BOOK PROMOTION IN THE DIGITAL ECONOMY: STRATEGIC ROLE OF DIGITAL MARKETING TOOLS

Abstract

The article explores the strategic role of digital marketing tools in book promotion within the digital economy. The subject of the present study is the set of digital marketing tools and the managerial implications of their use for book industry actors in an environment where production, distribution, and consumption are increasingly determined by digital technologies. The relevance of the topic is driven by the systemic transformation of the book market, which is characterised by the expansion of product formats (print books, e-books, and audiobooks), changes in the organisation of the publishing process, and the growing dependence of content visibility and audience access on platform algorithms. In this context, book promotion must be considered a structural component of strategic management, rather than a set of tactical communication activities. The objective of the present article is twofold: firstly, to analyse digital marketing tools in book promotion from the perspective of strategic management; and secondly, to systematise these tools and assess the strategic advantages and limitations of their use. The methodological framework underpinning this study is predicated on a rigorous analysis and synthesis of extant scholarly sources, a comparative analysis, and the generalisation of findings. The study corroborates the validity of conceptualising digital tools as an interconnected strategic system, as opposed to perceiving them as an isolated set of channels. Key tools include owned digital infrastructure (websites and e-commerce), targeted traffic acquisition tools (SEO), digital advertising, direct marketing (email and CRM marketing), social media and SMM, influencer marketing, user-generated content and reading communities, platform-based promotion (Goodreads, Amazon, streaming services), digital PR, content marketing, as well as analytics and performance measurement tools. The article demonstrates that the strategic benefits of digital tools lie in increasing the adaptability of book organisations, developing long-term relationships with readers (relational capital), optimising marketing budgets through targeting and personalisation, and supporting a shift towards data-driven management. Concurrently, the study identifies structural constraints, including platform dependence and algorithmic opacity, asymmetries in data control, regulatory restrictions on personal data, genre biases in digital consumption, and resource inequality among market participants, which may contribute to market concentration and a reduction in cultural diversity. The primary conclusion drawn from this analysis is that the efficacy of digital book promotion is contingent not on the mere presence of individual tools, but rather on their coherent configuration and integration into the managerial architecture of a book organisation. A strategic management of digital promotion should combine the development of owned channels and competencies, the institutionalisation of analytics, and the deliberate management of platform-related risks. This should be done in such a way as to balance economic efficiency with the support of cultural diversity in the book market.