The BookToktors: Recent Episodes
A.K. Mulford & Anne Kemp
Welcome to the BookToktors! We're authors A.K. Mulford and Anne Kemp, here to help you grow your online community, have more fun on social media, and sell more books! Join us each week for a deep dive discussion into the world of BookTok and social media as a whole.
This episode is all about updates. Anne and Ali talk about the Romance Writers of Australia conference they are headed to next month, including when and where they will be, as well as their plans outside of the conference. They talk about the new social media platform, Threads, how easy it is to use, and how they are using it. They also give advice on how to evaluate whether a platform is doing enough for you and deciding to stay with it or not. They talk a bit about their new courses, what they can teach you, and how to get a 20% discount. As this is the last episode for a couple of months, Anne and Ali talk about how they will be changing their format for next year. They want to invite more guests and do more interviews, so if you have any ideas or suggestions, please leave them in the comments or email team@sustainablesocials.com
To find out more about our new courses, you can check them out here.
And don't forget to join Patreon to claim your 20% off discount code!
For coaching, community, and social media support, check out our Patreon!
Want free TikTok tips, tricks, and trending sounds? Sign up for our newsletter!
Find us on our website at https://www.sustainablesocials.com/
In this Patreon Q&A episode, Anne and Ali answer a question about how much of their social media they do themselves, vs how much they turn over to someone else. They talk about the importance of having an authentic social media presence, and also the importance of having help that compliments you, so that you are less likely to encounter burnout. They discuss Anne's new book detailing what a PA can do and how they can get started. They also talk about how to consider what type of PA or VA you may need, and what they can bring to the table.
For coaching, community, and social media support, check out our Patreon!
Want free TikTok tips, tricks, and trending sounds? Sign up for our newsletter!
Find us on our website at https://www.sustainablesocials.com/
In this week's special episode, Anne and Ali sit down with Michael Evans, the creator of Ream- a subscription based platform made for authors by authors. Michael talks about his path to creating Ream, including the struggles he had along the way, that lead him to developing a space for authors to create community and cultivate superfans. They talk about performance marketing vs brand marketing, and the importance of building a community with your readers, rather than just selling to them. They also talk about changing your mindset to nurture the the community you have, build trust, and create an engagement loop, as well as maintaining a sustainable business and online presence.
To learn more about Michael and his story, check out his website.
You can learn more about Ream and find valuable author resources here, or start a Ream subscription account here.
And don't forget to check out the Subscriptions for Authors Facebook page.
For coaching, community, and social media support, check out our Patreon!
Want free TikTok tips, tricks, and trending sounds? Sign up for our newsletter!
Find us on our website at https://www.sustainablesocials.com/
In this special episode, Anne and Ali interview psychologist Dr. Madeleine Amie, who has been working as a counseling psychologist for over 15 years in New Zealand and Australia. They talk about Madeleine's work around the Fierce Fawn which is part of the survival response. They discuss how this response can contribute to imposter syndrome, how it can affect our presence on social media, and how to avoid emotional burnout. Madeleine also talks about being aware of our tolerance levels, the physical symptoms that can be brought on by stress response, and knowing when to take a break.
If you want more of Dr. Madeleine Amie, or to learn more about the fawn response, you can find her on Instagram @thefiercefawn.
For coaching, community, and social media support, check out our Patreon!
Want free TikTok tips, tricks, and trending sounds? Sign up for our newsletter!
Find us on our website at https://www.sustainablesocials.com/
In this week's episode, Anne and Ali dive further into PR and what it can mean for you. They talk about setting realistic goals, defining your boundaries with publicists, and managing your expectations. They give examples of ways you can get PR, even on a budget, and when you aren't able to work with a publicist. They also discuss the importance of creating a PR kit for yourself.
Do you have a PR kit? We'd love to know what you have in it. Drop us a line to tell us what is in your kit, or to ask us any questions you may have, at team@sustainablesocials.com.
For coaching, community, and social media support, check out our Patreon!
Want free TikTok tips, tricks, and trending sounds? Sign up for our newsletter!
