I don’t mind when you’re working on your writing. But when you’re Twittering or emailing, sometimes that bothers me.
These words came from my husband a couple months ago. A husband who is ridiculously supportive and excited about my writing career. A husband who would do the laundry, shop for groceries, and cook dinner all so I could have some extra time to write.
But when he came upstairs and I was busy getting my Tweet on, that bothered him.
You see, two months ago, writing to him, meant…..well, writing. Pounding out the words on my latest manuscript or marking up the pages in red pen.
Writing did not mean replying to people’s status updates.
And if I’m being honest, spending the precious little time I did have on social media always left me feeling guilty.
Until I met Kristen Lamb. Well….I didn’t actually meet her. I read her stuff. And she said, “If we are just goofing off and sending people farm animals, then yes, we are goofing off. But if we are blogging and spending time on Twitter and FB networking with other writers, published authors and people in the publishing industry, that is called marketing.”
So is it really marketing?
“This is part of being an author…..this is part of being an author….this is part of being an author….” Repeat until you start to believe it.
Second, carve out time.
We carve out time to write, right? Why not do the same for social media? It doesn’t have to be a huge time block, or even a medium-sized time block. But we should make purposeful time for it. We should make it a habit. And maybe, by giving social media its own slot, we will be less inclined to let it bleed into our writing time.
Third, write goals.
Twitter goals, blogging goals, FB goals, and any other type of social media goals. What do you hope to accomplish through each of these? How will you measure success? There’s not a right or a wrong answer to these, but how you answer them should affect how you use social media.
Fourth, strategize.
What steps can you take each day to accomplish these goals?
Fifth, observe, copy, but be yourself.
Look at authors who use social media effectively. See what they do that works and copy them. Only make sure you’re being you. Copy their methods, not their personality.
Sixth, read Kristen Lamb’s book
Are You There Blog? It’s Me, Writer. Truly, if you want to laugh out loud while learning how to take full advantage of social media and create a killer plan for yourself, then there is no substitute for reading Kristen’s book. I finished it in two days and I can’t even tell you how much I learned.
Let’s Talk: How intentional are you when it comes to social media? Any tips you want to share? Do your loved ones have a hard time understanding why you need to spend time Tweeting?
I try to make sure I get on Twitter 2-3 times per day. Some days, I get caught up with stuff on the home front and one go on once. I'm trying to make a more consistent plan. There's still so much of this that's new to me. I think I'm learning pretty fast though.
Thanks, Katie. I've Bookmarked this page to check out later. The whole Twitter-thing still has me stymied. But, little-by-little, I'll get it figured out! (I need to read Kristen's book, FOR SURE!!
That book sounds very interesting! Social media is so tough for me because it involves such big chunks of time, so thanks for sharing this post. I'm definitely bookmarking. =)
Timely post as I'm trying to be more intentional after a blogging/social media hiatus and let me tell you it's hard to break back in. But I have a plan…social media in the morning to warm up before I sit down to write, visit, comment, learn and pray for divine connections! As a soon to be published author I constantly wrestle with the numbers thing, but as long as I'm reaching those God wants me to, it's worth the effort!
Great post! I had just realized I needed something to help me with the social media aspects of my career. I was spending way too much time doing things other than writing. This is great advice and I'm on my way to making a plan. 🙂
Thanks for the post. As an avid reader of the posts and books that Kristen Lamb has out, this is something that I focus on everyday. Thanks for proving yet again, that we are not alone. 🙂
Great post!
I thank God pretty much every day that he gave me a husband who works, lives, and breathes social media.
When we first got married, he was "just a computer guy" and I was a teacher/wanna-be writer. Who knew that 13 years later, I'd be writing real books and he'd be my marketing/social media guru?
I really needed to hear this today. Thanks for a great post!!
-Ellie
Consistency is the key. It's what separates those who succeed from those who dabble.
Great blog, and congratulations for seeing the truth in Kristen's writing. I've been with her since she was a complete unknown, and what the principles she enunciates have done for her are amazing.
Yeah, I need to do this. Life has been overwhelming lately with all the changes (good ones!) and I've had to let social media take a back seat. I'm not saying that was best, just that it was what I did. I was easy on myself about it.
Now I have to figure out how blogging and Social Media in general fit into my new life. Especially when it looks like my first book is now at least 3 years in the future.
I'm getting some more education which will benefit my platform, but it isn't being done online.
