{"id":64716,"date":"2019-07-02T10:02:41","date_gmt":"2019-07-02T10:02:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.easypromosapp.com\/blog\/promote-recipe-cookbook\/"},"modified":"2026-03-27T14:13:02","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T13:13:02","slug":"promote-recipe-cookbook","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.easypromosapp.com\/blog\/en\/promote-recipe-cookbook\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Promote a Cookbook on Social Media and Reach More Readers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Here’s the good news: book sales just keep growing every year, and cookbooks are a huge part of that. In fact, recipe ebook sales grew by 21%<\/a> in 2017-2018. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the bad news? Well… if you want a slice of that success pie, then you need to do the work. Traditional publishers don’t offer the in-depth marketing support<\/a> that some authors expect, and if you’re a self-published chef, then you’ll be totally reliant on your own resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So how can you promote a cookbook on social media, without blowing your budget or burning out? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What makes your recipe book unique?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before we dive right in, there’s one essential question to ask. Think of this section as pre-heating your oven<\/strong> before you start mixing up the ingredients in your social media strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because cookbooks are so popular right now, you’ll be publishing in a crowded market. And we have hard evidence that recipe books with a theme – like low carb meals, or recipes to make with an air fryer – perform the strongest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So here’s the question: What makes your recipe book unique?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The answer to that question is the foundation of your strategy to promote a cookbook on social media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let’s take an example: Gill Meller, a notable chef and food writer from the UK. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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His “unique selling point” (USP) is that he cooks with local, seasonal, and even wild ingredients. And he uses those values in everything he does: creating restaurant menus, writing recipe books, and even posting on Instagram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So what makes your book different? What’s your USP?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Foster a genuine community<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Social media has been a real gift to authors, publishers, and marketers over the last few years<\/a>. It enables you to connect with readers, around the world, almost as if you were having a face-to-face conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But there is a flip side. Because social media makes real relationships possible, people are extra-sensitive to sales talk<\/strong> and inauthenticity. In other words: the hard sell doesn’t work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead, you need to spend time building a genuine community<\/strong>. That means not just the readers who pay for your books, but also other chefs, other authors, and people who just want to see what you’re cooking up from day-to-day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You don’t want to push your book right away; you want to lay off the foundation of trust so that people will choose your cookbook without being bullied into it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BookBub has some great ideas for fostering a community in this blog<\/a>. Try a few different networks and ideas, and see what sticks! Most of all, remember that every community is unique – just like your cookbook. You’ll soon learn what suits your followers, and what doesn’t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Build your presence across social media<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Part of growing your community is creating a recognizable brand<\/strong>. You want to use a consistent voice and style across all your social media channels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take a look at this example: Budget Bytes<\/a>, a hugely popular food blog that’s produced multiple recipe books and even an app. Their Pinterest profile has an instantly recognizable style. Every photo post uses the same birds-eye-view angle, custom font, and bright colors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Even if you’re not a design expert, you can add this touch of class to your own posts. Spend some time playing around with a photo editing app, or pick out a color scheme for your social media posts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make sure you spread your presence across a few different social networks, too. While you don’t need to be on every single site, you don’t want to put all your eggs in one basket. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Start by connecting up your communities on different social networks: encourage people to follow you on all your accounts, or run a multi-network giveaway to unite Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter followers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adding people to your mailing list will also protect you from any sudden changes in social media algorithms. The glorious dessert blogger David Lebovitz has a list of food blog newsletters<\/a> that are worth reading – and learning from. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Visit our blog post about book giveaways on social media<\/a> for more tips, examples, and inspiration.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Have a regular posting schedule<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Once you’re set up on a range of social networks, it’s time to get organized. Scheduling your content in advance is less stressful than posting minute-by-minute. What’s more, your followers will appreciate a feed of varied, reliable<\/strong> posts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plus: we can’t make any promises, but regular posts may help your profile get more traction. On some networks – especially Instagram – <\/strong>your viewing figures seem very closely linked to how often you post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So what does variety look like? Once again, let’s take a peek at the experts. You’ve probably heard of Smitten Kitchen, another cult food blog that offers delicious, but achievable, recipes online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Their Facebook feed has a healthy mix of different content, from cookbook trailers to newsletters and teaser recipes. You’ll notice that all the posts above are videos: video content is more successful on Facebook than static posts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you’re getting tired of producing beautiful, finished shots, then don’t be afraid to share some photos from behind the scenes. This kind of content doesn’t have to be super polished – and your followers will absolutely love it.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Create a sensory experience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

So far, we’ve talked a lot about authenticity<\/strong>. Having something unique to share with your readers. Creating a genuine community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But there is one significant problem to overcome when you promote a cookbook on social media. Unfortunately – even with all the modern technology of 2019 – there’s no way to share a taste, smell, or texture<\/strong> online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Food and cooking are deeply sensory experiences, covering the boundary between mental and physical enjoyment. So how do you translate that on to the screen?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, until WonkaVision becomes a reality, our best solution is video and photographs<\/strong>. You can use these to show texture and color, even if people can’t really taste the delicious snacks on screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is another opportunity to define your brand, too. Let’s take a look at how some recipe blogs design their social media differently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First up, we have Spoon Fork Bacon, a classic comfort food blog. Their Instagram feed is full of warm red and yellow tones. They make us feel all cozy inside, like a really good bowl of mac’n’cheese or an old-school apple pie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And now for the contrast: Sprouted Kitchen, a blog for “approachable, health-conscious recipes”. This Instagram page is packed with cool, almost sepia-toned photos. It’s minimalist. Pure. Focused on the bare ingredients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Video content will add another dimension to these photos, too. Use sound to evoke your recipes: the crunch of a fresh cookie, the sound of a spoon stirring a pan full of melting chocolate. Use photo and video captions to describe the taste of your food in loving detail. Don’t be afraid to get a little ~sensual~.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To sum up: Social media is cold, but the food is <\/strong>hot<\/strong>.<\/em> Make people feel it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Share teaser photos and recipes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

OK, enough about general strategies on social media. What about the most important part: promoting your cookbook<\/strong>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let’s start with the run-up to your publishing date. You want to build the hype and show people what’s on offer – without<\/em> giving away all the secrets you wrote in your recipe book. It’s a difficult balance to strike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One method is to share teasers<\/strong> from your book. Start with something small – a fragment of a photo, a corner of the cover – and work up to bigger spoilers. In the last few weeks before the book is released, you can share teaser recipes to give people a taste of what’s to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can be smart with how you share these recipes, too. If you don’t want to give away a recipe to everyone online – then don’t!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Offer exclusive recipes to people who sign up for your newsletter, or pre-order the book. Just make sure you announce those exclusives on social media, so that everyone else knows what they’re missing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Run giveaways to increase followers and engagement<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Another way to tease your recipe book is to give it away… but only a few copies!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Social media giveaways are very easy to set up. It’s as simple as making a post on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or YouTube – then using an app<\/a> to harvest the comments and pick a winner. You can even collect comments from several different social networks, with a multi-network giveaway app.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, the main goal here is to get more attention and encourage sales from people who aren’t lucky enough to win a copy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But you can also use giveaways as a tool to make your social media strategy more efficient. For example, you’ll get a ton of statistics<\/strong> from the giveaway about which social networks are most active, what time your followers are online, and so on. Use that info to time your next few posts!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also use the giveaway post itself to learn more about your readers<\/strong>. Remember, you want to pick a winner from the comments. So start a conversation by asking an engaging question. Here are a few ideas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n