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Tag: social media for writers

  • Quick Social Media Tips for Writers: Build a Writing Brand That Rocks (Part 2)

    Quick Social Media Tips for Writers: Build a Writing Brand That Rocks (Part 2)

    As CEO of your personal brand — yep, you’re not just a writer anymore — you’re in charge of finding new assignments, writing, editing your work, promoting your pieces and seeking out opportunities to continually develop a strong personal brand that sets you up for future success.

    If you’re feeling overwhelmed by all the possibilities, we get it. Social media tools can feel daunting, but there are quick things you can do every day to slowly grow a brand that rocks.

    Hop over to Part One for tips on using Facebook and Twitter to develop your platform. Then, meet us back here for Part Two on LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest and Snapchat.

    socialmediatipsforwriters

    LinkedIn

    If you thought LinkedIn was just another career site to repurpose your resume, think again. LinkedIn has emerged as a publishing powerhouse over the past few years. Time to dust off your profile!

    Publish a post on LinkedIn

    It’s a game-changer: LinkedIn now allows users to publish long-form content on the site.

    If you don’t have your own website or blog, use LinkedIn to write content and share your expertise. If you do have your own blog, republish some of your posts on LinkedIn, sharing a link back to the original post on your site.

    LinkedIn shares your post on your profile as well as on the main news feed, allowing your words to be viewed by those who follow you and the greater LinkedIn community.

    Update your profile with documents, images and presentations

    Gone are the days of copy and pasting resume bullets into LinkedIn and calling it a day. LinkedIn is fancy now!

    Now you can add all kinds of media to different positions listed, including presentations, videos, documents and photos. Set yourself apart by making your LinkedIn profile an interesting and visual place to get to know you and your work.

    One of the best ways to optimize your LinkedIn profile is to check out this Freelance Writers Den program. They have numerous case studies on how freelance writers are using LinkedIn to get INBOUND leads and land clients.

    LINKEDIN-MARKETING-FOR-FREELANCE-WRITERS

    Instagram

    Who doesn’t love scrolling through Instagram? It’s meant to be a beautiful place for creativity, inspiration and eye candy. And it can also help you build a strong writing brand and community.

    You get one link

    Instagram is notorious for only giving users one link in their profile and not allowing clickable URLs within a post. The truth of the matter is that Instagram doesn’t really want to be a place that sends traffic to your website; instead, it wants to be the place you build your brand and community through compelling images.

    However, you do get one link, so use it wisely. Your link appears underneath your bio on your main profile. Most people include their website’s homepage in this space, but don’t be afraid to change the link every so often when you have something specific (an article, blog post, etc.) you want to give a little extra love.

    To draw attention to that link, post a relevant image, write a clever caption and then include somewhere in the post the phrase “Link in profile” so folks know to click over to your Instagram homepage if they want more details.

    Use Insta-stories

    The best way to get your content discovered on Instagram is by using their stories and reels features. Just like Snapchat (which we’ll cover in a minute), Instagram allows you to create short-form stories called Insta-stories.

    What are Insta-stories?

    They are typically made in 15-second increments of video but can be strung together for as long as you want to record. They can also be photos, music, or text, depending on what you want to post. The trick is that they expire in 24 hours, creating a border-line addictive need for your audience to know what you’re up to.

    What are Reels?

    Reels are similar to Insta-stories in that they are short-form content, but they are slightly different in that they can last for longer than 24 hours on the platform. They are currently limited to 60 seconds of video, but you can overlay the video with plenty of other features.

    If you’re asking yourself, “What would I ever use an Insta-story or Reel to do?” let me challenge you to get creative!

    Writers and bestselling authors are using Insta-stories and Reels to show behind the scenes of their days and lifestyles, like Donald Miller. They are using it for podcast and speaking clips and promotion of upcoming events, like Jon Acuff. And they are even using it for audiobook previews, like Rob Bell.

    There are plenty of other ways to utilize these powerful aspects of the Instagram platform, including promotional giveaways, announcements, and more. The possibilities are endless if you think creatively.

