Social Media is dynamic and changeable. As referenced in our previous post, each venue has a specific flavor and audience demographic. Any one could be the place where an author or entrepreneur gets attention and becomes an overnight sensation.
The Myth is that you need to be the loudest voice in the noise, or share the most pictures, or posts, or links, or likes, or shares. That is how the innovators and adopters made social media sites work for them in the early days. Yep, social media has been so dynamic and explosive that what worked three years ago is no longer valid. What hasn't changed is that social sites are a venue for discoverability of your author persona and books. What do you want discovered?
The Myth is that you need to be the loudest voice in the noise, or share the most pictures, or posts, or links, or likes, or shares. That is how the innovators and adopters made social media sites work for them in the early days. Yep, social media has been so dynamic and explosive that what worked three years ago is no longer valid. What hasn't changed is that social sites are a venue for discoverability of your author persona and books. What do you want discovered?
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| Giethoorn Village in the Netherlands ** |
The internet is the information highway and maybe Social Media is currently a new version of gridlock. (This is another reason why texting and driving are never done together!) YET, a link to media you have authored can drive traffic to your website and novel, whether by Tweet, Pin, Tumblr, or add-your-choice.
That solid little media piece you wrote, whether a blog; poem, interview, or review, that is worthy of being shared quickly through links, or hashtags, could be all it takes for a magic carpet rides to dreams come true and stellar sales. Right?
A novelist today needs to Sell Well. Your primary job is to write great stories that your audience will want to read. No matter how amazing your marketing plan, or how socially skilled you are on every digital media site, sales are based on your product being discovered by buyers. For novelists, product = your books and buyers = readers.
Readers read more than just novels. If the only content shared in text bursts and quick links is the release date of a new novel every year or two, that is not enough to generate reader recognition. Blog posts, short stories, fun quips, (all easy to find on your website!) are the solid media that can be hashtagged and Tweeted. It is the Content of the Media that Generates A Share Factor.
This is information that is being shared all over the web, so here's another example of the same concept being explained:
How to Avoid the “Extra” Work of Social Media By Jane Friedman
[... ] Social media is a form of content, and can be seen as micro-publishing. Each post is sharing a tiny bit of your story, message or perspective—possibly something informative or inspiring. The posts might end up being part of a larger work. They might be daily creativity experiments. And they might offer you insight into how your audience thinks and engages with your work.
Consider:
- Nonfiction writers who author blog posts (part of the social media universe, in my view) compile and edit them into a larger publication.
- Artists or illustrators who post quick images on Pinterest or Instagram and later publish a high-quality print book collection that includes some of those images.
Or, think of it like this: You’re micro-publishing and sharing things you’re happy to give away, and that reach a very wide number of people, because they can spread freely. [Read More...]
- Fiction writers who post about their research and inspiration for a novel, giving readers a sneak peek of what’s to come.
Include All Relevant Media in Your Marketing Plan
Writers often want to engage in debates over the merits of Twitter vs. Facebook, Goodreads vs. Amazon author pages, and 'what is this Google+ thing?'. The reality is only two questions need to be considered:
- Where will you find your audience?
- Which media outlet do YOU like and will FREQUENTLY use?
Remember, Media is the TOOL and Marketing is the CONTENT. A well thought out marketing plan will provide the roadmap for how you are going to connect with your audience. Through these touch point connections, your ultimate goal is to build interest and SELL more books. [Read More...]
**And that fairy tale village and canals featured above? It's a real place you can visit, and wasn't it nice to rest your imagination on that image? :D
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