My Twitter Strategy by Leanne Dyck

This post was inspired by Annie Neugebauer's article The Great Twitter Debate:  Should You Follow Back?

(rock art by Byron Dyck)

When I joined Twitter, I followed everyone who followed me. I thought I was obligated. If Twitter suggested that I follow someone, I did. If someone followed me, I followed them. Automatically. Without question.

Until a fellow author helped me to see the error of my ways. She explained that Twitter's suggestions are based on who I follow. If I’m following every Tom, Dick, and Harriett, there won't be any rhyme or reason for the Twitter suggestions. If, however, I’m more selective in who I follow, Twitter will be more selective with their suggestions. For example, I'm interested in building my author career. So I'm interested in following authors, publishers, and literary agents who are interested in the genres I write.

By using strategy, I've uncovered new venues to send my writing and I've found inspiring authors to follow.

(planted by Leanne Dyck)

More...

Engagement is a better metric of success on social media than sheer number of followers. How much of your contest is being shared and read?

Twitter strategies need to focus on building your brand, which requires you to look at each aspect of your interactions on Twitter as a brand-building activity.

 Jayson DeMers 

Here are Kevan Lee's 14 Twitter tips 

Next Monday:  What I learnt form a panel discussion on writing for children.

Sharing my author journey...

Social-networking Q and A by Leanne Dyck

...or how to share your creations with the world...

Question:  There are so many ways to be connected over the Web. It boggles the mind. Do I have to use them all?
Answers:  No, pick a few that work for you and that you like to use.
I blog and promote my posts through Twitter, Linked In, and Facebook.


Question:  How do I know it's working?
Answer:  Statics. For example, since October 10, 2010, this blog has received over 680,000 page views. For me, my combination of blogging and Twitter, Linked In, and Facebook.

Question:  Are there other ways to determine if social networking is working?
Answer:  Yes, absolutely, but page views is what I'm focusing on right now.

Question:  How does this blogging work? I set up my blog a few months before my book is published. Blog 'buy-my-book, buy-my-book' like crazy. Then a few months later stop.
Answer:  Hmm, no. I blog on a regular basis over an extended period of time. Offer quality posts. Build a community with your readers and with your fellow authors.

Question:  But I hate to blog because it takes so much time away from my writing.
Answer:  I use blogging as a means of sharpening my writing skills.

Question:  How has your blogging changed over the seven years?
Answer:  I created my first blog--Designer's Note--in 2005 as a way to attract surfers to my knitwear design website. I continued to blog as a way of being accountable for writing daily. Now I blog to promote my creations and to celebrate your creativity.
To summarize, in the beginning, I thought it was all about me. Now I know it's about building a community.

Question:  What do you do if you run out of things to blog about?
Answer:  -post a photo
-post your old writing (i.e. short stories, essays, articles, etc.)
-gain inspiration from other blogs


Question:  So you did everything right?
Answer:  Nope. I wish. And I do wish I'd...

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