"Will you write a social media daily checklist for writers please?"
This was my morning wake-up call from my beloved BB4L (Book Bitch for Life). Hey, I get it, social media can feel like a task x 15, especially when you're trying to establish yourself as a writer and author. How do we get it all done AND manage to, you know, actually write?
Make a game plan!
Thanks to my BB4L, I compiled a PDF of exactly this, a checklist of recommended social media activities for each day of the week. I went by the rule of 3's, but you can certainly do more. Completing these most basic tasks each day will dramatically increase your visibility and frankly, your benefit from social media platforms. Did I cover everything? Not even close! There are a ton of additional resources, techniques, and ideas I did not include. I hope you'll comment here with what YOU do to get yourself out there. In the meantime, I'm posting the content here AND making it available as as free PDF for you to use!
Free stuff is AWESOME. CLICK HERE FOR YOUR FREE PDF VERSION
A Writer’s Social Media Checklist
So you want to build you Social Media presence on Facebook and Twitter? Give your name legs and leave an impression that will last? Preparing for a book launch or planning way ahead?
Well, there are some simple and concrete ways to start creating buzz, make valuable connections, and start creating and participating in a community that will support you in your creative endeavors!
You’ll need a few simple things to begin:
Ongoing access to a computer and the internet
A professional-looking headshot or portrait
Before we jump into simple strategies, let’s review the main social media platforms we will be covering in this guide:
Twitter
Author Page on Facebook
Instagram
Pinterest
Goodreads
Personal Blog
Have an account on these platforms already? Great! No? Well, first step is to create an account for each of these avenues. These are important and will increase your visibility exponentially. There’s nothing more disappointing to find a writer you want to learn more about (especially if they have anything published) and discover they only have an old Blogger account that hasn’t been updated in over a year! More than ever, people are seeking others out through these avenues, determining if they want to have interactions with you long before they reach out in any shape or form. And many readers are doing their research before they even think about picking up your book!
Relationships MATTER.
Getting Your Snowball Rolling on Twitter
First things first. Here are some basic commandments to get you started on the road to Twitter success!
1. Thou shall RETWEET content!
People get notified when you do this and it's a good way to let people know you agree with them or are listening to what they're saying/sharing.
2. Thou shall FOLLOW other people!
Shoot for following at least 2 a day and you will soon have a robust thread of others posts. People will often check you out and follow you in return!
3. Thou shall TWEET original content!
Don't limit yourself to just retweeting others. Tweet your own ideas, experiences, or likes/dislikes so people get to know you. This also allows people to retweet your thoughts and you gain valuable organic exposure that way too.
Are you an active writer and want to start participating in the #amwriting #amediting community? Start by following these Twitter accounts:
@lowericon
@corilynarnold
@RWAKissofDeath
@WriterEdmonds
@QuillWriters
@scribalreverie
@KelseyNMcIntyre
@alliemayauthor
@Gracie_DeLunac
@chipmunkofpower
@Allie_Kincheloe
@Kelsye
@iamfunkhauser
@JudyLMohr
@micascotti
@fridayphrases
@ThruLineThurs
@victoriadaru
@willowylungs
@allbrevitywit
@ebnovels
@mirz333
@ravenswd123
@bevandeveire
@AmandaKWrites
@ElleKarmaWrites
@grbankler
@SciFiFri
@jfxmcl
Once you’ve followed these people, begin the process of reviewing tweets in your feed. Mute any you find distasteful and be sure to retweet the ones you like. People love seeing their material retweeted and will often return the favor or begin to notice you as you continue to do this.
Your Facebook Presence
Lots of us have a Facebook account that we use to keep in contact with family, friends, long-ago high school acquaintances we never really liked but feel a need to know what they’re doing anyway… But for establishing your social media presence as a writer and author, you’ll be using Facebook differently.
The first step is to create a “Page”, which will now serve as your Author Page and where you will maintain your professional persona on Facebook. Though you will use your personal account to manage this page, it is important to keep this separate from your personal account. Be sure when you post on your page that you are doing so as the “Author” and not from your personal account.
Here’s a lot of information on how to use Pages in Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/business/products/pages
Once you have a Page, upload that nice looking photo of yourself and think of this as a mini-blog. You don’t want to be as long-winded as you might be on your personal blog, but think of expanding your Tweet subjects here. A small paragraph, a graphic or infograph to compliment your content, and you’re well on your way!
Instagram Those Memories!
