Online marketing takes TIME, plenty of time. The struggle is to balance between social media and writing.

Writers must write but it is all in vain of you have no audience.

Social media has changed the face of communication. Everyone from your mailman to your grandma has a Facebook account, if not an Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter account.

Active, consistent engagement is key, along with relevant fresh content.

If this is overwhelming – know that you are not alone.

THERE ARE OPTIONS:

  1. Hire a shout out.Find someone to manage your email and Twitter and any other of your online spaces. But remember that they will not do the same job that you will.  Personally, connecting with your audience is key.
  2. Protest and procrastinate.This will do no good. The era of social media is not going away.
  3. Master and manage.Dig in and learn the tricks and tools you need to build a killer presence on social media.

Social media and online tools are the means and opportunity to directly connect with fans in ways we never could have done before. Yes, it is a struggle, but it is also a gift. Social media is a tool for direct connection.

Ready to get started writing and need a helping hand? click this link

Hire a shout out.

While I think it’s worth your time to learn at least the basics of a few social media networks, you can hire someone to do this work for you. Only you can write your novel. Anyone could write a tweet from you or create a Facebook post linking to your blog. But is it done the way you would have written it? Probably not!

Virtual assistants await your call, to provide affordable help and can complete a number of tasks, from creating blog posts or email newsletter content to posting on various social media sites. Some of them can even create images for your blog posts or social shares.

They already utilize the different platforms and know the ins and outs of each. You can also check their own social accounts to see what kind of work they do.

Hiring someone to do the work that doesn’t have to involve you specifically and can be a great way to work on your platform without detracting from your most important work. However, even though someone else is doing the work, it does not hurt to learn about the platforms yourself or interacting personally on at least one platform to establish a deeper relationship with your fans.

Protest and procrastinate

Creative people often just want it to write great things.  But realize that while you are wasting time complaining about the world of social platforms, you could be utilizing social media. You could be creating lasting connections with your fans who will support your writing.

Master and manage

If you want to manage the platform-building aspect yourself, find a way to do so that doesn’t eat up all of your writing time. This may take a little time at the beginning to get to know the platforms and set some systems in place. Once you have your strategy in place, it will become easier and more comfortable. The more your audience interacts (with likes, comments and shares), the more the algorithm gets you in their news feed.

Choose Your Platforms

Pick one or two main platforms. It is unrealistic to think that you can master every social avenue. Social media experts pick one platform ‘as their focus’ and use others minimally.

To choose the platforms, you need to get to know them, by having an informed understanding of the benefits each has to offer, where your particular people hang out, and what you like. Consider these three questions that will help you navigate these waters.

  • Where does your audience spend their time? Social media is so widespread that your audience is probably on multiple social media platforms. Research to see who hangs out where.
  • What do you love to use? The nice thing about everyone mostly being everywhere is that it means if you fall in love with Instagram, with 500 million active monthly users, some of your target people are very likely there. Readers love a look behind the curtain at their favorite writer’s life. Don’t be shy. Write about things you like. Start with the platforms you know and love, and use them as a writer.
  • What does each platform offer? Research each platform and find the one that’s the right fit for you.

“Linda has published sixteen books. She blogs about the publishing world, posts useful tips on the challenges a writer faces, including marketing and promoting your work, how to build your online platform, how to get reviews and how to self-publish.”