Writers face many challenges with social networking, especially choosing platforms and applications. This presentation provides an overview to challenges expressed by the All Souls Writers' Group. I hope it will be helpful to other writers, too.

1. Smart Use of Social Networking to Promote Your Writing
Melissa A. Rosati, CPCC
E: melissarosati@me.com
917-628-4547 W: www.melissascoachingstudio.com
B: www.melissassocialmediastudio.com
All Souls Writers’ Group F: www:facebook.com/melissarosati
L: www.linkedin.com/in/melissarosati
All Souls Unitarian Church T: www.twitter.com/melissarosati
New York City
January 23, 2012

2. Welcome!

3. As Writers, We Bear Witness to this Age of Disruption.

4. “With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility.”

5. Social Media Plays a Major Role in Global Communication.

6. DEFINITIONS
Social Media are the applications we Social Networking is our
use to communicate online. communication behavior online.

7. What Are Your Challenges?

8. Stop Pushing!

9. Start Engaging!

10. Social Networking is about Good Listening Skills.

11. Step #1: Embrace the Learning Curve

12. The Goal is to Create Your Own Map
Overdrive Interactive Social Media Map
The Stuff We Think You Should Care About
Search Engines
B2B Social Networks Photo Sites
http://www.google.com
http://www.linkedin.com http://www.flickr.com
http://www.yahoo.com
http://www.slideshare.net http://photobucket.com
Lifecasting http://www.msn.com
http://www.xing.com http://imageshack.us
http://www.justin.tv http://www.baidu.com (China) Social Bookmarking
http://www.plaxo.com http://www.fotolog.com
http://www.ustream.tv http://www.aol.com http://digg.com
http://www.ecademy.com http://www.multiply.com
http://www.ask.com http://technorati.com
http://www.ryze.com http://www.webshots.com
http://www.sohu.com (China) http://www.mixx.com
Social Networks http://my.wallst.net http://www.kodakgallery.com
http://search.comcast.net http://www.stumbleupon.com
http://www.facebook.com http://www.yammer.com http://www.snapfish.com
http://my.att.net http://www.kaboodle.com
http://www.ning.com http://www.networkingfor http://www.fotki.com
http://www.nextag.com professionals.com http://www.propeller.com
http://www.myspace.com http://www.smugmug.com
http://www.business.com http://del.icio.us
http://www.hi5.com http://www.zooomr.com
http://www.dogpile.com http://www.mybloglog.com
http://www.friendster.com http://picasa.google.com
http://www.lycos.com http://www.newsvine.com
http://www.skyrock.com/ http://www.zoto.com
http://boardreader.com http://www.boingboing.net
http://www.orkut.com
Reviews/Travel http://www.fark.com
http://www.netlog.com
Micro Blogging/Texting http://cityguide.aol.com/ http://reddit.com
http://www.bebo.com
http://www.twitter.com http://www.tripadvisor.com http://www.slashdot.com
http://www.tagged.com
http://twitpic.com http://www.yelp.com http://www.bloglines.com
http://www.imeem.com
http://www.twitxr.com http://www.citysearch.com/ http://friendfeed.com
http://badoo.com
http://search.twitter.com http://www.wayn.com/ http://www.furl.net/
http://www.xanga.com
http://www.myyearbook.com http://www.tweetscan.com Groups http://www.blinklist.com
http://www.classmates.com http://www.twemes.com http://groups.yahoo.com http://www.mister-wong.com
http://www.mocospace.com http://groups.google.com http://ma.gnolia.com
Video Sites http://www.tumblr.com http://www.meetup.com http://www.sphinn.com
http://video.google.com http://friendfeed.com
http://www.youtube.com http://www.plurk.com
Tools/Platforms Podcast
http://video.msn.com http://lifestream.fm
http://www.livejournal.com http://www.apple.com/itunes/
http://vids.myspace.com http://jaiku.com
http://www.ning.com Wikis http://www.live365.com
http://video.aol.com http://identi.ca
http://www.vox.com http://www.wikipedia.org http://www.podcast.com
http://www.dailymotion.com/us http://jott.com
http://buzzm.worldbank.org http://recipes.wikia.com http://www.podcastalley.com
http://www.veoh.com http://socialthing.com
http://www.movabletype.org http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com
http://www.metacafe.com http://www.12seconds.tv
http://www.sharethis.com http://www.wikihow.com
http://www.break.com http://www.swurl.com
http://lifestream.fm http://www.wikimapia.org
http://www.hulu.com http://www.utterli.com
http://crowdvine.com/home http://www.wetpaint.com
http://revver.com http://www.itsmy.com/itsmy
http://en.wikibooks.org Socialize With Us
http://www.stickam.com http://www.brightkite.com Blogs
http://pbwiki.com overdriveinteractive.com/facebook
http://blip.tv http://ping.fm http://technorati.com
http://www.dodgeball.com http://blogsearch.google.com http://wikitravel.org myspace.com/overdriveinteractive
http://www.viddler.com
http://www.pinger.com http://www.wordpress.com http://lyricwiki.org twitter.com/ovrdrv
http://www.seesmic.com http://www.wordpress.org http://gollum.easycp.de/en/
http://www.blogspot.com http://www.qwika.com/ Websites
http://www.blogger.com http://en.wikiwix.com/ Tools
Are we missing one?
Submit your website and see
Overdrive Interactive is an online marketing services firm that helps companies create genuine and lasting connections with their target audiences and the expanded version at
customers using Social Media Marketing, Search Engine Marketing and Online Media. Learn more by visiting us at www.OverdriveInteractive.com or call 617-254-5000. overdriveinteractive.com/social-media-map

