Which social network should I use? How do I start building a fan base? Do I need to use social media every day? Join Laura Reeth, publicist to international bestselling author Nora Roberts, and social media specialist Leigh-Anne Lawrence as they discuss how to successfully promote your work and yourself in the complex, ever-changing world of social media.

1. Using Social Media
for Sales Success
HOW TO BUILD YOUR PERSONAL BRAND ONLINE
Laura Reeth & Leigh-Anne Lawrence
2014 Nora Roberts Writing Institute | www.nrwi.org

2. As a new author, should you
be using social media?
Yes.
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Do you have to be on every
social media network?
No.
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4. Finding Your Comfort Zone
 Choose one social media platform to start with. Just one.
 Decide on what “voice” you will use: Funny and wise-cracking? Playful, but professional?
Serious and scholarly?
 Decide on a consistent posting schedule for your account. Stick to that schedule.
 Remember: Don’t spread yourself too thin—especially in the beginning. Writing your book
is your number one job.
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5. Pros & Cons of Different Platforms
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6. Facebook
Current Stats
- 829 million daily active users
- 1.28 billion monthly active users
- 1.01 billion mobile monthly active users
- 72% of online adults visit Facebook at least
once a month
- There are more than 50 million Facebook pages
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Pros
- Well-established network with a wide
range of users in all age groups
- Most popular social media network with
largest number of users
- Posts can be pre-scheduled either through
Facebook itself or through online
scheduling sites like Hootsuite or Buffer
Cons
-Younger users are moving to Twitter,
Instagram, etc.
- Users have to be following you to see
your content
- Frequent changes to the News Feed make
it harder for your content to be seen
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Source: www.mediabistro.com

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9. Twitter
Current Stats
- 255 million monthly active users
-1 billion total users
- 500 million tweets are sent each day
- 46% of Twitter users tweet at least once a day
-44% of users have never sent a Tweet
(consider them inactive)
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Pros
- New fans can find you easily through the
use of commonly or universally used hash
tags
- You can reach a wider range of users
- Younger users prefer Twitter to Facebook
- You can pre-schedule posts using online
management sites like Hootsuite or Buffer
Cons
- Requires more maintenance
(i.e., you should be posting daily
or even multiple times a day)
- Older or less tech savvy users sometimes
have more difficulty with this platform
LL
Source: www.mediabistro.com

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11. Twitter Hash Tags for Writers
What is a hash tag?
A hash tag is a word preceded by
the pound sign:
#writing
It allows you to tag your content
so that other users can find and
follow you, and, most importantly,
to share your content far and
wide.
Writing Hash Tags
 #writing
 #writetip
 #amwriting
 #amediting or #amrevising
 #writegoal
 #writerslife
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Publishing Hash Tags
 #mswl is used by agents/editors
looking for submissions (it’s a great
way to find agents looking for
work in specific genres)
 #askagent and #askeditor are
used to ask agents/editors
questions
LL Get more writing hash tags at www.aerogrammestudio.com/2013/03/12/100-twitter-hashtags-every-writer-should-know

12. Google+
Current Stats
- 540 million monthly active users
-1.6 billion total users
- 22% of online adults visit Google+ once
a month
- Average time spent on Google+ is
seven minutes per month
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Pros
- Having a Google+ page will put you higher
in Google search results (posts are indexed
almost immediately by Google)
- You can pre-schedule posts through online
scheduling sites like Hootsuite or Buffer
- Google Hangouts allow you to videochat
with users live
Cons
- Very young platform that is growing due to
Google packaging it with other services
more so than on its own merit
- On average, less investment/ engagement
than Facebook and Twitter for many users
LL
Source: www.mediabistro.com

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14. Instagram
Current Stats
- 200 million monthly active users
- 20 billion + photos have been shared on
Instagram
- 50 million users signed up for Instagram in
a six-month period in 2014
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Pros
- Highly visual, which leads to higher
engagement
- Can be updated from your smart
phone
- Users can easily find your content
through commonly or universally
used hash tags
Cons
- Big time investment: unless you are
part of a communal project, you will
need to spend time finding other
accounts to follow and/or content
to share
LR
Source: www.mediabistro.com

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 Posts book
teasers
 Post photos
of hangouts
with other
authors
 Post photos
from his life
(drawings, his
pet Pug, etc.)
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 Posts photos of things that tweak her interest and photos from her life

17. Pinterest
Current Stats
- 40 million monthly active users
- 70 million total users
- 84% of women and 50% of men stay
active on Pinterest
- 23% of pinners use it at least once a day
- Majority of pinners are female (80%)
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Pros
- The fastest growing social media network
- Highly visual, which leads to higher
engagement
- Great for world-building and character
development; many authors create
boards of story content to share with their
readers
- Users don’t have to be following you to
find your content
Cons
- Requires a large time investment to
maintain
- No way to pre-schedule posts
- Little ROI for growing an actual fan base
LL
Source: www.mediabistro.com

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20. Tumblr
Current Stats
-194.6 million Tumblr blogs
- 83.1 billion Tumblr posts
- 113.6 Tumblr posts per day
-199.1 million Tumblr visitors each month
(Global)
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Pros
- Platform hybrid: Blog-like with strong
visuals and graphics like Instagram
and Pinterest
- Can schedule posts for a later date
(through Tumblr)
- Excellent way to rebroadcast blog
content
- Easy to customize
Cons
- Young community of users
- Not good for longer content
(short posts are more popular)
- Requires a large time investment to
maintain
LR
Source: http://expandedramblings.com