Blogger just ate my long reply, so I'll give you the shorter version:
My hubby doesn't get social media either (and he didn't get me wanting to be a writer in the first place). He'll come around when I get a huge publishing contract (a girl can dream!) and until then I'll plug away without him like I have been. At least with Twitter/FB/blogs I have a community who WILL support me even when he doesn't get it 🙂
Hi everybody! So glad this post was helpful. Seriously, if you are at all struggling with social media. Get thee to Amazon and buy her book! I can't tell you how much I learned.
THANK YOU for such an awesome post. It is so true. Many writers are already on social media, but they don't view it as part of their career. That is like trying to walk 20 dogs all going different directions. BUT, make a plan and exercise a little discipline and now you have a sled team capable of pulling you for hundreds of miles.
I hope hubby has a different perspective about your tweeting now :D. I am So HAPPY you are enjoying the book, and wonderful to see you on #MyWANA. Love being able to support your success.
I'm printing this post and putting it on my hubby's pillow–with a chocolate to make it go down easy! HA!
Excellent post that I can relate to. I love social media. I try to be intentional without it coming across that way. Well, poo, now it's out! 🙂
Something you said really hit the nail on the head for me: give social media it's own time slot so it doesn't carve out our writing time. I've been lumping these together and wow, it's easy for social media to overtake regular uninterrupted writing time. Thanks for the idea.
Fantastic post, Katie! I totally understand your point about feeling guilty for the time we spend on social media, and we have to change our mindset that it's not a waste of that time. I don't have Kristen's book yet (although I am a faithful blog reader so I know immensely helpful she is), but it sounds like a must read. My biggest problem is finding the time to do everything that I have/need to do – working a full time job (that pesky issue of paying the mortgage and putting food on the table), working on my WIP and still finding time to tweet, blog and comment on other blogs (thus me finally getting here two days late!). Honestly, there needs to be two of me, but I'm sure most of us feel the same way. 😉 Thank you for the strategy tips to hopefully make finding time for social media more manageable.
Hmmmm….Can I be both winging it and intentional at the same time? *grin*
I don't like strategy. It feels stifling and boring, but when I get some grumpiness from another certain person about my blogging, I always say I'm networking and marketing. LOL
I love your blog, Katie. It is always informative, different and relevant. I'll be back 😉
I must confess Im off and on with all the blogging, facebooking stuff. I totally gave up on Twitter – I just dont get it and I had lots of spam trouble. I know it's important and I wont give up on it but sometimes it's a burden. I think I may need an attitude adjustment about the whole thing! Good post.
Hello, Katie!
And who says marketing is pointless? I just jumped over here from Janet's sidebar tweet on the Books and Such blog!
So many things you said here struck home. I, too, have an incredibly supportive husband, and I'm so thankful! About facebook…I love that folks jump over to my blog from seeing something on my "status." Like you, too, buying and selling "farm animals" and playing the games,not so much. Writing's my priority.
I need to create an author page on FB, and that's a new thing I'll have to learn. Tweeting? Still need to learn that, as well. I love to network, learn, and make friends and I found your post so uplifting today! Thanks for making me think!
Katie, I think networking is second nature to you because you do it effortlessly. And yes, my entire family gets annoyed when I'm on my laptop. No matter how much I explain the whole I'm-my-best-marketer concept, it doesn't really make a difference. At least I know they love me and want to be with me, right? 🙂
I set small daily goals with social media, and if I can't meet them because it took me twice as long to get my word count in, I don't stress. That's life, you know?
Great post, Katie! I appreciate Kristen a great deal, she offers valuable insight into the marketing monsters. I've found her points make navigating the rippling tides easier, and life saving.
I need to get my hands on that book:)
My prayer is to find that strategy that will weave my time and talents. Still searching…
Super points! I am going to re-read this further down the road to make sure I'm utilizing my time in all areas.
Marketing intimidates me but I think that has helped me with social media. I've only started what I know I can keep up with and done it with the intention of connecting with other writers or readers. When I get further along on this writing journey, I plan on doing more and it's good to know what works for me and what's going to be a challenge 🙂
Recently I've tried to get on the computer as early as I can get up to check emails and try and visit a couple of blogs before the day with the kids starts. I have Thursdays child-free so I save longer jobs for then, like beta reading/reading Kristen's awesome book! and the next stage of writing. I find it all a constant juggle with mixed support.
I just took a class Kristen led and bought her book – she's great, right?
My husband thinks the same way yours does and now, I'm armed with a defense!
