A social media strategy is an important aspect of any online business. In the digital world, being an author definitely falls into that category.
My author business is two-fold. First, I am a Young Adult fiction author working on my debut novel. Right now, I am getting my name out there and building a community so that when my book is published, I have an engaged audience to share it with. Secondly, I am a freelance writer. Right now, this is how I bring home the bacon. I am primarily a ghostwriter, but I am also a content writer, drafting content for websites and blogs.
When I first began my author business, my main goal was to promote my personal blog and my journey as an author. It was only until just recently that I dived into freelancing full-time.
In this post, I’m going to share with you what strategy I pursued when I first began, what changes I am making now, and how you can decide when it’s time to make changes in your own business.
Creating My Social Media Strategy
When I started my author account, I began on Instagram. Why did I choose this platform? Aside from the fact that this is my favorite form of social media, this was where lots of authors were (and still are) connecting.
Instagram is definitely one of the most used platforms for my target audience as well as a huge community for fellow authors. It was a no-brainer to make this platform my primary focus.
What exactly does it look like having Instagram be my focus? Instagram became the place where I spent the majority of my time when engaging on social media. I focused on building my community there and connecting with other authors. I always made sure I had content to post. When times got hectic and I couldn’t post as often, as long as I had content to put out on Instagram, everything else could fall to the wayside.
In the beginning, I was only posting on Instagram. I was just getting started and I didn’t want to do too much too soon. Eventually, I added in other platforms. First Twitter, then Facebook, and then Pinterest. I also added in LinkedIn (though I had already had an established account).
I continued to make Instagram top priority but I was also posting to these other platforms. It’s important to get yourself out there as best you can! As long as you have the time that is. Never force yourself to be everywhere if you can’t devote your time to it all.
This strategy has worked very well for me. As I said, I love Instagram and I’ve very much enjoyed engaging with some amazing authors there. But I decided it was time to change up my strategy a bit.
Changing My Social Media Strategy
As my author business has grown, quite a few things have taken place. First, I have been very dedicated to my blog. I post consistently twice a month. I’ve also begun promoting my services on my website (as opposed to finding gigs on third-party sites).
I promote my blogs on Instagram and my other platforms. I don’t promote as much about my services except for on Pinterest. I get a good amount of traffic to my website but I’ve been feeling like I could get more. That’s when it hit me. I need to prioritize Pinterest.
Here’s the thing about Pinterest that makes it unique compared to other social media platforms. It’s not just a social media platform. It’s also a search engine.
Think about how you use Pinterest, not from a business perspective. Do you go there to search for recipes? Fashion ideas? Inspirational quotes? You do. Am I right?
When I was a full-time social media manager, the clients we had who were on Pinterest received a large amount of traffic from there. It was one of the top ways their websites were found. So, why not transpire the same results for my business?
Now that I have built a solid collection of content on my website, I have lots to offer on Pinterest which means lots of opportunities to bring people to my site!
Previously, I did
What does that mean for everything else? Not much will change really. Right now, this is how I am setting up my priorities for my social media:
- Facebook / LinkedIn
I’m going to be keeping everything basically the same. I will still post the same amount as usual everywhere else, except I’ll be posting more often on Pinterest. I’ll still engage on Instagram and Twitter as I did before. I’ll really just be putting more of my focus on making connections on Pinterest and sharing more content there.
Really, it comes down to mindful focus. I know that Pinterest is where I want to thrive. That’s where I’ll focus my creative thinking, more so than on Instagram. I’m really looking forward to growing on Pinterest! If you’re on that network and want to connect, find me here and drop me a DM so I can follow you back!
How To Know If It’s Time To Change Your Social Media Strategy
Right now, you might be feeling a little intimidated by the idea of a social media strategy. Maybe you haven’t sat down to create one or you’re just kind of winging it. That’s okay! As long as, for right now, you are out there and working on something, you’re doing great.
I am working on a tool for creating an effective social media strategy so you can find a plan that works for you. Sign up here to be notified when that launches later this year.
Now, if you’re in a position where you’re wondering if you need to make changes, chances are you need to make changes. That doesn’t necessarily mean you need to focus on a new platform, but you need to decide if what you’re doing on that
You want to ask yourself a few questions. Let’s use Instagram as an example. Is your Instagram account driving traffic to your website or YouTube channel? Are you connecting with like-minded people in your community there? Is your target audience on Instagram? Are you pleased with the engagements you’re getting?
Ultimately, what you need to ask yourself is, is this platform providing the benefit I need? If not, you might want to test out some others that might give you a better outcome.
If you’re feeling a little lost on your social media strategy, I want to help. I would be more than happy to chat with you about deciding if you need to make changes. Feel free to email me!
