Posted by Kathleen Pooler/@kathypooler
“ By prevailing over all obstacles and distractions, one may unfailingly arrive at his chosen destination.” Christopher Columbus (1451-1506)
Photo Credit: Dreamstimefree
Since establishing an online presence has become an essential task for any writer who seeks publication, the topic of how to handle social media comes up a lot these days. In fact, I have received several requests to do a blog post about how to manage both social media and writing.
I do not profess to be a social media expert. There are plenty of people out there, many whom I have learned a great deal from—Dan Blank, Joanna Penn, Jeff Goins, Jane Friedman, Porter Anderson, Nick Thacker, Christina Katz, Nina Amir, Alexis Grant, Michael Hyatt,Kristen Lamb—to name a few. I’m happy to pay forward what I have learned and offer some tips on what has helped me turn what can be perceived as a foe—time drain, distraction—into a friend—making meaningful connections.
The main question I receive is:
How can I make social media work for me?
Here are a few lessons I’ve learned along the way:
1. I need social media to reach my audience (since I’m not a celebrity). This presumes I know who I am and can communicate this clearly via author profile/bio. (Branding)
2. When I communicate on social media, I need to project my authentic self. My participation in social media is an extension of who I am and what my beliefs are.
3. I need to follow proper etiquette
4. The only way I’m going to know what works is to try different social media channels.
5. I need a way of measuring what’s working, i.e. Google Analytics, Twitter stats, etc.
6. I can’t do it all. After I’ve tried some out, I need to select a few to concentrate on.
7. I need to rein in, set limits and manage the time I spend on social media.
8. I need to be social and remember that the main advantage of using social media is to make meaningful connections.
Here’s how I’ve put these lessons into action:
1. I make sure my profile is up to date and consistent with my brand across all channels.
2. I check myself at the door before I post anything anywhere.
3. I try to keep a ratio of 1:5 in sharing my work: works of others.
4. I tried numerous channels and concentrate my efforts on my blog,Twitter (Hootesuite) and Triberr. I use Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google+ and Goodreads but to a lesser degree.
5. I use WordPress stats, Google Analytics,Twitter stats . I recently signed up for Sumall.com (free) which offers daily and weekly summaries of interactions across my channels-Twitter, Facebook, blog and Google+.
6. Same as #4 and check out this post by Dan Blank: “I Am Changing How I Use Social Media: More Social, Less Media.”
7. As per Porter Anderson’s suggestion, I signed up for Rescue Time, a tracking system for improving productivity by managing social media distraction. Pomodora is another popular tool to use.
8. I have made many meaningful connections over these past five years of being on social media. This has led to guest posting opportunities both on my blog and for other blogs. And the way I keep track of all my contacts and activities is a productivity system called Highrise.
A few extra pointers:
* Be consistent with blogging at least weekly.
* Comment on other blogs that align with your brand.
* Share the work of others freely. If you use Twitter, use #hashtags to extend the reach of the post or book review.
* Probably the nicest thing you can do for fellow authors is to post reviews of their books.
Turn social media into a friend who helps you make meaningful connections and extend your reach to your audience.
How about you? How do you manage to balance social media with writing? Is social media a friend or foe?
I’d love to hear from you. Please leave your comments below~
***Newsflash***
I’m pleased to announce that after months of researching, listening, pondering and praying, I have finally made a decision about the best route to publication for my “baby”. I signed with a small publisher this week! Stay tuned for more details.
Also, thanks to all of you who participated in my Memoir Title survey. Your comments helped me to clarify the title that I feel best reflects the heart of my story. I ended up keeping the original title but I changed the subtitle. Introducing:
Ever Faithful to His Lead: My Journey Away From Memoir
Announcement of winners of Doreen Cox’s memoir and novella:
Congratulations, Kathy and Debbie! Thank you for stopping by and commenting. Kathy, you won Doreen’s memoir, Adventures in Mothersitting and Debbie, you won Doreen’s novella, A Sacred Journey.