13. Melissa’s Approach to the Social Learning Process
Watch
Listen
Read

14. What’s Important to You?

15. Step #2:
Define Your World
• As a writer, what is your major
theme?
• Theme is not plot. This is the
biggest mistake writers make in
their marketing strategies.
• Favorite writer exercise.
• Identify the conflicts
• Identify the outcomes

16. Step #3:
Define Your Wired World
• What media do you consume
on a daily basis?
• When you are online, how are
you helpful to other people?
• What’s your comfort level with
digital literacy?
• What aspect of the digital world
could you not live without?

17. Common Social Media Applications
LinkedIn
Blogs Email
Facebook
Twitter

18. Step #4:
Four Core Actions among All Social Media Applications
Do Nothing Comment
Like
Share

20. Step #5:
Success Begins with a Social Networking Strategy.

21. Who is Your Target Reader?

22. How Does Your Reader Use Language?
Reader
comment
on my
blog
displayed
here as a
Wordle.

23. Where are your
readers?
• Start with the media you
consume.
• Identify the influencers.
• Know the keywords and trends.
• Set goals and measure them.

24. Engaging Your Readership is Your Most Important Goal.

25. Step #6: Choose the Medium that Suits Your Learning Style as Your Home Base
Video/Live Streaming
Radio/Podcasting
Blogging/Forums

26. Broad Application-centric Approach
Expertise Leadership Writer’s Life Fun
Creativity Melissa’s
Melissa’s Social She Writes
Matters Now Radio Coaching Studio
Studio Blog Blog
Blog Blog
LinkedIn Slideshare Twitter Facebook Twitter Twitter Facebook
Facebook
Professional
Groups
Twitter

27. Your Content is Dynamic
in the Virtual World.
• What is a statement of fact?
• What is a provocative statistic?
• What is an interesting question?
• What question do you want to
ask?
• What is a powerful quote?
• What is a milestone date?
• What is an informative resource
that readers will find useful?

28. “I Don’t Want to Be at the Computer All Day!”

29. Social Is Mobile. My Site on Mobile Phone

30. Step #7:
Managing Time
• Start Slow
• Practice listening before you craft
your strategy
• Set measurement goals
• Be consistent
• Learn how to source content
• Use an editorial calendar
• Pre-schedule posts/tweets
• Unplug one day each week

31. Bonus Materials to Help You!

32. Tip #1--Watch
When I need to learn how to use a social media • YouTube
application, my first stop is always YouTube. I type
the application name into the search box. YouTube
generates a list of all the tutorials associated with • Dailymotion
the application. For example, when you search for
LinkedIn, you will find dozens of tutorials, one for
each feature of the program. In fact, LinkedIn has • Metacafe
its own official channel on YouTube. Once on the
channel, click on the playlist to find the user tips. • Vimeo
Do this for any application.
• video.yahoo.com
Each application listed on the right is hot linked.
You can click on each one to check out the sites
best suited for your interests and goals. • bing.com/videos
• video.aol.com

33. Tip #2-- Listen to professional perspectives
There are hundreds of websites related to social media
• BookExpoCast.com
applications.
Without context, I find it impossible to make sense of
anything. That’s why I like to listen to industry • Social Media Examiner
professionals talk about why they pick certain
applications over others in order to pursue specific
• Media Bistro TV
opportunities.
On the right, I provide a list of several excellent sites. • BeyondtheBookCast
These examples relate to the publishing industry. To
find examples appropriate for your industry, I suggest
that you start with the key trade associations. Today,
almost all of them have videos of industry thought
leaders.

34. Tip #3--Listen by engaging in conversations
• Technorati
Social media applications allow you a level of deep listening that
goes beyond what you learn in a controlled focus group. People
search for trusted sources, where they can exchange
information and comments about what is most important to • Alltop
them. This could be anything from a great travel deal to an
inspirational story of personal triumph.
Your challenge is to find your target audience and to start • Blogsearch.google.com
engaging with them by commenting on blogs, sharing media of
mutual interest, and asking genuine questions (not sales pitches
disguised as questions).
• Searchtwitter.com
The applications listed here allow you to search by keywords.
Two of my favorites are Alltop and Socialmention. Alltop
allows you to create your own “magazine” from the most
• Socialmention.com
relevant and popular sources. Socialmention provides very
helpful analytics to deepen your understanding of key topics.
• Bing.com/social

