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Is Twitter useful or a waste of time for authors? Judge for yourself

Guest post by: Kathleen Gage

Article Overview: The fact is, Social Marketing works for some and fails miserably for others. It is not a one size fits all process.

Is Twitter useful or a waste of time for authors? Judge for yourself

Lately there's been lots of conversations, postings in forums and in social networks about whether or not Social Marketing is useful or a complete waste of time for authors.

As with any form of marketing you have to decide what is most beneficial to overall goals.

The fact is, Social Marketing works for some and fails miserably for others. It is not a one size fits all process.

I happen to be one it works for, but am very clear that there are only so many I should be involved with and only for a specified amount of time. Otherwise, I find myself going down the deep, dark rabbit hole of never ending "shiny objects".

Track results
I have tracked business back to my involvement with Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Granted, much of the business has been for my training courses, so perhaps my input does not apply to someone who strictly wants to promote a book.

However, when I track 30 - 40% of business back to my Social Marketing/Network involvement, I'm sold.

Social networks are a viable way to establish credibility and visibility.

People recommend what they like
Regarding book sales (which many authors find a very frustrating and ego deflating experience) readers often buy a book based on whether or not they have heard about an author, whether it be from some form of social marketing or by way of a recommendation from a friend or colleague.

Often recommendations are made on social networks such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Ning and micro blogs like Twitter.

Social networks and social marketing allows for an incredible amount of visibility and credibility building for books and authors when done correctly.

They are great for encouraging followers and friends to visit a blog or website of an author through a posting by or about the author. From there, someone can opt into the author's mailing list. The author can then share details about a current book or upcoming book.

I can't even begin to count how many authors have said, "I don't want to be a marketer, I just want to write and sell books."

I have news for you, you don't market (or have someone who markets for you) you don't sell books.

Have your eye on the target
Social marketing is not a hit and miss proposition. The greatest value comes from having an integrated process that reduces the time spent with your social marketing and social networking and allows you to strategically position yourself as an author.

Again, I will be the first to admit this is not for everyone. However, for those of us who realize the power of social marketing we are going deeper and deeper into the process. And for many of us, getting incredible results.

A solution for some authors is to hire a VA to help with some of the "heavy lifting" such as getting your profiles set up, helping you to determine what are the best locations for you to put time into and helping to organize the process.

I can almost here the objection of, "I don't have the money to hire someone to do this." It's a Catch 22; I don't have the money to market my books, but until I market my books I may not sell more than a handful.

Something that can demystify the topic for some is to get some training in how it all really works. Often, when we don't see the true benefit of something we can quickly discount it. Or not.

Right use of social networking allows for minimal marketing costs with very high return on investment.

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Article Tags: authors, book marketing, internet marketing, making money on the internet, online business, online marketing
Referred by: http://www.sandcconsulting.com



Related Forum Posts
Unconventional Twitter Ideas - Hi guys, As some of you may or may not know, I follow EvanCarmichael.com authors on Twitter for a multitude of reasons but mostly to listen and to stay engaged with our authors' business. With that said, I'm really looking to expand our reach on Twitter (maybe to potential authors/small business owners/entrepreneurs etc.) or to improve on existing relationships with followers. Have you guys heard of any businesses that are using their Twitter in an unconventional sense?
Re: Is Twitter really worth $1 Billion? - [quote="MichelleJ":iu4t23he]One needs an enormous amount of time to use any of these sites like Twitter correctly and quite frankly it is not something that I have to spare. I do have a Twitter account but rarely spend more than 5-10 minutes a day on it. MichelleJ[/quote:iu4t23he] Exactly! And there are SEVERAL things you can do to market your business and yourself that are FAR more effective for the time. That's why I can't get my head around why so many people (who know better) still waste so much time on these social sites trying to market a site. I understand the newbies who have been told to do that and don't know any better, but not the veterans.
Re: Ideas on Using Twitter for Business - As some of you may or may not know. I've been following EvanCarmichael authors on Twitter for about 2 months now, and I've gain some insights I'd like to share: 1) Go easy on automation and be human! 2) Use @ messages to build relationships and start conversations. 3) Offer your customers value up front for following you. (limited time promotions etc.) 4) Listen, listen, listen! A few people who I think really use their Twitter well: Paul Kedrosky (@pkedrosky), Guy Kawasaki (@GuyKawasaki), Cori Padget (@k0zm0zs0ul) etc.
Re: Dropped Out Of School To Startup! - [quote="Kevin":88mkirnr]I also like to teach my students that school is only a waste of time if you see it as a waste of time. It's a self fulfilling prophecy. Like with anything, you only get what you put in and if you don't put in an effort/try your best and leave your ego at the door (i.e. you think you're smarter than the teacher/professor and can't learn anything new or practical), then you'll also leave with nothing.[/quote:88mkirnr] Exactly. It comes down to each individual. What may seem easy, fun, interesting, etc. to one person, may be totally lame and a waste of time to someone else.
Re: Dropped Out Of School To Startup! - I also like to teach my students that school is only a waste of time if you see it as a waste of time. It's a self fulfilling prophecy. Like with anything, you only get what you put in and if you don't put in an effort/try your best and leave your ego at the door (i.e. you think you're smarter than the teacher/professor and can't learn anything new or practical), then you'll also leave with nothing.


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