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The world is full of many talented, but unknown writers who remain invisible because they don’t make use of simple resources that could increase their visibility and potentially lead to writing gigs. The popularity of social media makes it an effective form of free advertising, if used appropriately and judiciously.
Creating a Social Media Profile
Your profile is an essential part of your social media persona and presence. What you say there should appeal to people who are interested in your writing niche, or appeal to other writers. You can write more detailed profiles on sites like LinkedIn and Facebook, however, Twitter’s design puts limits on how much you can say. Your Twitter profile should grab people instantly, and you may want to include a link to a writer profile where people can find out more about you.
Many people use LinkedIn for professional networking and for establishing a professional presence that is likely to catch the eye of anyone who might need the services of a writer in any capacity. Remember that and look to your profile there as an online resume, but with more detail about your previous job experiences, your educational background and your writing experience. Be careful about revealing too much personal information about yourself.
Understand the Terms of Service or Use for Each Platform
Before diving into any of the social media networks, be sure you understand their rules and regulations, whether or not they have specific guidelines about behavior, or restrictions as to posting. Some sites like Twitter will not allow you to promote a website if you generate income from affiliate advertising. That may include blogs. Be sure you make a point of checking the TOS or regulations on a regular basis. Many sites have a built-in clause that specifies that they can change their regulations at any time, and they typically do so without notification.
What to Expect From Different Sites
With every site, you should expect to be able to develop online relationships with fellow writers. Doing this can be very helpful to you for building a following and for promoting your work. With LinkedIn, you can join groups of writers who will share experiences, frustrations, recommendations as to online sites that are accepting applications, and general discussions about experiences as writers. There are several groups for freelance writers.
How to Increase Your Social Media Visibility
If you’re trying to build up a following on Facebook or on Twitter, an extremely effective way to reach out to potential followers is by using hashtags on specific words to grab attention. Use a hashtag when you describe yourself as a #writer on either site. Other writers often look for one another this way.
If you have a particular niche about which you write, be sure to include that on your profile and highlight it with a hashtag. You can also search for people with similar interests by searching for a specific term with the hashtag.
Etiquette For Connecting With or Attracting Followers
Twitter has built in security features that automatically look for people who are considered spammers. One behavior that often stands out and may put you at risk for having your account suspended is over zealous following.
Keep track of how many followers you have, and if you haven’t amassed a lot of followers, you shouldn’t go overboard when you choose to follow people. Since Twitter’s system is designed to weed out suspicious accounts so regularly, don’t follow more than a handful of people on any single day.
If you fear you will forget the user name or handle of people you want to follow, you can always create a spreadsheet with the names of people you want to follow, and what they do or what their interests are. You may also want to do this for Facebook, especially if you create a writer account since Facebook is more restrictive of these sorts of accounts.
Create Twitter Lists
If you’re following other writers, you may want to keep a list for all of the writers you follow. If you’ve got interests or writing niches that inspire you to want to connect with others in those areas, creating lists for different areas can also help you keep track of these people and how they interact on social media sites.
Promote Your Writing
Even if you don’t have a well established presence on any social media site, you can promote your writing, as long as you do it in moderation. The frequency with which you post links to your content or post messages that aim to drive people to your work is critical. If you over do it or use automated posting services, you may risk suspension. Social media sites offer a great self-promotion platform, but you can’t expect to use them for nothing more than promoting your work. Balancing your promotion with actual interaction with people is critical.
If someone comments on something you post, make a point of replying. Comment on things that your followers post, and interact in group discussions. Twitter often has group chats related to different interests.
Social media sites are built on the idea that the Internet can bring people from all over the world together in a single place where they can get acquainted, share knowledge, information and develop virtual friendships. The best way to build a base of followers, and people who will be interested in reading what you write, is by connecting with people.