Have you seen Stephen King’s adorable corgi, Molly, the Thing of Evil? No? Well, you clearly don’t follow him on social media because he posts about her a lot. And people love it! Instagram is another way to create meaningful content and connections with potential readers and members of the writing community. I would recommend creating a separate one from your personal account, so friends and family can still see the ins-and-outs of your personal life, without having bleed-over from more professional intended content. This is a great place to take snapshots of books, activities, events, and places that might appeal to your writing community or potential readers. Have some art or inspiration that reminds you of your writing? Post it! Have a mock-up or advance cover art for your upcoming book? Post it! Visited a cool bookstore in the heart of Portland? Post it! These are ways to share with your community your personal, yet professional, activities and interests.
Pinterest: The Inspiration Board that Never Ends
Ever feel lacking in inspiration? Feel you need more ideas, beauty, and/or snapshots of technique? Pinterest may be the ultimate playground for visual prompting and idea generation. Though many think Pinterest is all about recipes and DIY home projects (there’s plenty of that too) what a lot of people miss is the staggering amount of writer and book resources available here. From ideas on what to read next, to book marketing tips, to character art inspiration, Pinterest has it all! So start an account and create a writer/author/creative board and start searching for key terms that interest you. Start “pinning” resources you like and share your board with others via Facebook or Twitter – others can benefit too! If you have a robust list, people will start to follow your boards and you can create your own pins too, which will come in handy when your brand-spanking-new book is getting ready to come out.
Goodreads – The Review Mecca for Readers
Goodreads: love it or hate it, it’s where the readers are. It is also considered by many to be the “go-to” for quality reader reviews on books. There are also forums and author profiles you can interact with and post in. As an up and coming writer, being active and established on Goodreads has many benefits:
See what people are reading, enjoying, or complaining about.
Monitor your book ratings and see how readers are feeling about your content.
Interact, post, and discuss writing and reading subjects with actual avid readers.
Find beta readers and reviewers who are happy to check out your work.
But writer beware! Goodreads can be a harsh place too, honesty runs amok, and if you have a rather thin skin, you might actually skip this resource. I would recommend working on thickening up that skin because Goodreads can be invaluable—however, don’t let a few bad reviews or sharp-tongued reviewers get you down!
A Personal Blog is Still the Gold Standard
Maintaining a personal blog is a double-edged sword that requires patience, consistency, and the willingness to write, even when you don’t feel like it. However, a personal blog is still, in many ways, the continued gold standard for social media interaction and writer presence online. What better way to summarize, share, and advertise than through meaningful and sometimes lengthy posts about what you’re up to these days? There are also more options than ever when it comes to hosts for blogs and a few of the more popular ones include:
Wordpress
Wix
Blogger (though personally I despise this one)
Here’s a review of some other options I don’t have personal experience with: http://stylecaster.com/best-free-blog-sites/
Also consider purchasing a domain name for your author/writer presence, especially if you’re published or planning on being published within the next year. They’re easier to remember and are just more professional-looking overall. Purchasing a domain can often be quite reasonably priced (shop around!), though if you’re not quite at that point, a free blog is totally acceptable.
The number one important thing with a blog is keeping it active. Shoot for at least ONE blog post a week (though you’ll note I certainly don’t manage to do that either!) but two is ideal. They don’t have to be long monologues about what is going on in your life either. A quick snapshot list, a post of a picture (think: doubling your Instagram post), or other content that might be useful for your reader. Some post ideas:
2017 Resolutions and Plans
Reading list for the year
How’s your writing going?
Techniques you use to defeat writer’s block
Exciting character developments in your story
A book review of your most recent read
Bookstores you’ve visited and recommendations
Upcoming book release information
Commentary on current events in the world
Commentary on current events in the writing/publishing industry
Sky’s the limit and remember, a personal blog is often the page on which judgement is made, so monitor your content, stay professional, and keep your writing relevant and interesting to your readers.
THE WEEKLY CHECKLIST
Monday
Tweet at least three original thoughts/events/opinions. Use hashtags.
Retweet at least three tweets by others (can be writing hashtag related)
Follow 2+ Twitter accounts.
Participate in at least two writing hashtag activities:
#Meta4Mon Check @corilynarnold .
#Ministory Check @WriterEdmonds .
#MondayBlogs Tweet your blog posts on Mondays.
#MuseMon Check @Claribel_Ortega .
#MissMuseMe Check @bevandeveire .