Find us on our website at https://www.sustainablesocials.com/
In this episode, Anne and Ali answer a Patreon question about Motivation. They discuss the challenges of staying motivated when exhaustion sets in and explore the importance of recognizing your own limits to prevent burnout. They talk about how important it is to have fun, and to ensure you are taking care of yourself. They also talk about what consistency really means, and how to use the tools at your disposal to keep showing up when you want to, but are having those low motivation days.
We'd love to have you join our Patreon discord group, and ask us any questions you may have.
For coaching, community, and social media support, check out our Patreon!
Want free TikTok tips, tricks, and trending sounds? Sign up for our newsletter!
Find us on our website at https://www.sustainablesocials.com/
Welcome to PR June! In this episode, Anne and Ali introduce the theme of the month and discuss the difference between PR and marketing. Anne explains what PR is, and gives examples of how to distinguish that from your marketing strategy. She also talks about mindset and being strategic.
Anne and Ali both give ideas and examples of how they have gone about getting PR, even on a very limited or no budget. They also discuss the importance of hearing “no”, respecting it, and realizing that sometimes that "no" might just be a "not right now".
If you have any questions about PR, send them our way! We will be happy to get you those answers. You can email us any time at team@sustainablesocials.com.
For coaching, community, and social media support, check out our Patreon!
Want free TikTok tips, tricks, and trending sounds? Sign up for our newsletter!
Find us on our website at https://www.sustainablesocials.com/
In this episode, Anne and Ali discuss the things they've been up to recently. Ali talks about their upcoming book release, and how they are preparing for it, and having fun on social media. Anne talks about the book she is currently writing, as well as a new non-fiction book she recently released. They also talk about being strategic with newsletters and how that has worked out.
What are you up to? Do you have any upcoming or recent book launches, or are you doing anything exciting this month? We'd love to hear about it. Email us at team@sustainablesocials.com
For coaching, community, and social media support, check out our Patreon!
Want free TikTok tips, tricks, and trending sounds? Sign up for our newsletter!
Find us on our website at https://www.sustainablesocials.com/
In this episode, Anne and Ali answer a question from patrons, about how they use their drafts. They each talk about how they personally use their TikTok drafts, and how many they usually have. They give tips and advice about different types of drafts you can make and how they can be used to your advantage. They also talk a little about CapCut and how to save templates to your drafts for later use.
How do you use your drafts? How many do you have?
Send us an email at team@sustainable socials to let us know!
For coaching, community, and social media support, check out our Patreon!
Want free TikTok tips, tricks, and trending sounds? Sign up for our newsletter!
Find us on our website at https://www.sustainablesocials.com/
In this episode, Anne and Ali talk about strengthening the community you have built, and getting people to keep showing up. They talk about what you can do to help your followers feel valued and appreciated, while also creating connections and deepening bonds. They also discuss keeping the balance between not enough and too much, when it comes to offerings and engagement from you.
We want to know, what do you do to keep people wanting to come back? How do you get them to keep opening your newsletter or showing up in your social media platforms.?
Send us an email at team@sustainablesocials.com and tell us your thoughts!
For coaching, community, and social media support, check out our Patreon!
Want free TikTok tips, tricks, and trending sounds? Sign up for our newsletter!
Find us on our website at https://www.sustainablesocials.com/
In this episode, Anne and Ali talk about how to get people following you in the right places. They discuss where and how to offer the right level of engagement to meet your followers' needs, as well as how to get people to follow you from one platform to the next. They also talk about simple and fun ways to reward your followers, and encourage them to also spread the word for you, and help you build your community.
For coaching, community, and social media support, check out our Patreon!
Want free TikTok tips, tricks, and trending sounds? Sign up for our newsletter!
Find us on our website at https://www.sustainablesocials.com/
May is all about building community. In this episode, Anne and Ali focus on building a foundation for your community- how to pull people together and build the start of a fandom. They talk about the specific elements of community and how to bring them together in a way that gets people talking and wanting to be in your community. They also discuss platforms where you can build your community, and ways to use those platforms for laying your foundation.
