The concept of a book trailer is not new. But much like QR codes have skyrocketed in use since the pandemic demanded everything become contactless, I believe we are about to witness the rise of book trailers.
And it’s about time.
I’ve already started seeing book trailers pop up more and more. It’s mostly been the work of traditional publishers—they never really stopped making them, particularly in the YA genre. If you are an avid reader, you’ve no doubt seen ads pop up for the latest release in your Instagram Stories or on your Facebook feed. But thanks to the four factors I’ve listed below, you’re going to start seeing them a lot more often. You may even want your own!
1. The latest and greatest social media app is all about video.
I’m talking, of course, about TikTok. Whether you are on the app or not, it’s hard to deny the effects it’s had on the world. TikTokkers have supercharged social movements, helped propel songs to the top of the charts, and, of course, shot books up to the top of Amazon.com’s rankings.
Much like Instagram has the #bookstagram community, TikTok has BookTok, and BookTokkers buy books. Recently, WA friend Kandi Steiner’s TikTok went viral, and the five-year-old book showcased in that video made its way to the top fifteen of the whole Amazon Kindle store.
Now, her book trailer is a little less conventional than the kind of book trailer you might be thinking about, but the underlying principles are the same: use eye-catching visuals and captivating words to grab hold of your audience’s attention, and they just might be called to action. Clearly, it pays to know a little something about creating videos. Luckily, Canva’s video editor has hundreds of beginner-friendly templates to get you started!
2. Algorithms on all those other platforms like videos, too.
It’s not just TikTok. Facebook and Instagram will both be leaning into video content in 2021. They already have with Stories, Instagram Reels, and even Facebook Watch. And viewers want more of it. Naturally, you will be rewarded for including video in your social media strategy.
Why is everyone hopping on the video bandwagon? Because all of these social media platforms want users to stay on the platform, so it makes sense that the social media algorithms reward content that makes people stay on the app longer with more eyeballs.
3. Book trailers can serve as your introduction to YouTube’s users.
The second most visited website on all of the Internet—second only to Google—is YouTube. Like any platform, it has its subcultures and communities, and you can bet BookTube and AuthorTube not only exist, but thrive.
Not everyone has the bandwidth to make content and learn marketing strategies for more (if you’re considering joining TikTok, two more) social media platforms. That’s understandable. You should do what you have the time and energy for, as well as consider which platforms bring you genuine joy.
Still, YouTube’s ubiquity and ease of use make it the perfect place to host your video content for sharing. YouTube videos can be embedded pretty much everywhere. This very blog embeds YouTube videos all the time, which you’ll know if you’ve ever read one of the Motivational Minute blog posts.
4. They haven’t caught on yet.
I have yet to see very much hullabaloo surrounding book trailers, have you? It seems we can all agree that video is increasingly more important to post, but not quite what that video ought to look like.
This will, of course, become clear with time. By then, videos about books will be everywhere. That’s why I recommend you start creating that content now. Experiment. Mess it all up. Press all the buttons. Pay attention to what works for yourself and others, and what doesn’t. As we’ve seen time and time again, the Internet rewards those who arrive at a trend early.