#LoveLines Check @AmandaKWrites and @ElleKarmaWrites .
Post a new blog post on your website. (Aim for 2x a week, but Monday at the least.) Advertise this post across all platforms.
Duplicate your tweets, but expand them, on your Facebook Author Page.
Tuesday
Tweet at least three original thoughts/events/opinions. Use hashtags
Retweet at least three tweets by others (can be writing hashtag related)
Follow 2+ Twitter accounts.
Participate in at least two writing hashtag activities:
#2BitTues Check Angela D'Onofrio @AngDonofrio
#TuesdayBookBlog Blog posts about books and writers
#TeaserTues No host, snippets & "teasers" from pub. work or upcoming
#TuesTell Check @mirz333 and @ravenswd123
Pin at least three new items, ideas, books, and/or writing tips on Pinterest.
Wednesday
Tweet at least three original thoughts/events/opinions. Use hashtags.
Retweet at least three tweets by others (can be writing hashtag related)
Follow 2+ Twitter accounts.
Participate in at least two writing hashtag activities:
#1LineWed | #onelinewed Check @RWAKissofDeath
#WIPWed No host, post a snippet, quote, or update about your WIP.
#WriterWednesday Shout-out to writers / suggest authors to follow, or to share writing tips, and anything else to do with writers or writing.
#WriterHumpDay Check @ebnovels
#Whimsday Check @scribalreverie
Rate/review a book on Goodreads AND/OR make an Instagram post.
Duplicate your tweets, but expand them, on your Facebook Author Page.
Thursday
Tweet at least three original thoughts/events/opinions. Use hashtags.
Retweet at least three tweets by others (can be writing hashtag related)
Follow 2+ Twitter accounts.
Participate in at least two writing hashtag activities:
#ThrustyThurs Check @scribalreverie
#3WordThurs Check @scribalreverie
#Thurds Check @thurdswords or @iamfunkhauser
#ThruLineThurs Check @ThruLineThurs
#ThursTale Check @grbankler
Pin at least three new items, ideas, books, and/or writing tips on Pinterest.
Friday
Tweet at least three original thoughts/events/opinions. Use hashtags.
Retweet at least three tweets by others (can be writing hashtag related)
Follow 2+ Twitter accounts.
Participate in at least two writing hashtag activities:
#Friday5th Check @KelseyNMcIntyre and @alliemayauthor
#FictFri Check @Gracie_DeLunac
#fridayflash Writers write/post flash fiction. Readers comment and RT.
#followfriday (#ff) Suggest people and why they should follow them on Twitter.
#FP (Friday Phrases) Check @FridayPhrases
#FriDare Check @micascotti | Winners announced 9-10PM EST
#Fri1st Check @allbrevitywit
#SciFiFri Check @SciFiFri and jfx mcloughlin @jfxmcl
Post a new blog post on your website. (This is optional but recommended.) Advertise this post across all platforms.
Duplicate your tweets, but expand them, on your Facebook Author Page.
Saturday/Sunday
Follow 2+ Twitter accounts.
Participate in at least two writing hashtag activities:
#SchemingSaturday Check @scribalreverie
#SlapDashSat Check @slapdashsat
#AntagonistsAnonymous Check @scribalreverie
#ShareWrit Check @Gracie_DeLunac
#WhosYourCharacter Check @chipmunkofpower
#SciFiSat Check @SciFiFri and jfx mcloughlin @jfxmcl
#SixWordStory / #6Words Check @Kelsye
#twitterfiction Tweet your story snippets, updates, or other happenings
#SunWIP Check @JudyLMohr
#SettingSunday Check @victoriadaru and Carly Racklin @willowylungs
Have Extra Time? (Ha... ha... ha...)
Comment on other writer’s blog postings.
Search and follow writers, agents, and publishers on Twitter.
Search and follow your favorite authors, celebrities, and politicians on Twitter.
Boost your posts on Facebook for increased marketing value (costs $$).
Create video posts (VLOGs) to post on your platforms.
Create a social event in your community to bring people together.
Follow relevant people and boards on Pinterest.
Create a “To-Do” list of writing/marketing goals.
Research books and read reviews on books in the genre you write.
Join writer’s groups on Facebook and commiserate with others.
Post and participate in the Goodreads forums.
Celebrate other writer’s upcoming or recently released books!
Thank writers or others who have inspired you, helped you, or made you a better writer.
Have a complete manuscript? Participate in writing contests (see my post here)