Shouting Out Your Name

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by Ruth O’Neil

Social media can be a very powerful marketing tool, or it can be an annoyance to the people you are trying to reach. There’s a fine line. I admit that I joined a lot of groups hoping to share and find all sorts of buyers for my books. I probably annoyed at least some people with my posts begging people to purchase all of my books right now. 
 
But then, there came that one person that annoyed me. This author began clogging up all my feeds with advertisements for books. It didn’t seem to matter which form of social media I was using, she followed me everywhere. I felt as if she was constantly shouting at me.                      
 
Instead of getting angry and sending that author a “knock it off” message, I figured it was wiser to learn from her. Here are some things I took away from that experience. 
 
·         Spread out my posts. This is two-fold. I spread my posts not only throughout the day, but also throughout social media. I don’t make posts on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. all on the same day. I’ve researched when is the best time to post on each site and use that information for my benefit. 
 
·         Post varying links. I don’t like to post only about one book or even only about my books. I include links to both Amazon and Nook for my e-books. I use the link to my website for print copies. I post links to my two blogs as well where there is simply information or something fun to read. Changing things up will prevent potential customers from simply scrolling over the same link they know you’ve posted time and time again. 
 
·         Post for others. I love it when someone retweets or shares one of my posts. I always return the favor, but I also do it for others just to be nice. (And hoping that they will reciprocate!) This goes back to mixing up the info and links you share. 
 
·         Interact with people. You should never just post a link to your book and leave. Talk to people. Comment on their posts. Retweet, favorite, share, like their pages, etc. This is where you make friends out there in cyberspace who will later be willing to either buy your work or share with everyone they know and convince them to buy your work. 
 
·         Be patient. Building up a following doesn’t happen overnight. You have to work at it. 
 
I hope these tips help you with your social media campaigns. Remember the key as an author is to get your name and your titles out there in a positive light, not to shout out your name to people so much that they delete you. 

About the Author:

Ruth OneilRuth O’Neil has been writing for over 20 years. She has published hundreds of articles in numerous publications. She loves to touch the emotions when she writes. “If I can make one person laugh or cry, I’ll consider myself successful.” Her first novel “Come Eat at My Table” has just come out in ebook form and can be purchased on her website. She homeschools her three children (well, one now, as two have graduated). She and her husband have been married for 20-plus years. In her spare time she enjoys quilting, crafting, and reading. You can visit her on her blog at ruths-real-life (dot)blogspot.com or her website at ruthoneil (dot)weebly.com

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