Hello, and welcome back to the Hashtag, It’s Summer podcast series, which is my invitation to you to stay in touch with your Instagram book marketing and platform building in this super-busy season.

This week’s episode is all about one of my favourite subjects - engagement.

Account growth tends to grab all the headlines for obvious reasons, but the internet is littered with tales of people with large social media audiences securing book deals and then delivering disappointing book sales.

This is because there is a BIG gap between someone hitting follow on Instagram, and actually being motivated to buy and read a book. Where there are interactions between a potential reader and the author, that gap closes.

If you’re taking a break from Instagram this summer, why not join the WAKE UP INSTAGRAM Challenge at the end of August?

WAKE UP is a free seven-day series of tasks and exercises to get you back in front of your favourite online people. You can join by signing up with your email below:

In this episode I talk about:

* three reasons why engagement is so important for authors and writers

* the different kinds of engagement you might want to cultivate

* and how you can use Instagram to get your audience commenting under your posts

One of the tactics I mention is how you can use games to engage your audience and I reference this post that includes some ideas:

Curious about the TOO MUCH INSTAGRAM membership?

This is where I make Instagram feel doable and sustainable. Expect ideas, encouragement, advice, and - best of all - no more shouting into the void!

Members enjoy:

* weekly check in chats - talk about your post plans (great for accountability) and get advice

* fortnightly Content Create-alongs - ring fence some time to create content and I’ll answer any questions you have

* monthly Ask Me Anything clinics - space for me to give you more in depth advice and guidance

* regular resources such as tutorials, post ideas and guest speakers to learn from in your own time, including the Reel-y Simple Reels series and the Growth Sprint

To become a member today, upgrade your subscription 👇🏼

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nicolawashington.substack.com/subscribe