Which social media links should you add to your author website?
During our project, it’s not unusual for my client to mention that they intend to start posting on a new social media channel, at roughly the same time as we launch their new author website. I often suspect this is in response to me asking which social media accounts they want to link to, and I worry that this (relatively) innocent question is influencing their actions.
In fact, instead of agreeing that they should be on multiple social media platforms, it’s more common for me to recommend a thoughtful pause before this new activity. Why?
First, let’s look at what’s involved in adding your profiles to your Squarespace website. (Spoiler alert: this is the straightforward bit!)
How easy is it to link up your Squarespace website to your social media accounts?
From a technical point of view, linking from your Squarespace author website to any social media accounts that you choose is no problem. The social links block is especially handy because you’ll enter your links once, and they’ll update across your website, anywhere you use that block.
Adding a link to a new account later is very easy. Again, edit your social links block once, and everything will stay in sync.
Squarespace does a nice job of automatically displaying the correct icon, if it recognizes the social platform and considers it to be sufficiently mainstream.
You can see the current list of available social platform logos here.
As of December 2024, writer faves like Substack and Bluesky are not available yet: if you add those links, you’ll see a generic link icon. This can be adjusted using a few tricks and some custom CSS, but unless you love techie adventures, it’s the kind of task you probably want to leave to a professional website designer like me.
On the other hand, I think removing the social media icons from your site altogether is fine!
Surprised? Given that you might have heard that “all authors should be on social media”, why am I not pushing you in that direction?
Because: I believe that until now, book marketing advice has been far too much one size fits all, and there isn’t enough discussion of your natural preferences in how you want to spend your time.
Why you might want to be cautious about social media links on your author website
If you hate social media, you won’t do it (right), and it won’t work
Almost any book publicist that you hire is going to encourage some kind of social media activity to support your book.
However, I am adamant that if you're not already on social media and enjoying it, there’s a reason. You’ve had enough years to explore the benefits of social media in other areas of your life, and to find a platform that feels like a pleasure to use. So if you’re happy interacting on Facebook or you love commenting on other people’s Instagram photos, great. If not, that is important information, and trying to start this habit just because you have a book to promote may not be a strong enough “why”.
For every author who loves social media, I’d say there’s at least one who shuns it. Overall, many authors report that social media feels like a huge burden, and there’s always strong interest in workshops about how to market your book without it.
In particular, starting a new account specifically for your book is a big lift
There’s a lot to learn, and often you’ll spend months building relationships and supporting others, before seeing any useful traction with an audience that will support you. The most common pitfall is thinking you just need to be “on” social media, instead of being “social” when you’re there. In practical terms, the biggest mistake is only ever pushing your own information, instead of engaging in conversations, cheering for others, and nurturing relationships. Social media does not succeed for (lesser known) authors if “buy my book” is all that people see. Posting and ghosting doesn’t create authentic connections. This is why many authors complain that social media is a time suck that doesn't work.
One more consideration: if you start posting diligently on social media, you will get questions and comments from readers through those channels too. Do direct messages stress you out and distract from your writing? Can you allocate the time to keep up with them? Will scrolling and responding become a procrastination technique?
Another way to use social media
I will write a future article about a marketing tactic that I believe is massively overlooked: collaborating and building your audience by (politely) borrowing other people’s audiences. In short, it can be much more effective to use social media to nurture relationships with collaboration partners who will then introduce you happily to their readers and listeners, instead of trying to grow your own audience entirely from scratch.
In time, of course, you would return the favor, but this approach — where a rising tide lifts all of the boats — can be faster, more efficient, and ultimately more rewarding than patiently building your readership one by one.
With this mindset, your posting activity will be more along the lines of leaving comments like I really enjoyed what you said about… or perhaps This is great, how can I support your work instead of sharing your own news and desired actions, week after week.
Don’t link to accounts that aren’t current and on brand
Two more mistakes I see when linking to social media accounts:
You’re no longer actively posting there, so you’re effectively sending interested readers away from your website to dead information. This is like throwing a party and having a beautifully clean home, but putting out food that’s past its expiration date.
The content isn’t intentional or clashes with your writing. It’s fine to show varied information — in fact, not everything should be about your book — but be thoughtful about whether your family vacation photos or political opinions contribute to what you want to be known for. Some authors take a stand on important social topics, and I fully support that, as long as it’s a decision, not an accident.
And remember, it’s borrowed land!
Finally, a quick reminder of a truth you’ve likely heard before: social media is borrowed land. Algorithms change, fees are introduced, companies get taken over, and occasionally even legislators in your country might ban your favorite platform.
If you invite interested readers to your website and to join your email list, instead of driving traffic to social media, you’ll build a long-term asset that’s considerably more robust.
Conclusion
I’m certainly not against social media. If your audience uses it, and you enjoy that same platform, great. (Even better if if they use it to discover their next read or to solve a problem that you help with.) But if the intersection of their interest and your willingness is missing, then I think you’re setting yourself up for drudgery instead of delight.
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Are you ready to sell more books?
Thoughtful discussions like this, and a careful understanding of the marketing tactics and website features that are right for you are some of the reasons why my clients love collaborating with me on an author website.
If you want a site that delights your readers and sets you up for business results, let’s design, build, and launch your online home. Learn more, and then schedule a complimentary chat with me.
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