    Use relevant hashtags

    Another great way to get your content discovered on Instagram is by using relevant hashtags.

    Hashtags are super useful, but can also quickly muck up a post if you use too many or don’t place them properly. If you only plan to use a few hashtags and they make sense within the text of your caption, sprinkle them there.

    If there are other hashtags you’d like to use that don’t fit in the post itself, add them in the comments section. This way, when others comment on your post, the hashtags comment is hidden, but they still lead others to find your post.

    More is not always better! Don’t pepper your post with dozens of hashtags, although Instagram does allow up to 30 hashtags on a given post. Consider using between five and 10 relevant hashtags on a given Instagram post.

    Some favorite and popular hashtags for writers, according to Iconosquare? Try #writing #amwriting #writingcommunity #instawriting and #writinglife.

    Pinterest

    Pinterest may be best known for tasty recipes and some serious closet inspiration, but it’s also a great place to display your portfolio — and find additional writing inspiration and resources.

    Create a living resume or portfolio

    Looking for another beautiful and creative way to showcase your work? Turn your writing portfolio into a Pinterest board.

    Pin articles and blog posts you’ve written, as well as any type of press you’ve received. Let this living resume Pinterest board be a place where you truly shine. (Here’s mine!)

    Build your board over time rather than pinning everything at once to give your followers a chance to see the content in their feed as you pin. As you’re pinning archived content, consider posting three to five pins a day; once you’re up to date, pin new articles and posts are they’re published.

    Find inspiration and be a resource to other writers

    You know all those awesome articles and resources you find and want to save for to read later? Before you know it, you’ve got 25 tabs open in your online browser.

    Nope? Just me?

    Pin those articles to a Pinterest board about writing, marketing, entrepreneurship or whatever it is you’re hoping to build your brand and expertise in. This type of board not only keeps you organized, but also positions you as a resource for others who may be interested in similar topics.

    While you’re at it, find other inspirational writing boards to follow to build relationships with other writers and find new content to pin.

    Make your writing pinnable

    Pinterest can serve as a great source of referral traffic to your website if you put processes in place to make your writing Pinterest-friendly.

    You may not have much control over the images selected to go with your post on external websites, but for your own blog or site, use a free tool like Canva or PicMonkey to create fun graphics. These visual cues will entice viewers to repin your pin and click out of Pinterest to read your content.

    Snapchat

    If you’ve been ignoring Snapchat because you think it’s just for teens, grab your phone, download the app and prepare to be amazed. With 100 million daily users, Snapchat is nothing to sneeze at.

    Create (or simply watch) a Snapchat story

    Flex your creativity in a new way by creating a Snapchat story. Perhaps one of the app’s best features, Snapchat stories allow users to create a narrative through photo and video.

    Within a story, a Snapchatter can write text, draw pictures, insert emojis, and add filters to mark their location, time, weather, speed and more. Speed videos up, slow ‘em down, put them in reverse; Snapchat allows you to share stories in a unique, fun and unfiltered way.

    Consider documenting a day in your writing life using Snapchat. Don’t be afraid to flip the camera and turn it on yourself; Snapchat audiences love to see the person behind the phone. Talk to the camera about your latest writing project or what inspires you to write.

    Remember: Snap stories disappear after 24 hours, so you have a limited window of time to share your message.

    If you’re not ready to create your own story yet, watch stories of those you follow, or enjoy one from any of the “Live” stories featured that day.

    Conclusion

    If you’re neglecting social media as a writer, you’re doing yourself a disservice. You’ve invested so much time in creating great written content, don’t click publish and hope people magically find it. With social media, you can now get your written content in front of more eyeballs than ever!

    You don’t have to use every social platform available. If you try, you’ll burn yourself out. But you can choose 1 or 2 that appeal to your audience, where your readers are already hanging out, and go for it!

    What do you think? What is your favorite social media site? If you have any social media tips for writers, leave a comment and let us know!

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    This is an updated version of a story that was previously published in 2016. We update our posts as often as possible to ensure they’re useful for our readers.

