Marketing Tips–Twitter

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

I received this email and wanted to share it with you as it has information and techniques on how to use Twitter effectively for marketing. This link http://www.socialquant.net/twitter-marketing-tips/  is Social Quant’s, and this article was written by Josue Valles titled Twitter Marketing Tips: The Complete List dated December 29,2015. It is a complete list he has given to use Twitter effectively.

 Most writers use Facebook but I believe it is important to use Twitter also. For the most part you are reaching people you don’t reach on Facebook. Remember Marketing 101– the more places your name the more coverage you get.

The information he provided seems to have everything broken down where you can actually walk through it and pick and choose what will work best for you. He also included a PDF with the best Twitter marketing tips. Hope this helps you look at adding another social media to your marketing belt.

Not long ago, I had a conversation with two top award winning writers and we were discussing how it has become more difficult to get sales because there are so many books coming out on the market. While that is a factor, it is simply a detour arrow on the road to marketing. Why? If you go back through history you will find that when an industry has a problem, what happens, people become inovative and look for ways to go around it, change it, or develop a new maket…which in essence creates a “new” way to do it.

It’s like when they were building a railroad…they had to find ways to go over, through or around moutains. That happens in all areas. And our sector, selling books, is no different.

One of the things you will find, with all these books coming on the market, when a book is bought from one of these new writers because they like the title and/or the cover, if the story isn’t well written, if it is not edited, in other other words is full of errors, you will find that person is not going to be around very long. So as fast as they come into the market, they will leave just about that fast. Trust me, I get books sent to me all the time to read, and so many of them are chocked full of errors. So much so, it is difficult to read.

So don’t think you are going to lose your reader base. If they bought one of your books, liked it they are going to buy another one of your books and contionue to buy your new book every time you release one. You can bet they are going to stay with you; as long as you continue to write books worth reading, don’t slack on your editing and stay in touch with your readers.

5 Tools Everyone in the TWITTER FOLLOWER Industry Should Be Using

By Sheena Mathieson

Many companies are now turning from one social tool to another in order to reach out to a specific audience. This refers to the kind of audience that the online industry is relying on so that they can reach an array of the company’s products and services. Using a social tool like Twitter allows the distribution of information to reach each and every Twitter follower. Here are a few tools that everyone in any Twitter follower industry should consider using.

Long links can take up a lot of characters, which can be a problem for Twitter whose characters are limited. If anyone needs to shorten those links, it is recommended to use Bit.ly. Not only that, but it saves a lot of time by sharing these shorter versions of links to more than one account. Through Bit.ly, individuals can make customized domains that match for their company. This personal touch creates trust among any Twitter follower.

Hootsuite is another favorite tool used by the online industry. If a company uses more than one social media, Hootsuite allows its users to manage them instead of having to open them individually. By doing it this way, it saves a lot of time and effort that can be used somewhere else in a more productive way. Not only is it easy and convenient, it is a single platform that allows you to access all of the social network channels that the company is in.

Another popular social tool used in the online industry is BufferApp. Instead of flooding every single Twitter follower with interesting and relevant news that one finds every minute, this tool allows the user to send these links in accordance to a schedule. This is important so that followers won’t get annoyed with overloading of tweets at a single time. The user can set up a particular schedule based on time to evenly distribute such information.

SocialBro is another social tool that companies can invest on. This is because its users can analyze critical data and assessment towards a path of making important decisions that can enhance any marketing strategy. SocialBro reaches out to a target audience that is vital for any company. It attracts potential clients and customers.

Another powerful tool that can be added to the list is Twitterfeed. Shared quality content can be viewed by the audience over multiple social networks. After users have distributed the content, statistics can be tracked and monitored. This way, users can analyze which content is popular among the audience so that users know what kind of content to look for in the future when the need arises.

All of these social tools can be used in the online industry in order to boost and promote a particular business to an audience who is in need of such product or service. These are meant to be used for long term measures so that companies can watch as they progress or bounce back after a series of downfalls. A combination of marketing strategies as mentioned earlier are important in order to reach the writer’s goals.

These applications may be of benefit to authors as they consider the best way to market their own books.  

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Sheena Mathieson is a content writer from Kentucky. She understands the essence of making excellent content that suits the needs of every business especially when it comes online marketing. She can spice up your marketing campaign with the content she writes. Her social media links are Twitter: https://twitter.com/SheenaMathieson and

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009061264244

Linkin:   https://www.linkedin.com/pub/sheena-mathieson/b1/767/737

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.

