Monday, February 4, 2013

Social Media Monday—The Tweet Life, Why Bother with Twitter?


Twitter and Facebook are just part of the new digital paradigm—and they’re here to stay. But deciding how to integrate them into your writing life can be tough. Today I’m going to give you a few pointers that should help.

I’ve been watching the threads on several email groups I follow and there seems to be quite a bit of confusion about how to get friends and followers and whether or not there’s any value to them.

Does anybody really care how many friends and followers I have?
Absolutely. One of the first thing a publisher wants to know when consider a book proposal (fiction or non-fiction) is what kind of platform the author has. And simply put, a platform is the number of people who are interested enough in you to possibly buy your book.

The number of friends you have on Facebook and the number of followers you have on Twitter are today’s equivalent of a mailing list.


I know people who have thousands of followers and friends—how can they possibly see any information of value in all that noise?
This question’s a little harder to answer. Yes, it can get to the point where the number of followers and friends seems unwieldy, but it’s all in the way you manage your online presence.

Well then how do I manage my online presence?
Two words—stay relevant. Make certain that what you have to say online adds value to your follower’s digital day.

So how do I get all these followers and friends?
  • Remember the old saying, “To have a friend, you first have to be one.” This little truism works in the Internet universe as well as in real life.
  • Follow people who interest you, who have valuable things to teach you. Chances are—if they’re not too famous—they’ll follow you back (just remember . . . stay relevant).
  • Use hastags when you tweet. Don’t know what these are? Here’s a link to a post I wrote telling you just how and why to use Twitter Hashtags.
  • Brag on someone else. Nobody likes a conversation that’s all about me, me, me. Tweet about someone’s success. Pass on an interesting blog post. Suggest a new friend.
Special Note: I’m not advocating you blindly follow everyone who follows you. Follow the people who make sense to you, but do reciprocate in a timely fashion and when appropriate. I check my followers for new folks to follow at least three times a week.

I hope this helps clear up some of the confusion I’ve been seeing. Let me know any other questions you have and share some of the advantages online networking has given you.

Blessings,
Edie

18 comments:

  1. Thanks! Will check out again the post on #...still don't quite get it. lol

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    1. Pat, let me know if you have any specific questions. I'm happy to help! Blessings, E

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    1. Yvonne, thank you for stopping by! Blessings, E

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  3. Thank you, Edie for helping me to know how Tweet life can be! Enjoying your posts.

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    1. Starr, loved getting to connect at the conference this weekend! Be sure to let me know how I can help you. Blessings, E

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  4. Thanks Edie! I'm entering this world of Tweets with a little fear and trembling, but you're making it easier. I set up my account last night (@JeanWilund) and today I will figure out the next step. Fortunately, I just bought this great book called Connections - Social Media and Networking Techniques for Writers by the great author Edie Melson, so I know I'll figure it all out! Thanks!

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    1. Jean, I'm proud of you! Follow me on Twitter so I can follow you back. Just be sure you don't "protect your tweets." When you set up your account. That would keep you from being found. If you have any questions be sure to email me. Thanks for the shout out for my book! I'm so glad we connected - Blessings, E

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  5. Where do you find the #hashtags list?
    Thanks so much for your incredible advice. Learning this more day by day. Trying not to "over do" in all the areas so I have time to write.
    Blessings,
    janis

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    1. Janis, that's one the best—and worst—things about hashtags. There isn't an official list. You can use any hashtag you wish. I do recommend you research any you haven't used before. Here's a post on how to do that: http://thewriteconversation.blogspot.com/2012/08/thursday-reviewthe-best-choices-for.html.

      You're do a good job by keeping watch on balance! Contact me any time for help. Blessings, E

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  6. Thanks, Edie. I still don't get Twitter, but I participate probably by breaking all the rules. I'm surprised I have any followers at all. However, i do get Facebook and it's my social network of choice. I love it there and feel very connected to more friends than I thought possible.

    Always great to read here and I'm willing to do better on Twitter ... I really am. :) Thanks for always reminding us it's important.

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    1. Kim, you're making smart decisions. Try to do a little on the networks you aren't comfortable with, but concentrate on the ones you are. Thanks so much for stopping by! Blessings, E

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  7. I admit, Twitter is something that's an afterthought for me, mostly because it seems to largely be a virtual billboard for people to sell their books, etc. But I am surprised to see how my following has grown even with minimal efforts.

    I think you've posted about this before, but what does your Twitter posting schedule look like? How often do you schedule tweets and how much time do you actually spend on it every day?

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    1. Lindsay, using Hootsuite has totally saved my social media life. I don't spend a specific amount of time on Twitter, I schedule all my social media at the same time. I use the first 30 minutes of the day to get everything scheduled through hootsuite. Now I usually schedule about 15-25 updates throughout the day. I try to post on the hour or half-hour so my updates don't fall too close together. I'm very serious about not spending much time on social media versus writing time. I hope this helps. If any other questions come up be sure to email me! Blessings, E

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  8. At a writers conference this weekend, Gina Holmes of www.novelrocket.com talked about the importance of having an "Open Hand." If we are willing to open our hands and share, good things will flow into them as well. Twitter is a great place to share ideas. I make lists (ie, agent/editor info, writers, etc) to help organize the flow of information. Hootsuite makes it easy to follow several streams by list or hashtag term (ie #amreading). Thanks for the encouragement!

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    1. Julia, I LOVE listening to Gina speak! Great suggestions for using Twitter effectively. You do a good job utilizing it. Thanks so much for stopping by! Blessings, E

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  9. Such a great post Eddie! I would love to hear more "tips" on how to navigate twitter most effectively if you have them!

    Sincerely, Your New Friend From Twitter

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    1. Angie, I've decided to make this Part One, of a series of suggestions on Twitter. So look for these on Mondays. Thanks so much for stopping by! Blessings, E

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