Find Your Authentic Social Media Voice

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

Click to Tweet: 11 Tips to Help You Find Your Authentic #SocialMedia Voice - @EdieMelson 

As authors we talk a lot about voice. In fiction, and even non-fiction, it’s defined as that certain something that makes an author unique. In everything—from the rhythm, cadence and flow—to the sentence structure. It conveys the author’s personality and attitude.

Although many may not realize it, there’s an advantage to developing a voice for your social media presence. If you think about it, it’s something that those most successful social media folks have done.

But with social media, it’s not just the words you choose, but it encompasses the images you use to represent yourself and the topics of the updates you post.

Here’s how to develop an authentic social media voice:

1. Be yourself. This may seem obvious, but with any new technology, it’s easy to get sidetracked by all the bells and whistles. Don’t over think the hashtags or lingo of any platform.

2. Write like you talk. Try not to use lingo on social media that you wouldn’t use in conversation. Of course there are exceptions, one notable one is LOL! I don’t really use that in conversation, but I do crack jokes and it’s sort of a shorthand version of that.

3. Consider your community. I don’t necessarily mean your physical neighborhood, but more the people you surround yourself with. What do you talk about? What makes your group unique? What do you stand for?

Listen to the conversation around you.

4. Listen to the conversation around you. What do you have to add without becoming part of the noise? We all approach life from a unique perspective, don’t be afraid to be authentic.

5. Stay consistent. The majority of people out there like to know what to expect. Sure we all like occasional surprises, but when I walk into McDonalds I expect certain things. Your social media presence is like that as well. Develop a strong consistent presence and people will respect what you have to say.

6. Be relevant. There are lots of trivial things around, make sure your social media voice isn’t one of them.

7. Use hashtags with care. To avoid the used car salesman voice, limit yourself to no more than two (or occasionally three) hashtags per update.

8. Don't be an egomaniac. To keep your social media from being me focused, follow Edie’s 5 to 1 rule. For every 5 social media updates, only one can be about you.

9 Keep it positive. Let’s face it, nobody likes a whiner. Social media is no different, so keep the tone upbeat and positive.

10. Avoid lecturing and scolding. This is another no-no. If you wouldn’t like the tone in person, don’t use it on social media.

11. Make sure your avatar (image) reflects your voice. A lot of times, it's the only visual clue that can reinforce who you are. 

Social media voices can be witty, quirky, encouraging,
snarky, playful, educational, and hundreds of other things. 

Social media voices can be witty, quirky, encouraging, snarky, playful, educational, and hundreds of other things. Make an effort to develop yours into an accurate representation of you. 

Now it's your turn, share what you think your social media personality is. Or if you're not sure, ask some questions and let's figure it out together. 

I'll go first. I think my social media voice is educational and encouraging. If I'm not hitting that, feel free to post what you think it is.

Click to Tweet: There is an art to #socialmedia, it involves finding your authentic voice -@EdieMelson  

Edie Melson is the author of numerous books, as well as a freelance writer and editor. Her blog, The Write Conversation, reaches thousands each month. She’s the Director of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference and the Social Media Mentor at My Book Therapy. She’s also the Military Family Blogger at Guideposts. Com, Social Media Director for Southern Writers Magazine and the Senior Editor for NovelRocket.com. Connect with her on Twitter and Facebook. Look for her newest book, While My Soldier Serves (Worthy Inspired), available at bookstores and online.

8 Social Media Updates You Should NEVER Share!

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

Social media is all about connections. It’s a digital community where relationships are built. IN this community, the relationship building takes place in much the same way as in a physical community. The foundational component is sharing—sharing lives, sharing thoughts, sharing hopes and dreams. But with all this sharing, there are still things we don’t need to know about one another.

I hate to say this, but I’ve seen all of these irritating updates show up in one or more of my social media feeds. My reaction on seeing these has ranged from mildly irritated, to what-was-she-thinking shock. I’d love for you to make note of these, and avoid them completely

Organize Your Social Media with this Step-by-Step Tutorial for Setting Up & Personalizing a Hootsuite Account

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

Many of you know that I spent all of last week directing and teaching at The Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. 

DiAnn Mills and I taught a week-long continuing class—The Author Roadmap. We loved interacting with students and helping them get acquainted with the marketing and branding superhighway. But even though we had an entire week of classes, it wasn't enough time to teach everything we wanted. 

So today, I'm sharing a much-requested screencast that take you through a step-by-step tutorial for setting up and personalizing a Hootsuite account. 

Be sure to leave any questions or comments in the section below. I'm happy to clarify any points that weren't clear—or weren't covered—in the video. 

Thanks & Blessings,
Edie

Click to Tweet: Organize #SocialMedia with this Step-by-Step Tutorial for #Hootsuite - @EdieMelson 

Copyright Myths - Know What You Can & Can't Legally Share Online

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

Lately, I’ve seen a lot of discussion about copyright issues. Specifically, what is legal to use on a blog, social media or in a book. 

First, I want to state right up front that I am NOT a lawyer and none of what I’ve said constitutes any kind of legal advice. All I’m trying to do is share what I've learned about how to be responsible online. 

That said, at the end of this post I’m going to give you some links to the places where I found my information so you can go check out the specifics for yourself.