‘like a heartbeat, lonely and strong.’ (Great Big Sea)
The trouble with social media is that – unless you happen on a rare, lucky viral post, it’s a long, slow heavy haul to a decent following. And, go away for a few weeks (or less) and it all fades away. This, if you hope to do some marketing via your social media platform makes it a perpetual wheel to get chained to.
Of course, even getting the following in the first place is hard yakka. Posting endless spam ‘Buy my book’ – is a guaranteed turn off, and will lose you followers Yes, if you’re popular already, some of them MAY buy your book, but otherwise, no.
You have to engage the attention of readers with OTHER content, generally. If, like Larry Correia you enjoy argument, do it well and entertainingly, you may not win over those you ridicule — but it’s the audience that you’re playing for. Otherwise… cat-pictures sometimes work. Funny bits of snark occasionally take. Getting your posts share by larger accounts does too. And there… the key is so often that you share theirs (unless of course they’re so vast they don’t care).
But be prepared for the long haul. Not too many mentions of your own work, and at least some break out of the ‘writers following writers’ silo. Writers DO buy books (sometimes quite a lot of them) but a career needs a market outside that.
Remember, however, you have to beat the drum, and keep beating it.
In the meanwhile, I have a grand-daughter to put to bed.
4 responses to “Beat the drum”
Granddaughter is priority #1.
Social media is … I gave up trying to sort things out about two F@cebook policy changes ago, at least. I know that “BookTok” is very popular (or supposed to be very popular) and effective for certain subgenres. For how long? Ditto Instagr@m. Since I can’t do that kind of social media, and the popular genres on those media are not ones that I write well, it is hard to suss out how truly effective marketing there is, versus how much is marketing (for the marketers, not authors.)
All of the MGC writers whom I read came to my attention via blogs–theirs, MGC, or someone else’s. My life would be poorer without them. CRQ, I think, was linked in an ancestor of one of the blogs that Salem Media took over.
I was following you but I got bounced off X. But I’m still following you here.
I was a young(ish) man when Facebook appeared. Having frequented Usenet groups, I knew what it would become.
I did not create an account because I wanted to be able to get another job. I’m opinionated and I grew up aware of “your permanent record”. I also review resumes and know to search that record.
25 years later, I’m still at the same job and still have no social media accounts.
The reason has changed: I no longer care about idiots on the Intertubes, whether they are my “friends” or otherwise. I have no desire to waste my time doom scrolling.
I don’t want to create a Facebook account just to market my book and then have it become MySpace II a year later. It’s already passe amongst the young. We’ll see.