Everything I know about social media

Last week I covered basically everything I know about publishing. This week I’ll tell you everything I know about social media marketing. It won’t take long.

Let the marketing flow

Here, ideally, is what I try to accomplish with my marketing. I want fans. Not sales. Not readers. Fans. People who will sign up for my mailing list and be amicable enough to consider supporting me – on their terms. In short, friends.

So how do we get from complete random strangers to friends? Well, let’s discuss it in stages.

Stage one: Cold Contact

The first step is to get onto people’s radars, and I do this by maintaining a visible presence through various social outlets. Facebook, twitter, various forums, blogs, wherever. I’ll discuss specifics in a minute.

But how you make that first impression is important. You can’t just blather on about your books and beg people to buy them. You have to be a useful contributing member of whatever community you’re trying to tap into. Add to the conversation.

Be interesting. You know all that stuff people do to make friends as adults? Do that. Focusing on whatever brand you have for your author voice is a good idea, and by this I mean “be yourself” but the best professional version of yourself.

Give.

Stage Two: Be Accessible

Keep posting useful and interesting stuff, and people will identify with you. They’ll like you. Want to know you. They’ll check out your profile, and they’ll find links to your professional stuff. If they take it upon themselves to check out what you’ve written, if it’s their idea, they’ll bond to you all the more strongly, and they’ll approach your writing with a positive attitude.

That’s good.

Feature your free stuff prominently, to lower the barrier for entry further. Let them become readers. Make “sampling your work” as easily as possible.

If you’re a good writer, you will provide them with a positive reading experience, and this is where fans come from. So make it easy for them to engage with you, and to find your next book, and to sign up for your mailing list.

Stage Three: Mailing List

Once you’ve got them hooked on your prose, make your mailing list available with links in the back of your book and on your website. Get them on it.

What do you do with your list? Simple. It’s social media that you control, populated entirely by people who are already interested in your books. Here’s how to use that effectively:

Post regular content. Every 10-14 days. Don’t let them forget they signed up… be consistent.
You can let them know when you’ve got new releases or are having a promotion. Don’t be shy about it, but don’t spam about it constantly.
Between releases post to it like you’re talking to your friends, because you are. In whatever your author voice is. Post about your work in progress, tell them about what’s going on in your life, about books you’ve read, movies you’ve seen. You know. Friendly conversation.
Ask for feedback as needed. Got two covers you want to choose between? Some side project you’re considering? Just want to hear what people think? Ask.
Continue to give. That’s key here. And don’t neglect your social media.

Questions? You are invited to either leave a comment below, or ask directly through the comment form.

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