35. Tip #4--Read
• Launch: How to Quickly Propel Your
Business Beyond the Competition by
Books galore address “how to” become a social media Michael Stelzner
superstar. It is my experience that the people who really are
the superstars are the most humble, generous, and honest
about the work and discipline involved in achieving goals. • The New Rules of Marketing & PR, 3/e by
David Meerman Scott
You need experts who are good filters of information. For
me, I start with the Social Media Examiner published by
Michael Stelzner. This free online news source is my “living” • Guerrilla Social Media Marketing: 100+
social media textbook because it covers all of the major Weapons to Grow Your Online Influence,
applications in short, crisp articles written by the best Attract Customers, and Drive Profits by
practioners in their respective fields. Jay Conrad Levinson and Sharon Gibson
The other titles listed here are my most trusted sources for
my own work and when I consult with clients. • Problogger: How to Blog Your Way to a
If you are new to social media marketing, I suggest you start Six-Figure Income, 2/e by Darren Rowse
and Chris Garrett
with Launch by Michael Stelzner and The New
Relationship Marketing by Mari Smith. Read together,
these books provide an awesome foundation for your
• The New Relationship Marketing by Mari
business.
Smith

36. Tip #5--Establish a Home Base
The point of social media is to make meaningful connections. Your daily •LinkedIn
commitment is to invest time in both listening and engaging with others.
Many people resist or resent using social media tools because they say it
takes time away from their business. Like anything else, if you bring • Slideshare
resistance or resentment to your work, the results will be steeped in
resistance and resentment.
I find it is helpful to choose one application as the “home base.” Then, I • Blog
choose a few other applications that complement and amplify my base.
For example, my home base is LinkedIn. My objective is to build my
business through networking with other professionals. • Twitter
In my business plan, something every small business owner should have
as a guide, I’ve committed to LinkedIn in 2012. When I revise/update my • Creativity Matters
plan at the end of the first quarter (March 31, 2012), I may adjust my Now! Radio
strategy. The point is that you need a firm, measurable commitment.
In your case, you might choose to make your blog your home base or • Website
Twitter. That’s fine. The key to success is consistency with the tool you
choose. Remember, the goal is to listen to others and to create content
for them, not you. • LinkedIn Groups
• Meetup

37. Tip #6--Measure Results
There is nothing more discouraging than the feeling • Cotweet
no one connects with your message. Many marketers
jump into “my product/service is still not good
enough” mode. The reality is that your product or • Hootsuite
service is probably not the problem.
The problem is managing your expectations. • Google Analytics
First, what is the customer behavior you want to • Klout
drive?
Then, what specifics do you want to measure?
These tools, for example, put you in control.

38. Summary
• Social Media are the applications we use to communicate online.
• Social Networking is our communication behavior online.
• Like any new skill, there is a learning curve to social media/social networking.
• Social Networking is about good listening skills.
• Choose the medium that suits your learning style.
• Determine how you want to manage your time.
• Unplug one day each week.

39. Quiz: Winner Gets a Melissa’s
Coaching Studio 4G Thumb Drive
• What are the four actions
common among all social
media applications?
• What is the biggest mistake
writers make in their marketing
strategies?
• As a writer, what is your most
important goal?
• For writers, what is the central
message of Spiderman?
• Which actor played Uncle Ben?

40. About Melissa A. Rosati, CPCC
Melissa A. Rosati, CPCC, is a certified professional co-active coach (CPCC). She is the owner and CEO of Melissa’s
Coaching Studio and Melissa’s Social Media Studio, LLC.
Melissa’s clients are writers, artists, creative professionals, and social entrepreneurs. With a keen interest in creativity and
digital issues, Melissa develops coaching programs to help people enrich their strategies and skills. Her services include
executive coaching, team coaching, and staff training for organizations. As appropriate for the needs of an organization or
individual client, Melissa formulates social networking/marketing strategies and facilitates hands-on training.
A former publishing executive, Melissa brings a solid background in editorial, marketing, and publicity to her coaching and
consulting clients. Her professional experience, with publishers such as McGraw-Hill International (UK), Routledge, and
HarperCollins College, is in strategic planning, reorganization, partnerships, content acquisition, online products, contract
negotiation, staff training and development, and publishing in international markets.
Melissa co-leads the U.S. - China Publishing Dialogues at Pace University, where she co-facilitates executive training
for publishers throughout China. As an adjunct professor of publishing, she teaches in the Master of Science in
Publishing program. Her courses include General Interest Books (trade publishing), Book Sales & Distribution
Methods, Principles of Marketing, and Principles of Publishing.
She is also a co-founder of Writers, Readers, and Publishers: Present Tense, Future Bold, a thought-leadership group
about the role of publishing in our culture and society, which meets monthly at the Princeton Club in NYC.
Melissa earned her coaching certification from the Coaches Training Institute, San Rafael, CA. She is a member of the
Creativity Coaching Association and the International Coaching Federation. She also serves her community as an
Ambassador for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
Melissa joined All Souls Unitarian Church in June 2004. She is a member of the Caring Team and the All Souls Writers’
Group.