Twitter is a great way to meet fellow writers and readers and tell them about your book.
However, it is important to build the fundamentals of your author platform before spending huge amounts of your time in the Twitterverse. After all, the goal for writers on Twitter is to drive people to your website and therefore your books.
So put Twitter on hold until you have done these five essential things.
1. Create a website - writers need their own personal website. Never build your platform solely on a social media site because you will never have total control over the design and social media trends change with the times. Imagine if you had built your platform on MySpace! Use a site like Weebly to design your website and buy a domain name. Weebly is simple to use and perfect for a technophobe.
2. Start a mailing list – writers should be building their mailing list over time so newsletters can be pinged over to your fans as soon as you have something important to tell them, such as the launch of your next book. You can begin forming a mailing list using Mail Chimp, also perfect for a technophobe, and this can easily be embedded into your website. You can sign up to my newsletter here.
3. Get blogging – make sure your website has a blog, like the one you are reading now. This enables you to do content marketing i.e. producing valuable content which others will find of interest. Content marketing is essential in driving people to your website because they will not be interested in your website unless you make their trip worthwhile. As such, I blog book reviews and writing advice because these will be of interest to fellow readers and writers.
4. Pick a photo – writers are a brand and people must like your brand. It is easier to build online relationships with people if they can relate to your brand so show them your face, your interests, your favourite jumper and so on. Pick a high quality photo that captures your personality. For me it was a cheesy grin next to the Privet Drive sign at Harry Potter Studios! Use the same image to represent you on all your online platforms so you can build some recognition between sites.
5. Pick a name – like the photo, you need to pick one name and stick with it. Give it due consideration (will you use initials? Will you disguise your gender? Will you completely change your surname?) and then use this across all social media platforms. This name, along with your photo, will become your brand. Use this name as your Twitter profile, Facebook page, Amazon page and the rest, as opposed to using the name of your book. After all, surely you plan to write more than one book. Don’t pick a name that will become outdated. Your writer brand is forever.
However, it is important to build the fundamentals of your author platform before spending huge amounts of your time in the Twitterverse. After all, the goal for writers on Twitter is to drive people to your website and therefore your books.
So put Twitter on hold until you have done these five essential things.
1. Create a website - writers need their own personal website. Never build your platform solely on a social media site because you will never have total control over the design and social media trends change with the times. Imagine if you had built your platform on MySpace! Use a site like Weebly to design your website and buy a domain name. Weebly is simple to use and perfect for a technophobe.
2. Start a mailing list – writers should be building their mailing list over time so newsletters can be pinged over to your fans as soon as you have something important to tell them, such as the launch of your next book. You can begin forming a mailing list using Mail Chimp, also perfect for a technophobe, and this can easily be embedded into your website. You can sign up to my newsletter here.
3. Get blogging – make sure your website has a blog, like the one you are reading now. This enables you to do content marketing i.e. producing valuable content which others will find of interest. Content marketing is essential in driving people to your website because they will not be interested in your website unless you make their trip worthwhile. As such, I blog book reviews and writing advice because these will be of interest to fellow readers and writers.
4. Pick a photo – writers are a brand and people must like your brand. It is easier to build online relationships with people if they can relate to your brand so show them your face, your interests, your favourite jumper and so on. Pick a high quality photo that captures your personality. For me it was a cheesy grin next to the Privet Drive sign at Harry Potter Studios! Use the same image to represent you on all your online platforms so you can build some recognition between sites.
5. Pick a name – like the photo, you need to pick one name and stick with it. Give it due consideration (will you use initials? Will you disguise your gender? Will you completely change your surname?) and then use this across all social media platforms. This name, along with your photo, will become your brand. Use this name as your Twitter profile, Facebook page, Amazon page and the rest, as opposed to using the name of your book. After all, surely you plan to write more than one book. Don’t pick a name that will become outdated. Your writer brand is forever.