Writers, Don't Forget the Social Part...

Sometimes, writers get so wrapped up in their WIPs (works in progress) or their marketing that they forget the social part of social media. It takes some time and effort to grow and keep your audiences. As you plan your writing time, you need to block some time for the care and feeding of your social media sites.

1. Make sure that your photos and bios are current. Check your links and verify that your contact information is correct. You want to make sure you receive messages from others.

2. Make sure that your content is fresh. You'll lose folks if the content isn't new, or you haven't posted in a while. I try to post at least one thing a day. It's hard some days. You may want to look at scheduling posts. It does save time.

3. Share others' content. It can't be all about you and your book.

4. Comment on others'  posts. Likes are nice, but comments usually start conversations and build activity.

5. Use your social media site to build relationships. I create lists of groups that I follow, so that I can quickly access and share their content.

6. My Facebook posts are set to post automatically to Twitter. I have two different audiences on the two sites, but that ensures that I have fresh tweets throughout the day.

7. Make sure that you thank those who help you, share your material, or review your books.

8. Recognize others. It's nice to cite others' accomplishments.

9. Make sure that you're responsive to comments and conversations. It's not much of a conversation if you don't answer.

Social media platforms are powerful tools for rapidly spreading your message. You'll have much more success if you're part of the conversation and an active participant, rather than just someone who announces his/her next book or sale.

Best wishes with your posts. Let's connect on social media.