On Thursday, 4/10/14, I am honored to participate in a Wow-WomenonWriting Book Tour for social media strategist and author Frances Caballo. Her new book, Avoid the Social Media Time Suck: A Blueprint for Writers to Create Online Buzz for Their Books and Still Have Time To Write should help answer a lot of questions that we have on managing social media.
Hope to see you there , too.
Kathleen,
I am amused at your statement on how you finally got your book a ‘home’. “Researching, listening, pondering and praying”. In the immortal words of someone “you ain’t seen nuttin’ yet”, as whatever the contract says this is where you start R.L.P.&P. Personally after having had 38 non-fiction books published I regard the publishing ‘bit’ as the fun of it; long discussions over the cover illustration (but the publisher ultimately decides) typeface (that can change by half a point if the text is perceived to be too long) quality/weight of paper (cost against quality with 450 illustrations) even the binding which if you move away from ‘perfect’ binding gets more difficult by the week. But it is still the essential ‘fun bit’ of being a writer……..I look forward to the result.
Hi David, Nice to see you back! I’m quickly learning that this is where the real work begins and I will keep your words of experience in mind to embrace the “fun bit”! 38 books? I can’t imagine. I’d like to think that I’m learning all the tough lessons with this first book that will make subsequent books easier to tackle. Thanks so much for stopping by and offering your words of wisdom.
Yikes! So much to learn. But I’m getting there thanks to useful posts like yours, Kathy. I’ll be checking out a lot of these links.
Hi Joan, as Annie Lamott says,”bird by bird”, take what works in your own time and way. It’s a process and you’ve begun. BTW, I’m enjoying your memoir-in-progress.:-) Thanks for stopping by. I’m happy you found the post useful.
Kathy, there’s a lot of wisdom in what you write. You were smart to start building your presence before publishing. So many authors I know say “I’m waiting for the launch to start really using social media.” Still. In 2014!
But I would also recommend “The Science of Marketing,” by Dan Zarrella. http://www.amazon.com/Science-Marketing-Tweet-Proven-Strategies-ebook/dp/B00CC0GZJQ/ref=sr_1_1 I read it and found it enlightening.
Thanks,Lynne. I can’t remember who said it, but years ago I read that writers should start working on a platform–reaching out to an audience–three years before a book is published. It’s been five years for me and I agree, the only way to find an audience is to show up and keep the conversation going. I appreciate your link to Dan Zarella’s book as I’m sure will others. There really is a science behind all this.
Your Monday posts are always a treasure trove in valuable tips and resources. Until I read your post I had not heard of Hootesuite, Sumall and Highrise (love the names). Of course I will have to explore them.
So far I have found Facebook and Twitter to be the most valuable ways to promote my brand and provide links to my writing. For example, today I used a photo of my Plymouth Valiant as my getaway car to “tease” readers to click onto my guest post on Mary Gottschalk’s blog. I have been thrilled by the willingness of established writers to invite me for guest blogs, you included, Kathy.
Facebook has become such an established presence in social media that dozens of songs have been written about it. One I especially enjoy can be seen on YouTube: The Facebook Song by Medium Gauge. Funny and true!
Observing other bloggers, I am slowing learning the lingo of Twitter. So far, I haven’t found LinkedIn very useful but maybe I haven’t learned to use it to my advantage yet.
The biggest challenge for me is not allowing the lure of social media to distract me from writing. Your #7, setting limits is a must. It’s easy to click from one thing to another, sucking up an hour or more especially as the “friends” list expands.
Your last point: “Probably the nicest thing you can do for fellow authors is to post reviews of their books.” I am volunteering to review your book when the time comes.
Marian, you are a quick learner! What you have described is a perfect example of making meaningful connections via social media. Congratulations on being Mary Gottschalk’s guest this week. I will check it out as I hope will others. You are fast becoming a model of creativity, as you described in your guest post here on 3/17 and in your “teaser Plymouth Valiant”..I had one of those!Thank you for sharing your own use of social media as others will benefit from your experience. And thank you very much for your offer to review my memoir. I am grateful for your support. 🙂
Funny, Marian, I’d say the same thing about LinkedIn, but four of my most important contacts came from there a long time back. One or the other of us reached out for a tiny gesture of help and that gesture grew into a handshake, then a hug, so to speak. All came from groups I participated in once in awhile. Guess it’s that reaching out that counts.