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22. Social Media 101
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23. The “To-Do” List
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 Spend some time getting to know a platform before you start posting. Find users you like
or want to emulate and follow them.
 Learn the network “lingo.” Make sure you know what is considered proper etiquette on
each platform.
 Fill out your profile completely (that includes adding a nice photo and providing a link back to your
website or blog if you have one).
 If you share content by others (which you should), make sure to give them credit.
Doing so builds reciprocity and good will.
 Use proper spelling and grammar in your posts.
 Share yourself as well as your work: let your audience know when you are excited, when you’re
working on a new project, or have read an amazing book that really touched you. Share what
interests you outside of writing.
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24. The “Don’t Do It!” List
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 Don’t rant. Rants can be dangerous and can make you look unprofessional and petty.
 Don’t get defensive if someone questions or disagrees with you (or your work).
 Don’t get in arguments with fans and followers.
 Don’t just talk about yourself.
 Don’t ignore questions or requests.
 Don’t disappear for months at a time. Static accounts become dead accounts.
 Don’t mix and match your professional and personal views: keep them separate. Think of your
professional writer persona as your business persona: what you would say to friends and family
you might not say to co-workers.
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25. Bad Behavior: Amy’s Baking Company
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What Happened: Arizona-based restaurant Amy’s Baking Company was featured
on “Kitchen Nightmares” in May 2013. The show revealed that the owners:
- Resold cakes made by other bakeries at higher prices
- Treated their employees terribly
- Cursed out customers who complained about their food
Social Media Firestorm: A public shaming campaign began on sites like Yelp, as well as the bakery’s
Facebook and Twitter pages. The owners did not handle it well.
One of their early Facebook posts read: “I AM NOT STUPID ALL OF YOU ARE. YOU JUST DO NOT KNOW
GOOD FOOD. IT IS NOT UNCOMMON TO RESELL THINGS WALMART DOES NOT MAKE THEIR ELECTRONICS
OR TOYS SO LAY OFF!!!!”
Sources: International Business Times (www.ibtimes.com)
LL www.fox.com/kitchennightmares

26. Warning: Author Faux Pas Alert
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Lynn Shepherd (a.k.a. the author who told J.K. Rowling she should stop writing adult
fiction for the sake of other writers)
What Happened: In February 2014, Shepherd wrote an article for the Huffington
Post stating that Rowling should stop writing for adults because her book “sucked
the oxygen from the entire publishing and reading atmosphere” and that she
should “keep writing for kids, or for [her] personal pleasure – I would never deny
anyone that - but when it comes to the adult market [she’s] had [her] turn.”
The Result: She was publically shamed on social media and on literary and writing
blogs. People also took to Amazon where they began leaving negative reviews for
Shepherd’s work, effectively lowering her star ratings, damaging her personal
brand, and diminishing her potential fan base.
Sources: http://litreactor.com/news/author-hilariously-tells-rowling-to-stop-writing-if-she-cares
www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/lynn-shepherd/jk-rowling-should-LL stop-writing_b_4829648.html

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Back to Basics: Social Media for Authors
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28. Finding Your Balance: Writing vs. Marketing
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1. Set priorities. Your first priority needs to be your writing. If you’re not writing, there’s nothing to
market
2. Create a schedule. Schedule time to work on social media. This includes not only posting your
own content, but finding other users to follow, commenting, sharing content by others, etc.
Don’t forget: Schedule time to walk away and return to your writing.
3. Be consistent. Stick to your schedule and don’t let your social media (or your writing) lapse.

29. Author-Specific Social Media
New Authors
 Share what you’ve learned about
writing
 Share what you’re reading when
you’re not writing to encourage
conversation
 Share your non-writing interests like
cooking or arts in your city
 Talk about your creative process
including your struggles and
challenges
Established Authors
 Offer sneak peeks of your writing
 Hold contests for fans/followers
 Offer giveaways (bookmarks, etc.)
 Continue doing everything in the left-hand
column (make sure readers
continue to see the “real” you)
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30. Social Media & Writer Resources
Social Media News
& Updates
 Business 2 Community
 Grow
 Jeff Bullas
 Mashable
 Media Bistro
 The Next Web
 Social Media Examiner
 Social Media Today
Marketing/Branding
Resources for Writers
 The Book Designer
 CopyBlogger
 Galley Cat
 Jane Friedman
 Where Writers Win
 The Write Life
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31. Final Takeaways: Building Your Personal Brand
 Be yourself. Be real and authentic. Your voice is your brand.
 Be professional and respectful of others.
 Focus on the positive instead of the negative.
 Think before you post. Once something is online, it lives forever.
 Be gracious. Thank followers who mention you or compliment your work.
 Share content by others. Don’t just promote yourself.
 Create community. Schedule time to browse sites, read things that capture your interest, comment, and
participate in online conversations.
 Be consistent. Post content on a weekly or daily basis.
 Treat social media like email. Check your accounts every day and respond to fan questions in a timely manner.
 Remember: Social media is about engagement. If you don’t engage, your fan base won’t grow.
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32. Questions?
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Laura Reeth
Follow: @lmreeth
Leigh-Anne Lawrence
Follow: @writenowsocial