Children's Book Marketing Advice Needed

[isabelcarduss]

Hello fellow children's book authors! I'm launching my third picture book next month, and the first two barely made a splash despite great illustrations and positive reviews. I clearly need help with marketing! I've set aside $1,200 for book marketing services and need advice on how to allocate these funds effectively for the children's market.

I'm especially interested in reaching parents, teachers, and librarians. Are there book marketing services that specifically target these audiences? So far, I've only done Amazon ads with limited success.
Some specific questions:

Are children's book review services worth the investment?
Has anyone had success with school visit booking services?
Which social media platform should I focus on for picture books?
Are there effective mailing lists that cater to parents looking for new children's books?

Since children's books are so visually driven, I'm also wondering if Instagram or TikTok focused marketing services might be worth exploring. Any insights from those who've successfully marketed children's books would be tremendously appreciated!

[Abigasim]

We were talking about hobbies that don’t cost much but still feel rewarding, and someone mentioned birdwatching. I’d already subscribed to a few local wildlife pages, but what really kept me interested was birds and blooms. Their content goes beyond just pictures—it includes planting ideas, species identification tips, and seasonal guides. It helped me turn my basic backyard setup into a small habitat that actually attracts interesting birds. Seeing that kind of result makes it worth sticking with.