9 Book Marketing Musts I Learned from Scrub Daddy on TikTok
“Are you seriously about to somehow teach book marketing via . . . a sponge?”
You bet your sweet little pants I am!
(And it’s not a sponge. It’s a Scrub Daddy.)
TikTok is involved in this piece, but please don’t skip this, because what you’ll learn here applies to any author trying to brand themselves and sell their books on any platform.
I present to you, 9 Marketing Musts I Learned from Scrub Daddy on TikTok:
1. Do not censor yourself.
Scrub Daddy does what very few businesses, especially in the corporate world, will ever do: they cuss. They realized that if they wanted to be authentic and if they wanted to reach an entirely separate clientele (see #9), they’d need to do things their competitors would never do.
(Scrub Daddy has yet to comment on if they use their product to wash their mouths out with soap afterward.)
Authorly Takeaway: I see authors censor their writing and their marketing for fear that their family member — or someone else — will judge them if they cuss or do something suggestive or spill too much tea about their mental health, even. I’ve found that those kinds of people will always judge you no matter what you do — or don’t do. I’m not telling you to drop the F bomb this week on Instagram (Lord, have mercy!), but I am saying to embrace what is authentically you. Whatever that may be!
2. Try fun trends.
You do not have to dance to use TikTok. I have not once done a dance video (bless). Scrub Daddy loves to see what sound clips and memes are trending so they can hop on them with their product. They’ve posted videos of a scantily clad Shrek and even an emo Scrub Daddy singing the songs my teenage soul still yearns for.
Authorly Takeaway: It doesn’t matter if it’s Twitter or Facebook or TikTok, you should absolutely take the time to jump on a trend once in a while. I like doing my own content, but I finally tried a TikTok trend in March and I had so much fun. It pushed me way outside my little box. I was nervous, but I did it to have fun and see if I could engage new people.
3. Offer giveaways.
Once a month, Scrub Daddy gives away a box full of their cleaning products. The prompts are always super easy, and it obviously builds their following.
Authorly Takeaway: Can you give away a signed copy of your book? How about a printable or checklist or video series or bookmark or T-shirt or literally anything that will help create brand awareness?
4. Create things people ask for.
Some of Scrub Daddy’s videos start with, “Ask, and you shall receive.” They genuinely listen to what their customers want, and then they make the product.
Authorly Takeaway: When was the last time you asked your readers what they wanted? If you wrote a children’s picture book and people have said, “I wish this was a coloring book too!” why not give the people what they want? Or if you’ve been asked for an audiobook, try it!
5. Collaborate with other humans.
In perhaps their most well-known (or strangest?) TikTok video, Scrub Daddy goes to the Duolingo headquarters and meets the Duolingo owl. (They also used an audio clip that was trending.) The video launched a hilarious series, wherein . . . erm . . . Scrub Daddy gets Duolingo pregnant and they have little Scrub Daddy–Duolingo babies, I dunno. Anyway, it lit TikTok on fire and prompted so much ridiculousness and fun.
Authorly Takeaway: You should collaborate with other authors and industry friends as often as you can. If you’re writing a historical fiction novel, why not interview a historian whose passion explodes when you ask them about the 1860s? If you’re writing a business leadership book, ask 10 business owners for their best piece of advice, post one quote a day, and tag them.
5. Respond to fans when they engage.
Just because they have 1.6 million followers doesn’t stop Scrub Daddy from replying to those TikTok comments. They did a special celebration video when they hit a major milestone and thanked their fans. I believe that if you won’t take the time to reply to the 5 people you currently have, then you certainly won’t care to do it when you reach Scrub Daddy fame.
Authorly Takeaway: Always, always, always reply back to comments. I know sometimes we forget — been there! — but if you can, take time to reply and engage your community.
6. Get your fans to interact in their own unique way.
In a hilarious compilation, Scrub Daddy shows off a few fan art pieces. Yes, their fans have taken the time to draw Scrub Daddy.
Authorly Takeaway: If you’re in the science fiction or fantasy genre, this is a great strategy. You can even hold a competition to see whose artwork is the best. I once saw a mom post a photo of a chalk-drawn sloth on the pavement her child drew after reading Ready, Set, Sloth! by Janey Merry.
7. Laugh at yourself.
“When you’re in business, nothing is too silly to think about or try,” Scrub Daddy Chief Strategy Officer Will Augenbraun said. They did a video about an evil Scrub Daddy and one about their founder’s glow-up. Every single video they have is just plain funny.
Authorly Takeaway: Post that 1-star Amazon review to social media and have a good laugh at your expense. Show off that hilarious typo that somehow made it past a billion edits.
8. Try being edgy and risqué once in a while.
I get that this isn’t the answer for every single one of my readers, but there’s no doubt in my mind it would work for the majority of you. Their cheekiest video has 1.1 million views.
Authorly Takeaway: If you’re in the romance genre, even if you write fade-to-black, you can still have sexy moments with your content. Why not have a photo of best on-screen or bookish kiss (choose A or B) and let your people poll? I’ve even seen a self-published cookbook author show off very sexy cookies for Valentine’s Day on her Instagram.
9. Embrace Gen Z with a big ole hug.
Who (mostly, currently) lives on TikTok? Gen Z. How in the world do you get that age group to care about a cleaning product? By doing everything I listed above. Scrub Daddy is obviously having the time of their lives with their marketing, and it was all to gain a new customer base. It worked!
Authorly Takeaway: I realize not all of you are targeting Gen Z with your books, but if you’re writing YA, you absolutely are. If you are writing YA and you aren’t on TikTok, I think it’s time to take the leap. “But I don’t want to put my face on video!” Then don’t! You can do tons of videos targeting your demographic without ever showing your lovely face. For example, on May the 4th Be With You, Scrub Daddy stayed on trend and showed off their product in a funny Darth . . . Daddy way. Check out national holidays to see if you can show off your book, your research, or your writing space in a fresh way.
A self-publishing mentor, best-selling author, and public speaker, Shayla Raquel works one-on-one with writers every day. A lifelong lover of books, she has been in the publishing industry for twelve years and teaches on author branding, indie publishing, book marketing, and the craft of writing.
Her award-winning blog teaches new and established authors how to write, publish, and market their books.
She is the author of the Pre-Publishing Checklist, “The Rotting” (in Shivers in the Night), The Suicide Tree, The 10 Commandments of Author Branding, All the Things I Should’ve Told You, and “Savage Indulgence.” In her not-so-free time, she studies all things true crime and obsesses over squirrels. She lives in Oklahoma with her husband and three fur babies.
