Social Media Basics for Writers: Deal with Unrealistic Expectations

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

“I’m not getting any traction with social media,” is one of the complaints I hear a lot as I travel and teach writers how to connect.

There are a lot of reasons people feel this way, a few are legit, but most are just unreasonable expectations. Today I’m going to address the unrealistic exception for social media that many have. 

Blog or Website—Which One Does a Writer Really Need? Blogging for Writers, Part One

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

The reason we do social media is to connect with our audience. And one of the best ways to deepen that connection is by hanging out with them on a blog. Because of that, I’m going to spend the next few weeks on blogging issues.

The first issue I want to talk about is the difference between a blog and a website. It’s important to know the terminology and be able to evaluate exactly what you need for your circumstances. Just like social media, blogging is not a one size fits all proposition.

Do You Have Unrealistic Expectations for Social Media? Part XI, Social Media Basics for Writers

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

“I’m not getting any traction with social media,” is one of the complaints I hear a lot as I travel and teach writers how to connect.

There are a lot of reasons people feel this way, a few are legit, but most are just unreasonable expectations. Today I’m going to address the unrealistic exception for social media that many have.  

Unrealistic Expectations

Social Media Basics for Writers, Part X—10 Tips to Help Writers Get More Twitter Followers

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

Once we see the value in Twitter, the next thing we need to know is how to get more followers. 

I haven’t run into many people who don’t want to increase their numbers, so today I’m going to share 10 tips to help writers get more Twitter followers. 

Why do I want more Twitter followers?

• It gives me credibility
• It increases my reach, and makes it easier to spread the word, no matter what my message.

What Do I Say On Social Media? 23 Conversation Starters for Authors

By Edie Melson @EdieMelson

I'm constantly being asked for ideas of what post on social media. 

It's important to use those updates as a tool to start a conversation with your friends and followers. 

So I've compiled a list of 23 social media conversation starters for Authors. These should help you never be at a loss for words!

Social Media Basics for Writers—Scheduling Tips for Using Hootsuite

Last week we started discussing how to use Hootsuite, my secret weapon for social media time management. 

Today I'm finishing up. One thing I've discovered, there's too much information to put in one single post. So this will be continued in at least one more post.

Now on to business at hand.

Here is step by step how I schedule Tweets and Facebook Posts in Hootsuite.

Social Media Basics for Writers, Part VII - Get Started with Hootsuite

This is our first lesson in Hootsuite. This is the way I manage my social media in 30 minutes a day.

If you're looking for links for previous posts in this series, they're now at the bottom of the post. Now onward with Hootsuite!

I get up every morning and go to my inbox (because that’s where I receive notifications of new blog posts and Internet articles). I look through the posts and decide what my audience will find valuable. 

Social Media Basics for Writers, Part VI—Is Twitter Worth the Bother?

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

Social media basics for writers.

Today I want to jump into one of the most important social media platforms, Twitter. But first, in case you've missed the previous posts, here are a list of them, with links.

Part I—Know Where You areand Where You’re Going

Part II—When Should a Writer Start Building a Social Media Network

Part III—Targeting Millennials: Snapchat’s 3 Most Dominant Brands & Their Tactics  

Part IV—Dealing with Facebook Spam

Part V—How to Use Hashtags in Social Media

3 Reasons to Master Twitter 

I remember the first time I ventured onto twitter. It’s an intimidating site, full of unfamiliar terms and strange rules. Beyond that, the more people I followed, the more confusing the newsfeed became. To my untrained eye, all those 140 character bursts were just disjointed and disconnected chaos.

Social Media Basics for Writers, Part V—Dealing with Facebook Spam

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

This past week the unthinkable happened. I was tagged in a horribly, sexually explicit Facebook post. I wasn’t the one who discovered the post, either. It was my good friend, Angie Arndt. She saw the post, with my name attached, and was a good enough friend to contact me and let me know.

Let me say right now, bringing a post like that to someone’s attention is difficulty and the most loving thing you can do. Please do not ever hesitate to let someone know if they’ve been tagged in an inappropriate post.  After Angie contacted me, even as social media savvy as I am, I did the same thing most of you would have done, I panicked.

I immediately did the wrong things, in the wrong order, and then spent the next hour undoing them, and doing the right things.

Social Media Basics for Writers, Part IV—Facebook Basics for Writers

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

Today I want to jump into one of the two most important social media tools in your arsenal, Facebook. But first, in case you've missed the previous posts, here are a list of them, with links.

• Part I—Know Where You are and Where You’re Going
• Part II—When Should a Writer Start Building a Social Media Network
• Part III—Targeting Millennials: Snapchat’s 3 Most Dominant Brands & Their Tactics  

Social Media Basics for Writers, Part II—When Should a Writer Start Building a Social Media Network?

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

Over and over, I’ve been asked when a writer should get active on social media. And the answer surprises many. 

The truth is, you need to have a solid social media platform BEFORE you ever get published. 

If you wait until you get a contract, you're already way behind. 

But what's involved in building a social media network? Today I'll lay it all out and give you the basics.