  • Quick Social Media Tips for Writers: Build a Writing Brand That Rocks (Part 1)

    Quick Social Media Tips for Writers: Build a Writing Brand That Rocks (Part 1)

    It’s no secret that we’re expected to do much more these days than simply write.

    Congratulations! You are now the CEO of your personal brand.

    In addition to writing, it’s also your job to create a strong online platform to share your work, reach new readers and discover opportunities.

    One of the most effective ways to build your personal brand is through social media. And these quick social media tips will help you confidently navigate those murky waters and build a writing brand that rocks.

    Just like the writing world is always changing, the social media world moves at a ridiculously fast pace. It’s easy to get overwhelmed or even lost by all of the possibilities.

    If the thought of adding another social media site to your already long list of things to do as a writer leaves you feeling frazzled, take a deep breath and settle in.

    We’ve rounded up some quick tips and ideas for using Facebook and Twitter to develop your platform. Stay tuned for Part Two detailing how to build your personal brand using LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest and Snapchat!

    socialmediatipsforwriters

    Facebook

    While Facebook may be the place Aunt Sally comments on all of your photos and status updates (Thanks, Aunt Sally), it’s also emerged as a bustling social network to build community and meet fellow writers.

    Join and participate in relevant Facebook groups for writers

    One of the best ways to use Facebook as a writer is by joining relevant groups and communities. Participating in Facebook groups is a great way to meet and network with fellow writers, share resources, gather inspiration and even find new assignments and writing projects.

    I highly recommend joining the Freelance to Freedom Project community and of course, our Write Life community.

    Looking for more Facebook groups for writers? We’ve rounded up 16 of them for you!

    Use Facebook to help find inspiration and sources

    Your Facebook experience can be as pleasant and interesting as you choose to make it. By unfollowing people who no longer interest you and instead following publications and brands you love, your Facebook newsfeed can become a hotbed for writing inspiration.

    Similarly, your Facebook network can help out when you’re in a bind. On deadline and need a last-minute source to interview or a quick quote for a piece? Facebook to the rescue!

    Consider posting your sourcing needs in one of the active Facebook groups you’re part of and be amazed at the speed in which you’ll discover potential sources or interviewees.

    Let your personal network in on what you’re doing

    We tend to associate Facebook with being the social media site we use to share personal photos and stories and to keep in touch with family and friends. However, you never know when your personal life and professional life may have some crossover.

    When I quit my job to take my business full time, I began sharing my “Becoming CEO” blog posts on my personal Facebook page. I left the privacy setting for those specific posts open to the public and was amazed at the reach of the posts and the number of people who weren’t my friends who began “following” my personal page.

    Several interesting business opportunities have popped up after choosing to share my professional life with my personal network.

    Twitter

    This fast-paced social media site is the place to share your work, commiserate with fellow writers in real time and find inspiration for future writing projects.

    Schedule your tweets ahead of time

    An easy way to stay active on Twitter without spending all day online is to pre-schedule your tweets using a social media tool like Hootsuite, Buffer or Edgar.

    Every time you craft a new tweet promoting a blog post or article you’ve written, create two or three different versions of that tweet and save them to a spreadsheet or Word document. Before you know it, you’ll have a master list of all the tweets you’ve written to promote your work.

    One day each week, sit down with that document and schedule out at least three tweets a day for the next week. Be sure to share both your new content, as well as re-sharing older evergreen content; consider the fact that Twitter moves at a fast clip and just because you tweeted a post three months ago doesn’t mean your following necessarily saw it then.

    Make friends and share the love using a “Notice Me” list

    Promoting your own work on Twitter is important, but so is being an active part of the Twitter community. In between those tweets sharing your latest blog post or article, be sure to interact with those you follow and share their work, as well.

    My favorite way to find great content to share is by monitoring my “Notice Me” list. It’s a curated list of bloggers, writers and entrepreneurs I admire who create great content and who I’d like to make part of my network.

    I add these folks to a private Twitter list and check that feed regularly to find interesting content to share and people to chat with on Twitter. Twitter moves quickly and can be daunting, so curating a list of the people you actually want to hear from can help you save time and be more effective.

