As an author or author-to-be, social media is VERY important to you for many great reasons:
First and most importantly, that is where your audience is!
- Jesse James was famously asked “Why did you rob the bank?” His response: “Because that’s where the money is.”
Social media has immense reach:
- Over 1.1 billion daily active users on Facebook
- Over 310 million monthly active users on Twitter
Publishers care (a great deal!) about the size, engagement and breadth of your platform
- Key criteria for author selection
- You may not get a book deal without a meaningful platform
Social media is made for content
- Writers produce content; this is made for you!
- It is an important opportunity to define your own unique brand (Messaging, Color selection, Picture selection, Tone, Focus, etc.)
It is an amazing way to be found or “discovered”
- High degree of targeting is possible
- Cost effective
- Author discoverability used to be primarily bookstore browsing; now it is online browsing
Social media removes the gatekeeper; now you enjoy a direct connection to your audience
- No one decides other than the end consumer
- Frequent opportunities for engagement and relationship building
- Target who you want
- No delay
It is a great testing ground
- Get feedback on your ideas
- Try things out / experiment
- Try partnerships
Remember, “if you’re not online, you don’t exist!”