For coaching, community, and social media support, check out our Patreon!
Want free TikTok tips, tricks, and trending sounds? Sign up for our newsletter!
Find us on our website at https://www.sustainablesocials.com/
In this final episode of Engagement April, Anne and Ali introduce three of the thirteen TikTok tropes. They talk about the Seinfeld, the Movement, and Big Feelings. They give examples of how to use each of the three tropes, and how they can improve engagement on your page. They also share some information about their courses that are coming soon.
If you have tried any of these TikTok tropes, we'd love to see it, and hear how it has affected your engagement!
Send us a link you your video at team@sustainablesocials.com.
For coaching, community, and social media support, check out our Patreon!
Want free TikTok tips, tricks, and trending sounds? Sign up for our newsletter!
Find us on our website at https://www.sustainablesocials.com/
This week Anne and Ali answer questions from their patrons. They talk about asking the right questions, as well as how to time those questions and phrase them for maximum engagement. They also discuss using CapCut to easily make content that is on trend, and how doing so will help increase engagement.
We'd love to know how you are asking questions or using CapCut to get engagement. Drop us a line at team@sustainablesocials.com. We love hearing from you.
Do you have any questions you'd like us to answer in a podcast episode? Head over to our Patreon page to see how you can get in on the fun!
For coaching, community, and social media support, check out our Patreon!
Want free TikTok tips, tricks, and trending sounds? Sign up for our newsletter!
Find us on our website at https://www.sustainablesocials.com/
This week. Anne and Ali talk about what you can do to make people feel welcome on your social media, in your newsletter, and in other spaces where you are trying to build and maintain a community. They talk about the importance of sharing who you are, not just what you do, and getting to know your community. They also discuss the importance of actively engaging with your community, and and making content that is relevant to everyone in your audience.
If you've found a way to make people feel welcome, or if you just organically have a way of making people feel welcome, tell us about it!
Are there any pages, creators, or accounts you follow that make you feel welcome- on any social media outlet, in newsletters, etc.? What kinds of things make you feel welcome?
We genuinely want to know! Please email us at team@sustainablesocials.com and share your thoughts.
For coaching, community, and social media support, check out our Patreon!
Want free TikTok tips, tricks, and trending sounds? Sign up for our newsletter!
Find us on our website at https://www.sustainablesocials.com/
The month of April is all about engagement. In this episode, Anne and Ali talk about how to keep people watching to the end of your videos. They give specific examples of how to use questions, hooks, images, or trending sounds to keep your viewers watching, and how to use your energy and timing to pull people in. They also talk about how to use timing to get people hanging around through the beginning of the video again, or even multiple times.
Do you have any tricks for engagement that have worked for you? Or do you have something you've stumbled on that works with your following and your readers?
Be sure to let us know! You can email us at team@sustainablesocials.com
For coaching, community, and social media support, check out our Patreon!
Want free TikTok tips, tricks, and trending sounds? Sign up for our newsletter!
Find us on our website at https://www.sustainablesocials.com/
In this last Mental Health March episode, Anne and Ali talk about Imposter Syndrome, what it is, and how to handle it. They talk about ways to set goals, and evaluate your success in constructive ways. They discuss how imposter syndrome has affected them, and how they have handled it, as well as different ways of looking at it to help change your mindset.
Have you ever felt imposter syndrome? How did you deal with it?
Send us an email at team@sustainablesocials.com and let us know!
For coaching, community, and social media support, check out our Patreon!
Want free TikTok tips, tricks, and trending sounds? Sign up for our newsletter!
Find us on our website at https://www.sustainablesocials.com/
As Mental Health March continues, Anne and Ali bring you tips for things you can do now to help protect your mental health. They talk about how to plan and organize what you will be doing on social media, in a way that fits your needs and energy level. They give tips on setting healthy boundaries and being aware of how social media affects you. They also discuss counterbalancing your time on social media by intentionally doing other activities, even when you don't feel like you are burnt out, and having a support system outside of social media.
Let us know what you find helpful. What are some of your tips and tricks to help you with social media and mental health?
