5 Tips for A New You for a New Writing Year

by Tammy Karasek @TickledPinkTam

We have been taught as writers to always have an online presence in some way. Most of us aren’t particularly fond of having to do so, but it’s something that comes with the writing gig. We press on and do the best we can. 

As we prepare for 2022, which is just around the corner, we should take the time before the year ends to make sure we are putting our best and most up-to-date selves out there. After all, you’ve spent the time writing quality pieces—whether that’s articles, blog posts or books—shouldn’t your writer information be quality as well? That's where social media for writers comes in to play.

10 Ways Writers Can Fail Spectacularly at Social Media in 2020

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

This past year, everywhere you turned someone was offering help on how to succeed with marketing, aka social media. Today I’m going to turn the tables and give you my top 10 ways to guarantee failure in 2020.

What Happened to the Scheduling Option for Facebook Pages?

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

New Changes in Facebook

One thing we can always be certain of with social media—change is inevitable. 

Compose an Effective Social Media Update

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

Twitter, as many of you already know, is my Social Media Sweet Spot—my easy button, if you will. It’s my go-to place to send and receive information. Because of that, I compose all my social media updates from a Twitter mindset. So no matter where I'm sending the update, I compose it with Twitter in mind.

I know that Twitter is NOT the sweet spot for many of you reading this blog.

Part of that is because you’re not really sure what constitutes a good tweet. You’ve heard just enough about hashtags and twitter etiquette to make you cringe at the thought of composing your own tweet. So rather than failing, you either stick to retweeting what others share or just pass on the whole thing.

Today, I’m going to break it down for you and share my tips to composing the (almost) perfect tweet every time.

Nine Ideas for Scripture-Related Memes

by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28

I want to make them, but I easily run out of ideas. Do you?

They’re beautiful and inspiring. Colorful and carefully worded. Memes. A surprisingly needed tool in the writer’s arsenal.  

Our writing isn’t just for books and blogs. We can share tiny snippets of our writing on memes. Those perfect, eye-catching pictures are just waiting for our words to be added to them. We can share our memes on social media and on our blogs. They capture the readers’ attention and impart some nugget of encouragement or wisdom. The best wisdom we can share comes from Scripture itself. 

Platform Building for Writers: Focusing on Content More than Numbers

by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28

“Just post something.” Once platform-building began to take more time than writing, this subtle mantra echoed in my subconscious. Of course, I wanted to post something worthwhile on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Goodreads, LinkedIn, and more. But who has time to keep up with all of that when you’re writing a book and blogging every week? I was overwhelmed and desperate. I just wanted to post something.

It's Time to Quit Social Media

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

Yep you read that right. And even though it IS April Fool's Day, I'm only half kidding.

The Queen of social media is telling you it's time to QUIT social media. 

NOT permanently (thought you were going to get out of it, didn’t you!), but I'm suggesting you take a break periodically, and re-examine your plan.

I used to keep up with social every single day, whether I was home or traveling. But I’ve learned that I can’t sustain a reasonable social media schedule seven days a week, indefinitely. So I’ve given myself permission to have weekends off and to relax when I’m traveling.

Pinterest Basics for Writers

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

In the past year, Pinterest has come into its own as a valuable social media platform. Where once it was known as the place to go for ideas for things, it's now a powerhouse in the social media realm. 

But like any social media platform, it has its own culture and best practices. 

More Changes to Facebook — Quality Rating for Pages

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

Facebook is working hard to improve the experience of users. I shared last week about the New Changes to Facebook Groups. In the past week Facebook has also rolled out the start to a new series of changes to Facebook Pages. 

I've shared before that Facebook is cracking down on fake news and doing their best to ensure more engagement. Now they're getting serious about enforcing their user guidelines. To let everyone know how every page is doing there's a new tab on pages for PAGE QUALITY. 

New Changes to Facebook Groups

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

Once again we facing changes from Facebook, this time with groups. But it's not all bad news, I promise. 

Facebook groups... the good, the bad and the ugly...

Does It Really Matter If I'm a Digital Immigrant or a Digital Native?

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

We live in an interesting time, to say the very least. Changes are happening faster than the most diligent among us can record, much less keep up with. 

Our digital world seems to be the catalyst for the majority of those changes. Because I am a part of the the older generation (ouch, that hurts) I hear a lot of derogatory comments about technology and the fact that our generation is not a digital native. We are classified as digital immigrants.

Does Social Media Sell Books?

by DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills

Whenever I speak about the value of social media, writers groan, frown, and complain. Too many writers are not willing to get past the learning curve needed to develop their brand. My response is always a focus on a writer’s life requiring flexibility to learn craft, marketing, publishing, and branding. If a new technique in the writing world emerged, we’d find a way to master it. So an open mind and a great attitude will help us acquire the skills needed to develop our online presence.

I think we’re asking the wrong question.

Common Facebook Scams & How to Avoid Them

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

Social media is big business these days. And like anything that involves large amounts of money, there are lots of unscrupulous people trying to cash in. 

While there is no reason to be afraid, we do need to educate ourselves. It’s important that we’re wise in our social media interactions. Today I’m going to share some of the most common scams and some you may not be as aware of.

10 Ways to Wreck Your Social Media Presence

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

For writers today, an online presence can mean the difference between success and failure. But if we’re not doing it right, we may be our own worst enemy. 

10 Ways to Wreck Your Social Media Presence 

A Writer's Identity and Social Media

by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy 

If you’ve been doing this writing thing for a while, and you, like me, have grown oldermore maturechanged directions in life, it’s never too late to change your identity. You don’t even have to go into hiding to get it done! [A little Hoffa Humor, there.]

6 Powerful Steps to Improve Your LinkedIn Profile

by Bethany Jett @BetJett

Marketing and self-promotion can feel like a “gimme game.” As writers, we need to get our name out there into the netherworld of the internet and find ways to have people like us, friend us, and share our work. “Gimme your email.” “Gimme a follow.”

When & How to use Your Social Media for Marketing

by Molly Jo Realy @RealMoJo68

You’ve heard me say it nine cajillion eight thousand okay, a lot of times: media is not the same as marketing. All the Pros will tell you the same thing: if the only thing you’re doing is pushing your product, just open an online store.

Media is where you connect with your Swarm. It’s the different hives you foster, the communities you help build.

Identify Your Authentic Social Media Voice

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

As authors we talk a lot about voice. In fiction, and even non-fiction, it’s defined as that certain something that makes an author unique. In everything—from the rhythm, cadence and flow—to the sentence structure. It conveys the author’s personality and attitude.

Although many may not realize it, there’s an advantage to developing a voice for your social media presence. If you think about it, it’s something that those most successful social media folks have done.

3 Ways to Build a Social Media Audience that Loves You

by Bethany Jett @BetJett

We must think about our content from our audience’s point of view and focus on the results they want, not the products we offer (aka, our books). In Headlines that Make You Rich, David Garfinkel says “The O.M. Scott and Sons Company was founded in 1907 as a mail-order seller of grass seed. Mr. Scott once told his employees that their customers weren't buying grass seed from the company; ‘They're buying greener lawns.’”

Be Fluid With Your Social Media Brand

by Molly Jo Realy @RealMoJo68

Who are you, really? Are you just a God-loving, cat-cuddling, coffee drinker? Or is there more to you, more to your writing? Maybe your manuscripts are full of prose you want to share with the world, but you also enjoy baking for your family and neighbors.

My point is, there’s not just one, two, or even three aspects of you. The many people in your world see the many facets of you. Like a diamond, shining in all your hard-pressed glory. The viewing angle determines the color and intensity reflecting what’s inside.