Basic Social Media for Writers

Posted on May 30, 2017 by wordsmithsix

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!

roryckeel.com

Basic Social Media for Writers

Posted on May 9, 2017 by wordsmithsix

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.

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.

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

Next Tuesday we will discuss which social media platform to use. See ya’ then!

roryckeel.com

SOUNDING OFF on Facebook

Posted on October 17, 2016 by wordsmithsix

SOUNDING OFF on Facebook

As the final weeks wind down towards the US Presidential election, emotions are running high. More people, than ever before, are involved in the political process. In today’s world, people are not satisfied with sounding off around the dinner table to family and friends, they have this overwhelming need to blast it on social media as well.

As a writer and AuthorPreneur, are those few statements of venting worth offending current and future readers of your work? Is declaring your opinion worth the detriment to your business and livelihood?

GO BOLD IF YOU’RE GOING

At an Oklahoma Writer’s Federation conference in Oklahoma City, I attended an informative session by C.Hope Clark, blogger and author. She made some interesting comments about this very topic which gave me pause to consider.

Social media reaches a worldwide audience. If you are active on Facebook, Twitter, Blogspot, Google+, or maybe you guest blog on a regular basis, most likely you have followers from all cultural backgrounds. Everyone has a political opinion. Besides political leanings, more than likely, you have readers who are atheists, wiccans, Baptists, Methodists, and Catholics. They probably feel strongly, one way or the other, about any topic you could name.

As a business owner and professional author, trying to sell your book to as many readers as possible, why would you want to offend anyone?

On the other side of this topic (and there’s ALWAYS another side), you may want the attention. You may host a political blog and you want to be deluged with controversial comments and the arguments. If that’s the case, Ms. Clark says to declare your position loudly. If you’re going to say it, say it loud, say it bad, and say it bold, just don’t be offended by the results.

WORDSMITH SIX

When we started the WordsmithSix Blog, we agreed on several ground rules and one of those was to not sound off on anything religious or political or otherwise. You won’t see anything offensive here. Our hope is that this blog inspires and informs writers from all walks of life, wherever you are or whatever your world views.

Back to politics and Facebook, I get likes and comments from extreme liberals directly followed by comments from extreme conservatives, and everyone in between. I like that. It makes for an interesting mix of people I call friends, and I hope ALL of my followers will buy lots and lots of books.

Writing Onward (in a non-offensive way)

WHAT SHOULD YOU TWEET ABOUT?

Posted on August 29, 2016 by wordsmithsix

WHAT SHOULD YOU TWEET ABOUT?

By Natalie Bright

Think of all the ways you can say BUY MY BOOK without typing BUY MY BOOK. Here are a few examples:

ü Are you signed up for my Newsletter? (link to website)
ü Are you following me on Amazon? (link to Amazon Author page)
ü I’ve posted a new picture on Facebook! (link to Author Public Page)
ü Quotes about reading, books, authors, writing. You don’t have to have a link in every post.
ü Quotes from your books with a direct link to your website. Make it easy for Followers to find you and your books.
ü Major brags or awards that can be retweeted over the course of several months at different times, just said in different ways. Remember, it’s estimated that about 10% of your followers are actively online at any one given time.
ü ReTweets from local news items of interest and area businesses.
ü Facts and interesting tidbits about your town or state. If you want to keep a low profile and keep your local area private, tweet about the settings in your books.
ü Add links to your books and generate new followers who are interested in your work.
o Make specific comments about cover art and give kudos to your design team with link to your book.
o Comment about the look or personality of your characters with link to your book.
o Comment about specifics on the covers with link to you book.
o “Cover Reveal” for new books with link to your book.
o Research notes and pictures of research pics with link to your book.
o Comment about events and booksignings as “going to” or “been there” with link to your book.
ü Exchange Pleasantries
o Happy Monday. Have a great week everybody.
o TGIF Have a great weekend.
o Personal glimpses: Baked cookies with granddaughters this weekend. What did you do?
o Comments about meals, dinner parties, and special outings.
o Pay it Forward: Time for coffee and a great book, with link to one of your favorite authors.
o Pic of your patio flowers
o Pic of the view from your office window
o Pic of your pets

Now that you have a list of ideas to work with, make a social media plan and rotate these posts between all of your social media sites. With useful tools like Hootsuite, you can schedule posts in advance. Don’t flood them all with the same stuff. Think about how YOU engage. At lunch, I usually glance at Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. If you do a blanket post to everything at the same time, my feeds are flooded with that same message from you and I’m very annoyed, which means I’ll probably order dessert. It’s your fault.

