Social Media Tips that Stand the Test of Time

 Last week, I talked about having a marketing plan and setting goals. This week, I thought I’d talk about social media, since that’s obviously closely linked. I do a talk at writers’ conferences on the subject, and the room is always filled with creatives who are almost afraid of social media. And that can’t be the point.

            The best way to look at social media platforms is this: they are a tool to help you reach individual readers. That’s it. You’re talking to one reader at a time.

You don’t have to dance on Tiktok if that’s not your thing.

 

1.     Set Social Media Goals

A good place to start is to make a list of social media platforms and see what they do. Facebook is for friends and fans, X (formerly Twitter) is for quick bites of information, Instagram for photos and short videos, Tiktok for spontaneous videos. Think about what you’re comfortable sharing. Readers, librarians and teachers love a behind-the-scenes look at your workspace, your inspiration, and your process.

            If you’re new to social media, set smaller goals until you feel more comfortable. If short form sharing doesn’t speak to you, consider starting a newsletter. Much like this blog, it allows you to write longer pieces and reach readers directly in their email inbox.

            The key is to build a habit and share regularly. That way, your readers and fans know when they can expect to hear from you. Start with weekly goals and a checklist, so you can walk away (and get back to writing!) when you’re done.

This is my virtual author visit setup (complete with ravens)

2.     Create a Social Media Calendar

Using your big-picture goals, set a social media calendar. What are you going to share, and when will you share it? Each platform has a best time to share as well (you can Google this) so plan around that. You can even use a social media scheduling tool.

A word of caution: all these platforms only work if you engage with fans. Comment on and share other people’s posts—it’s called social media for a reason: you must be social.

           

3.     Focus on Individual Connections & Do Nice Things for Others

If it feels like you’re screaming into a void, you’re probably not approaching social media right. Even if only one person comments or shares your post, that’s okay: you still made a connection. People who have massive followings and engagement tend to be bigger name authors and illustrators, so don’t compare yourself to those people. It takes years to develop this kind of following. It’s better to look at growing your number of followers as a long term goal but not as something you can control.

If you’re unsure of what to do, do something nice for someone else. Post a review, share a new release (called a bookbirthday), and celebrate good news a friend has. It’ll earn you some goodwill points and with some luck, they’ll share your good news when it’s your turn.

 

Extra tip: try out two platforms if possible. The consensus used to be that you should pick your favorite platform and focus there, but with the recent uncertainty in platforms (Twitter’s demise and transformation into X, Tiktok on the brink of being banned, etc.), don’t put all your social media eggs in one basket. Try to be active on at least two platforms.

You can Google examples of social media calendars, though I urge you to find your own process. Everyone shares in their own way. That’s what makes social media interesting.

How about you? How do you manage your social media?

About Fleur:

Fleur Bradley has loved mysteries ever since she first picked up an Agatha Christie book at the age of eleven. She’s the author of middle-grade mysteries Daybreak on Raven Island and Midnight at the Barclay Hotel (Viking/PRH), the Double Vision trilogy (HarperCollins), as well as numerous short stories, one of which was recently chosen for the annual Best Mystery Stories of the Year anthology. Fleur’s work has been nominated for the Agatha and Anthony Award and has won the Colorado Book Award, among others.

A reluctant reader herself, Fleur is also a literacy advocate and speaks at events on how to reach reluctant readers. Originally from the Netherlands, she now lives in a small cottage in the foothills of the Colorado Rockies.

You can find Fleur online at fleurbradley.com.

YA Authors on Instagram - 21 cool things you can do (besides say "I have a book out")

So what's an author to do over on Instagram? (Especially if you promised your kid you won't dance on it.)

Shailee Shah over at BookBub did this roundup of 25 Authors Running Fantastic Book Promotions on Instagram that provides a bunch of examples, which inspired this post -- and because all lists are subjective, I've gone ahead and added a bunch of my own favorites, too.

Check out these posts and ideas:

Elise Bryant - recommend other people's books, and model different outfits the characters might wear!

Jennifer Niven - share things you love 

Tahereh Mafi - images from launch week

Alexandra Bracken - playing both sides of a conversation with your character about their story

Kalynn Bayron - countdowns

Danielle Paige - giveaways of other people's books

Sandhya Menon - chatting with readers (with sparkles!)

Dahlia Adler - run a preorder campaign

Ransom Riggs - post inspiration images

Ryan LaSala and Nicola Yoon - share personal reflections on your author journey

Julian Winters and Angie Thomas - celebrate anniversary of a book first meeting its readers (baked goods seem important here)

Brian Selznick - share art that's being auctioned off for a cause

Rainbow Rowell - highlight fan art with your appreciation

Adam Silvera - celebrate your birthday

Laini Taylor - post on your writing process

Libba Bray - comment on absurd news (helps if it fits with the humor of your books!)

Amy Spalding - cover reveal

Federico Erebia - share good news (like starred reviews!)

Daniel Nayeri - offer an excerpt from a new book

Sasha Lamb - share images of your book in the 'wild' 

Elisabeth Acevedo - writing about and on life in a way that makes people want to read your books

This is a bonus -- it's MG, but so cool - Michel Guyon's photo art from the Instagram feed for Archibald Finch

Michel Guyon - create elaborate images of moments from your book (with books) and put yourself in the photos!

