The Written Word Podcast

What does a CEO who's run social media campaigns for Nike, IKEA, Samsung, and Crocs think authors should be doing on social right now? In this episode, Ferol sits down with Jim Tobin, CEO of Ignite Social Media, founder of influencer marketing agency Carusele, and a two-time published author, for a frank, tactical conversation about what's actually working in social media today and how indie authors can apply it.

What you’ll learn:

  • Why social discovery has overtaken Google search, and what that means for how readers find books in 2026
  • The three-second hook rule: how to stop the scroll before the algorithm even decides to show your content
  • Why negative hooks outperform positive hooks (and how to use this without being clickbait)
  • The Organish® strategy: how to put $5–$25 behind your content to reach 5–20x more people, and why this beats influencer outreach on a small budget
  • The carousel comeback: why image carousels are now outperforming Reels on Instagram and LinkedIn
  • How to approach BookTok influencers with zero budget, and what to say (and not say) when you do have a few hundred dollars
  • Why lo-fi, behind-the-scenes content is beating polished production right now
  • How to think about pre-launch vs. post-launch content, and why "mystery posts" are a waste of your audience's attention
  • The 30-minutes-a-week social strategy: where to spend your time if that's all you have
  • •Stampede Social: the tool that lets you DM a link to anyone who comments a keyword on your post
  • The biggest mistake Jim sees on social, and it's not what you think

Jim also covers TikTok Shops, cross-platform content strategy, using trending audio, and how to connect your social presence to your email list.

Want to learn more ways to reach readers? Visit writtenwordmedia.com for author resources, book promotion tools, and more.

The Written Word Podcast is produced by Heart Centered Podcasting.

© 2026 Written Word Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

Creators and Guests

Host
Ferol Vernon
Founder and COO of Written Word Media
Host
Ricci Wolman
Founder & CEO at Written Word Media

What is The Written Word Podcast?

A podcast for authors who want to build successful writing careers. Each episode explores the business and craft of being an author, with practical strategies for selling more books, growing your audience, and navigating the publishing world. Presented by Written Word Media.