What I Learned About Social Media, the Hard Way

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Social-Media

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21 things you need to know in order to avoid social media pitfalls.  Here is the list, some of which I learned the hard way, so you wouldn’t have to:
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Let’s Start With Your Introduction

  • Pick your name wisely, it’s your brand.
  • Choose a professional photo – how you will be seen by the world – people will judge / follow you by your photo
  • Use positive words to introduce yourself
  • List your website / blog / author page – as many links as possible
  • Choose an appealing background image
  • Be consistent across social networks with your name, logo, branding

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Followers

  • Not only the quantity, but also the quality of followers is important!
  • Use the search function to find suitable connections
  • Thank each one of them for following individually
  • You don’t have to be on every single social network. Pick only the ones that make sense for you
  • Just because they’re called “Friends” doesn’t mean they’re really your friends
  • Connect online but keep it going by taking it offline

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Networking

  • Be yourself and as open as you are comfortable with, and be honest
  • Be positive. Online as well as offline, people like to surround themselves with positive folks
  • Everyone has a different comfort level regarding how much they share online
  • Don’t share blindly, read the articles, check the links. Sharing reflects on you too
  • Have your own opinions but be respectful when sharing them

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Avoid these Topics

  • Such as: sex, religion and politics
  • If what you’re saying can be misinterpreted, it will be!
  • What you share on the Internet lives forever and can be used against you
  • Social media is evolving and means constant learning
  • Social media should be a dialogue, not a monologue

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Share

  • Share valuable resources that your community will appreciate
  • Ask lots of questions. It’s a great way to learn, meet people and build a community
  • Cement your relationships by keeping in touch as often as possible
  • If you’re going offline for an extended period, make it known beforehand to your friends.
  • Think beyond text – use multimedia: photos, video, etc.

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Content

  • Create culturally relevant content
  • Have a social media policy / guidelines for your employees
  • What you get out of your social networks depends on what you put in

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Don’t forget:  It is All About Relationships

Social media marketing is the darling of the marketing world. However it is NOT about selling – rather about building relationship with your readers, educating them about your writing and then making them love your books.  Avoid that all you do on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook is to hawk your book or try to interest agents and editors in your manuscript.  This is not to say you can not ever talk about the interesting things you’re doing.  You are what you post, tweet, or google+, etc.  Slow and steady wins the race.  Building a community and a following takes time.

What additional advice would you share on this list?

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To learn more about professional book marketing and publishing, please read also
“Book Marketing on a Shoestring”
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UAVL3LE

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