Use Technology to Jumpstart Your Book's Success

By Michele Howe        

Becoming active on social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn can quickly render an author feeling overwhelmed, defeated, and somewhat hopeless.

Why is this? Simply, it's the age-old trap of making comparisons. One author's speaking/writing/publishing platform compared to the next; one author's sales numbers compared to the next, or one author's three signed book contracts compared to the next (or more specifically, to yours). As soon as any of us begins to make comparisons, we've made the biggest mistake ever. Our job, our personal mission, is to write and work and market according to our best ability. 

Easier said than done, I know. After a brief period of lamenting all that I couldn't do (or didn't have the resources to utilize), I started looking at FaceBook/blogging/enewsletters/websites from a different angle. Once I did, it changed everything. Instead of focusing on what I lacked in comparison to bigger name authors, I decided to watch and learn.

The Essentials --
* Facebook -- First, I set up my Facebook account for sharing and updating primarily work related information with family/friends/colleagues/readers and anyone interested in my writing/reviewing/books. Second, I added a "fan page" for my new book project; Burdens Do a Body Good. Here, I posted all current book information/media exposure/quotes from the book/quotes from the book's endorsers/reviews and anything remotely related to this specific project.
* Twitter - This is a simple device to open and use. It's important to link this marketing tool with others such as Facebook. Your "tweets" are very short, pithy updates that alert your followers of what you're up to at the moment.
* Linked In - A good place for your business profile and to continue building and connecting with others in your field.
* Blog - I use WordPress.com, it's free, it's straightforward to get started, and they have excellent customer care when you're setting up a blog for the first time. This is also your "home base" to situate any/all your work related information.

Daily Habits to Incorporate

* Check your sites - Every morning, I do a brief check on my main sites (FB, Linked In, blog, journalist enews requests, and two email accounts). I quickly answer emails/requests/queries, and then move on.
* Promote all current work regularly - I keep that ongoing (and always changing) marketing list next to my computer and give it a brief read every day to make sure I'm on time/on target with any upcoming book deadlines.
* Help someone out - Almost everyday on FB, some other writer will ask for help and I offer that help when I can. Often when perusing the journalists callouts for information, I'll frequently see something another writer can speak to better than I can and I pass that request on to them immediately.
* Keep tabs on what's effective and what's not - As I look down my marketing list, I can quickly identify those areas that are not working for me. When I write to a number of editors but get no response, that's the clue I need to change my approach
* Be willing to try new things - Refuse to say no to a new opportunity without giving it ample thought and consideration. Don't see the obstacles, see the possibilities.
* Look ahead - Just when I think I've exhausted all I can do to market my work, I think some more. Here are some specific angles that get me jumpstarted when I'm fresh out of ideas.

Think local. Think state. Think national. Think online. Think in print. Think in person.

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Michele Howe is the author of fourteen books for women and has published over 2000 articles, reviews, and curriculum to more than 100 different publications. Her articles and reviews have been published in Good Housekeeping, First for Women, Single Parent Family, Christian Single, and many other publications. Michele’s single parenting titles include, Going It Alone and Still Going It Alone. After having undergone six shoulder surgeries, Michele saw the need for a women’s inspirational health-related book co-authored with her orthopedic surgeon titled, Burdens Do a Body Good: Meeting Life’s Challenges with Strength (and Soul), released in 2010 and from which Prescription for Life, their health, medical and surgical informational book is based. One Size Fits All: Making Healthy Choices, Stepping Into a Meaningful Life, a women's health/inspirational devotional by Lighthouse of the Carolinas was released late 2012 and Faith, Friends, and Other Floatation Devices will be published in 2013 by ACTA Publications. Michele's newest release is Burden Lifters: Every Woman's Daily Guide to a Healthy Happy Life published by Bondfire Books. Read more of Michele's work at http://michelehowe.wordpress.com/ and contact Michele at: jhowe@toast.net.

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.

Why You Don't Have Time NOT To Social Network

by Melanie Moore

"I'm just too busy to social network. I simply don't have the time".

I hear this many times from writers, many who come to me to help them with a blog design. They are working hard, trying to build their writing platform, expand their reach, and broaden their audience... but are coming up frustrated.