I'm not very social, but I engage w/ social media because I want a writing career. So I was w/ you until you said to use social media intelligently! I have the social IQ of a rhesus monkey and, really, I lack the rhesus factor, too (being Rh-). And by comparison, the rhesus monkey is much more adaptable than I am, able to exist in a wide range of environments. See what I mean? I think I should shut up now . . .! 😉
I was just talking about this last night. (I often do.) I feel guilty when I do, guilty when I don't. I think, like you, I need to schedule it and give myself concrete goals rather than hopping onto blogger for a stretch of indefinite time, wandering aimlessly around until the dinner bell sounds and writing time (or family time) has long since flown out the window.
Or, conversely, NOT doing it at all for days at a time and expecting my relational progress to be picked up right where I left off.
Balance is key and I'm still looking for it, but you are on the right track. Oh- and I love Kristen and her blog! =)
I'm working on being more intentional when it comes to social media. I see it as an integral part of my writing life. Thankfully my incredibly supportive hubby understands this. In fact, I've encouraged him to reach out. He's on Facebook now and is enjoying it. He's even asked my help in setting up a blog this summer so he can interact with his high school students next year, keeping them abreast of assignments and such.
I carve out time during the day to tweet and blog, but I don't let it get in the way of my writing. As far as I know no one cares if I'm blogging or tweeting or writing, so I don't have to explain myself on those days when I'm goofing off, heehee. Phew! 😉
Great post, Katie. I recently took Kristen's online workshop and I definitely recommend it for anyone looking to give purpose to their "media socializing".
My personal goals pretty much mirror what Laura said above –
"to be myself, support other writers and authors and make friends."
At the moment, as an unpublished author, I still have the luxury of using my time online to build connections while doing those things Laura mentioned, but I am looking ahead and starting to plan.
For me, at this point – an important part of the planning is how I want to present myself online. There are so many things to consider – how to appear professional yet still be friendly and have fun, how to state opinions without offending a potential audience, how to share your life but still maintain privacy, etc.
Thanks for starting this discussion today.
Yes, a plan we all need a plan!!! 😉 It's interesting to see how social media relates to sales. I'll be honest not a lot of people from social media are going to buy, read, review your books forever. Probably the first then after that you really count on the real readers who you were trying to reach in the first place.
Great, great post! SO relevant and something I'm dealing with right now–trying to figure out this twitter thing and marketing. I'll have to check out Karen Lamb's book, thanks!
Not very intentional right now. When I was trying to build my blog last year, I created a facebook fan page and twitter account and got serious about using both for networking. It did work. After a while, it got to be too much… trying to write, tweeting, re-tweeting, coming up with interactive facebook status updates, etc…
I will say that it really worked! My numbers grew fairly quickly (then I backed off, and they haven't grown much since).
Mary DeMuth seems to do social media really well. Her status updates are a good mix of personal/professional and funny/serious. I feel like I get to know her better, not that she's bombarding me with useless info.
I'll check out the book!
My husband cracks jokes. I let him. Those jokes change as he sees the connections I'm making. I think he's slowly getting it. I shouldn't jinx it. 😉
I plan. I set goals. I plug into social sites a certain amount of time but I took the day off yesterday. It felt good. Needed. Sometimes I think I can get too sucked in to all that and lose a little perspective. Once again, it all comes back to balance.
~ Wendy
I've had a similar conversation myself recently. Social media can take up huge amounts of your time, but with so much marketing pressure on authors it's something we have to do.
I try to schedule my marketing time. I have slices of time in the mornings and afternoons to check email and Twitter, time for blogs (and blogging, which takes up SO much of my time even though I love it), and time for writing itself.
It's hard to log off when I hit my end time (which right now is in a few minutes, better type fast) but if I don't, I find I've lost hours and didn't get any writing done.
It's hard to balance, but I think every writer goes through it and has to find their own process, just like writing. Do the marketing that works for you and don't try to do it all. It's a full time job in itself.
My hubby calls me "computerina" so yes, he notices I'm on social networks a lot. LOL
But I try to do it so it never affects family time. But yeah, it's a fact, as writers/authors it's part of the writing process now. I set certain times (early morning or afternoon before dinner when kiddo is out playing and not every day.)
Love the new picture! I carve out time in the morning and tweet deck is running. My goal is to be myself, support other writers and authors and make friends. I don't have a specific marketing goal. I'd rather strengthen the relationships I have and have a strong "tribe" than have it be all about the numbers.