# TikTok BookTok Campaign Strategy for "Whispers in the Dark" Thriller Launch

## OBJECTIVE
Drive 5,000 pre-orders and 10,000 email sign-ups via TikTok-driven traffic to the book's dedicated preorder landing page within 90 days post-launch.

## TARGET AUDIENCE
- **Primary segment**: Women aged 25-44, active on TikTok (daily users averaging 45+ minutes), in a state of thrill-seeking boredom (post-bedtime scrolling for escapism), at the awareness-to-consideration buying stage for psychological thrillers.
- **Key insight**: They crave "one more chapter" suspense hooks that mirror their real-life anxieties (e.g., trust issues in relationships), so content must deliver 15-second micro-twists evoking paranoia and forbidden desire to compel saves/shares leading to preorder clicks.

## TACTICAL PLAN
- **STEP**: Research and curate 50 trending BookTok sounds/hashtags (e.g., #ThrillerBooks, #PsychologicalThriller, #BookRecs2024) tailored to "Whispers in the Dark" themes of betrayal and hidden affairs; create a content calendar mapping 3 videos/day.
  - **OWNER**: Agency strategist (Leo)
  - **TIMELINE**: Week 1 (pre-launch prep phase)
  - **TOOL/PLATFORM**: TikTok Creative Center, Google Sheets for calendar
- **STEP**: Produce and post 90 short-form videos (15-30s) featuring teaser plot hooks, author readings of cliffhanger excerpts, and user-generated style duets; include clear CTA linking to preorder page via TikTok bio link.
  - **OWNER**: Author + VA editor
  - **TIMELINE**: Weeks 2-12 (launch + sustain phase, 3/week)
  - **TOOL/PLATFORM**: TikTok app, CapCut for editing
- **STEP**: Run 5 targeted TikTok ad campaigns boosting top organic videos to the primary audience, with pixel tracking for landing page conversions; allocate 70% budget to Spark Ads using high-engagement organics.
  - **OWNER**: Agency media buyer
  - **TIMELINE**: Weeks 3-12 (post-launch amplification phase)
  - **TOOL/PLATFORM**: TikTok Ads Manager, Facebook Pixel (cross-tracked)
- **STEP**: Partner with 10 mid-tier BookTok influencers (10k-50k followers, thriller niche) for sponsored unboxings and reviews; provide ARCs and custom discount codes tied to preorder page.
  - **OWNER**: Agency outreach specialist
  - **TIMELINE**: Weeks 1-4 (seeding phase)
  - **TOOL/PLATFORM**: Aspire.io for influencer discovery, Google Forms for code tracking
- **STEP**: Monitor daily analytics, A/B test 3 thumbnail variations per video batch, and pivot to top-performing hooks (e.g., double speed betrayal scenes); weekly report to author.
  - **OWNER**: Agency analyst
  - **TIMELINE**: Ongoing, Weeks 2-12
  - **TOOL/PLATFORM**: TikTok Analytics dashboard, Google Data Studio

## CONTENT REQUIREMENTS
- **Teaser Video Script**: 15-30s script with plot hook + CTA; 100 words max; TikTok; author writes, VA edits.
- **Thumbnail Graphics**: 9:16 image with book cover overlay + suspense emoji (e.g., 🔪👀); Photoshop template; 5 variations/video batch; agency graphic designer.
- **Influencer Brief Template**: 1-page Google Doc with ARC details, talking points (3 key themes: betrayal, paranoia, twist ending), discount code instructions; agency strategist.
- **Email Opt-in Landing Page Copy**: 300-word page with video embed, preorder button, and "exclusive twist preview" lead magnet; author's site (via ConvertKit); author writes, agency optimizes.
- **Duet/Stitch Templates**: 5 pre-made CapCut overlays with text prompts like "Would YOU trust this whisper?"; TikTok; VA creates.

## SUCCESS METRICS
- **TikTok Video Views**: Track total views in TikTok Analytics; baseline: 0; 90-day target: 1,000,000.
- **Preorder Conversions**: Measure clicks-to-preorders via UTM-tagged links and server-side tracking in Google Analytics; baseline: 0; 90-day target: 5,000.
- **Email Sign-ups**: Count opt-ins from landing page form submissions in ConvertKit; baseline: 0; 90-day target: 10,000.

## RISK & MITIGATION
- **Risk 1**: Algorithm shadowban due to over-promotion. **Mitigation**: Limit to 3 posts/day, intersperse 50% value-first content (e.g., thriller tips), and monitor shadowban checkers like Shadowban Tester weekly.
- **Risk 2**: Low influencer ROI from mismatched audience. **Mitigation**: Vet via Aspire.io audience overlap reports (target 70%+ match to primary segment) before contracting.

## BUDGET ESTIMATE
$8,000-$15,000; single biggest cost driver: TikTok ad spend ($5,000-$10,000 for 5 campaigns at $0.50-$1.00 CPV).

Leo Voss  
Senior Campaign Strategist  
Crimson Leaf Marketing