I am going to share a little secret that I wish someone had told me sooner. I happened upon this truth quite by accident over the last year when I very grudgingly joined Twitter at the urging of a mentor.

You don't have time NOT to social network.

Attending conferences, visiting and commenting on other blogs, and researching ways to build a platform are all very important tasks. I certainly do not want to cast a negative light at all over these vital tasks. However, these tasks also take a great deal of time.

Social media, on the other hand, is a rapidly growing outreach that is a "hit and run" pace. It is also free publicity! You can grow your platform in only 10 minutes a day.

I promise.

10 minutes.

Go ahead.. set a timer. I will wait here.

Here are some tips for growing your platform in 10 minutes a day on a Social Network like Twitter:

1. Sign up for Twitter and follow as many people as possible that have interests common to you. For example, you could search for "Blogger", "Author", "Southern", etc. Most people will follow you back.

2. Jump in on the conversation! Take 10 minutes to respond to every tweet that interests you. Don't be shy! I know at first it feels like you are intruding on a private conversation between two other people, but all tweets are open for everyone to see... and to respond to. This is a great way to make friends!

3. Make Twitter "Lists" -- Lists are an easy way to organize your twitter followers and to get to know others who often reply to your tweets.

4. "Follow" most people back who "follow" you first. This is basic Twitter etiquette, and is a wonderful way to connect with others. However, be sure to check their Twitter profile first to make sure that they are not spammers or trying to sell you something.

I have only been on Twitter for one year, and in only 10 minutes a day, I have seen my Twitter followers grow to almost 3000 followers. My blog pageviews and subscribers have increased, and I am contacted with more amazing opportunities since my subscriber base has grown!

More importantly, I have made some really great friends and found others who share common interests, cheer me up with their funny tweets, and have even won tickets to an awesome conference just by attending Twitter parties!

Go ahead and give 10 minutes of social media a try today! When you do, tweet me and let me know you did! I'm on Twitter at @MelanieAnneTN.
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Melanie is a full-time industrial software developer and mom of two boys. She lives in the beautiful Appalachian mountains with her husband and children and writes at Only A Breath about faith, giveaways, family, budgeting, and resources and encouragement for women.

One Day Starts Today

by Susan Reichert, Editor-in-Chief

David J. Schwartz, PhD said, “The person determined to achieve maximum success learns the principle that “progress is made one step at a time.”

We would all love to wake up this morning and be a successful bestselling, sought after author with people clamoring for our books, so much so the publisher can’t get them printed fast enough. Movie studios are knocking at our door with contracts.

The truth is that normally doesn’t happen to anyone…and if it should, there is a strong possibility that it will be just for that one book because they haven’t built their foundation. Long-term writing success requires a foundation and as Dr. Schwartz said, “foundations are built one brick at a time. Football games won a play at a time.” When you see someone hit it big, look close, you will see that person used the one-step at a time approach. One-step upon another until stardom was attained.

To become a bestselling author, many steps come into play. We have to write every day to finish our manuscript. Then we need to find an agent who will find the publisher or we need to find a self-publisher. Our work doesn’t stop there. Then comes the marketing phase of this foundation. Every day we have to make efforts to market our book. We have to Facebook, Twitter, and then we need to blog. There are many bricks needed to build our foundation. Remember in anything we undertake, to succeed we need to take one-step, one brick, and one day at a time.

When we have a project to work on, we should never look at the entire scope of the project, just the part that can be achieved that day. We have all heard the expression ‘One day at a time’. That is all we have. Take today; write what you can, market what you can; your one day starts today!

When the Sleeping Giants Rise

by Shannon Milholland, Social Media Director

Embracing a life of passion and purpose was like waking from a 39 year slumber. The fog lifted a bit at a time. Eventually I penetrated layers of insecurity, doubt and timidity caked decades thick.

Perhaps you, like me, never pictured yourself as a writer. Just behind the label "Least Likely to Write a Novel", you would badge yourself with "Least Likely to Self-Promote". If the label fits, you're a kindred spirit.

• As a child I shuddered when faced with telephone usage. I recall tearful pleas to my parents to make calls on my behalf.
• As a teen, I allowed self-doubt to overshadow confidence in my ability to attract and retain a date.

How then does an awkward youth blossom into a social butterfly who today works as a Social Media Director and delivers talks to audiences of any size? I slayed the giant sleeping dreams.  All those years, the dream of speaking and writing hid beneath the surface. I awoke the behemoth with one Herculean leap of faith - I began a blog.

