I recently went back on Twitter after not posting there for several months...or something like that. Back then, I didn't see any benefit. Everyone was talking but no one was listening...unless you were a celebrity, or a pretend celebrity bearing a celebrity name.
But, seeing as it's still going strong, I thought I would give this old bird another try and find out what makes it chirp. Obviously, people find benefit in it; it's a quick and easy way of feeding your social addiction without blowing a lot of precious time. But, what can it do for us writers?
In the last couple of months of posting tweets, here is what I am discovering:
1) Twitter is a great place to post info about your product, book, or whatever it is you are selling. You are making connections. You are marketing your bling (do people say bling?). The price is right! (Free!)
2) Twitter is a great place to connect with writers and other people in the writing community. Catch up on the latest news, what other writers are doing, tips, tricks, inspiration, and whatever else strikes your fancy.
3) Twitter is not a place to delve into deep conversation. People are less inclined to socialize on Twitter, even though it is a social media website. I like socializing.
4) Twitter is like a one night stand. No guilt. No commitment.
5) You throw something out into the Twitter-verse in hopes that someone will pick up on it; and, if you keep hammering it in your Twitter feed, someone might see it.
For writers, Twitter is good for getting your books out there and tweaking people's interest quickly and easily. Get in, get out, and move on. You can follow who you want, providing you aren't being creepy (and then get yourself blocked). And, typically, the people you follow will follow you back. So, you have a bigger audience of all sorts of people from all over the world that are not close family/friends (typically), and that might enjoy reading your book. You basically are tapping into a market that may have not been available to you.
Let's talk about Facebook for a second: Facebook is a great place to socialize and make strong connections with others. It's also a great place for people to sound off (and, at times, quite loudly) about hot button topics. If you are looking for meaningful conversation and soulful discussion about your project, then get your followers to click on your Facebook link that you insert into your Tweet.
You can also Tweet other website links, blogs, Instagram photos, places to buy your schlock... the list goes on. By doing this, your Tweeps will discover more about who you are and what you do.
Inkygirl.com lists 10 Ways that Twitter Can Help You. Check it out.
As writers, we typically like to hide behind our computers and focus on the creative stuff while someone else takes care of the marketing and promoting. Nowadays, writers have to show up, do the leg work, and be interactive. You want people to know you exist, so, start taking advantage of all of the resources available to you. You never know where it might lead.
But, seeing as it's still going strong, I thought I would give this old bird another try and find out what makes it chirp. Obviously, people find benefit in it; it's a quick and easy way of feeding your social addiction without blowing a lot of precious time. But, what can it do for us writers?
In the last couple of months of posting tweets, here is what I am discovering:
1) Twitter is a great place to post info about your product, book, or whatever it is you are selling. You are making connections. You are marketing your bling (do people say bling?). The price is right! (Free!)
2) Twitter is a great place to connect with writers and other people in the writing community. Catch up on the latest news, what other writers are doing, tips, tricks, inspiration, and whatever else strikes your fancy.
3) Twitter is not a place to delve into deep conversation. People are less inclined to socialize on Twitter, even though it is a social media website. I like socializing.
4) Twitter is like a one night stand. No guilt. No commitment.
5) You throw something out into the Twitter-verse in hopes that someone will pick up on it; and, if you keep hammering it in your Twitter feed, someone might see it.
For writers, Twitter is good for getting your books out there and tweaking people's interest quickly and easily. Get in, get out, and move on. You can follow who you want, providing you aren't being creepy (and then get yourself blocked). And, typically, the people you follow will follow you back. So, you have a bigger audience of all sorts of people from all over the world that are not close family/friends (typically), and that might enjoy reading your book. You basically are tapping into a market that may have not been available to you.
Let's talk about Facebook for a second: Facebook is a great place to socialize and make strong connections with others. It's also a great place for people to sound off (and, at times, quite loudly) about hot button topics. If you are looking for meaningful conversation and soulful discussion about your project, then get your followers to click on your Facebook link that you insert into your Tweet.
You can also Tweet other website links, blogs, Instagram photos, places to buy your schlock... the list goes on. By doing this, your Tweeps will discover more about who you are and what you do.
Inkygirl.com lists 10 Ways that Twitter Can Help You. Check it out.
As writers, we typically like to hide behind our computers and focus on the creative stuff while someone else takes care of the marketing and promoting. Nowadays, writers have to show up, do the leg work, and be interactive. You want people to know you exist, so, start taking advantage of all of the resources available to you. You never know where it might lead.