Illustrate, Translate, and Write On,
Lee

The Power of #BookTok

As reported last week in Shelf Awareness, #BookTok Videos 'Starting to Influence Publishers and Bestseller Lists'

Noting that TikTok "is not an obvious destination for book buzz," the New York Times reported that "videos made mostly by women in their teens and 20s have come to dominate a growing niche under the hashtag #BookTok, where users recommend books, record time lapses of themselves reading, or sob openly into the camera after an emotionally crushing ending."

one example from the article:

Miriam Parker, a v-p and associate publisher at Ecco, said the company saw a sales spike for The Song of Achilles on August 9 last year, but couldn't figure out why. Ecco eventually traced it to a TikTok video called "books that will make you sob," published on August 8 by @moongirlreads. The video has now been viewed nearly six million times.

Have you checked out #BookTok?

Illustrate, Translate, and Write On,
Lee

BookBub Compiles 15 Ways Authors are Using Instagram to Connect with Readers Amidst Physical Distancing

There's a lot to appreciate about this piece by Evelyn Maguire, 15 Ways Authors are Using Instagram to Overcome Physical Distancing Challenges.

I'll start with how much I prefer the expression "Physical Distancing" to "Social Distancing." This is precisely when we need to feel closer to each other socially - and technology can help with that. It's just we need physical distance between us to keep everyone safe. It's an important distinction.

The article's content is inspiring as well. While the examples are all from Instagram, they're applicable to other platforms and forms of social media. Here are some highlights of how authors are overcoming physical distancing challenges:

1. They’re hosting Q&As via Instagram Live
Authors have been making themselves more accessible to readers by inviting them to scheduled or impromptu Q&As via Instagram Live.

3. They’re recommending quarantine reads
Many authors are sharing book recommendations with their readers.

4. They’re bringing book launches to readers virtually
For many authors, coronavirus has disrupted their much-anticipated book releases and launch events. So many are using Instagram to celebrate their launches virtually instead.

10. They’re offering ways to help fellow writers
Some authors are providing writing guidance as a way to help fellow writers during this stressful time!

15. They’re trying to lighten the mood
With humorous videos, pictures, and memes, many authors have been sharing lighthearted moments with their followers.

Check out the full piece and all the examples here.

Illustrate and Write on - and feel connected socially (even while we're physically distant),
Lee

How would it impact publishers (and authors and illustrators) if Facebook ditches the Like count?

This article by Monojoy Bhattacharjee in What's New In Publishing, How would it impact publishers if Facebook ditches the Like count?, gives us a glimpse of the experiments happening with hiding like counts on Instagram and Facebook.

Why are these platforms looking at hiding the like count?

A spokesperson for Facebook, Instagram’s owner, told BBC that “This test only makes your like count private to others, so that you’re able to focus less on likes and more on telling your story.”

Monojoy predicts,

"With Likes possibly becoming less of a determinant of content popularity, focus on community building and content quality will increase."

This raises so many interesting questions!

Consider: How would your social media efforts change if no one but you could see how many "likes" something you post gets?

And if no one else could see, would you come to a point where even you stopped looking at the like count of what you post?

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

How Some Authors Are Using Instagram Stories To Reach Readers

Check out this piece from the BookBub Partners blog, How Authors Use Instagram Stories to Connect with Readers.

In it, Julia Hansen lists 16 different ways authors are using Instagram stories, along with examples of each.

The one I'm most excited about (and the example was inspiring!) was:

16. Create a highlight

One of the most useful features on Instagram is the ability to save stories to your profile. While most stories disappear after 24 hours, you can choose to have them stay on your profile in a highlight.

Here, author R.S. Grey has a highlight sharing the reading order for her books. This is a useful resource for anyone visiting her profile.

Which ways of using Instagram Stories have you tried, and which are inspirational for you?

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Instagram for Illustrators - 10 handy "Basic Tips" from Illustrator Ohn Mar Win

Ohn Mar Win wrote this piece, Instagram for Illustrators - 10 Basic Tips for Gaining Great Followers back in August of 2015. At the time, she had 4,669 instagram followers. Today, she has 128,000 followers.

So check out Ohn Mar Win's advice, including this bonus piece of wisdom, “There are a surprising number of art directors and editors on Instagram who may not state they are art directors and use personal accounts to follow your work!!”

Two of the ten tips to highlight:

7) Hashtag your work appropriately - the most popular ones are...#art #artist #painting #illustration #drawing #draw #sketch #sketchbook#artoftheday #instaart #instaartist #wip #artistsoninstagram #sketchbook #watercolours (or whatever medium you've used) #yourname #illustration

9) Watermark your work (install iWatermark app) use the adjust/ vignette/ tilt shift function if you are worried about unscrupulous use of your art.

It's all excellent advice - check out the full article here, and follow Ohn_Mar_Win and other illustrators on Instagram for inspiration.

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee

Do You Use Instagram as an Author? Some Advice

Check out the inspiration and examples using the #bookgiveaway hashtag on Instagram

From Jane Friedman's blog, this excerpt, 5 Ways to Use Instagram as an Author, is from Social Media for Writers: Marketing Strategies for Building Your Audience and Selling Books (Writer’s Digest Books) by Tee Morris (@TeeMonster) and Pip Ballantine (@PhillipaJane).

Highlights include:

Insta-competitions
Competitions are a proven way to increase your number of followers on Instagram, but don’t go this route until you have at least a small following. It’s hard to make a splash if only a few people are following you... So what do you ask people to do? Keep it simple, and make sure it involves nothing dangerous or too outrageous. A picture of a participant with your book (“book selfies”), dressed up like a character, or posing with something significant related to the book (an artifact or some related item) are all good choices. Or you could go with something related to your genre that is more open to interpretation.

and Joanna Penn's at The Creative Penn's article, How to Use Instagram As An Author Plus 10 Ways to Grow Your Account Organically, offers some choice examples of how authors are successfully using instagram. From Poems, inspirations, book covers, author signing events, and quotes, there's so much inspiration!

How do you use Instagram?

Illustrate and Write On,
Lee