Here are three easy steps to awaken the dreams within you:

Acknowledge the Passion

Passion fuels purpose. Passion writes in twilight hours. Passion dares to share the written word. Passion acknowledged is passion kindled. Acknowledgement ignites your dreams.

Plan Your Purpose

Make specific, achievable goals which plot your purpose in actionable steps. Do you need to join a social media such as Facebook or Twitter? Should you submit your first article? Will you fine tune your book proposal?

Plan your purpose and live your passion.

Commit to Consciousness

The familiarity of sleep overtakes the dream left to smolder. The safe position is retreat. Commit to consciousness. Refuse to sleep once more. A conscious giant delivers mammoth results.

Did you feel the splash of cold water on your face? Now that you're fully alert, walk in your purpose. Will you self-promote? No. You will love your corner of the world enough to share your gifts. Let your sleeping giants rise.

Happy Birthday To...You

by Shannon Milholland, Social Media Director

Today is my birthday.  Due to the onslaught of Social Media, I've already had enough greetings to make me feel like a celebrity.  The question is whom am I celebrating?  If I am serious about my message and delivering it to others then even my birthday is an occasion to celebrate others.

My desire is for my birthday to be a celebration of life because I approach everyday with the expectation of finding extraordinary in the ordinary.  Can one use social media to turn a birthday into a celebration?  Absolutely!

Ask Questions

If someone posts on your Facebook wall and you haven't seen them in a bit, ask how they are.  Use Twitter to ask a thought-provoking question and ask for the answer, as your "present".  Utilize questions to turn the focus back on others.

Be Thankful

Traditionally, birthdays are an opportunity for wishes.  I use social media to be thankful for others.  Whether I type or whisper my gratitude in my heart, I send up thanksgiving.  I allow myself to wonder at a life this blessed and ponder how this ordinary life can impact others. 

Let Someone Else Sit in the Birthday Chair

I asked my friend, Patti, to blog for me today.  Not only did I get a break on my birthday but I got to step aside in humility and let someone else shine on "my" day.  It is much more fun to let another sit in the birthday chair.

The next time your birthday rolls around, consider throwing an online party filled with questions, gratitude and humility.  Sing the birthday song as loud as you can and remember the final word is you not me.

What a Twit?

by Shannon Milholland, Social Media Director

When asked if I was on Twitter, I wondered if the inquiry was a veiled insult.  Was I just called a twit?  Did my so-called friends think the world would better served if I limited my thoughts to 150 characters?  Most importantly, why would writing shorter thoughts benefit me?

I eventually dipped the tip of one wing into Twitter.  My first 450 characters felt like a twanxiety or twanic attack but I persevered.  Eventually the little blue bird taught me some valuable reasons Twitter should be a part of every writer's platform.

Twitter Teaches You to Be Yourself

The more I tried to be cute, pithy or engaging, the less interested the tworld was in my thoughts.  When I engaged the real Shannon, I was twinteresting.  Know who you are and tweet authentically.

Twitter Rewards You for Being Considerate

If you make Twitter all about you, few followers will engage on more than a surface level.  Make your tweets about them and be amazed as good things come your way.  Celebrate your friend's successes.  Boast about other's informative articles.  As mama might say, "To have a twiend, you have to be a twiend."

Twitter Encourages You to Be Open-Minded

Has this happened to you?  You write a blog you feel like only your aunt and her bridge club read.  You have a Facebook club liked only by people you're already "friends" with.  Blogs and Facebook are based primarily on circles of relationship.  You get the highest response from your closest friends, lesser responses from casual friends and little reponse from acquaintances and strangers. 

Twitter expands your circle of influence to the size of the equator as quickly as you're willing to grow.  However, you have to be willing to actually engage the world.  Traditional relationships are based on alignment of interests, belief and standard of living. 

Are you willing to follow an urban rapper or a country bumpkin?  Are you willing to learn about sky diving or couponing?  Are you confident enough about your own beliefs to entertain different political or religious points of view? 

Open your mind and expand your twinfluence exponentially. 

Is Twitter for you?  It is if you want to reach multitudes in an abbreviated time frame with your message.  I'll be your twit, if you'll be mine!

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Shannon can be found tweeting as herself and Southern Writers Magazine.