Social media, that is. This summer I’m updating some of my older posts while I spend time writing new ones. So let’s have a look at some new, interesting information you might find useful.
I definitely have a love-hate relationship with Twitter; I’ve written about it so often it has its own tag. But if you’re a Twitter newbie—and we all are, at some point—have a look at “My Love-Hate Relationship With Twitter” and “Following Up on Twitter” for some things to think about. Now here are a couple posts on what not to do.
Thought leader Michael Hyatt asks, “Are You Making These 8 Twitter Mistakes?” and then lists things you may not have thought about (or may have discovered the hard way!), like number six:
Posting when you are frustrated or angry. Tweeting is so easy that it is easy to post something in a moment of frustration that you later regret. I have done it numerous times.
The problem with all written communication—especially Twitter—is that it is difficult to communicate context or nuance in your messages. Negative emotions are better expressed in person if they must be expressed at all. If you tweet these messages, you risk offending the person it was intended for and turning off a large percentage of your followers.
Over at Anne R. Allen’s Blog, guest poster Molly Greene gets specific with examples of tweets you should never send, like …
• Thanks for the follow! You can read all about me here: bloglink
• Looking for a great read @suesmith? Buy my book: http://amzn.link
• @suesmith just unfollowed me
• [Insert any all-encompassing message in all caps] HI EVERYONE! HOW ARE YOU? HAPPY MONDAY, TWITTERVERSE!
… and the list goes on. There’s lots of valuable information here.
✱ Marketing on Social Media
I’ve also written some about what social media can (and can’t) do for authors; “Social Media for Writers: Wading In and Weighing In” and “Authors & Social Media” are just two of several. But publishing expert Jane Friedman—whose tagline is Helping authors & publishers flourish in the digital age—has really got some great stuff for y’all.
Her guest blogger Christina Katz lists what to avoid if you’re looking for help in “Business Is Personal: 5 Common Networking Mistakes”:
1. Withholding information to get what you want, especially if full disclosure may change the outcome.
2. Getting aggressive with your lunch or coffee invite.
3. Being sneaky with your pitch or ask.
4. Helping yourself to other people’s resources.
5. Being unable to say no or hear no.
There’s much, much more here than these five lines, so hop over and have a look.
Guest blogger Lisa Hall-Wilson suggests there are “5 Reasons to Use a Facebook Profile (Not a Page) to Build a Platform” too. Again, the brief:
1. It’s more personable.
2. Your posts are more visible.
3. It’s simpler.
4. You can have unlimited followers.
5. You can publicize and embed your public profile content on a website or blog.
She also points out that a profile allows you to get out and visit others; with a page you can only interact if someone posts to the page.
Guest blogger Joshua Graham knows you have to market, and you’re going to have to make time for it. His article “Finding a Balance Between Writing and Marketing” has some down-to-earth suggestions for that.
The one thing no one ever told me before my first book got published was how much time I’d spend on non-writing related work. Even if you’re a traditionally published author, you have to engage your audience, which often means using social media. (Emphasis mine.)
It’s all about prioritizing, boundaries, and lists. 🙂
For Publishing Perspectives, Porter Anderson reports on Hugh Howey’s “10 Counterintuitive Tips for Self-Publishers.” Here’s just three:
1. Asking people to buy your book doesn’t work. Instead, try to entertain or enlighten with your Facebook posts and tweets.
2. The people who sell your books are your existing readers. Concentrate on interacting with them and being accessible.
3. There is no promotion as strong as writing the next book. None. That always comes first.
Anderson and Howey are both entertaining writers; this one is definitely worth your time.
✱ Build a Tribe
All of this is a lot of work, which I’ve touched upon in my post called, well, “But It’s Just More Work.” Having a book to promote gives you something to do (a lot, actually), but what about those months in between book releases?** You build your tribe.
This brilliant article—“What John Green Teaches the Church about ‘Reaching’ Young People”—shows us the work of a master. No, you’re not a church or, you know, God, but this article points out Green’s strategies to connect with his tribe (that is, readers) in between books:
• He isn’t trying to “reach” young people.
• He takes young people seriously and learns from them.
• He’s created a tribe.
• He’s a learner.
• He employs humor with substance.
• He loves the grand gesture.
Read it. You will be glad you did. 🙂
* Because it’s almost summer and because I am still positively slammed with work (not a bad thing) and because slammed with work means less time to write the kind of thoughtful blog posts I want to write, I’m writing a series of updates to reconnect you with my archives. Let me know what you think.
** An aside: if it’s not at least months in between book releases, you’re doing it wrong.
Tweet: You can’t resist it when it happens to you. Social media, that is.
Tweet: Promoting a book is hard work—but social media is useful if you work it right.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”