Sep 18, 2017 |
by Edie Melson @EdieMelson
(Originally published on The Write Conversation. Reprinted/updated here with permission.)
Everywhere we turn we’re hit with the message of how great social media is. Don’t get me wrong, I love social media. But I didn’t start out loving it. I began my relationship with this new paradigm by hating it.
I don’t have a background in computers or marketing or anything that might make social media look interesting. Add to that fact that I’m a natural introvert, and you have a recipe for a disaster. Truthfully, that was how my relationship with social media began—as a disaster. Here are, from my own experience, the top 10 ways to make yourself miserable with social media.
Frankly, My Dear . . . Miserable with Social Media
- Sign up for Twitter, and keep your tweets protected. This means you have to approve anyone who follows you. This make absolutely no sense at all. You’re on Twitter to get your name out there. Having to approve followers means no one (okay, almost no one) will follow you.
- Never add to the social conversation. This means you never comment on Facebook, or tweet on Twitter or take part in any of the dialogue. You just follow what’s being said and wonder why social media isn’t working. For social media to work, you have to wade in and join the fun.
- Refuse to upload a picture of yourself as your Twitter avatar. If you just keep the default Egg Avatar on Twitter you’re telling the world one of two things. You’re a Twitter newbie and don’t know what you’re doing, or you’re a spammer.
- Join every new social media platform that comes out. As of this moment, there are well over 150 individual social media platforms, and that number changes by the hour. There’s no way anyone can reasonably interact on that many. Join Twitter and Facebook, but beyond that, pick one or two more you like best and concentrate on those.
- Use Facebook as a platform to air all grievances. There’s a saying that what happens on the Internet STAYS on the Internet. It’s true. No matter how much you later regret an outburst or ill-considered post, it’s there to stay. It’s almost impossible to erase all traces of something written on the Internet and that’s especially true with social media. My rule is to NEVER post anything negative on social media.
- Spend the bulk of your writing time doing social media. Yes, social media can help you get a contract (whether it’s for an article or book). But it won’t help if you can’t write. Writers need to be spending the majority of time writing and learning to write, NOT on social media. I recommend writers spend no more than 30 minutes a day on social media.
- Post all your social media updates at once, in a short window of time. This will insure you get noticed—but not in the way you want. Hogging the stream will cause your friends and followers to stop interacting with you and even delete you from their streams faster than almost anything.
- Just do social media when the mood hits. Posting when you feel like it, instead of working at it consistently is a guaranteed way to fail. Small, consistent steps are a guaranteed route to success.
- Don’t use an ancillary program to keep track of social media. I recommend Hootsuite, but Buffer and Tweetdeck are also viable alternatives. Not sure what I’m talking about? Then read this post on Hootsuite Basics to see what you’re missing.
- The best way to make yourself miserable with social media is to NOT do it. If you don’t give it a try you’ll always be wondering what you’re missing, and feeling guilty because you know it’s something you should do.
Now it’s your turn, what part of social media has made you miserable and how have you overcome it?
Don’t forget to join the conversation!
Blessings,
Edie
TWEET THIS: Top 10 Ways to Make Yourself Miserable with Social Media @RealMojo68 @EdieMelson #socialmedia
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
Edie Melson
Find your voice, live your story…is the foundation of Edie Melson’s message, no matter if she’s addressing parents, military families or writers. As an author, blogger, and speaker she’s encouraged and challenged audiences across the country and around the world. Connect with her on her blog and through Twitter and Facebook.You can also connect with Edie through Twitter and Facebook.
Sep 9, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @RealMojo68
What’s your social media identity? Are you popular on Instagram but not Twitter? Does your Facebook feed look a little hungry?
One way to keep your numbers up across the board is to maintain consistency.
WHO you are is as important as WHERE you are, and these are both as important HOW OFTEN you make your presence known.
I’ve seen people have a different user name for each platform they use. That’s not a good idea, unless you’re creating multiple personalities. You want your followers to be able to find you easily, like the neon Denny’s signs for late-night travelers.
Now, I’m not advocating cookie-cutter posts. You don’t want your feeds to be a Xerox copy of each other all the time. But you do want to share your same message through different venues.
You are the cake, and your media is the icing. The icing doesn’t change the cake, it makes it more appealing.
Frankly, My Dear . . . Icing on the cake!
Some sites may want a small piece, others require something bigger. A third requests a chunk of frosting the size of your fist. You’re the chef. This is your restaurant, your bakery, your tail gate party. You know what you’re good at, so don’t be afraid to serve it up with a smile.
And be sure to include the whole meal. Your followers will, well, follow you more if the breadcrumbs you leave are flavorful, lead to better foods, and invite others to the table. By that I mean, well, now I mean I’m hungry. But in the social media world, I mean give your peeps a buffet to choose from. There are nine gajillion ways to cook foods. Surely you know more than just one meal’s worth.
Your garden, your fridge, your pantry all work together to make a great meal. Your media sites should do the same. Add a little of this, a side of that. My, that’s a lovely four-course plate you’re serving up.
Bring your people back to the table with a variety that will garner their taste buds. And if you experiment with the recipe now and then, great. How else will you know what you can add to your plate?
Just make sure your meals are going out three times a day, every day. Don’t leave ’em hungry and eating elsewhere. Like picky eaters, your audience will let you know what works and what doesn’t.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some cupcakes I need to bake. And eat. Share. I mean, share.
