Getting a children’s book published is an exciting accomplishment. But now comes the hard part: promoting your book so it sells more copies and reaches your target audience.
In this post, as a professional children’s book printing manufacturer, I’ll share my exact step-by-step blueprint for promoting a children’s book in 2024 so you can get your story in front of more kids (and parents).
Why Promoting Your Book Matters
You might be thinking:
“I’m just happy my book got published. Isn’t that enough?”
Not if you want your book to actually reach children and sell copies.
The hard truth is most children’s books sell less than 100-500 copies in their lifetime. And a big reason for low sales is lack of promotion.
Think about it: there are over 2 million books released every year. Without promotion, it’s nearly impossible for your book to get discovered in that sea of titles.
That’s why having an effective book marketing strategy is critical if you want to boost awareness of your book, drive more sales, and ultimately get your story in front of the children it was meant for.
How to Promote a Children’s Book
Identify Your Target Audience
The first step to promoting a children’s book is identifying your target audience.
Ask yourself:
- Who is your book written for in terms of age range and reading level?
- Are there any niche hook points, like a specific topic/theme that would appeal to certain kids?
- Which parents are most likely to purchase your book?
Really dig into the demographics and psychographics around your book’s ideal reader. This will inform your entire marketing plan.
For example, say you wrote an early chapter book for 6-8 year olds. Your targets would be:
- Kids ages 6-8 who are moving from picture books to chapter books
- Parents looking for chapter books to help their kid’s reading skills
- Teachers looking for 1st-3rd grade classroom books
See how this gives you clear direction versus trying to market to all kids and parents?
Choose Your Promotion Channels
Next, make a list of places your targets hang out, both online and offline.
For a children’s book, key channels typically include:
Online Children’s Communities
- Kid book clubs on Goodreads – Connect with group moderators to see if your book can be a featured title.
- Parenting forums – Introduce your book through a post or signature with your book cover image.
- Facebook groups for moms – Don’t spam groups! Provide value by answering parents’ questions related to your book’s topic. Gently mention your book experience.
- Teacher forums – Teachers are always looking for book ideas! Just make sure your book fits grade reading levels.
In-Person Events
- Local schools & libraries – Offer to do a free book reading/signing event.
- Book festivals – Booth and panel opportunities to connect with avid young readers.
- Literacy fundraisers – Give back while also getting to talk about your beloved book!
Relevant Bloggers & Influencers
Don’t forget bloggers and influencers with an audience of parents and teachers. Pitch them an interview, guest post, or review.
Pro tip: When researching targets, check their Amazon buyer personas using Publisher Rocket to identify additional targets.
For example, you can see the top keywords that existing book buyers searched for. Use related keywords to find more precise targets.
Spread the Word Through Marketing Activities
With your targets mapped out, develop an initial set of book promotion activities across 2-3 of those high-potential channels.
Some ideas pulled from the list above:
- Host a reading event at your local library
- Run a book giveaway in a kid’s Facebook group
- Land a guest post on a popular mom blog
- Sponsor literacy fundraising events
- Distribute ARC copies to book reviewers
- Pitch interviews on education podcasts
Ideally combine online and offline activities for maximum impact.
The key is consistency. Commit to doing 1-2 promotional activities per week over a 3-6 month period after your book launches. This creates sustained awareness.
Expand Your Reach Through Advertising
Once you’ve tapped your immediate network and started to build some organic buzz, it’s time to amplify through advertising.
Here are two ads platforms that work extremely well for children’s books:
Amazon Sponsored Ads
If your book is for sale on Amazon, their Sponsored Ads program is a goldmine. You basically pay to show your book in search results for relevant kids book keywords.
The key is tightly defining your targets by:
- Age
- Gender
- Reading level
- Parenting status
- Related interests (the book’s topic/genre)
With precise targeting, your ads can drive tons of visibility and sales on Amazon.
Facebook & Instagram Paid Ads
Due to the visual nature of children’s books, image and video ads on Facebook and Instagram perform fabulously.
You can laser target parents as well as fans of popular books similar to yours. Retarget shoppers who visited your book’s site. Feature positive reviews in your creative.
And with a modest daily budget, you can reach 1000’s of qualified people likely to purchase your book.
Launch One Epic Content Hub
If you really want to boost authority and traffic for your book over the long haul, invest time in building one resource-packed content hub.
Your hub – hosted on your book site/blog – can feature:
- Downloadable activity sheets and discussion guides to go with your book
- Curated book playlists around your book’s key themes
- Interviews with professors/experts quoted in the book
- An email course on the topic delivered in a storytelling style
- A weekly podcast that expands the book’s central messaging
This hub becomes THE go-to destination for people passionate about your book’s subject matter.
And thanks to SEO best practices, like optimizing each page and generating backlinks, your hub will rank highly in search engines over time. Resulting in surges of targeted traffic that convert to loyal fans.
It takes effort upfront but pays dividends for years through recurring organic growth.
Track Key Metrics to Improve Efforts
As you promote your book through various initiatives, be sure to track performance through metrics like:
- Website traffic
- Email list growth
- Book sales
- Events/interviews booked
- Social media engagement
Review metrics monthly to determine what’s working and not. Double down on high-performing channels. And constantly test new marketing ideas.
Over time, you’ll discover the optimal set of activities for selling your book to children (and parents too).
Now that you know how to strategically promote a children’s book in 2024, which idea are you most excited to try first? Let me know in the comments!