    Share your writing progress with your community on a regular basis

    If you’re not interested in live broadcasting your writing sessions (Let’s be honest: No one needs to see my signature PJs-and-messy-hair writing look), consider Periscoping weekly or monthly to update your community on your latest projects and progress.

    The good news? Periscope is connected to Twitter, so when you start a broadcast, it sends a tweet to your followers that you’re live, giving your video more reach.

    Periscope broadcasts don’t need to be super long to be effective; jumping on for five or 10 minutes is a great way to give your network a visual peek behind the scenes of you and your latest projects.

    Stay tuned for Part Two on LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest and Snapchat!

    Chime in! What’s your favorite social media site? Do you have any social media tips for writers looking to develop a personal brand online?

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    This is an updated version of a story that was previously published in 2016. We update our posts as often as possible to ensure they’re useful for our readers.


  • Social Media for Writers: 5 Quick Fixes To Build Your Brand

    Social Media for Writers: 5 Quick Fixes To Build Your Brand

    Your social media presence is often the first point of contact for your brand online, so it’s important to be purposeful in how your profiles portray you.

    Even though social media can sometimes feel like an intimidating snowball of doom, it can also be a great way to connect with other writers, editors, agents, and readers. Today I’m going to melt that snowball down a bit by sharing some quick fixes to vastly improve your writer brand social profiles in a just a day (or heck, even a few hours).

    1. Write a stronger bio

    Your bio is generally the first thing people see when they check out your social profile. It is essential to communicate quickly who you are and why someone should care. A vague bio = loss of connection, and connection is the entire reason you’re on social media in the first place.

    First things first, keep your bio pithy and to-the-point.

    Your messaging should be consistent across social platforms, but it doesn’t have to utilize all the same words.

    Also, remember social media is all about person-to-person interaction — even though it doesn’t always feel that way — so your bio should be in first person.

    Follow this basic formula: say what you do  + show why your audience should care + offer proof (awards, education, etc) = great bio.

    On Twitter

    Start with Twitter because the limited word count keeps you focused on just the details that matter.

    Your Twitter bio should include either:

    • A collection of quick one-word descriptors about what you do (i.e. novelist, memoirist, copy-editor, etc.) or
    • A one-liner that gets to the meat of what you do and why they should care.

    For example:

    “I help creative changemakers improve their personal brands [what you do, who you serve/why they care].”

    or

    “Author of cyborg cowboy [unique subject] novels [form] like My Book Title [your work], a NY Times bestseller [proof].”

    Optionally, you can hashtag keywords to help you turn up in search. For example, if you include the word ‘personal brand’ in your bio, consider hashtagging #personalbrand. You may also want to tag the company you work for, founded, or write for, so you come up in search for those terms as well (i.e. “Brand Director @BinderCon”).

    On LinkedIn

    Even with more room here, keep your bio tight with these tips:

    • Offer a snippet of backstory or demonstrated expertise that adds credibility, but don’t be too obnoxious in tooting your horn. Tell people a little about what drives you to do the work you do.
    • Be sure to think about who you’re trying to speak to. Colleagues, editors, agents, readers and clients may have slightly different interests.
    • If you have any honors, awards or life experiences that apply to your brand, drop in a short sentence to showcase your accomplishments.
    • Offer an opportunity to keep the conversation going. Invite them to email you, connect or visit your website.

    On Facebook

    Use a pared down combination of your Linkedin and Twitter bios for your Facebook page.  

    With recent Facebook page updates, there are several places to separate specific information: Affiliation, About, Biography, Awards and Story. You can find all of these options under About on the left side of your Facebook page.

    You can also pick categories for your page, which I recommend for search purposes.

    On Instagram

    Your Instagram bio should be very similar to your Twitter version, however, if possible add a couple of key titles to your name field as well. This tactic helps you show up more readily in searches.

    For instance, instead of “Andrea Guevara” I might put “Andrea Guevara, brand strategist.” Try to use terms that you think your audience would use to search. Don’t be afraid to add some emojis!

