Social Media platforms can be used for a wide variety of things and what’s great about that is it solely depends on what you want to use them for. Whether you are wanting to connect with fellow writers, find inspiration, market your materials, or seek stress relief- the possibilities are unlimited. What platform you try to use though can determine how easy or difficult that can be, so if you are interested in figuring out what is right for you, keep reading!
Pinterest- (Information, Inspiration, marketing, relief)
The audience for Pinterest is going to be around 18-65 give or take a few years, so keep that in mind if you are trying to market your book through this platform. Might sound stereotypical but many moms are pinners, so again keep that in mind! If you are looking for information or inspiration Pinterest is the site to keep bookmarked. You can find articles and blogs on how to write specific scenes, how to build fantasy cultures, and find thousands of images to help you build the aesthetic you seek for your writing. Honestly, whatever information you are looking for I can guarantee there is at least ONE article written about it. If you are looking for stress relief through memes, funny stories, and prompts, there are plenty of those on Pinterest. If you are looking for a place to begin your blogging career this is the place to be!
Facebook (Marketing, relief, connection)
Facebooks audience is primarily aged 18-35 and slightly more populated by men, so when it comes to marketing if you are creating content relevant to that demographic facebook might be the best place to sell it. Facebook is great for finding groups of readers and writers to speak with and relate to when it comes to seeking community. It's easy to find content that can make you laugh or friends who love the same genres as you, which can be a relief and comfort. Creating an author’s page on Facebook might be a good idea if you are not seeking to make any sort of website, you can do virtually everything on your page whether it be posting, videos, marketing, discussions, creating groups, and selling product. It’s free and you can display all of your information there for people to easily find.
Twitter (Connection, marketing)
Connecting with anyone within the writing realm can be done through Twitter. Whether you are looking for fellow writers, beta readers, agents, or publishers- everyone has a Twitter account. 38 percent of people in the US use Twitter, and the demographic is around 18-29 years of age. Building up your number of followers is pretty easy, but making friendships takes work, so just be aware that even if you have many followers does not mean that many people are willing to buy whatever you are selling. A lot of Authors also post their work on Twitter, as well as editors and readers posting their services, so if you are looking for recommendations or help that would be a good place to look. It’s easy to get caught up on the hashtags and trying to make a name for yourself on there, just remember to have fun with it.
Instagram (Marketing, Information, Connection)
Two-thirds of Instagram's uses are 34 years of age or younger, so if that fits your demographic be sure to use this platform for your writing. If you are looking to market, or maybe recommendations on books Instagram is a great place to look. If images are a big part of your life, and you often judge your readings based on the cover then this is also a great place to be. You don’t have to be amazing at taking photos but using the right hashtags and pinning the right tags will help you build relationships with popular Instagrammers. You can also do stories on here, like snap chat, which people can flip through and keep up to date on your day to day life. They also have Instagram live, which gives you a way to connect with people in real-time, just like Facebook. It is a very sight-based app so if you don’t feel comfortable uploading photos or feel confident in that skill maybe try a different platform.
GoodReads (Information, Marketing)
Goodreads is a good place to get information on books you would like to read, as well as keep track of things you have read. You can start your readings and write reviews, it's a good place to add your book if you are looking for people to review your novel and market it. There are book groups you can join through the platform but I have not quite figured them out, but I assume they also have a community, depending on the group you join, of people who would love to talk about your favorite books with.
TikTok (connection, relief, marketing)
Booktok has recently become a large demographic on Tiktok where I have seen people connect over their favorite reads and current struggles as writers. You can talk about what interests you or ask questions and get quick feedback from other BookTokers on the app. There are famous authors as well as indie authors and everyone in between who you can connect with there. I find a lot of comic relief on there with people who I relate to when it comes to being an Indie Author. People also make short ads and commercials for their books on there to market to BookTok. If you like to be creative with photos or make videos, Booktok can really set you free.
Wattpad (Marketing, relief)
There is a lot of controversy about Wattpad, and I bet there are better writer websites, but Wattpad is what I know and what I have used in the past. If you are looking to simply put your writing out there with no interest in getting paid, then Wattpad would be a great place for you to do that. There are thousands of readers on there and plenty of material to read yourself. Whether you like poetry, fan fiction, short stories, or book series- there is literally something for everyone on there. You can post by chapter or section and see where you are ranked in the tags you use. They have contests on there for different genres and some people win and will get published and paid through Wattpad. There are followers and the ability to message and post on your profile which gives you the ability to communicate with people who are interested and have read your work.
These are just some of the ways I use Social Media Platforms to connect and market my blog and books. They are always evolving and like everyone I am still trying to figure them out. If you find any other platforms that are helpful for writers and Authors PLEASE feel free to comment or contact me because I am always looking for new places in which will make my Author career easier.
Happy Writing.
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