Please email us at team@sustainablesocials.com and tell us what you think.
For coaching, community, and social media support, check out our Patreon!
Want free TikTok tips, tricks, and trending sounds? Sign up for our newsletter!
Find us on our website at https://www.sustainablesocials.com/
In this second Mental Health March episode, Anne and Ali talk about using duets and stitches to create content when you don't feel up to making content, but want to post something. They talk about specific ways you can use duets and stitches, and how easy it can be to find quality videos to use for them. They also give examples of good content to use and how it can be beneficial to you, even if it has nothing to do with what you actually write.
We want to know, do you do duets or stitches? Is there a specific kind of content you like to duet or stitch? Anne has firefighters, and Ali has thigh thirst traps. What is your thing?
Are you are more of an Instagram person? Let us know, and we'll show you how to take advantage of these tools there too!
Email us your thoughts team@sustainablesocials.com
We love hearing from you!
For coaching, community, and social media support, check out our Patreon!
Want free TikTok tips, tricks, and trending sounds? Sign up for our newsletter!
Find us on our website at https://www.sustainablesocials.com/
Anne and Ali talk about three things they each do to protect their mental health when it comes to social media. They discuss the importance of having writer friends that you can lean on when you need to, or even family members that can hold you accountable to taking a break when you need it. They also talk about how to make content on your low days that will allow you to show up when you want to, but won't take as much energy when you need some down time.
Social media has a way of grabbing us and holding on. We would like for you to try a little experiment: Next time you open TikTok (or any other social media app), what are the first three videos or posts you see? We'd love to know.
We also want to know, how do you handle social media moments when you need a break? What are some of the things you do to take care of your mental health and make sure you're not burning yourself out on social media?
Please email us at team@sustainablesocials.com, and give us your thoughts. We love hearing from you!
For coaching, community, and social media support, check out our Patreon!
Want free TikTok tips, tricks, and trending sounds? Sign up for our newsletter!
Find us on our website at https://www.sustainablesocials.com/
This week, Anne and Ali talk about low view days and why they can actually be a good thing. They discuss how having days when your videos aren't taking off can help to boost views on your other videos. They stress the importance of having joy in the content you are making because whatever energy you put into it will be felt by your audience. They also talk about the difference between sharing and selling, and how it can affect the value of your content.
Have you had a low view day? What do you do?
We'd love to hear about your low view days and how you handle them, so please email us at team@sustainablesocials.com and let us know!
For coaching, community, and social media support, check out our Patreon!
Want free TikTok tips, tricks, and trending sounds? Sign up for our newsletter!
Find us on our website at https://www.sustainablesocials.com/
In this episode, Anne and Ali talk about the importance of mental health, especially when it comes to interacting with social media. They discuss some of the science behind it, and cite some studies they have looked into, including one that showed how the type of content you create and consume can start to affect your life even outside of social media. They also talk about how to set boundaries and avoid comparing yourself to others. They have gathered up some resources on the topic, and the studies mentioned, which are linked below.
helpguide.org
National Institute of Health (US)
Change your Brain: Neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Huberman (podcast)
Plant Bullying Experiment
We would love to hear your thoughts about how social media has affected you and your mental health, or anything that you have noticed or gone through with it. Please email us at team@sustainablesocials.com.
For coaching, community, and social media support, check out our Patreon!
Want free TikTok tips, tricks, and trending sounds? Sign up for our newsletter!
Find us on our website at https://www.sustainablesocials.com/
In this week's episode, Anne and Ali talk about going live on TikTok. They give strategies for getting past the initial fear or awkwardness of going live for the first time, and share examples of how they have gotten past it. They also talk about the two different kinds of lives, give content ideas, and discuss how to deal with any trolls that may pop up.
Let us know if you go live!
We love hearing from you, and want to cheer you on.
Please email us at team@sustainablesocials.com to let us know how your live goes, or if you have any questions.
*Note- We are taking a short break from going live ourselves, to work on a special project. More info coming soon!
For coaching, community, and social media support, check out our Patreon!
