- What writers should be saying and doing on Twitter
- Engagement—not self-promotion—is key
- It’s not all about you.
- Okay, so maybe it is—but when you’re a writer promoting your work on Twitter, you have to act like it isn’t.
It’s highly unlikely your Twitter followers want to read an endless stream of self-promotional tweets. You may be tweeting with the best of intentions (who can blame you for wanting to promote what you’ve worked so hard to write?), but all they’ll see when they look at your Twitter feed is a series of 140-character advertisements. Repeatedly tweeting your Amazon.com or article link will get your followers to engage with you in only one way—by clicking the dreaded “unfollow” button.
Don’t be that guy or gal who’s entirely self-promotional on Twitter. Instead, focus on using the social media site to engage your followers and increase your visibility and audience, which can, in turn, generate more book sales, eyeballs, and page views. Engaging your followers—and attracting new ones—is easier than you might think. These ten tips can help you get started building and keeping an audience of meaningful followers.
- Remember the 80/20 rule. Yes, it’s tempting to fill your Twitter feed with information about how excellent your book or article is. But your social media success hinges on avoiding that temptation. Research shows it’s best to promote content directly related to your product (in this case, your written work) no more than 20% of the time. The other 80% of your time should be spent posting content that’s attractive, interesting, and relevant to your audience.
- Reach out to other writers. In addition to being a great promotional tool, Twitter is also an excellent networking tool. Find, follow, and start dialogues with other writers who are at your level. Commiserate with them about querying or rewrites, ask them to be a critique partner (or offer to be one for them), recommend a good writing group in their area, etc.
- Tweet your tips. As a writer, you know a lot about something—perhaps it’s the art of writing, maybe it’s the topic you’re writing about. There are plenty of people out there who want to know more about the things you’re knowledgeable about. Be a resource to people–use your Twitter feed to offer helpful tips that might make a follower think, “Hey, that person knows what they’re talking about…I want to read more!”
- Show off your personality… People are interested in getting to know the person behind the written word. Don’t be shy about displaying your character—your quirks, your random thoughts, photographs of that yummy dinner you just had, your funny cat photos… Let the interwebs get a glimpse into your life.
- …but, don’t be too personal. Avoid giving out too many personal details. What you put on Twitter can be seen by anyone, so use common sense. It may not be the best idea to “check-in” at places (like restaurants, events, and so forth) until you’re just about to leave. Don’t announce that you’re going on vacation (hello, burglars). And be especially cautious with the details you give out if you have children. Remember, writers are public figures, and although it’s unlikely that this would happen, it’s possible for writers to attract stalkers, too (you’ve read Stephen King’s Misery, right?).
- Promote stuff you like via an SMM Panel as this. It might seem counterproductive to promote other things when what you want to help is yourself. Still, if you tweet something positive about a product or place that you like, the person or company behind the product is bound to notice (because you’ve included the @theirbusiness when you say the complimentary thing, right?). They just might retweet your comment or reply to you—which their followers will see, giving you more exposure.
- Promote other authors. If you scratch their back, they might also scratch yours. Never expect that if you say something beautiful about another author, or promote their work, that they will do the same in return—but doing this may open up the door for them to pay that kindness forward.
- Mind your manners. If someone compliments you or your work, tweet them back to thank them for it. If you tweet a question to another writer, ask nicely, and thank them after they’ve answered. Avoid trash-talking; it’s unprofessional and unbecoming. Your Twitter page represents you as a writer, and you want people to get a positive impression of you when they read it—or they may not want to read anything else you write.
- Ask questions. People love talking about themselves, so ask them things! Tweets like “What’s the best book you’ve read this month?” or “Who’s excited for the new Dexter book to come out?” tempt people into responding—and responding followers are engaged, followers.
- When you do promote your written work, do it wisely. Make your tweets fun and creative. Don’t use all caps; it’s perceived as shouting. Vary your messaging–don’t use the same promotional tweet over and over. Don’t promote the corresponding link in all your tweets—some days promote your book on Amazon, sometimes push your personal website or a recent blog post, sometimes promote a review someone has done of your book, sometimes promote your latest article and thank the publication for featuring you. Have fun with it, don’t overdo it, and don’t be too repetitive—be smart about your self-promotional 20%!
While Twitter and other social media sites give writers the opportunity to talk to the masses, remember that the masses are made up of lots of individuals. Engaging these individuals is key–engaged followers are the ones who will buy and read your work, recommend you to their friends, and provide positive reviews. Obtaining a large number of engaged followers often isn’t a quick or easy process, but it’s a rewarding endeavor that’s crucial to your success. Writers and Twitter? It’s in the engagement!
Image Source:
https://pixabay.com/photos/twitter-screen-social-phone-1795652/
