eat your veggies and do social media: necessities for authors in the digital age
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Flickr Creative Commons: Willpower Studios
Eat Your Veggies
and do Social Media:
Necessities for Authors
in the Digital Age
Ashley M. Biggers
Drinking the Green Juice
Email me for a link or pdf of
this presentation:
ashley@ashleymbiggers.com
For more info:
ashleymbiggers.com
Flickr Creative Commons:
Generation Thrive
Quick Quiz:Author Website
Blog
Email Newsletter
Public Figure Facebook Page
Twitter Account
Pinterest Page
LinkedIn Profile
Goodreads Author Page
Amazon Author Page
Questions Ahead
(and the Answers)
• Why should I engage in digital andsocial media?
• What elements should I include in my author platform?
• As an author, in which social mediums shouldI be involved?
• How do I maximize impact and engagement?
Why should I engage in digital
and social media?
Control the Conversation
Appeal to Agents and Publishers
Blogs TurnedBooks
•The Julie/Julia Project Blog
•The Pioneer Woman
•GeekDad
Appeal to Agents and Publishers
Twitter Turned Books
•Shit My Dad Says
•Dear Girls Above Me
•Twitter Wit: Brilliance in 140 Characters or Less
Build an Audience Prior to
Traditional Publishing
• Books are sold by word of mouth
• Our in-person reach when promoting is
limited; online its global
Build an Audience
for Self-Publishing
• Amanda Hocking
• E.L. James
What elements should I include
in my author platform?
Author Website
• Status: Essential
• Who it Reaches: All Internet users
• Why it Works: Establishes professionalism
• Keys to Success:
- A bio and author photo
- Samples of your work, links to articles, and/or
descriptions of your books
- Contact info for you and/or agent
- Event page
- Links to social media
- Blog?
Blog
• Status: Essential
• Who it Reaches: All Internet users
• Why it Works: Establishes ongoing
connection with readers
• Self-Hosted Blog
– How often do I write?
– What do I write about?
• Guest Blogs
– Find those with similar interests
• Keys for Success:
– Short and sweet
– Tips, numbered lists, and short text blocks
– Ask a question
• Status: Essential
• Who it Reaches: 78 million Amazon
customers per month
• Why it Works: Establishes points of
connection with potential readers via blogs
and book trailers, refers readers to other
works
As an author, in which social
mediums should I be involved?
Who is Your Ideal Reader?
• Male/female?
• Age?
• Level of Education?
• Kids?
• Income level?
• What are his/her interests and hobbies?
• Status:Phase 1
• Who it Reaches: 1.5 billion active users
– Users ages 25 to 34 are most common group
– Users ages 45 to 54 are fastest growing group
– 53% female
– Fairly affluent
• Why it Works: You wanna be where the
people are
• Keys to Success
– Post at least once a day
– Incorporate pictures and videos
– Identify your audience and connect with them
over shared interests
– Keep tone positive
Authors to Follow
• Elizabeth Gilbert
• James Patterson
• Status: Phase 1
• Who it Reaches: 20 million book
enthusiasts
• Why it Works: Book readers looking for
recommendations
• Keys to Success
– Be an active community participant
– Use the format
• Allow fans to ask questions
• Give away books
• Ask readers for (honest) reviews and for
placement on curated lists
Authors to Follow
• Markus Zusak
• Christopher Moore
• Status: Phase 2
• Who it Reaches: 232 million users
– Users ages 18 to 29 are most common group
– Gender neutral
– Is more ethnically diverse
• Why it Works: Connects with mobile,
news-oriented users
• Keys to Success
– Multiple posts per day
– Engage in conversation (RTs and @ replies)
– Incorporate pictures and videos
– Be humorous, thought-provoking, and news
oriented
• Status: Phase 2
• Who it Reaches: 70 million users
– 84% of users are women
• Why it Works: Visually based medium that
communicates concisely
• Keys to Success
– Connect with the audience
– Repin as often as you pin
– Create visual mood boards
• Status: Phase 2
• Who it Reaches: 259 million users
• Why it Works: Forms connections with
agents, publishers, and other business
people
• Keys to Success
– Complete your profile
– Join groups (seven is average)
– Build connections, ask for introductions
– Post with important, career updates only
E-Newsletter
• Status: Phase 3
• Who it Reaches: Uber-fans
• Why it Works: Connects with people who
have invited you into their email inboxes
• Keys to Success
– Set a regular schedule
– Choose a easy-to-digest format
– Include excerpts from current blog posts,
updates about appearances, new works in
progress, and ways for your fans to engage
with you
How do I maximize impact
and engagement?
Don’t Do This
Buy my book!
Buy my book!
Look puppies!
Even puppies love my book!
Social media is not about you.
It’s about creating
connections,
and conversations.
Don’t ask what social media
connections can do for you. Ask
what you can do for them.
70-20-10 Rule
Set up an Editorial Calendar
Schedule Posts
Social Media Dashboards
• Hootsuite
• Tweetdeck
• Cyfe
• Sprout Social
• Buffer
• Crowdbooster
Optimize for Your Audience
• Use Facebook
Insights
• Use analytics
provided by social
media dashboards
Action Plan
What three things you are going to dofirst
in respect to digital
and social media?
Questions?
Additional Resources
• Books
– The Wuffie Factor by Tara Hunt
– Likeable Social Media by Dave Kerpen
– Youtility: Why Smart Marketing is About Help
Not Hype by Jay Baer
Additional Resources
• Websites and Blogs
– Convince and Convert by Jay Baer
– Chris Brogan’s blog
– Jane Friedman’s blog
– Social Media Examiner
– And…my blog!
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