Want free TikTok tips, tricks, and trending sounds? Sign up for our newsletter!
Find us on our website at https://www.sustainablesocials.com/
This week, Anne and Ali discuss how TikTok advice is like a rumor- it may be true for the person giving it, but it's not true for everyone. They stress the importance of playing and experimenting to find what works for YOU, and not allowing yourself to feel like you've failed if what worked for someone else doesn't work for you. They talk about how social media works best when you are authentic to yourself and what brings you joy, versus what everyone else is doing.
For coaching, community, and social media support, check out our Patreon!
Want free TikTok tips, tricks, and trending sounds? Sign up for our newsletter!
Find us on our website at https://www.sustainablesocials.com/
Anne and Ali discuss a powerful tool that not enough people talk about- the authentic ask. They talk about the benefits of authentically asking for something, and how it helps you AND your community. They give personal examples of how they have used this tool to get help from their communities, while also getting the benefit of stronger engagement. They also give tips on how to be truly authentic in your ask, versus just asking a question to drum up engagement.
If you were going to ask a question, what would it be?
Or, if you have, where have you tried it? And how did it go?
We’d love to see your answers, so please email us at team@sustainablesocials.com
For coaching, community, and social media support, check out our Patreon!
Want free TikTok tips, tricks, and trending sounds? Sign up for our newsletter!
Find us on our website at https://www.sustainablesocials.com/
This week, Anne and Ali talk about what happens when things aren't going the way you'd like and, well, s#!t hits the fan. They give examples of how to reach out for help when you need it, and how to lean on your community. They use personal examples to illustrate how taking a step back when you need to is OK, and taking care of yourself needs to be a priority.
*Note: As the title suggests, there are a few occurrences of the word "s#!t" in this episode.
For coaching, community, and social media support, check out our Patreon!
Want free TikTok tips, tricks, and trending sounds? Sign up for our newsletter!
Find us on our website at https://www.sustainablesocials.com/
In this month's Patreon Q&A episode, Anne and Ali address questions about consistency in posting, and the effective use of hashtags. They give tips on how to be consistent, even when life tries to get in the way, and how to revive your TikTok if you do need to step away for a time. They also talk about how to use and experiment with hashtags, and when to keep or change the hashtags you are using. They have decided to do a hashtag experiment, themselves, and would love to see your hashtag suggestions in the comments.
For coaching, community, and social media support, check out our Patreon!
Want free TikTok tips, tricks, and trending sounds? Sign up for our newsletter!
Find us on our website at https://www.sustainablesocials.com/
In this first episode of 2023, Anne and Ali talk about setting goals for the year and reveal their goals for their author careers, as well as for Sustainable Socials. They talk about their rebranding from The BookToktors and how they want to focus on sustainability, while providing strategies that will be helpful for years to come. They also discuss focusing on mental health, finding ways to start conversations about it, and preventing burnout.
For coaching, community, and social media support, check out our Patreon!
Want free TikTok tips, tricks, and trending sounds? Sign up for our newsletter!
Find us on our website at https://www.sustainablesocials.com/
Anne and Ali talk about all the things they have accomplished in 2022, including how the BookToktors came to be. They talk about their words for the year and what they mean to them. They also discuss stepping back to reflect on the year, and having gratitude for the experiences as well as the things they have learned. They will be back in the new year with more tips, tricks, and advice to help you on your social media journey.
For coaching, community, and social media support, check out our Patreon!
Want free TikTok tips, tricks, and trending sounds? Sign up for our newsletter!
Find us on our website at https://www.sustainablesocials.com/
This week the BookToktors talk about why views aren't as important as you may think. They stress the importance of investing in your community rather than focusing on views. They also discuss the value of having fun, creating content people want to see, and avoiding advice that isn't suited to your purpose.
For coaching, community, and social media support, check out our Patreon!
Want free TikTok tips, tricks, and trending sounds? Sign up for our newsletter!
