3 key reasons an author needs social media

From this post title, it's pretty clear: every author needs social media. When used correctly, social media is your friend, and will benefit your writing career in the following ways.

#1 Social Media Enables Discoverability

Unless you're writing purely for the joy of seeing your words on paper then happy to shove them into a drawer and forget them, you'll want people to read your work. Social media enables you to get your name out there and to communicate about your books. If you are active on a number of platforms, you maximise the chance of readers finding out about you, wherever in the world you happen to be.

#2 Social Media Facilitates Networking

Social media allows you to meet other authors and industry professionals. You can connect with like minded people, join groups, and communicate with others. Writing is often a solitary activity done in isolation, but social media provides you with access to people who can motivate and inspire, share information, and assist you in promoting your books.

You can also build a network of readers and fans. Social media allows you to cultivate relationships, build your own community and perhaps form a street teams. Social media allows a two-way flow of information so your readers become more invested in you and your work.

#3 Social Media for Marketing

Social media provides a platform to market both yourself and your books, and importantly, optimises your other marketing efforts, making them more effective. It's through social media that readers will find out about your latest book, discover your most recent blog post, and hear about that fabulous giveaway you've got up and running. Social media is the way your readers will come to know a little more about the author behind the book. Social media platforms are where readers will see your links: your social media posts are key referrers to your website or to the sales platform where readers can buy your book. And finally, if you post onto social media platforms, your readers will share the information, helping spread your message.

However, social media often gets a bad wrap, mainly because it's seen as a drain on time - time when you should be writing. And let's be clear, that can be very true. Social media can also be damaging when an author behaves badly for all the world to see or presents an unprofessional image. As I said upfront, social media is advantageous when it's used correctly.

1. Don't let social media take over your time to the detriment of your writing
2. Invest your time wisely on the social media platforms that make sense for your brand and target market
3. Automate where possible
4. Target your activity and always be professional

Personally, the key platforms I focus on are my website and blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. Plus I utilise a suite of tools that allow me to maximise the effectiveness of all these platforms.

Follow Up:

If you're new to social media for authors, spend some time checking out the social media sites of some of the authors you love or follow. What sort of activity do they undertake? What do you like about their sites? Is there anything that doesn't appeal to you? All this information will help you identify what platforms appeal to you, and give you some ideas of the types of activity you can engage in.

Until next time, happy writing.

Nicki xx