Promoting Books With Twitter For Authors & Publishers
Twitter presents a unique social media platform. It is known
for providing the latest information - -to the second – with its short, instantaneous
updates on breaking news in 140 or fewer characters. For authors/publishers, Twitter is
invaluable, and connects to everything that you are doing to promote and market
your book.
Twitter is one of the fastest-growing sites. It allows for
people to connect to each other 24/7, globally. To get started, you just need
to sign up for an account. . Simply sign
up for an account registered under a name that includes your full name
(primarily if you have multiple books) and/or your name and your book title (if
you’re looking to solely promote one title). You can register for an account at
http://www.twitter.com.
Next, you will want to create your user profile or bio. Be
sure to throw in relevant keywords in the copy. Add a photo - -do not leave
this blank. Use a photo that is
professional and shows your face, but not your full body.
Your first step will be to look and learn. Watch what others
are saying and doing. Observe before diving in. Next, you should “follow” news
outlets and publications that are in your genre or related to your subject
matter. It is okay to follow hundreds or thousands of people. There is no
limit. People want to see that you are
active. Next, consider following media outlets, publishers, authors, and those
in your genre as well as the field or industry you write about. Twitter is all about creating a network to
follow who might follow or promote you in return. You can always drop some of
the people that you are following if you feel it is not a beneficial
relationship.
Here are some helpful pointers for you:
Handle
Your
username, such as @theprexpert is the same as a “handle.”
The
140-character limit can be challenging. To shorten your post, consider this:
Use shorter words in place of
longer ones:
i.e. - brokered = sold
Manufactured
= made
Exhilaration
= joy
Use letters, instead of words:
i.e.- you = u
see
= c
Use abbreviations, no periods
afterward:
i.e.- Yesterday = yest
Sunday
= Sun
Use numbers numerically, not
spelled out:
i.e. - Four = 4
Twelve
= 12
Use netspeak instead of words:
i.e.- lauging
my ass off= LMAO
Don’t always punctuate:
i.e- The Red Sox won, 6-2, yesterday. = Bosox won 6-2 yest
Write like a newspaper headline
and skip words:
i.e. - Justice Department Rules in Favor of
Amazon Over Publishers
=
Justice Dept. Favors Amazon
=
Amazon Beats Publishers
=
Gov’t Rules 4 Amazon Over Pubs
Get rid of words like the:
i.e. - The door closed on my bag, = Door closed on my bag
Substitute words with symbols:
i.e. - and = &
Number
= #
Star
= *
Use phonetics or misspellings:
i.e. - dumb = dum
Great
= gr8
Delayed
= dlaid
Shorten links that you tweet:
Promote your Twitter name on
everything:
·
In
your e-mail signature
·
On
your website
·
On
press releases
·
On
your business card
·
Tell
your friends, family, and network of acquaintances
·
On
other social media sites, such as Facebook
·
In
your blog posts
·
In
your bio and social media profiles
You can
add a Twitter button to your sites by going to: http://twitter,cin/about/resources.tweetbutton
Frequency
Four to
eight tweets a day could do just fine- Never send out tweets too close to each
other- maybe leave an hour in between tweets.
Bio
Put your
photos here and write a 160-character bio that best represents you in the way
you want to be seen. If you’re on Twitter to promote a business book, don’t
waste characters discussing dogs, kids, baseball, movies, etc. You must use
keywords that draw attention, such as business, wealth, industry, finance, - or
other buzz words that are associated with your area of expertise.
Trends
Twitter
tracks words, topics, and phrases that are being used in a high volume at any
given time. They are constantly updated. Trends follow hashtags, such as
#Hollywood and un-tagged phrases, such as Hollywood. Trends can be seen on
Twitter by location, topic, and other modes of selection. It’s good to get a
sense of what’s being discussed and maybe finding a way to tie your message to
the trending topics.
Direct Message
Most
tweets are public but you can send a private message- a DM – to people who
follow you, one by one.
Etiquette
·
Be
tasteful and try not to self-promote incessantly.
·
Engage
others with a dialogue and interact with them.
·
Respond
to questions and direct messages that are sent to you.
·
Don’t
use Twitter to state unsubstantiated allegations, spread rumors, curse at
someone, or spread lies.
Mention Twitter Handles
Just as
you use hashtags in hope of getting those who care about that subject to
discover you, mention a twitter handle or two in a post. For instance, maybe
you talk about something you say on TV and then end with @CNN.
Track Conversations
Too see
what’s happening, go to http://search.twitter.com and search for certain topics,
people, events, or words.
Enhance Your Tweets
Tweet
photos, videos, and news with sites like yfrog.com and twitpic.com
Follow People
You can
follow an unlimited number of people. It’s the easiest way to get others to
follow you. Look for people who follow people you’d like following you. For
instance, go see who follows Entertainment Weekly if your book has to do with
entertainment, celebrities, and Hollywood.
Tweet With a Focus
You
shouldn’t tweet about personal and professional matters. Choose one area. If
need be, have two-twitter handles- one discusses what you just ate and the
other to discuss your book, your industry, and more important matters. Be relevant
and consistent in your voice and approach. Just as a job resume wouldn’t list
the women you date, the TV shows you watch, or where you just vacationed, don’t
make that stuff in with tweets about things that matter to your professional
field.
For more strategies
on tweeting to market your book, please consult these 33 tips:
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Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions,
and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer,
Media Connect, the nation’s largest book promoter. You can follow him on
Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the
third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog © 2013
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