Hoorary for Us, because now more than ever before, authors can connect directly with readers. It’s a great time to be a writer.

Be nice. Have fun!

ENGAGING YOUR READERS

Posted on August 22, 2016 by wordsmithsix

ENGAGING YOUR READERS

By Natalie Bright

Let’s switch hats for a minute and be a reader. Let’s think like a fan of books.

Do you follow your favorite authors on social media? Do you enjoy learning more about them and their books through Instagram or Facebook interactions? Do you appreciate glimpses into their daily lives and their writing process? I follow the people and the topics that are of a personal interest to me.

As Facebook evolves into a “Pay to Play”, I am being gutted with ads. And then there are ads on Twitter too. The good thing is that I’m having ongoing info overloads on topics of my choosing, like bestselling authors, book publishing, genealogists, historians, and parents of teenagers. On a regular basis I receive email notification from Twitter on posts labeled “Popular in Your Network”. This week’s included several tweets from a favorite author which annoyed me greatly. It read: “Make sure to buy my book on Amazon.”

Pushy. Intrusive. Down right rude. I’ve been a life-long reader of this person’s work, and yes, I am well aware that there are books for sale.

WE KNOW YOU

Your followers have probably purchased a book or two. Maybe even read it, told a friend, and perhaps posted a review. They know you have books for sale. Or perhaps they haven’t made a purchase yet, and just want to learn more about you. If there’s a connection, they may become interested enough to read your work.

I want to buy YOUR book. I want to discover great stories by new-to-me authors. Perhaps it’s the beautiful cover that entices me, or a brilliant tagline. It’s NOT going to be a pushy, condescending ‘call to act’ that makes me want your book.

BECAUSE YOU CAN’T FAKE IT

If you don’t enjoy social media, do not pretend to be engaged with your fans by posting mundane, meaningless posts because someone told you to. It’s not sincere, you’re only irritating us, and you’re most certainly not attracting new follows, which should be your goal. If a new follower visits your twitter page and your feed is full of self-promotion, they’re not going to follow you. Would you follow you? Either be your true self because you sincerely want to engage with people, or stop it. Don’t post meaningless garbage. Just don’t. If you’re not interested in it, more than likely your fans won’t be either. I’m not naïve enough to think that big name authors do all of their posting, but the savvy ones have assistants who can be authentic and work hard at reflecting the personality of their clients.

Social media is a powerful tool. Marie Force, bestselling Hybrid Author, engages regularly with her fans and recommends that authors spend as much time on Facebook as possible. Nora Roberts is posting this week from Italy, with breathtaking views, delicious food, and tales of her shopping exploits. Eloisa James posts tidbits and pictures from all over Europe on her many travels. Indi author, Joanna Penn, of the Creative Penn, credits her success to Twitter. These are just three examples from a few of my favorite authors who use social media in extraordinary ways. There are many more.

Happy Tweeting!

Basic Social Media for Writers

Posted on June 7, 2016 by wordsmithsix

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.

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.

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

Next Tuesday we will discuss which social media platform to use. See ya’ then!

How Do I Manage My Social Media?

Posted on March 29, 2016 by wordsmithsix

How Do I Manage My Social Media?

By Rory C. Keel

roryckeel.com

As we have already discovered, social media will help the writer in building their brand, platform or fan base for their writing. Social media is expected in the modern world of technology.

We previously explored the large variety of social media applications available to the writer such as blogs, business-to-customer avenues like Facebook, Twitter and Google+. We also looked at business-to-usiness focused applications such as LinkedIN. And let’s not forget the use of picture and video oriented social media venues such as Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube.

Managing Social Media

Now that we have a social media presence on the web, how does the writer manage the avenues he or she has chosen?

First, you must understand that social media is NOT FREE.

Are you surprised?

While you may not have pulled out your credit card to set up an account, you will pay by investing either time or money. Your time equals money and unless you are a professional blogger, the hours you spend managing your social media accounts are hours NOT spent on writing projects.

Secondly, you need to understand the different ways to manage your social media accounts.

Individual App Management

This will require you to log on to each application and enter information, reply to messages or requests for followers and manage the account yourself. If you have several different applications this can be time consuming.

The optimum average time one should spend managing all accounts should be no more than 15-20 minutes in the morning and the same amount of time in the afternoon.

Basic Simple Links

Basic simple links in the applications offer the user shortcuts to link them together. By linking these social media platforms, one entry can be made and it will be posted on all applications, saving time and money.

Management Programs and Services

When you achieve your fame as a writer, management services are available to manage these accounts for you. They range from free limited services to different levels of service for various monthly charges.

Next week we will discuss some general tips in using social media.

Roryckeel.com

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