Social Media-Another One Will Come Along

By Susan Reichert, Editor-in-Chief, Southern Writers Magazine

Okay, let’s face it; we have no control over Google, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or any Social Media. Yes, I know that sometimes we feel like we are at their mercy.  We work hard trying to learn how to function on these venues especially when we are marketing our new books and just when we think we have learned how to generate people viewing our sites, reading our content and seeing the new books–BAM! They pull the program, change it or give us new rules to use it.

In their defense, they do believe they are probably making things better for their users. However, this is difficult for us to understand since we don’t know what we can do, or if we can replace it. We feel like we were dumped and left out in the cold. Questions bombard us, wanting to know what we will do now. What will we use to get the word out?

I’m sure you know by now, Google terminated their Authorship program. Google used this to rank content according to the authority of the person who created the information.

We all put in a lot of time and energy on the venues we use…..but quite honestly, that is just doing business and using what is available to us. We must remember that change is not necessarily a bad thing. We just have to move on and look for another venue that will be good to use to get the word out.

I doubt if Google will leave us in the lurch. I am sure they will show us other ways to use their programs that will benefit us in our endeavors. So will the other Medias. After all, they do want us to use their venues.

My point? Don’t panic. Just readjust your thinking and look for other ways that will benefit you even more. Continue to be alert to new opportunities that come along. Some will last a long time, others will fall by the way side. The secret is to use what you have at your fingertips to the best of your ability to get the word out about your book. Another secret is never put your eggs in one basket.

This is why it is important for authors to make sure they have many venues to get their name out so people will recognize their name. The more someone reads your name or sees your name the more important they will think you are as an author. They will start looking for your books. Just make sure you are getting the name of your book out too along with your name.

Social Media Calling

By Susan Reichert, Editor-in Chief, Southern Writers Magazine

 They say it is imperative that authors have a social network in order to promote their books and themselves as authors.  I decided to look at a few and this is what I saw.

There is Facebook and Twitter. Then I’m told you need to subscribe to LinkedIn, YouTube,  Digg, Stumbleupon, Del.icio.us and My Space.  From there they move onto aNobii,   weRead, and then of course let us not forget Pinterest,  Shelfari, Google and reddit.com.

Now we find another ‘ sect’ has been added  for authors called voiceBoks, Fireflies, Book Launch & Paint Party, Calling All Authors, Branch Out, Author News, Crazy for books, Christian Poets and Writers, The Book Club Network.

Rather than naming anymore, I will just say, there are sites popping up every day for authors to use to get their books and their names out to the public. These are promotion tools for authors but if not careful, they can consume an entire day putting information on each one. Because authors are responsible for their own marketing and promotion maybe it would be a good idea to take some time and look at each one and perhaps categorize them as to what information is best to put on each one. For the most part, there are different audiences on each. After all that is what authors are after, to touch different audiences and introduce them to their books. 

If you know the purpose of each one, the audience it is reaching then you will be able to divide them into categories, using the same information. This certainly cuts down on the amount of time spent. See if you can get them divided into threes. Then you only have to have three segments of content. One segment goes on one list, another segment goes on the second list and the last segment goes on the third list.

If authors are spending a lot of time on building social media my question becomes is when do they find time to write? For authors their passion is writing. Most authors could sit for hours and just write. Yet all authors have to slice out of their workday time to work on the Social Media junket. So maybe if authors segment into list their promotions there will be more time for writing.

I Will Google You

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by Shannon Milholland, Social Media Director

If I'm an agent considering representing you, I will Google you.

If I'm the editor of a magazine and considering accepting your article, I will Google you.

If I am aggregating an anthology and contemplating your piece, I will Google you.

If I'm the acquisitions editor for a publisher, I will Google you.

Elvis Presley and Bob Dylan may have crooned "I'll remember you", but they were singing in a different millennium. As today's author, we have little chance of being found let alone remembered if Google doesn't know our name.

As promised last week, I have some tips to increase your "Google-ability":

1. Keywords

Anytime we're exploring a topic, we type in words to find what we're looking for. If you write historical novels set during the 19th Century mining era of Colorado, you'll want relevant words in your titles, articles and labels. On the other hand, if your focus is songwriting and music history, you'll use those words. Be intentional. It works.

2. Building Backlinks

Backlinks are built when another site contains a url link to your site. Google constantly changes their "formula" for success but this one is a constant. The more independent sites that reference your site, the more likely you are to appear toward the front of a Google search.

3. Linking Within

Another top shelf practice is to link within your own site. Google not only measures how much traffic is coming into your site but how long they stay. Give them incentive to browse around by providing additional content within your own site of interest. In fact, this website has built a widget or gadget you can add right to your site to do so.

4. Content

This may seem obvious but your content needs to be on topic. I read blogs and websites all the time that are a rambling hodge podge of mood swing, topic and interest. Don't do that if you want your site to be successful. Select no more than five topics and write exclusively on those topics. Become an expert in your field.

5. Use Meta Tags

Every web platform has built in meta tags you can use to pinpoint your area of influence. Make these words a customer would type if they wanted to find your product. You are a writer but you don't write on everything. Make sure your top five are represented here.

