#114: The Ad Platform Most Authors Dismiss

Read Time: 3.5 Minutes

After reviewing thousands of responses from authors about their advertising challenges, one pattern keeps emerging:

Most authors are thinking tactically instead of strategically.

The Difference Between Tactics and Strategy

Sun Tzu, an author and Chinese military strategist who lived more than 2,500 years ago wrote a book that has gone down in history called, The Art of War.

In this book, there's one line that has always stuck with me:

"Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat."

What Sun Tzu is saying here is that while individual actions (i.e. tactics) are important, ultimately, they're useless without a larger, overarching plan (strategy).

You need tactics, yes, and this is the part most of us excel at (often testing a different tactic every other week).

Strategy is harder to implement, yet without one, you're a ship lost at sea without a rudder, because you have no direction, no clarity, no way to deploy those tactics systematically to help you reach your destination.

So, how do tactics and strategy apply to you as an author?

Tactics are the specific actions you take—the ad copy you write, the keywords you target, the budgets you set, the campaign structure you use, etc.

Strategy is the underlying approach that guides those tactics—understanding your reader's journey, recognizing platform strengths, and building sustainable systems rather than chasing quick wins.

Here's what I mean to put this into some context:

Tactical thinking: "My Facebook ads stopped working. What account structure should I try next?"

Strategic thinking: "My Facebook ads stopped working. Right, what's the real story here? Maybe my creative got stale. Have I received a flurry of bad reviews? What story is my data telling me?"

Why Platform Diversity Matters More Than Ever

This strategic approach is exactly why I've been testing and optimizing BookBub Ads over the past few months—a platform many authors overlook or dismiss too quickly.

While Facebook and Amazon ads get most of the attention (and rightfully so), BookBub Ads offers something unique: a highly engaged audience of book lovers actively looking for their next read.

The data from my recent campaigns has been eye-opening.

Facebook is great for finding new readers who've never heard of you.

Amazon is perfect for targeting people already hunting for books like yours. 

BookBub? It sits in the sweetspot between Facebook Ads and Amazon Ads, finding readers who love books, trust recommendations and are actively searching for their next read in their favorite genres.

There's a common misconception that BookBub Ads only work for $0.99 books.

While it's true that discounted books tend to get higher click-through rates and conversions, full price books ($1.99-$4.99) can still work with BookBub Ads, albeit at a lower sales volume.

The key is understanding that BookBub Ads aren't just about driving sales—they're about reaching a new audience of engaged readers you may not have reached otherwise.

The Three-Platform Strategy That's Working

Here's the strategic framework I'm seeing work consistently for authors who take a holistic approach to their advertising and discoverability: 

Amazon Ads for targeting high-intent searches and building discovery within the Amazon ecosystem.

Facebook Ads for huge, broad audience reach and positioning your books in front of readers who are interested in what you have to offer, but not actively shopping (yet).

BookBub Ads for engaging with dedicated book lovers (of your genre) who trust the platform's recommendations and are actively seeking out their next read.

Each platform serves a different role in your reader acquisition strategy.

The biggest mistake most authors make is trying to force one platform to do everything.

The second biggest mistake is constant platform-hopping and jumping ship when a platform "doesn't work" after 2 weeks of testing.

And the third biggest mistake... trying to spread a $10-$20 daily budget across 2-3 ad platforms. Instead, focus on one ad platform for at least 90 days, get momentum, then layer on a second platform when budget allows ($40-$50+ per day).

The Mindset Shifts That Change Everything

But here's the most important message I want to drive home to you today:

Advertising success has less to do with which platform you choose and more to do with how you approach the learning process.

The authors who succeed long-term:

• Treat advertising as a skill to develop, not a lottery ticket
• Focus on understanding reader behavior before optimizing tactics
• Build systems that can adapt when platforms change
• View "failed" campaigns as data, not disasters
• Understand that advertising is an investment, not an expense

These mindset shifts are what separates authors who build sustainable five and six-figure businesses from those who burn out after a few months of unprofitable campaigns.

What This Means For You

I'm currently developing a self-paced course that teaches you exactly what I've learned (and still learning) through months of testing and refinement on the BookBub Ads platform.

This isn't another "tactics-only" course.

It's built around the strategic framework I'm developing for BookBub Ads, including the unique reader psychology that drives success on this platform and the account structure that scales.

BookBub Ads Mastery For Authors will be ready in October 2025.

 Because here's the thing: the authors who succeed with advertising are the ones thinking strategically long before they need to.

Whether that's with BookBub Ads, Facebook Ads, Amazon Ads, or any platform that comes next.

That's it for this week.

Thank you so much for your time and attention today and have a wonderful weekend.

To Your Success
– Matt