How Readers Are Propelling the #BookTok Community
OK, if you are not a part of Gen Z, chances are you might feel the slightest bit intimidated by the social media hotspot that is known as TikTok. The personalized video app has taken the world by storm since its early launch days in 2016. You can find everything from the latest viral dance trends to step-by-step guides on how to create top-tier cuisine; you can also find a thriving book community.
Yes, you read that right! TikTok has become another avenue for book lovers and authors to connect. TikTok users are able to post reviews of their favorite books and interact in real time with fellow readers with hashtags like #BookTok and #bookrecommendations.
Here’s how TikTok is propelling the next generation of readers forward:
1. Older books are finding a new life.
TikTok has become a burgeoning opportunity for authors to connect with a new and younger audience. New York Times bestselling author Adam Silvera experienced this firsthand when his book “They Both Die at the End” received an unexpected resurgence in sales in 2020. The book was originally published in 2017, but after it found popularity in the TikTok world, it skyrocketed up the New York Times’ young adult paperback monthly bestseller list. That was April 2020, and it still sits in the №1 spot today.
2. New authors are launching their careers.
TikTok also presents a unique opportunity for first-time authors to launch their careers. Once the BookTok community picks up on a new title or author, it’s like giving milk to a baby. Author Chloe Gong, who has amassed 84.7 followers and 2.1 million likes on the app, became a NYT bestseller after she shared her book with the TikTok community. That’s pretty amazing considering she only joined the platform in April 2020.
3. Unlike other social media platforms, TikTok’s algorithm prioritizes exposure to new followers.
The success of authors like Chloe Gong is possible because of TikTok’s algorithm. Whereas Instagram and Twitter share a user’s content with people they follow, TikTok is designed to expose you to a broader audience. On TikTok, a sound can trend the same way a hashtag or effect does on other social media platforms. For example, whenever a user likes a video, the TikTok algorithm shows you other videos that use the same music or sound. TikTok also has the highest engagement of any major social media platform, which means more opportunities for exposure for authors!
4. Users are able to engage through the #BookTok hashtag.
During the pandemic, one thing that people missed the most was human interaction. It’s no wonder that the #BookTok community has done so well in the past year because it allowed book lovers to connect and engage with each other. Never before have readers been able to interact with other readers in real time.
5. Readers take the spotlight and drive the conversation on their experience with books.
Another cool thing about the #BookTok community is that it puts readers at the forefront of the conversation on today’s literature. The platform empowers readers to highlight their experiences in video book reviews that often go viral. This allows readers to feel seen and share how they personally relate to and were impacted by the book.
We are loving how TikTok is bringing a love of reading to the next generation!
Have you discovered any great books on TikTok? Share them with us @meetcopper so we can continue to share them with our Copper Community.
Photo by Alexis Brown on Unsplash
