eat your veggies and do social media: necessities for authors in the digital age

Flickr Creative Commons: Willpower Studios

Eat Your Veggies

and do Social Media:

Necessities for Authors

in the Digital Age

Ashley M. Biggers

Drinking the Green Juice

Email me for a link or pdf of

this presentation:

ashley@ashleymbiggers.com

For more info:

ashleymbiggers.com

Flickr Creative Commons:

Generation Thrive

Quick Quiz:Author Website

Blog

Email Newsletter

Public Figure Facebook Page

Twitter Account

Pinterest Page

LinkedIn Profile

Goodreads Author Page

Amazon Author Page

Questions Ahead

(and the Answers)

• Why should I engage in digital andsocial media?

• What elements should I include in my author platform?

• As an author, in which social mediums shouldI be involved?

• How do I maximize impact and engagement?

Why should I engage in digital

and social media?

Control the Conversation

Appeal to Agents and Publishers

Blogs TurnedBooks

•The Julie/Julia Project Blog

•The Pioneer Woman

•GeekDad

Appeal to Agents and Publishers

Twitter Turned Books

•Shit My Dad Says

•Dear Girls Above Me

•Twitter Wit: Brilliance in 140 Characters or Less

Build an Audience Prior to

Traditional Publishing

• Books are sold by word of mouth

• Our in-person reach when promoting is

limited; online its global

Build an Audience

for Self-Publishing

• Amanda Hocking

• E.L. James

What elements should I include

in my author platform?

Author Website

• Status: Essential

• Who it Reaches: All Internet users

• Why it Works: Establishes professionalism

• Keys to Success:

- A bio and author photo

- Samples of your work, links to articles, and/or

descriptions of your books

- Contact info for you and/or agent

- Event page

- Links to social media

- Blog?

Blog

• Status: Essential

• Who it Reaches: All Internet users

• Why it Works: Establishes ongoing

connection with readers

• Self-Hosted Blog

– How often do I write?

– What do I write about?

• Guest Blogs

– Find those with similar interests

• Keys for Success:

– Short and sweet

– Tips, numbered lists, and short text blocks

– Ask a question

• Status: Essential

• Who it Reaches: 78 million Amazon

customers per month

• Why it Works: Establishes points of

connection with potential readers via blogs

and book trailers, refers readers to other

works

As an author, in which social

mediums should I be involved?

Who is Your Ideal Reader?

• Male/female?

• Age?

• Level of Education?

• Kids?

• Income level?

• What are his/her interests and hobbies?

• Status:Phase 1

• Who it Reaches: 1.5 billion active users

– Users ages 25 to 34 are most common group

– Users ages 45 to 54 are fastest growing group

– 53% female

– Fairly affluent

• Why it Works: You wanna be where the

people are

• Keys to Success

– Post at least once a day

– Incorporate pictures and videos

– Identify your audience and connect with them

over shared interests

– Keep tone positive

Authors to Follow

• Elizabeth Gilbert

• James Patterson

• Status: Phase 1

• Who it Reaches: 20 million book

enthusiasts

• Why it Works: Book readers looking for

recommendations

• Keys to Success

– Be an active community participant

– Use the format

• Allow fans to ask questions

• Give away books

• Ask readers for (honest) reviews and for

placement on curated lists

Authors to Follow

• Markus Zusak

• Christopher Moore

• Status: Phase 2

• Who it Reaches: 232 million users

– Users ages 18 to 29 are most common group

– Gender neutral

– Is more ethnically diverse

• Why it Works: Connects with mobile,

news-oriented users

• Keys to Success

– Multiple posts per day

– Engage in conversation (RTs and @ replies)

– Incorporate pictures and videos

– Be humorous, thought-provoking, and news

oriented

• Status: Phase 2

• Who it Reaches: 70 million users

– 84% of users are women

• Why it Works: Visually based medium that

communicates concisely

• Keys to Success

– Connect with the audience

– Repin as often as you pin

– Create visual mood boards

• Status: Phase 2

• Who it Reaches: 259 million users

• Why it Works: Forms connections with

agents, publishers, and other business

people

• Keys to Success

– Complete your profile

– Join groups (seven is average)

– Build connections, ask for introductions

– Post with important, career updates only

E-Newsletter

• Status: Phase 3

• Who it Reaches: Uber-fans

• Why it Works: Connects with people who

have invited you into their email inboxes

• Keys to Success

– Set a regular schedule

– Choose a easy-to-digest format

– Include excerpts from current blog posts,

updates about appearances, new works in

progress, and ways for your fans to engage

with you

How do I maximize impact

and engagement?

Don’t Do This

Buy my book!

Buy my book!

Look puppies!

Even puppies love my book!

Social media is not about you.

It’s about creating

connections,

and conversations.

Don’t ask what social media

connections can do for you. Ask

what you can do for them.

70-20-10 Rule

Set up an Editorial Calendar

Schedule Posts

Social Media Dashboards

• Hootsuite

• Tweetdeck

• Cyfe

• Sprout Social

• Buffer

• Crowdbooster

Optimize for Your Audience

• Use Facebook

Insights

• Use analytics

provided by social

media dashboards

Action Plan

What three things you are going to dofirst

in respect to digital

and social media?

Questions?

Additional Resources

• Books

– The Wuffie Factor by Tara Hunt

– Likeable Social Media by Dave Kerpen

– Youtility: Why Smart Marketing is About Help

Not Hype by Jay Baer

Additional Resources

• Websites and Blogs

– Convince and Convert by Jay Baer

– Chris Brogan’s blog

– Jane Friedman’s blog

– Social Media Examiner

– And…my blog!