A Quick Reference Guide for Authors

DON’T:

…tag recently added friends or followers you just met unless they’ve given you permission or asked you to do so. People come to social media for lots of reasons and those reasons are rarely (if ever) to buy something.

DO:

…ask before tagging anyone in a post. Unless you’ve developed a repertoire with the friend in question, ask first. People are a bit more willing to accept and even appreciate cute, funny, or inspirational posts you’ve tagged them in. But if you’re boosting a promotional post on social media, there’s a good chance they won’t want their names tossed into some random pot. Ask yourself, first, if they benefit from you tagging them or if you benefit from it. If you benefit, ask first. Even if you truly believe that promotional post you’re tagging them in is something they may find interesting or useful, it’s still best to ask.

DON’T:

…sell to your friends and family or people “on the level” with you. Those three authors you had a writing workshop with? They are your allies and confidantes, not your customers. Yes, you can ask for help. Yes, you can share your news with your friends and families. Yes, you can post on your own timeline when you’ve got an update (a new book you’ve published, an open slot in next month’s schedule, a sale you’re having). No, you should not use social media to shove your product or service down anyone’s throat. Keep your promotional posts to a minimum unless your page clearly states it’s marketing page of some sort. But I see a lot of authors using their personal pages like it’s the next Bookbub Newsletter. It’s not. Slow ya roll.

DO:

…write your market copy to your target audience. (Scroll down to “definitions” for more on market copy and target audience.) Those two terms are necessary components of your education if you intend to use social media in your marketing plan. I learned the hard way that I couldn’t just write my market copy to people who know me thinking that it would have the desired effect on people who don’t know me. What I ended up with were ads that sounded like I was pitching my work to my friends and family. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a wonderful feeling when someone you know buys your work and appreciates it. But friends and family aren’t your target audience. If they buy your service or product, that’s great. But don’t expect that. Nobody owes you anything. But there are people in this world who would benefit from what you have to offer. More on that in a second…

DON’T:

…make a grab for every single follower and newsletter subscriber you can possibly get your hands on. That initial boost to your numbers will feel great, but when the frustration of no further interest in your work whatsoever beyond that initial sign up kicks in, you’ll regret this. It’ll feel like you did all this social media marketing for nothing. And it’s because you’re chasing down dozens, hundreds, thousands of people who love chocolate ice cream but you’re trying to sell them orange sherbet. Orange sherbet is great, but you’re not selling it to someone who wants chocolate ice cream.

DO:

…ask yourself what you have to offer, and who benefits from what you have to offer. Be honest with yourself. Seek out and connect with those people to whom you can offer something of value. Yes, you do have something of value. I firmly believe that every author has an audience. Finding that audience is the hard part.

DON’T:

…and I repeat DO NOT send new followers auto-DMs (DM=direct message). The majority of us ignore them, best case scenario, and block/report you for sending them, worst case scenario. And auto-DM is a big red flag that you’re either a newbie or too blind to how the majority of social media users see auto-DMs to know you’re turning off potential buyers. Maybe you’ll net a few, but I can almost guarantee you’ll lose more interest with auto-DMs than you’ll ever gain.

DO:

…find common grounds and interact with folks in a way they’re obviously comfortable with; provided, of course, you’re also comfortable there. Some people spend a good bit of their social media time in Facebook groups. If you’re one of those, find your tribe there.

DON’T:

…assume that a professional in any industry will provide their services to you for free. I know this one’s tricky, especially if you have no experience in the industry because you’re not sure what’s okay to ask off-hand and what’s more of an assessment that goes beyond just a “quick question.”

DO:

…ask your questions, but make it clear that you don’t expect free work. Approach everyone with respect and you can expect the same in return.

DON’T:

…get discouraged if you break one of the unspoken social media rules of etiquette. It happens to the best of us. Some lessons we are fortunate enough to learn from someone else’s mistake. Sometimes, we’re the cautionary tale.

DO:

…apologize if you’ve crossed some line you didn’t know existed. We all make mistakes. It’ll pass and you’ll have learned from it. Apologize, do what you can to make it right, make a plan of action (even if it’s only in your mind) to avoid repeating the same mistake in the future, and move on.

Definitions:

market copy: any written material used for marketing purposes, including but not limited to, content for Facebook, Twitter, Google, Amazon, Bookbub ads, back cover blurbs, the description of your book at various retailers like Amazon KDP, Smashwords, Nook Press, etc., a short biography, a long biography, and any other information that may be pertinent to a press release.

target audience: your ideal customer, client, patient, student, etc. Whatever you’re selling, be it products or services, there are people who simply aren’t interested. Your target audience is comprised of folks who are interested in what you’re selling.