smart way to bring in extra sales. Here’s a short list:
- BookBub
- BookDoggy
- Hellobooks
- MyBookCave
- FreeBooksy
- BuckBooks
- BookSends
- BookRunes
- LitNuts
- BargainBooksy
- BookDealio
- The Fussy Librarian
10. Make sure your independent ad date matches your Amazon dates.
If you decide to run outside ads in conjunction with your book’s release or promotion make sure that the ad date and release/promotion date match. If you do a multiple-day push, i.e., three days, run the ad on the first day. There is a spillover factor that will push into the following days.
11. Recheck your book detail page description.
Any updates? How about a new headline? Make sure you are using BOLD for headlines. Consider adding a killer blurb from a review that has been posted. Use the italics/bold/line break features in editing to make the blurb pop. And if you’re not using Amazon A+ Content, take some time to get that set up.
12. Get familiar with “holidays” both the classics and bizarre.
Explore HolidaysCalendar.com and HolidayInsights.com.
You can coattail them and create visual posters to tie your book push out to your social media platforms.For the month of August, there are
lots to choose from: Admit You’re Happy Month, Family Fun Month, Dog Days of Summer, National Catfish Month, National Golf Month, Peach Month, Romance Awareness Month, Water Quality Month, andNational Picnic Month. For weeks: week 1 is National Simplify Your Life Week; week 2 is National Smile Month; week 3 is Friendship Week; week 4 is Be Kind to Humankind Week. It’s time to goose up your creative juices.
13. Create graphics that support your campaign.
In the example below, the graphic is for a New Year’s book promotion. (Learn how the book image for the fictitious book below was created in Canva.)
If it’s not a holiday, you can still create an eye-catching graphic. Tools like Canva or BookBrush are great places to start.
14. Create a massive amount of social media posts (at least 30 different posts)
Plan on posting something different every hour on Twitter and Instagram. For Facebook and LinkedIn post at least 4-6 times each day of your campaign. For Pinterest, post to multiple boards throughout the day(s).
Make sure you include your “handle” @YourName and hashtags.
Here are some examples:
If a whirlwind of clandestine meetings, deceptions, suspicious accidents, and adventure are your mix, add The Last Request to your reading pleasure, new book is waiting for you: https://bit.ly/TheLastRequest @kburlakebooks #mystery #thriller #adventure #IARTG #bookboost #WWII
Calling all #mystery and #thriller fans—discover new book that snaps, crackles and pops with intrigue, clandestine meetings, betrayals, and suspicious accidents. The Last Request is waiting for you: https://bit.ly/TheLastRequest @kburlakebooks #adventure #IARTG #bookboost
This is a wowsa for mystery and thriller readers … do you want a bold and gritty book, woven with adventure? Wait no longer—the second Amy Prowers book is here: The Last Request. https://bit.ly/TheLastRequest @kburlakebooks #mystery #thriller #adventure #IARTG #bookboost #WWII
Ready for adventure, thrills and reveals? The Shroud has been hidden and lost, worshipped and debunked, attacked and ransomed. Get The Last Request by Katherine Burlake, book 2 in series. https://bit.ly/TheLastRequest @kburlakebooks #mystery #thriller #adventure #bookboost
Hey readers of mystery and suspense: if you like adventure, captivating characters and a page-turner, The Last Request by Katherine Burlake is waiting for you: https://bit.ly/TheLastRequest @kburlakebooks #mystery #thriller #adventure #IARTG #bookboost #WWII #shroud
15. Take a screenshot of your Amazon book detail page.
Grab the image at the beginning of the day so you can have a benchmark of where you go. 
16. Check in with Amazon rankings.
Throughout the campaign period, you should check back with Amazon around 10 or 15 minutes past each hour to see if there is any movement. If yes, screenshot time.
17. When you hit #1, click on it on your book detail page.
It will take you to an interior page and WOOT … the book will show prominently at #1 … new screenshot time. And shout it out to all your fans via social media with a “thank you” for their support.
18. Take a breath and Congratulate yourself.
Plan a mini celebration. You deserve it. Marketing is tough. When you see a positive return on your efforts, take the time to pause and celebrate.
19. Grab the Amazon bestseller seal image online.
Select the one(s) you like. Now, go to your cover designer … have him or her add the #1 Amazon bestseller to the eBook cover and upload it to your Amazon details page for the eBook via the KDP portal.
20. Brag and shout-out time.
What are you going to do to let your community know? How about adding “Amazon Bestseller” to your email signature? Or, writing a press release and doing a push out? There are several free resources including PRLog.com. Now brainstorm and think of other ways to share your success.
Takeaway
Many authors may not have the bandwidth to do a DIY approach—they need some help. And I confess, as much as I know about book marketing and using social media, I get help in creating some of the elements and executing them. Whether you do it yourself or get professional support, if you’re selling your ebook on Amazon, creating a book campaign should be an integral part of your marketing strategy.
The original article was written by Judith Biles. It was expanded and updated on December 20, 2023.
