Basic Social Media for Writers
By Rory C. Keel
After mountains of research, hours of keeping my rear end in the chair and wearing out the keyboard, they expect me to do what?
Yes, that’s right, as a writer you need to have an internet presence on social media.
Recently, I was asked to present some basic materials about social media, to the Ranch House writers, a group of writers who occasionally gather for a meal and encouragement from others in the writing community.
This blog will be the first in a series of four, dealing with the basics of social media for writers.
What is Social Media
Simply put, social media is a varied group of internet based applications that allow YOU to create and share content.
Early in the development of the internet, most websites were static. In other words, much like a billboard on the highway, it was costly to change and no had ability to interact with consumers.
Today, social media platforms give writers the ability to create, share, discuss ideas, and publish user-generated materials.
These applications are often categorized into groups such as networking sites, blog sites, video Sharing sites and even photo sharing sites. There are hundreds of applications and Facebook, Twitter, Google +, YouTube and Flickr are just a few examples.
Will Social Media benefit me as a writer?
While there are many reasons an individual might use social media, for the writer it’s as simple as Business 101.
Writing is a business
Have you ever read the reviews of a restaurant before going out to dinner? Have you ever researched someone on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIN, before meeting for an appointment?
It is estimated that in 2015, 93 percent of all businesses will use some form of social media. For both consumers and businesses it has become the norm and is expected.
Using Social Media
Using social media as a writer allows easy communication between you and your readers. It is a medium that allows the ability to develop relationships by having accessibility to groups where individual time is not possible.
And finally, social media allows you multiple mediums to develop your brand as a writer. By blogging, posting, tweeting, google plus-ing, you can establish yourself as a writer and build a large readership.
Next Tuesday we will discuss which social media platform to use. See ya’ then!