D
David Steele
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- Thread starter
- #31
Really good feedback so far. Thanks to all of you for your advice. I'm spending a lot of time reading up on options and I'll try to condense anything useful I find in some way for the benefit of newbies like me.
Social Media
How many of you use Twitter? If you don't use, it, why not? If you do use it, how effective is it for you as a marketing tool?
My advice:
I've just started a new twitter account for my pen name, and I'm busy trying to generate followers so that when the time comes to have a book launch, I have people who are following me who are interested in who I am.
I think a common tactic used by 'indie authors' is to follow other writers. There's nothing wring with this. It's great to follow people who inspire you, but if you check out your favourite author's twitter feed, you'll see an incredible amount of people following them are wannabe writers.
Already, my 'random' twitter followers are falling into two tiers- Self published indie authors desperate for publicity, and book marketing services, desperate to extract cash out of self published indie authors.
My approach is different , though. I'm not interested in followers.
Objective:
I'm interested in building relationships - and the right ones. Numbers simply do not matter.
Strategy:
Develop pro-active advocacy from influential Social Media users
Tactic:
You're performing a specific search for people who like your type of novel, people who are already using social media, and people who review generously. These are your people!
*If anyone is following more than 800 people, they are farming their twitter feed and will have most people on mute. If they have a massive number of people following them but are only following a few people, they will not follow you back. Look for somebody who has between 200 and 600 followers, and are following about 400 people back.
Yesterday I was able to engage with a young lady (always a delicate situation for a middle aged man!) about a book we both enjoy. Due to that conversation she has asked me to read my book (I never mentioned it until she asked me about it) Hopefully when she's read it, she will be a member of my media marketing team.
To my way of thinking, one engaged reader is worth a hundred people telling me how great their new novel is.
Social Media
How many of you use Twitter? If you don't use, it, why not? If you do use it, how effective is it for you as a marketing tool?
My advice:
I've just started a new twitter account for my pen name, and I'm busy trying to generate followers so that when the time comes to have a book launch, I have people who are following me who are interested in who I am.
I think a common tactic used by 'indie authors' is to follow other writers. There's nothing wring with this. It's great to follow people who inspire you, but if you check out your favourite author's twitter feed, you'll see an incredible amount of people following them are wannabe writers.
Already, my 'random' twitter followers are falling into two tiers- Self published indie authors desperate for publicity, and book marketing services, desperate to extract cash out of self published indie authors.
My approach is different , though. I'm not interested in followers.
Objective:
I'm interested in building relationships - and the right ones. Numbers simply do not matter.
Strategy:
Develop pro-active advocacy from influential Social Media users
Tactic:
1. Search for 'Stars' and 'author surname' and / or and 'book title' For example my search might be 'Stars Noon Vurt'
2. Look for people who have given a four or five star review to something like your book
3. Check out their profile
5. Favourite one of their comments
6. Leave it a day or so
7. Respond positively to something they have said. Try to draw them into a response by framing your tweet as a question
8. Develop the relationship
9. When the time comes to create a call for action, you will have advocates.
2. Look for people who have given a four or five star review to something like your book
3. Check out their profile
a. Do they have a balanced number of followers to following? If yes, and they have a manageable amount*
b. Look at their stream. Are they talking to other twitter users, or just churning out spam? Do they engage with other people?
c. If a and b are 'yes': follow them.
4. Leave it a day or so.b. Look at their stream. Are they talking to other twitter users, or just churning out spam? Do they engage with other people?
c. If a and b are 'yes': follow them.
5. Favourite one of their comments
6. Leave it a day or so
7. Respond positively to something they have said. Try to draw them into a response by framing your tweet as a question
8. Develop the relationship
9. When the time comes to create a call for action, you will have advocates.
You're performing a specific search for people who like your type of novel, people who are already using social media, and people who review generously. These are your people!
*If anyone is following more than 800 people, they are farming their twitter feed and will have most people on mute. If they have a massive number of people following them but are only following a few people, they will not follow you back. Look for somebody who has between 200 and 600 followers, and are following about 400 people back.
Yesterday I was able to engage with a young lady (always a delicate situation for a middle aged man!) about a book we both enjoy. Due to that conversation she has asked me to read my book (I never mentioned it until she asked me about it) Hopefully when she's read it, she will be a member of my media marketing team.
To my way of thinking, one engaged reader is worth a hundred people telling me how great their new novel is.
.. Anyway it has always been a natural one rather than planned with an objective. Seems too time consuming to invest in a plan for the sake of a few readers. I think 