TWEET THIS: #SocialMedia Saturday: What Are You Feeding Your Followers? @RealMojo68 #cake
With a cool apron in a hot kitchen,
Bake those posts!
~Molly Jo
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
Jan 16, 2017 |
Building an Author Platform: How Much Information is Safe to Share Online?
by Edie Melson @EdieMelson
Edie Melson- Building an Author Platform: How Much Information is Safe to Share Online?
As writers we know the importance of developing an online presence, but is there such a thing as too much information out there?
Absolutely!
The result of too much information online can range from the irritating to the dangerous. But it is possible to be smart and still have an online presence that will garner you the right kind of reader notice.
So how much is too much to stay safe online? Anything that lets your online presence collide with your physical presence without you managing the connections.
Here are some tips to help you stay out of trouble:
- Have boundaries firmly established in your own mind—BEFORE something happens. That way, when someone get too familiar, you’ll be ready to do more than just feel vaguely uncomfortable. So often I talk to writers who have a cyber-stalker and they’re not even certain whether they should be concerned or not.
- Trust your instincts. I cannot emphasize this one strongly enough. If someone makes you uncomfortable, act on your feelings.
- Don’t friend/follow/or otherwise engage someone who isn’t willing to post a picture and/or give out reasonable information.
- Don’t use any social media networks and/or settings where you check in at places. There is no good reason for someone to know where you are generally. If you’re at a conference or a big event, you can let people know you’re there if you choose, but don’t leave your safety to a computer program.
- Turn OFF your location settings for all your digital devices—phone, digital camera, ereader and tablet. Otherwise, any picture you take with those devices could have an imbedded code that gives the latitude and longitude of where the picture was taken. This is especially true if you post pictures of children (your own or even grandkids). Don’t make it easy for a predator to map out your location.
What should you do when something makes you uncomfortable?
The biggest thing is do NOT be tempted to be polite when you’re worried. This is similar to following your instincts in that we often push down our uncomfortable feelings for the sake of being polite. If someone is tweeting to you, sending you repeated Facebook messages, or contacting you in any way that makes you uncomfortable, don’t ignore your feelings.
- First, if it’s someone you know, confront the person making you uncomfortable and request they respect your boundaries. If it’s a spammer, do NOT engage. Just move straight to blocking them.
- If they don’t adhere to your guidelines, immediately block them from the social media networks where they are contacting you.
- Finally, report them to the social media network(s) where the infraction occurred.
This isn’t something you should fool around with, but it’s also something you shouldn’t be worried about. Taking these steps will keep you safe and give you the boundaries you need to stay safe online.
What steps do you take to stay safe? Have you ever felt uncomfortable by a contact? If so what did you do?
CLICK TO TWEET: Frankly, My Dear: Building an Author Platform: How Much Information is Safe to Share Online?
Edie Melson
Edie Melson—author, blogger, and speaker is a prolific writer with years of experience in the publishing industry. Her best-selling ebook has been expanded and re-released as Connections: Social Media and Networking Techniques for Writers. Her popular industry blog, The Write Conversation, reaches thousands of writers each month.
In addition, she’s the Director of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, the Social Media director for Southern Writers Magazine, Social Media Mentor for My Book Therapy and the Senior Editor at Novel Rocket.
You can also connect with Edie through Twitter and Facebook.
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
Aug 21, 2016 |
Saturday, I had the opportunity to present “Growing Your Social Media Swarm” to the Writers of Kern, a branch of the California Writers Club. I was excited to learn the audience also had non-writers interested in learning better building techniques.
One of the first slides in my presentation is one you’ve seen for years on this blog.
If you build it, they will come.
Remember back in the day when I revamped my blog, and my brother created this wonderful graphic for me? It’s years old, and it still thrills me.
It’s a reminder to take those steps toward better social media. “If you build it, they will come.”
Social media (emphasis on social) is more than just “look at me.” It’s a mutual support.
Many years ago (okay, we’re gonna pretend I didn’t use the word “many” here, okay? Thanks.) in college, I attended a reading and lecture by W. P. Kinsella, author of Shoeless Joe, which became the inspiration for the movie Field of Dreams. Mr. Kinsella and I spoke after, and he encouraged me to keep writing. “It’s a special gift that takes years,” he told me. “Don’t give up.” To this day, Field of Dreams is still one of my favorites.
When you place your focus on “social”, “media” is just the means by which you connect. As writers, we are the first generation to have instant worldwide access. [You can thank Al Gansky for that soundbite.] Why wouldn’t you want a piece of that pie?
Before building your social media platform, it’s important to know a few things:
- Facebook and Twitter are da bomb. That’s where you’ll reach 100% of your target audience. The other sites are just icing on the cake.
- What do you want to be known for? If it’s being a creative, design your posts to share creative ideas. If it’s business management, you may want to share ideas on personnel, budgeting, and the like.
- Who do you want your target audience to be? This is the money shot. Find a unique way to present who you are with what you know, and you’ll be set.
Running a social media platform takes time. Effort. A little brain-powered creativity. Here’s the good news: You don’t have to do it alone.
Remember the emphasis on “social”? It works both ways. You want to share content to help connect you to a broader audience, right? Well, reverse that. Someone else out there has information and links you’re interested in. Find them, promote them. By sharing someone else’s posts and pages, you’ve still supplied your audience with information, while helping someone else gain status in the social media foray.
See? They built it, you came. Now it’s your turn. Build it, and they will come.
This is where I pat you on the back and say, “Good game. Now, go get ’em!”
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
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