Social media is a phenomenon that has taken the world – and our digital social lives – by storm. According to the latest research some 57.6% of the world’s population has a social media presence via at least one platform, and this figure is continually rising year-on-year. Whilst Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram remain the most widely used social media sites, during lockdown, we witnessed the emergence of a brand new platform.

TikTok has enjoyed a rapid rise in popularity, with people of all ages and from all backgrounds (including celebrities) falling in love with its short lip-synced, music and comedy content. The app is branching out into the literary world too, with fantastic results!

The rise (and rise) of TikTok

TikTok started life as Musical.ly – an app that became one of the most downloaded in its own right - back in 2014. A version of Musical.ly was then released three years later to a global audience, but it wasn’t until the very beginning of the national lockdowns that people really started to appreciate its kooky, offbeat content.

With just 15 seconds per video to play with, it was a platform that encouraged creativity in the most wonderful way. It quickly became one of the most popular apps of 2018 and has continued to rise in popularity ever since. TikTok now boasts some 500 million global monthly active users across 154 countries.

Introducing the wonderful world of BookTok

As a platform known for nurturing musical and comedic talent, it of course didn’t take long to be embraced by the literary community. With this, BookTok was born!

BookTok is a sub community on the TikTok app and the world’s fastest growing book club. Users have under a minute to showcase their works or recommend their favourite titles. BookTok has quickly become an amazing community to be a part of as a would-be author or avid book lover.

How to use BookTok as a self-published author

BookTok has become the place to be online for people looking for like-minded literary lovers. It’s also the perfect place to showcase your self-published book. On BookTok, you can follow key influencers, engage with your fellow booktokkers, watch hours and hours of relevant content, use trending hashtags, and even create your own content.

When using BookTok to market your self-published book, it is important to remember that authenticity is crucial. When used authentically, you and your book can benefit from a marketing tool that really works and connects with target audiences directly.

Discover more about how to market your self-published book by getting in touch with us today.