BookTok requires global thinking

When I first stumbled across #booktok in the depths of lockdown 2020, it was predominantly led by creators and audiences in the US. I can remember sitting on the phone with a publishing client, discussing how we could bring that momentum over to communities here in the UK to drive conversation around key releases and open another channel for digital marketing.

Fast-forward three wildly unpredictable years in our industry and BookTok has reshaped how we approach marketing books. The increasing popularity of TikTok has had a knock-on effect on our approach to video creation, digital audio and, more recently, even e-commerce.

It’s no secret that the book community on TikTok is huge and is having a monumental impact on sales. I’ve always been excited by working across territories to maximise noise. Where I’ve suggested this before with publishers, I’ve been challenged with differing book jackets, publication dates and often two unassociated imprints. It’s true that there are many factors that can make cross-territory collaboration impossible when it comes to marketing to consumers. But it’s increasingly a necessity, especially when it comes to driving word of mouth online.

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin brought no such barriers. Published by Vintage and Knopf in the UK and US respectively, the Penguin Random House umbrella and united cover design enabled us to work on a campaign which excited each contributor equally. Together with both marketing teams we combined investments to implement an influencer-led creative campaign harnessing topical trends around video games and 1990s nostalgia. Layered with a strategic approach to spark advertising in each location, our campaign was a soaring success.

Budget allocations for title marketers come with their own challenges. In the case of TikTok, the book community and popular BookTok hashtags are now so saturated that smaller campaigns can be a real drop in the ocean – whichever side of it you’re on. This is yet another reason to join forces with our friends Stateside wherever possible. 

It’s true that there are many factors that can make cross-territory collaboration impossible when it comes to marketing to consumers. But it’s increasingly a necessity.

My advice to maximise cut-through and conversion within TikTok is to harness niche audiences. I worked with Knopf on the hardback release of Surrender by Bono. Rather than attempting to use select TikTok trends to speak to the mass-market audience in the US, we instead decided to target two extremely specific verticals on the platform: music superfans and Christian rock lovers.

Working with top creators in both the music and Christian rock communities on TikTok allowed us to speak to audiences who would directly relate to core themes in Bono’s memoir. Their videos felt genuine and personal without being overly commercial. Clearly this was a recipe for success as the campaign investment wrapped at the end of 2022, yet the engagement and views on the sponsored influencer videos continues to climb.

Recently I had the pleasure of visiting New York City to meet some of my US-based clients in person as well as making time to introduce myself to some new faces. In each case I’m urging publishers to be as specific as possible when thinking about who they’re marketing a book to. Clever creatives and carefully chosen talent combined with the algorithm available within TikTok can make for an accomplishment much greater than if you try to talk to everyone. If you’re feeling challenged by your budgets, work with them and go after a smaller more engaged group – as stretching it too thinly will only result in wastage and a lack of digital visibility.

The communities within TikTok are powered by shared passions and a desire to learn from peers. Positioning sentimental messaging in front of a more focused target audience will allow marketers to slice through the constant buzz of new releases being pushed into the BookTok space. Getting a dedicated audience excited about picking up a book is not only impactful on your engagement and sales, it also brings about reward and a sense of accomplishment to marketers like me – who just want to get people reading. And the more globally we think, the bigger our impact will be.