Wednesday, February 7, 2018

SOCIAL MEDIA: HELP FOR THE INTROVERT BY ROBIN LOVETT


This week members of RWA/NYC will be discussing 
Social Media and sharing their tips.  




HELP FOR THE INTROVERT ON SOCIAL MEDIA
by Robin Lovett


For some writers, social media is something they enjoy. It jives with their personality, a desire to be social, to share their ideas with the world and talk about their books on a public forum. For others, it's a struggle with the introverted desire to remain private, to observe but not interact, and to stick to writing rather than talking about our books to total strangers. 

Many of us fall into both categories, depending on the day of the week and what's going on in our lives. But the fact of our professional publishing world, from every corner we hear: we have to do social media if we want to sell books. 

So for those days when the introverted side of you is screaming, DON'T MAKE ME DO IT, here are some suggestions. 

1) Think Small – One of the overwhelming things about social media can be the sheer number of people who could potentially see you posts. A writer friend, C. L. Polk reminded me that her strategy is remembering that there is so much chatter on social media, the reality for most of us is that relatively few people will see what we post. Think about posting to those select few and it can be less overwhelming.

2) It doesn't have to be PERFECT – Adding to number one, there is so much noise on social media, one post will not make or break you. Not everything you put out has to be witty and earth moving. Talk regular speak. Be real and don't over think it. People just want to hear what's going on in your life, even if it's just how badly you needed your last cup of coffee. Be relatable.

3) Talk to Your Friends – The best way to feel comfortable online is to have a tribe of friends you regularly interact with. On the days when posting anything feels like torture, think of something you'd want your friends to know you're up to. Or, don't talk about yourself at all that day. Comment on other people's posts and post about one of their books. 

4) Look Through Your Photos – Many of us take a lot of photos we never get around to posting. I got this tip from Alexis Daria. Scroll through what pics you've taken and pull out something amusing, cute, normal, or a previous memory. Photos in posts generally get the most interaction and very likely someone will enjoy it.

5) People Expect You to Talk About Your Books – This is courtesy of Kimberly Bell.  You've been upfront with your account in your bio. People who follow you know you're a writer, it's ok to pimp your book every week. (This is the hardest one for me.) Reminding people about your latest series, or your past work, or upcoming releases is expected of you. There's nothing wrong with talking about your books. 

6) Try the Twitter chat for romance writers #RWChat – This is a shameless plug for the chat I help out with that's run by Kimberly Bell, C. L. Polk and Alexis Daria. Every Sunday evening we get together on Twitter and talk romance with dozens of other romance writers. Answering the questions creates content for your Twitter account, helps with exposure and making friends. It gains you followers and impressions. Best of all, you learn by observing how to do social media from some very awesome romance writers with experience. 

Even when the introverted urge has got you wrapped up and is keeping you blocked on what to post on social media, there are things you can do. Be nice to yourself. Posting everyday is hard. Pressure to do it can often make the avoidance desire worse. Do it gently and don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it.♥


Robin Lovett writes romance to avoid the more unsavory things in life, like day jobs and housework. She's written a series of dark suspense romances for SMP Swerve and has an upcoming sci-fi erotic series with Entangled Publishing. She's represented by Rachel Brooks at BookEnds Literary Agency and can be reached on Twitter @LovettRomance or at RobinLovett.com.

READ ROMANCE!



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