The Awareness Tour: Virtual Children's Book Tours
Virtual Book Tours—Visibility Meets Credibility
Our virtual book tours, The Awareness Tour, help to provide authors, illustrators, and publishers of all kids and teen books an opportunity from which they can quickly and efficiently expand their reach to a targeted audience of children’s book readers by using The Children’s Book Review as a solid platform from which to launch a virtual blog tour/online book tour. Just as we’ve built our own loyal readership, we’ve been busy building relationships with like-minded bloggers and influencers in the children’s book and family-friendly realms, ready to help create buzz for your book(s)!
How Does a Virtual Book Tour Work?
A virtual book tour is a promotional strategy that allows authors to connect with readers and promote their books online without needing physical travel. We are very hands-on to ensure the very best experience. Here’s an overview of how a virtual book tour typically works:
Organizing the Tour:
- Our team will source and coordinate the tour hosts (bloggers, social media influencers, etc.), and create a schedule for featuring your book.
- Tour stops can include various online platforms, such as book blogs and social media platforms. The goal is to reach a diverse audience and engage with potential readers in the spaces they are active.
- Hosts may include book bloggers who review the book, interview the author, or social media influencers who feature the book on their platforms.
- Authors and illustrators may contribute guest posts or interviews to different blogs or websites as part of the tour. This allows them to share insights about the book, the writing process, and other relevant topics.
- Here are just some of the customizable options available:
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- Book reviews
- Interviews
- Book giveaways
- Guest posts provided by the author or illustrator
- Cover reveals
- Exclusive excerpt shares
- Book trailer posts
- Dedicated E-mails
- Banner Ads
Social Media Promotion:
- We work actively to promote the virtual book tour on our social media channels to build anticipation and encourage our readers to participate in your book tour.
Giveaways:
- To generate excitement and encourage participation, we organize a giveaway during the virtual book tour. Participants may have the chance to win a signed copy of the book or other related prizes.
Post-Tour Follow-Up:
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- After the virtual book tour concludes, we provide you ways for maintaing contact with your new readers. You’ll also receive a report to analyze the tour’s impact, gather feedback, and continue promoting the book through ongoing marketing efforts.
Are Virtual Book Tours Worth It?
We sure think so! The Awareness Tour is our favorite way for creating buzz and visibility for your books in an impactful and meaningful way.
Here are some considerations to help determine whether a virtual book tour is worth it for you:
Reach and Exposure:
- An investment that provides value beyond the tour: Virtual book tours can give authors a broad online reach, allowing them to connect with readers in many different locations, increasing exposure, reaching a diverse audience.
- Featured tour content makes your book, name, and brand searchable on the Web, improving your digital footprint.
- Tour articles and multiple book reviews provide you with marketing content and social proof.
Cost-Effectiveness:
- No travel required, unlike a traditional book tour: Virtual book tours are often more cost-effective than traditional in-person tours, as they eliminate travel expenses. Authors can benefit from the tour without the financial burden of transportation, accommodation, and other associated costs.
Audience Engagement:
- Authors have the opportunity to engage directly with readers through online comment sections and social media interactions. If building a connection with the audience and fostering reader engagement are priorities, a virtual book tour can be very valuable.
Flexibility:
- Virtual book tours offer flexibility in terms of scheduling and format. Authors can participate in a variety of online events and reach a wide audience without being constrained by a specific time or location.
- Authors should consider the time and effort required to plan and execute a virtual book tour. While it eliminates travel time, organizing online events, coordinating with hosts, and promoting the tour on social media can be very time-consuming. It’s our pleasure to take this off your hands by being very hands-on our end.
Book Sales:
- Possible increase in Amazon rankings: While virtual book tours may not guarantee immediate spikes in book sales, they can contribute to long-term visibility and increased sales over time. Authors should manage expectations and consider the tour as part of a broader marketing strategy.
Author Platform:
- Access to multiple bloggers with a targeted audience: For authors who are actively building their online presence and author platform, virtual book tours can be instrumental. Engaging with bloggers and influencers can help authors expand their reach and connect with new audiences.
Ultimately, a virtual book tour increases online exposure for you and your book, as well as a presence that provides you with an extended ripple effect long after the book tour ends.
How Do I Get Started and Plan My Virtual Book Tour?
- Fill out the form below.
- Tell us a little bit bout your book and the intended age range.
- Provide any links with additional information about your book.
- If you already have an idea about how you would like your tour to roll out, let us know.
- Please indicate if you have a timeframe in mind.
CONTACT US
Testimonials
Awareness Tour Examples
Enter to win an autographed copy of Adventures of Little Yaga and Her Friends, by L.B. O’Milla, and a $25 Visa gift card.
Giveaway begins September 9, 2017, at 12:01 A.M. PST and ends October 9, 2017, at 11:59 P.M. PST.
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