Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Book Marketing Twitter Toolkit



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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