Writers! Social media isn’t as scary as you might think it is.
Put simply, social media is an expression of natural, everyday human communication in a digital way. The only scary element of social media is, perhaps, internet savvy.
Only, in the information age is this really a barrier? No, it isn’t. Social media sites need YOU to survive. It’s a symbiotic relationship. Therefore, they are incredibly user friendly these days and Twitter is no exception. Plus, there are endless articles to help you get started (this one included).
That leads us to the first tip of this blog: Don’t avoid Twitter because you don’t know anything about it. The Reader’s Digest’s How to Do Just About Everything is free now and the pictures move. It’s called YouTube. Think about learning Twitter as learning a new skill like tiling or basket weaving.
You will have a unique voice in your writing. The same applies to Twitter.
Be Genuine
Twitter isn’t some code to crack; it’s a form of human communication. Social media expert Kivi Leroux Millar nails it when she talks about the three Gs of being genuine, grateful and generous. All the most entertaining and engaging of authors Twitter accounts adhere to these principles. You might not use the same language but no one can accuse Irvine Welsh of being disingenuous on Twitter. He also retweets causes he believes in and is generous to friends (i.e. not all of his tweets are about him). You might not want to be as ‘genuine’ as Irvine Welsh but these three principles are definitely at work.
Keep these three Gs in mind and you’ll be fine. In fact, you’ll be better than fine.
You’re a writer. You’re good with words. Twitter is all about words (and the odd photo these days). If you learn the nuts and bolts of it - its grammar of mentions, hashtags, retweets and favourites - you will be good at it. Just communicate in a voice that feels genuine. People gravitate to genuine people at parties and Twitter is no different.
Don’t spam or look like you are
Appearances count. Unless you turn up to parties in your pants and an egg-stained t-shirt you shouldn’t turn up to the Twitter party without applying some time and effort to your profile. It’s open to debate but I think it’s best to use your actual face as your profile picture. Or, at the very least, a picture that expresses something about your work or personality. Always ensure that it’s a good photo too, not a pixelated one that looks like it was taken from a CCTV camera, or, ahem, one from twenty years ago.
People gravitate to genuine people at parties and Twitter is no different
On Twitter you get wallpaper and a cover image. Use these to reflect your personality in some way. As Matt Haig said in his 30 things every writer should know article: “The writer is now as much a commodity as a book.” What do your image choices say about you to potential readers? Someone who is keen to book you for an event, or publish you, might be swayed either way by your profile. Don’t waste the opportunity.
Similarly, make sure people can find you by typing in your name. On Twitter you can choose whatever handle you want, e.g. @ScottishBkTrust, but you also get to enter your name, e.g. Scottish Book Trust. Make sure it’s the same name that appears on your work.
Be an active member
As keen observers of human behaviour, writers are brilliantly placed to write aphoristic tweet after aphoristic tweet. OK, it’s not that simple. But you do spend a lot of time observing things, taking notes and researching, and those activities will give you lots of material for Twitter.
What’s your book about? If you’re writing a book with a strong sense of place, tweet photos of that place or, if that’s too fiddly, at least tweet some thoughts about it. If you head to a certain café each day, find them on Twitter and thank them (generosity – see point 1) for their addictive brownies. Who knows, when you get published, they might book you for a reading? It’s a guff example but that’s how this whole social networking thing works.
Also pay attention to certain events and days. Are you a poet? Share poetry you love on #NationalPoetryDay. Love badgers? Get super-active for #NationalBadgerDay (6 October). The more active you are socially, the more friends and connections you make in life. The more active you are on social media, the more friends and connections you make that could help you in your real life.
Read through your old tweets
You will have a unique voice in your writing. The same applies to Twitter. Every now and again,read through your old tweets. How are you coming across? A lot of people use Twitter to complain about public transport, internet providers, or white goods that disappoint us. Refrain. It’s good to show the odd bit of anger on Twitter (genuine) but if you’re coming across like a right grump, you’re not putting your best self out there.
Don’t start without knowing how you mean to go on
There are no shortcuts to success on Twitter. You can improve your chances of it with some prior planning, though. Know why you’re there. Take a look at the feeds of authors you like. What are they doing? It sounds a bit corporate but if you have serious ambitions as a writer then why not take your own marketing seriously? To help you through this cringe-worthy process, we’ve created this downloadable template [Word Doc] that will keep you right.
Good luck out there!
Good luck with all your Twitter adventures. Got a question? Add it to the comments and @ASimpleDan will do his best to answer it.
Danny Scott is the Digital Marketing Manager at Scottish Book Trust. He's the man behind our Twitter, Facebook, and more.