Were you forced to read it on TikTok?
TikTok’s BookTok hashtag has 90 billion views, demonstrating the power of specialised communities on the platform.
However, what exactly is BookTok, and what can we learn from the “bookish” creators who are currently dominating the platform (and the publishing industry)?
Here, we dissect the results of our investigation into this TikTok subculture.
“What is BookTok?”
BookTok is a subreddit on the video sharing platform TikTok dedicated to, you guessed it, books and reading.
BookTok is a collaborative and entertaining way to have an impact, from reviews to virtual live book clubs.
Reviving classics and giving new writers a foothold come to mind.
And when your hashtag has its very own TikTok-branded cover image, you know you’ve made it.
Who are the People Behind BookTok?
The majority of BookTok’s top creators are teenage girls and young women who use the platform to promote their reading lists, rankings, and recommendations.
BookToks typically involve the creators talking about books they’ve read, acting out scenes from those books, or taking part in challenges.
And they’re pros at giving their impressions in video form (as opposed to the more conventional review form):
Creative strategies for author engagement and work promotion have also emerged.
Check out how Chloe Gong made a fading tune relevant to her novel “These Violent Delights:”
Real-world outcomes of a virally popular book can be striking.
What BookTok Has Done to Transform an Entire Industry
The books that users of BookTok are advised to read often become overnight successes.
From July 2019 to June 2022, sales of popular BookTok books increased by as much as 1,047%, as reported by BookNet Canada.
Because of the niche online community’s impact on book sales, even bookstores have begun participating in the discussion.
Major players in the publishing industry, including Indigo, Barnes & Noble, and Goodreads, have jumped on the #BookTok bandwagon with everything from dedicated websites to in-store displays.
That’s right, every company in the business world is vying for a spot on BookTok.
Most-Read Books on BookTok
Adult fiction and young adult fiction are paperback gold, whether it’s a heartbreaking romance or a twisted science fiction fantasy.
Want to know what’s happening in the world of social media right now? Sign up for our free weekly newsletter today and become part of our community of over 1M brands and creators:
Here Are 4 Lessons That Creators and Businesses Can Take Away From BookTok
As a result of BookTokers, a once-dormant industry is experiencing a renaissance.
BookTok’s creators have a few lessons to share, and here are four of them:
- Embrace user-generated content
- Using a relaxed tone is acceptable.
- The Importance of the First Three Seconds
- Develop Your Specialty
The Number One Thing You Should Know: Use User-Generated Content
User-generated content (UGC) is a marketing powerhouse because it acts as the social media version of a personal recommendation.
BookTok proves this point, as it allows content makers to communicate with their thousands of subscribers on an organic level by sharing reading recommendations and advice.
The creator community can use user-generated content to build relationships with brands they genuinely care about and expand their media kit.
Conversely, brands can gain trust from their followers through re-posting UGC that would not be possible through a more conventional paid advertising strategy.
In addition, there is a growing movement towards UGC creators, which is profitable for both creators and brands.
Are you prepared to find out how user-generated content (UGC) can improve your social media tactics? For more, see these posts published Afterward:
UGC: What Does That Mean? Complete Guidance
Who Exactly Is a User-Generated-Content Creator, and Why Is Their Work So Popular?
Second Lesson: Maintain a Sense of Casualness
BookTok effectively simulates the experience of relaxing with a favourite book.
Connecting with your TikTok audience doesn’t necessitate professional-level gear or a polished visual style.
Take a look at how BookTok’s creator, Kendra, discusses her favourite books in her personal reading room:
Videos on TikTok should be as casual as possible; the closer they feel to a FaceTiming session, the better.
You should start making TikTok a permanent part of your marketing strategy now. The lowdown: More recently, he has amassed 50,000 TikTok fans. You can read about our methodology below.
The First Three Seconds Are Crucial
BookTokers have discovered the secret to catching people’s attention in the first three seconds of a video.
Check out the intro text that creator Amy’s BookShelf uses for her TikTok:
With just this one video, Amy received over 400k likes and 2000 comments.
When over a million TikTok videos are viewed daily, viewers expect immediate gratification or they move on to the next video.
Get user attention within the first three seconds and you’ll increase the likelihood that they’ll watch the rest of the video.
Insight Number Four: Cultivate Your Specialty
The TikTok algorithm learns to recognise your content and provide it to the right audience the more frequently you post content tailored to your niche.
Take creator Ayman, for instance, who only uploads “bookish” content to TikTok:
Because of her reliability, Ayman’s writing is likely to be discovered by BookTok users.
The lesson? In the same way that BookTok authors have stuck to their guns, you should do the same.
Check out TikTok SEO
While BookTok’s future is up in the air, one thing is certain: there is much that creators and brands can take away from the platform’s current level of success.
These strategies for using the video-sharing platform TikTok are groundbreaking, whether you’re looking to capitalise on user-generated content or establish yourself as an authority in a specific field.