    2. Take a better profile picture

    Like it or not, humans are visual beings. So don’t use a crappy, poorly-lit selfie for your professional social profile.

    I love you, but get another person to hold the camera. You could prop the camera on a table, or counter and use a timer. Even if it isn’t a professional headshot, surely it will turn out better than a selfie.

    Take the photo today and post it today. It really shouldn’t take long and you’ll be proud of your upgraded look.

    Then when you have more time and a bigger budget, invest in a professional headshot.

    social media for writers3. Upload a powerful cover image

    Your cover image should usually consist of one of these features:

    • A picture of you doing something important (like a Ted talk),
    • A high quality promotional image (like your latest book),
    • An image that portrays the essence of what you do/who you are. For instance, mine is usually a beautiful, evocative nature shot with a short inspiring saying.

    It’s not that you can’t feature other ideas, but remember you’re trying to give people an idea of who you are and what value you offer.

    Specific platform recommendations:

    On Twitter, use a cover image that encapsulates the essence of what you do. For Facebook, go with either an essence of what you do image, or a call to action to “like” the page, or sign up for email list. For Linkedin, I recommend a cover image that demonstrates your expertise (i.e. a photo of you speaking or teaching).

    Also, I know famous people break all of these rules, but don’t base your social profile on their methods. The normal rules do not apply to them — they are already big shots. Once you’re a big shot you can have an enigmatic bio, oddball images and the like. Not until then.

    4. Clean your online house

    As writers, we often feel like we need to be on every new social platform that pops up. I don’t know about you, but I can’t keep up with all of them. And as a brand strategist, trust me when I say that you’ll get a lot farther by doing what you’re best at rather than becoming a social media scatterbrain.

    Let’s get rid of some of your seldom used social accounts.

    Do a quick Google search of your name and see what comes up. If there are any social accounts you don’t really use any more, deactivate them. Don’t delete them though, because you’ll want to keep your username reserved. This helps prevent others from using the same username and creating confusion.

    Don’t worry about having a presence on all the cool kid platforms.

    The two most important principles are to: be where your ideal market (readers) are and keep your profile current and useful. So go ahead and free up some headspace and time by deactivating those ho-hum accounts.

    5. Share quality content, quickly

    Coming up with consistent, quality shareable content is one of the big keys and struggles to building your readership online.

    However, the first step to begin boosting engagement can be simple: Post other people’s excellent content, then interact with others.

    Of course I’m not talking plagiarism here; I’m talking about sharing links to articles, posts, memes, videos, etc.


    But before you just jump in and start spamming your feed — you know when a bazillion posts all from one person fill your feed? Yeah, that’s called spamming.

    Don’t do it; just do this instead:

    • Next, sign up for a FREE Buffer account, It takes thirty seconds.
    • Pick a wonderful piece of content from each of those brands on your list. Create 10 posts within Buffer (you can easily schedule them to drop at later times). Optionally: add a sentence or two about why you like it, or to put it in context.

    Depending on what options you’ve selected, you now have at least a couple days of great content to share.

    Keep up your momentum and schedule yourself ten minutes per day to find more quality posts and schedule them using Buffer and don’t forget to like, retweet and respond while you’re at it.

    If you use this post like a checklist (and you totally should), you will have a better profile picture, a more applicable cover image, a powerful bio, and 10 pieces of quality content scheduled, plus you’ll also deactivate those useless, dusty old social profiles you don’t use. So go ahead and upgrade your online presence today.

    This is an updated version of a story that was previously published. We update our posts as often as possible to ensure they’re useful for our readers.

  • 7 Social Media Tips For Writers Who Want to Get Noticed

    7 Social Media Tips For Writers Who Want to Get Noticed

    Social media is woven into our lives.

    We don’t even think before reaching for our phones to check Facebook and Instagram. We catch ourselves scrolling through our feed or drafting the next clever tweet in our head.

    In a world so entrenched with social media, are we as writers living up to our full social potential? Or do we believe that we somehow can rise above social media and be successful without it?

