By Edie Melson @EdieMelson
Today
I’m starting a new series, Social Media 101 for Authors. I’m going to lay
out the steps to build your online presence into a solid platform that enhances
you as an author.
Be
sure to ask questions as we go along, because I’ll partially base my content on
the feedback I get from you.
When
I teach social networking, I encourage people to relax and not take on too
much at once.
I
want to begin by talking about the most common mistake I see in
social networking: the approach. Because social media can reach millions,
it’s way
too
easy to think of it as mass marketing. In reality it’s about
one-on-one relationships.
That
is the beauty and the dichotomy of the medium. It can be overwhelming—this
building relationships with millions—especially when our goal is writing,
not advertising. Now the good news: Social networking is not as
difficult
as it seems.
In
many ways, it’s a return to small town thinking. In times past, people
patronized
merchants because the proprietors were their neighbors or friends. In this
day and time, we also find neighbors and friends on Facebook, Twitter and
in blogging communities. And those communities are where we need
to concentrate our efforts.
It's
vitally important to realize that, despite the bad rap it's gotten, social
networking and writers are a natural match. Social networking is
all about connecting with people through our words—not walking into a room
full of strangers, standing on a platform and speaking. We can sit at our
desks, write and reach the entire world.
That
said, it IS all about connecting with others. If you're NOT willing to be
found by others, then the writing industry as it stands today is gonna be
tough for you.
So
how do you go about plotting your social media course?
There
are two things you need:
- You’ve
got to know where you are.
- You’ve
got to know where you’re going.
You
are Here
To
evaluate where you are, you need to know your numbers.
- How
many friends/followers do you have on Facebook?
- How
many followers do you have on Twitter?
- What
other social media networks are you a part of? Pinterest, LinkedIn, Instagram,
etc. Add those numbers here.
You
also need to know where you rank in search engines.
- Plug
your name into Google and see where you are. Do you show up on the first page
of a Google search?
- Plug
your name into other search engines (bing.com, ask.com, etc) and see where you
show up there, too.
- Now
search your blog name, if it’s different from your name, and see where you show
up.
- Finally,
search some of your blog topics. Don’t just search your blog post titles, but
the actual topics. For instance, I wrote a post titled, Social Media
Monday—How Facebook Changes for 2015 CouldAffect Authors. When plug that title into
the search engine, it comes up number one in the search. But when I search Facebook
Changes Affect Authors, I still come up number two.
That’s
ultimately what we’re shooting for, to be found by topic, not just by someone
already knowing our name.
First,
we shoot for getting our names high in the search engine rankings. Then when
we’re on the Internet map, we increase our visibility by getting known
topically.
Plot
Your Course
It’s
hard to get somewhere unless we know where we’re going. One of the easiest ways
to get somewhere is to follow someone. So for this part, you need to think
about two or three people who are where you want to be in the social media
universe. Don’t just choose random, well-known people. Put some thought in this
and look at people who write things similar to you. You’re going to use their
path to success to guide you, so choose well.
Check
their Social Media Numbers
- Do
the same things with their names, as you did with yours.
- Look
at their Facebook friends/followers.
- Check
how many followers they have on Twitter.
- Look
at the other social media networks they’re a part of. To do this, visit their
websites to see what networks they find important.
Check
their Search Engine Ranking
- Plug
their names into Google and look at what you find.
- Now
do the same thing with other search engines and make note of where they rank.
In
the weeks to come, we’ll incorporate this information into plotting your course
so don’t skimp on the time it takes to do this research. I’d love to hear what
you found when you followed the suggestions above. I’d also love for you to
share your thoughts and questions in the comments section below.
Tweet This: #SocialMedia 101 for Authors - Know Where You Are to Get Where You Want to Go - @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 co-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.
