This is no easy task. It takes time and dedication. In the end, however, it’s worth the trouble.
One of the choices writers must make is to decide which social medium gives them the best visibility. In the past a writer need only get their book published. The publisher took care of getting the word out to the right audiences. The publisher sent the book out for reviews. Nowadays, the writer must do most of the work.
But, which medium offers the best bang for the buck. In other words, do you spend your precious time on Twitter or on Facebook or elsewhere? And how much time is enough?
Here are some tips for hanging out on Twitter.
- Visit Twitter often. Post at least ten tweets a day. If you visit less often, you lose momentum.
- Look at other people’s tweets. If you like what someone else is tweeting, retweet or like the tweet. This helps you connect with the other person.
- Do not fall into the trap of buying followers. You want to attract followers who are interested in what you have to say. Just having a big number isn’t enough. You want quality followers. Otherwise you waste a lot of time tweeting to people who really don’t care about your books.
- Build your following by looking at the suggested followers Twitter provides. Take a look at the person, how many followers do they have and how many people are they following? Does that person have similar tastes to yours? If the person has similar tastes but is following more people than follow them back, they are not a great choice. If, on the other hand, they follow fewer people but many are following them, they might be a better choice. Use your discretion here. People who have many followers but rarely follow back may also be a bad choice.
- Interact with your following. Check out websites of those people who interest you and DM them. I personally do not like auto responders when I follow someone. It feels false. Instead, DM people personally when you see someone following you that piques your interest.
Tips for Hanging Out on Facebook.
- Like Twitter, you must post on your Facebook author page at least ten times in a day. Unlike Twitter, you must include a photo.
If you simply post a link, you may only get 10-12 views. Photos receive 50-100 views or more.
- It’s harder to increase your following on Facebook than it is on Twitter. For some reason it takes much longer. Again, I do not recommend buying likes. Facebook frowns on doing this as well. You want to focus and target your audience. The more targeted you are, the more likely you’ll increase the number.
- Try purchasing a Facebook ad for greater visibility. I wouldn’t do this often, but it’s not too costly to boost your more important posts on occasion.
- Develop short posts. Whenever your post goes over one sentence, you lose readers. You can add a link. But, make the words compelling enough for people to want to click on that link.
- Interact with your following. I don’t get nearly as many notifications on Facebook as I do on Twitter. But, I still try to pay attention to them by replying to their actions.
More people interact with me on Twitter. My following grows more readily. That doesn’t mean I ignore Facebook, it just means, I use it less.
What about you? Where do you get the most tractions? Twitter or Facebook? What tips do you have to help build interactions?
Take a look at this book trailer. It’s gotten over 400 views on YouTube.
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