    Freelance writers often miss key ways they can use social media to their benefit.

    Social media is a gold mine of unlocked potential to build a following, showcase your writing ability and gain exposure. If you are a writer looking to get noticed or inspired, here are seven creative ways you can use social media to do so!

    1. LinkedIn Pulse

    Pulse is LinkedIn’s native article publishing platform.

    This platform gives writers the chance to get original content noticed on LinkedIn by professionals.

    If you publish blog posts or articles, think along the same lines for Pulse. Articles can range from 500-word targeted posts to epic, 2,000+ word pieces.

    The good news? Republishing content from your blog in Pulse is not considered duplicate content by Google. However, I’d still recommend changing a few lines to speak directly to your LinkedIn audience.

    2. Instagram quotes

    Instagram is an untapped gold mine for writers.

    Do you have a book? An ebook? Even a blog? If you’re a writer, you likely have at least one.

    Try using Instagram to showcase quotes from your written work. You can snag quotes and create simple, but beautiful, images. One of my favorite tools to create graphics is Canva. There are hundreds of beautiful templates and layouts you can use to make your quotes stand out!

    Be sure to think hard about your captions! Although Instagram is a visually-dominated social media platform, writers can make great use of the captions.

    Reel those casual scrollers in with a beautiful image, and keep them there with your caption.

    3. Your Instagram bio

    As obvious as it sounds, every author, blogger, and writer needs a snappy Instagram bio to attract potential opportunities.

    This is the #1 area of failure I see on Instagram.

    Who are you? What are you interested in? What do you do? What do you like to do? You want to make your first impression for readers landing on your profile a positive one.

    A stellar bio includes your real name, a brief rundown of your skills, and your website link. Make sure you use your creative flair to set yourself apart. (This is why I love emojis!)

    social media tips

    4. Twitter chats

    Twitter, contrary to popular belief, is one of the most literary social media platforms today.

    You have 140 characters to make your point. What could be more literary than that?

    Twitter Chats are a great way to network, influence and contribute. Many writing chats feature guest influencers and experts, giving you access to some big names to network with.

    Topics range from book discussions (check out the popular #LitChat) to fiction writing support (I recommend #ScribeChat on Thursdays) to the benefits journaling (#JournalChat, also on Thursdays).

    Twitter chats are a creative way writers can use social media to connect with other writers, expand their sphere of influence, and share their knowledge.

    5. Facebook writing groups

    Facebook groups are yet another creative way writers can use social media to get noticed and inspired.

    Joining a Facebook group aimed at writers is a fantastic way to meet and collaborate with other writers. You might even find your next writing gig!

    Facebook writing groups range from small and intimate, to enormous and robust. Topics and focus vary, but the main benefit remains the same: comradery with other writers.

    The Write Life even has its own Facebook group, filled with inspiring writers.

    6. Facebook Instant Articles

    Although Instant Articles isn’t quite what publishers hoped it would be, the platform still holds promise for writers.

    Facebook Instant Articles receive 20 percent more clicks and 30 percent more shares than other articles, according to a statistic from 2016..

    Like Pulse, you can republish content on Facebook’s native platform without it being flagged as duplicate content.

    Yet, unlike Pulse, Facebook has created several integrations that make publishing easy for writers. These integrations with content and blogging systems means there’s no need to recreate articles within Facebook.

    7. Facebook “mini blog”

    We all know that writers can use their Facebook pages or profiles to share blog posts.

    But, what about “blogging” right on your Facebook newsfeed? Authors such as Elizabeth Gilbert do exactly this.

    You can use Facebook not only to share content from other places, but to express your opinions about those pieces. Share your creative edge, your wit, your life. Your sphere of influence will expand simply from being transparent and generous with your writing!

    With these seven creative ways to use social media, let’s stop fighting social media and instead, embrace it. Let’s find more opportunities to get noticed and gain exposure for our work!

    For more helpful articles on how to use social media well, check out these articles:

    This is an updated version of a story that was previously published. We update our posts as often as possible to ensure they’re useful for our readers.