6. Social media

Okay so Facebook and Twitter aren't technically a part of SEO (search engine optimization) but they are two of the top referring sites on the internet. Help people find you by having a strong social media presence.

7. Headings

Believe it or not having headings within your article will aid your chance of being found. Use headings you could imagine someone "googling" and they will be picked up by search engines.

Although I'm getting older, I'll try to remember you. Just know this has a better chance of happening if I can find you...and I will Google you.

Help Them Help You

by Shannon Milholland, Social Media Director

Have you caught the American Idol bug? Last week I shared my love for the show. After the American Idol auditions, there's always a name that creates a buzz. According to J-Lo this year's name is Phillip Phillips. I have to agree. The charming young man from South Georgia has a music style and talent all his own. He was even hesitant to let celebrity stylist Tommy Hilfiger alter his look from that of a casual coffee-shop rendering. "I want the music to speak for itself," declared Phillips.

This is where we disagree. At least when it comes to authors. In the January issue of Southern Writers, I wrote an article about the importance of being "Google-able". Many authors launch their career with magazine article writing or as a contributor to a larger work. Quite often thousands of entries are received from any call out. The difference in writing style and ability between various submissions is likely small. Why are some chosen and authors not?

You might wish it were all about the writing. It isn't. The editors will select contributors that will both help sell the anthology or publication and who have submitted a quality piece. As writers we must strike a balance between the two. A complete unknown author with no social media activity, no website and few hits on Google has much less chance of finding his name in print than his counterpart whose skill may be slightly less but has a strong brand recognition. Help them help you!

You may be a Phillip Phillips and if you are, let the music of your writing speak for itself. For the rest of us, we need a weekly plan to build our platform and recognition. Next week I'll give you some tips on how to increase your "Google-ability".

5 Ways to Get on the Shelf and Get Noticed

by Amy Bayliss

As writers I think we can all agree on one thing: we desire to be read.

So what happens when you spend hours each week crafting an article for your website or blog only to find that very few people have read it? Discouragement can set in quickly but it is soon overclouded by confusion. You know the content is good. You know it is written well. Your writer's critique group raved over it so what could be the problem?

It's simple. In the vast network of the internet your website is lost. No one can find it. If it can't be found, it can't be read.

The internet is like a library. It stores and shares millions of written works in the hopes someone will want to check them out. Search engines are like the card catalog guiding people to what interests them. In this internet library, your website is still in a back room somewhere waiting for the librarian to tag it, categorize it, add it to the card catalog and put it on a shelf.

Five Ways to Get on the Shelf and Get Noticed

1. Choose an SEO (search engine optimization) friendly platform. Self-hosted WordPress sites are superior when it comes to SEO friendliness. This platform also delivers more options in the way of advertising, plug-ins, networking and monetizing. Perhaps the most appealing feature for writers is that you own your content with this platform. If you write on a free platform then you should check your terms. It is likely they can use your content at any time to benefit them and you can't do anything about it.

2. Use highly searched keywords. I use and recommend Google's keyword tool to find the terms that people are searching for but that have low competition. Strategically placing them in the title and post body in a way that reads naturally will contribute to an increase in search rank. Using those same keywords to name the photos within the post will also bring traffic.

3. Optimize internal links. Linking to your articles from within other articles is called internal linking. This practice is beneficial for several reasons but we'll discuss the two main ones. Internal linking causes others to stay on your blog longer. The longer people stay, the lower your bounce rate which increases your search ranking. It also serves as a way to get more hits from your RSS feed reader subscribers. Without links within a post they aren't likely to click over to your site but if there is an enticing link within an article then chances are good that they will click on it. NOTE: Always use search worthy anchor text when linking. That means you should not use "click here" as the link. Instead use a keyword phrase or the title of the post. No one searches for "Click here."

4. Network with other writers in your niche. You can reach more together than you can apart. When you link to each other Google pays close attention. That is what Google looks for. In addition to it being good for search rankings it is also great for readership. You expose each other to your readers. The internet is an unlimited audience. Here we can share readers instead of competing for them. Guest posting on sites is the most successful way of gaining other readers. Promoting each other on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter increases search rankings and exposes you to new readership.

5. Avoid duplicate content posting. In the past when a writer published on another site they would simply freshen up an old article or even use the same article on multiple sites. That is no longer advised. Google frowns upon sites that have duplicate content. It is also no longer recommended that you write excerpts to articles on your blog since that too can be seen as duplicate content. Instead, change out complete words and sentences or rearrange the format of articles before reusing them. Publish a synopsis on your site to direct traffic to the article you wrote and be sure to use searchable anchor text when doing so. This practice will benefit both sites.

We've only scratched the surface of ways to improve your web presence but this list will definitely get you out of the backroom and onto a shelf to be discovered.
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Amy Bayliss is a professional writer whose preferred medium is the internet. Her skills and talent help hundreds as a consultant and the co-founder of DIYMinistry.org. Along with her business partner, Lisa Boyd, they have made the site a one-stop site for help for those looking to build a platform online. You can also find Amy blogging at her home on the web: AmyBayliss.com.