Find us on our website at https://www.sustainablesocials.com/
The BookToktors answer questions from their Patreon community. In this week’s episode, Anne and Ali talk about the order of testing tweaks to your TikTok videos and experimenting with new strategies, as well as how to keep people watching your post until the end. They discuss the importance of a good hook and the difference between obsessing over views and obsessing over viewers.
For coaching, community, and social media support, check out our Patreon!
Want free TikTok tips, tricks, and trending sounds? Sign up for our newsletter!
Find us on our website at https://www.sustainablesocials.com/
The Booktoktors talk about finding that work/life balance that allows you to show up for your family, while maintaining your social media presence. They give tips for limiting the time you are spending on social media, without taking away from your business. They also discuss setting rules for yourself to help you create healthy habits, so you can take a break (especially during the holidays) without feeling guilty.
For coaching, community, and social media support, check out our Patreon!
Want free TikTok tips, tricks, and trending sounds? Sign up for our newsletter!
Find us on our website at https://www.thebooktoktors.com/
In this week’s episode, The BookToktors discuss best practices when preparing for the holidays. They talk about batching content and give suggestions for what type of content does best during this sometimes chaotic season. They also give tips about creating graphics and taking pictures of fun things to maintain engagement while being able to step away and enjoy the holidays.
For coaching, community, and social media support, check out our Patreon!
Want free TikTok tips, tricks, and trending sounds? Sign up for our newsletter!
Find us on our website at https://www.thebooktoktors.com/
The BookToktors sit down with fellow author, and Patreon member, Donna Blaber to discuss her TikTok journey. Coming from a journalism background and suddenly being on the other side of the camera, Donna talks about how putting herself out there and being authentic helped her find her voice and confidence. They also discuss the power of the BookTok community in allowing readers to get to know authors, but also authors to get to know their readers.
You can Follow Donna on TikTok @donnablaberauthor
For coaching, community, and social media support, check out our Patreon!
Want free TikTok tips, tricks, and trending sounds? Sign up for our newsletter!
Find us on our website at https://www.thebooktoktors.com/
Anne and Ali sit down to answer some questions from their Patreon subscribers. They discuss batching strategies and how best to vary your content as well as ensure you have content for the days you're "just not feeling it." They talk about how best to use the drafts feature in TikTok to your advantage, and give tips on how to make engaging content while having fun and keeping balance- within your TikTok community, and your personal life.
For coaching, community, and social media support, check out our Patreon!
Want free TikTok tips, tricks, and trending sounds? Sign up for our newsletter!
Find us on our website at https://www.thebooktoktors.com/
Anne and Ali talk about hype mode and making the most of TikTok to help promote new releases. They discuss strategies, tips, and tricks for taking advantage of all the platform has to offer, including what kinds of sounds to use, timing of posts, and frequency of posts. They also discuss how to get more attention to your posts by varying your content.
For coaching, community, and social media support, check out our Patreon!
Want free TikTok tips, tricks, and trending sounds? Sign up for our newsletter!
Find us on our website at https://www.thebooktoktors.com/
Kseniia Spodyneiko, a long time Instagram influencer, sits down with the BookToktors to discuss the differences between Instagram and TikTok. She shares her tips for using hashtags, making your Reels more aesthetically pleasing, and increasing engagement. She also addresses some rumors about the algorithms and how to safeguard your account. You can find Kseniia on Instagram and TikTok @thestylejungle
https://www.instagram.com/thestylejungle/
https://www.tiktok.com/@thestylejungle
If you are looking for help with Instagram for your business, check out Kseniia’s Instagram Reels for Your Business course.
For coaching, community, and social media support, check out our Patreon!
Want free TikTok tips, tricks, and trending sounds? Sign up for our newsletter!
Find us on our website at https://www.thebooktoktors.com/
Welcome to the BookToktors! We're authors A.K. Mulford and Anne Kemp, here to help you grow your online community, have more fun on social media, and sell more books! Join us each week for a deep dive discussion into the world of BookTok and social media as a whole.
Find us on our website at https://www.thebooktoktors.com/
Join us on our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/booktoktors
Sign up for our newsletter at https://subscribepage.io/sK2CHr