First and foremost, Kathy, congratulations on submitting your manuscript! Big, huge, wonderful step and I applaud you.
Thank you for your tips on social media. I know for myself, personally, I’ve had to play with this throughout the years and experiment. But the bottom line for me is that no matter what social media outlet I choose, is that I am authentically me. I think that is so important and vital.
I, like you, decided this past year or so to concentrate my efforts on my blog and filtering that out where I can, as well as my newsletter. I must say too, that for me, I’ve been experimenting a bit with Instagram and Pinterest and that is making a difference in new followers.
But there truly are no hard and set rules, that is for sure. But how important that writers embrace this as a wonderful tool and learn to balance writing with it. I still feel so fortunate to have these tools and not have to leave my home to travel to spread the word about my work.
Again, a big congratulations at this new stage of the game you are in with your manuscript! Happy for you!
-Barbara
Thank you, Barbara! I have learned so much from you, especially about how authenticity and vulnerability can be beautiful gifts. You walk the walk and pave the way for all of us with your heartfelt and genuine messages. I love this:”But there truly are no hard and set rules, that is for sure. But how important that writers embrace this as a wonderful tool and learn to balance writing with it. I still feel so fortunate to have these tools and not have to leave my home to travel to spread the word about my work.” Your support and cheers mean the world to me. You have been a source of inspiration to me and many others. I’m so grateful our paths have crossed. Blessings~Kathy
Thank you, Kathy. I feel just as blessed to know you, as well as learned so much from you too. 🙂
So pleased to hear that you have just signed with a publisher. I have a feeling that in the next year or so you will demonstrate just what can be achieved by a non-celebrity author who has built a strong social media presence. Watch this space and the warmest of congratulations. You deserve this.
Hi Bridget, it’s so nice to see you here. Thanks for your kind and generous vote of confidence and congratulations. I hope all is well with your across the pond. I’m so happy you stopped by!
Kathy, I think you are quite an expert at social media. I watch your posts and am impressed by your skill at gaining platform without spam and most impressed by how you are not afraid to lift others up through your own postings. Many people are mostly focused on themselves and haven’t a clue how important it is to work with others for everyone’s benefit. You have developed quite a platform with your people skills. We will be excitedly awaiting further news of your book!
Hi Linda, I think the best part of social media is learning so much from each other. I am honored by your generous comments. I look to you for your expertise in Indie publishing and sharing family stories. Your ongoing support is greatly appreciated.Thanks so much for stopping by.
Wow! Signed with a publisher! Congrats!!! I am very pleased for you but not the least bit surprised.
Christina
Aww, thanks , Christina. Thinking of you as you move toward your own milestone LPN graduation. And i will add, I’m very pleased for you as well and not the least bit surprised. xo
This is a really helpful post Kathleen. I see the work you do to get your following. I especially like the 1:5 ratio you pin-pointed.
Thank you so much!
Hi Audrey, My pleasure! It’s always so nice to hear from you. I’m happy you found the post useful. Hope all is going well with you and your new novel, As the Heart Bones Break. Thanks for stopping by.
Kathy, congratulations on signing with a publisher! I’m excited for you, and look forward to reading your finished book and reviewing it.
You must have known social media has been on my mind since I’ve been basically away from this online life for a few months. I have come to the decision to focus more on using Twitter (Hootsuite) and my blog. I never grew comfortable with Triberr, and perhaps I should go back and give it another try. To a lesser degree I’ll do some Facebook, especially the groups I enjoy so much, and the others you mention but to a lesser degree. I still need to work on the Twitter lingo and hashtags, but I’m willing to try in order to build that following we all need so badly in this creative industry we’ve chosen.
Thanks for the great post, and I look forward to Frances Caballo on Thursday!
Thanks, Sherrey! So nice to have you stop by. You’ve been with me since the beginning and your ongoing support has made a positive difference.I appreciate your methodical way of approaching social media. It’s impossible to keep up with everything. You are wise to narrow your focus to a few that are manageable and still allow sufficient writing time. We all have to find our own way through the process. Yes, I agree, we do have go work extra hard to make those meaningful connections. I look forward to having you stop by for Frances’ post and book giveaway.
