If you plan to use social media to request reviews, I would begin by choosing a day, let’s say Monday, but it can be any day you choose. Assuming Monday is your day, every Monday for one month make a post requesting a review. The new post can be identical to the previous one or you can change it if you want. Ideally, it should be slightly different so as not to bore your readers, but there’s nothing wrong with using repetition. In fact, some authors prefer it as they say it brings the point in more clearly.

Any way you word the request will do, but here’s a suggestion. You can twig my request or change it to make it your own, or you can use it as is:

If you have five minutes and if you’ve read my thriller That Last Ghost Dance, you’d make this writer very happy if you could write a short Amazon review. Here’s the link to the review site:
Amazon.com
Thanking you ahead of time.

Will this work? You’ll never know unless you try. I know that my buddy, New York Times bestselling author Denise Swanson Stybr posted on Facebook a request for reviews. By the next day, she had 140 new reviews.

Maybe we won’t be as lucky, but we can definitely try.

Also, don’t assume that this will work only if you request an Amazon review. You can request a review on any site including Goodreads, Bookbub, specific websites, Barnes & Noble, and others. I simply use Amazon as an example because that’s where most readers want their reviews to appear.

Yesterday’s lesson discussed some of the most popular social media sites. Today, we will look at some more.

Another popular site is Instagram. It has a heavy emphasis on visuals and is mainly a mobile platform. It also offers various posting options such as photos, videos, slideshows, stories, and live streams. If you’re interested in using this site, you could post a picture of your book and beside it, the words Please review me! Naturally, you’ll want to follow that up with the link site.

WhatsApp is a popular mobile messaging app. You can send images, texts, audio, and video content. You can use this app to easily communicate with would-be reviewers on a personal level. Anytime you can add a personal touch, your chances of being reviewed increase tremendously.

Messenger used to be strictly a messaging feature within Facebook (and it still is a part of Facebook.) However, in 2011, Facebook also turned it into a standalone app. You can now advertise, create chatbots, send newsletters, and do so much more by using this app.

If you’re planning on scheduling a Facebook Chatbot here’s a way you can request a review. In the chatbox, post “Have you read my book?” When someone responds, “Yes” follow it up with the following question: what did you think of it? After they answer you, ask them to post those thoughts as an Amazon review and give them the link. After this, thank them for the possible review.

Other social media to consider include WeChat, MAUs, Tumblr, Qzone, TikTok (mostly a rising music video social network. So, if you can put your request for a book review to music, go for it.) Reddit, Linkedin, Snapchat, Pinterest, and others.

The bad news about using social media sites to request reviews is that the concept works best if you’re already established. I wouldn’t, for instance, create a Facebook page, and then ask for reviews as my first post. That’s just not cool. You’ll only turn people off. The best thing to do is to establish yourself and your book first. Talk about it, how it came to be, and what’s unique about it, but also post other interesting things. Once you’ve made the connection with your Facebook friends, then it’s okay to ask for a review.

You can easily see how this can become a time-consuming task. Therefore, if you don’t have the time or the inclination, don’t panic. Other ways to get reviews are available. We will look at using giveaways to gain reviews on Lesson 5.

How to Get Your Books Reviewed