Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Overview: Social Media for Writers

Writers increasingly need to use social media for many reasons.

  • Writers can cast a wider net for research materials if they can ask their social media network for help;
  • Current news and trends in writing and publishing are frequently shared in social media outlets;
  • Reaching a new and expanded audience of potential readers without having to build a distribution list saves writers time and hassle;
  • Locating key contacts, including agents and publishing houses, is much easier via social media.

What are the most commonly used and best social media platforms?

Blogs -- it's critical for writers to have a place for their audience to find their work, to communicate directly with the writer, and for fans to send potential readers. A blog can provide all these features; it also offers a way for writers to develop their personal identity or brand, easily recognized by readers. At the time of this post, a couple of the easiest and most widely used blogging platforms are Google Blogger and WordPress.

Twitter -- this micro blogging platform is as easy to use as text messaging. While it limits users to 140 characters in each message, the application encourages writers to be succinct in their outreach to folks in their network. The ease of use also encourages folks in a writer's network to share news quickly, widely, and at no cost to the writer.

Facebook -- not to be confused with users' Facebook personal profile pages, Facebook Pages offers writers yet another place to create an online identity and brand with access to 800+ million registered users. Think of this as a billboard along the busiest highway in the world.

Google+ -- a relative newcomer to social media, this platform is fully integrated with a user's Gmail and Drive accounts, while offering several tools for collaboration and communication. Gchat, Hangouts, Communities all provide opportunities for Google+ users to reach individuals and groups.

Goodreads -- dedicated to readers' experience, Goodreads is where readers hang out and share with other readers. Writers can reach out to folks who are their most likely fans, while checking on feedback about published works.

If there are other social media platforms you believe are helpful to writers and publishers, please share them in comments.
__________

This page may be updated periodically as trends in social media change.

No comments:

Post a Comment