Hi Kathy, I love social media because it is how I met you and so many other wonderful authors. That said, I have never been convinced that endless tweeting, blogging (guest blogging) and “Facebooking” have translated into increased book sales, at least for me. I have found that my books are usually purchased by those that I meet in person who buy the trade paperback at one of my events or later get the ebook on Kindle.
In my mind, there really is no substitute for meeting your readers and connecting with them in person, whether at book signings, craft fairs, coffee shops and bookstores . . . or through our community of writers that is our Women’s Writing Circle. You will find this, too, I have no doubt as you take your “baby” out into the world. Congratulations on finding your path to publishing. I look forward to watching your journey continue to unfold.
Indeed, Susan. Meeting you on-line and then in-person has been a highlight of my journey! I appreciate your thoughts about the importance of in-person connections with readers. We must ever lose sight of how we communicate with others whether it be on social media or in person. As Dan Blank always says, the purpose of social media is to be social so if we do use it, we need to consider it an extension of our in-person communication. I have had the distinct pleasure of meeting many “cyber-friends” in person and feeling as if I had already met them. Your ongoing support and guidance on my memoir writer’s journey i greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Kathy, wonderful news on signing with a publisher! Congratulations. And so like you to bury the news after you have given your reader so many useful tips.
I will promote this post to two younger friends who are also publishing with small presses and searching for social media guidance. You have hundreds of friends, maybe even thousands, who are jumping up and down with joy and want to help you continue your friend-building platform.
I’m tickled pink for you. 🙂
Dear Shirley, thank you so much for your lovely comments and for your ongoing support and encouragement. I am so happy our paths have crossed and though we have yet to meet in person, I feel we have known each other for ever. You’ve been with me since the start and have been a great source of inspiration along the way. I appreciate you sharing this with your friends.”Tickled pink” to share my journey with you. 🙂
Hello Kathy,
I really appreciate all the information you’ve shared here. Congratulations on signing with a publisher too!
I’ve been away from social media except for Facebook since my husband became so ill last year, but now that he is so much better I’m trying to make good decisions on how to spend my time. So this post is very timely and helpful. You must’ve been reading my mind. I’ll investigate all your links but think I should try to use Twitter (Hootsuite) first. I have a lot to learn as far as building relationships plus using my time well for writing too.
Thank you again! And if you want me to read and review your book, I’d be happy to offer that too.
Kas Sartori
Welcome, Kas! Thank you so much for stopping by. I’m happy to hear your husband is better and you can move on. Social media can be so overwhelming but I really do think there is a way to “tame the beast” and find a way to make it all work for you. One thing I’ve learned is to not focus on the numbers of followers but to concentrate on building meaningful relationships one person at a time. We each have to find the channels that work the best for us which may initially mean trying several of them out. I think your statement about “using your time well for your writing” is a universal concern. I’m happy you found the post helpful. Feel free to email me if you have any further questions. Good Luck and thank you very much for your offer to review my memoir. I will follow up with you when the advanced review copies are available. Best wishes, Kathy
Congrats on your sale, Kathy!!
Hi Jenny, Nice to have you stop by. Thank you!
A few years ago, when my first book came out, I read an excellent blog post that compared the value of a few strategic blog posts versus appearing on TV has for books sales and I took it to heart. I am working on leaving comments on several different blogs on a regular basis to build relationships with those bloggers and their audiences.
It is interesting so see which bloggers respond to comments on their blogs and which do not. Seeing your responses above, on the other comments, you clearly know how to engage with your audience! Someday I hope to be able to send out a blog post and have many comments/responses. It is much more fun to be in dialogue with readers than preaching. Thanks for the reminder tips.
Welcome, Heidi! It’s nice to meet you. Your comments remind me that the primary purpose of social media is to be social. I see social media as an extension of myself, a way to forge meaningful connections through engagement in conversation. I appreciate your comments and wish you the best in making social media work for you. Thanks so much for stopping by! Feel free to send us the links to your books so we can check them out.